cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flare performance modeling and set point determination using artificial neural networks

Current EPA regulations mandate a minimum combustion zone heating value of 270 BTU/scf and a net heating value dilution parameter of NHVdil ≥ 22 BTU/ft2 for all steam/air/non-assisted flares while maintaining a high combustion efficiency (CE). To achieve the target performance along with satisfying the EPA regulations, it is necessary to understand the influence of various operating parameters. Studying the effect of operating parameters through experiments is both expensive and time consuming. It is more cost effective to use validated models to guide flare operations. In this study, controlled flare test data conducted from 1983 to 2014 with a wide range of exit velocities, heating values, and fuel compositions have been modeled. The purpose of this study is to develop models that can be robustly used in the industry to achieve the desired CE without visible emissions (smoke). Steam-/air-assist rates, exit velocity, and the vent gas composition, which can be either controlled or measured in flare operations, are used as independent variables in the models. Neural network (NN) models were developed for the air-assisted, steam-assisted, and non-assisted flares using various types of fuels like propylene, propane, natural gas, methane, and ethylene. The flare performance models such as CE and opacity were developed using neural network toolbox in MATLAB. NN models for steam and air-assisted flare tests are in good agreement with experimental data and have been demonstrated by the average correlation coefficient of 0.95 and 0.97 for air-assisted and steam-assisted flare data, respectively. The very low mean absolute errors of 1.1% and 1.4% for air-assisted and steam-assisted flare data, respectively, also indicate the robustness of the NN models. 2-D and 3-D contour plots are presented to show the effect of key operating parameters. The set points (amount of steam/air/make-up fuel required) at the Incipient Smoke Point (ISP) and for Smokeless Flaring (SLF) have been developed based on the neural network models performed in this study. Desirable operating inputs can be set for the ISP and for SLF (Opacity ≤ OpacityISP) subject to heating value constraints (NHVdil ≥ 22 BTU/ft2 & NHVCZ ≥ 270 BTU/scf) with a high CE (≥ 96.5%) for the 1984 EPA and 2010 TCEQ flare study test cases.
Hormonal contraceptives and autism epidemics

This paper defends the hypothesis of a potential causal link between increased usage of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) and significant rises in instances of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) worldwide. It develops a background theory that supports this hypothesis through analysis of: observed correlations between increased usage of HCs and increased instances of ASDs; consistent evidence from independent studies linking "birth spacing" intervals and ASD-risk; evidence from studies on the effects of HCs on folate and B12 absorption; and hypotheses concerning disruptions to mechanisms of delivery of folate and B12 during periods of in utero brain development. The proposed theory is then defended through discussion of how it may explain numerous puzzling correlations with increased instances of ASDs documented in certain demographics.
Sources of Support for IMGs

Support, mentorship, and guidance are especially essential for the transition of international medical graduates (IMGs), who now comprise 26% of the total physician population in the USA (American Medical Association IMG Section Governing Council. International medical graduates in American medicine: contemporary challenges and opportunities. http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/img/img-workforce-paper.pdf). Indeed, IMGs may face many unique challenges in adjusting to medical practice in western cultural settings, and there is clearly a unique need for both more formalized sources of support such as mentors who understand the multifaceted and individualized challenges that IMGs face and informal support networks. We discuss the unique roles of these resources in helping IMGs navigate different cultural norms and expectations in the professional culture and structural hierarchy of the US medical system, career development, and individual and personal experiences of adjusting to a life and career in a new country. Finally, we discuss some current examples of IMG support programs as well as further recommendations for a more standardized program.
“Bootless are your thoughts”: Audience Expectation and Surprise in the Caroline Commercial Theater

Those who regularly attended the Caroline theater were eminently familiar with its conventions, tropes, and devices. What did it take to surprise these playgoers? This essay examines the theatrical and social effects of Caroline playgoers' surprise by juxtaposing Philip Massinger’s The Roman Actor with Thomas Kyd’s Elizabethan blockbuster, The Spanish Tragedy. Kyd’s tragedy remained popular long after Hieronimo's deadly act of revenge shocked the play's original audiences, as playgoers gradually took knowledgeable ownership of the material that had once upended their dramatic expectations. Massinger’s play, in evoking the commercial theater's long history, appeals to this theatrical acumen. But it also works to pull the interpretive rug out from under its audiences, appropriating the shock of Kyd’s play when spectators least expect it. In arguing that The Roman Actor is designed to surprise an audience deeply in the know, I suggest that the collective registration of unknowing was as crucial to the formation of early modern theatrical publics as the knowing recognition prompted by dramatic familiarity.
Clinical Diagnosis and Classification: Including Biopsy Techniques and Noninvasive Imaging

Early detection of melanoma is important in improving patient survival. The treatment of melanoma is multidisciplinary and begins by obtaining an accurate diagnosis. The mainstays of melanoma diagnosis include examination of the lesion and surrounding areas and an excisional biopsy so that a pathologic diagnosis can be obtained. The pathology results will help guide treatment recommendations, and some information can be used for prognosis. Further workup of the patient may include laboratory studies and imaging for staging and surveillance.
A Framework for Cross Account Analysis

A key challenge of Strategic Outsourcing SO from a service delivery perspective is trying to understand one key question: Why two SO accounts that seemingly looks the same have very different cost structure? In this article we present a parameterized framework for modeling and analysis of cross account behavior. We abstract certain key account features as parameters and construct models for answering behavioral characteristics of SO accounts. We use spectral graph clustering for detecting similar accounts, and also develop parameterized clustering for detecting coherent behavior of accounts. We have implemented a prototype of the approach and we discuss some preliminary empirical result of cross account analysis.
Galisteo Basin Preserve

Excerpt] Conservation easements can act as a catalyst for new development by increasing land values, improving public access to recreational spaces, and provide land owners with tax savings, among other benefits. Furthermore, the public benefit and growing appeal of sustainable development approaches, such as conservation easements, can help fast track and improve the odds of approval of a project. Conservation easements are not without their costs, however. These costs include giving up developable land and creating a stewardship program, as well as other costs. Commonweal Conservancy acts as an example of the implementation of a large scale conservation easement as the centerpiece of a development. While the conservation easement plays a key role in sustainability efforts, it is the entire process that matters, from education of the community to choosing the right product for the market, to promoting stewardship into the future. Commonweal Conservancy’s case exemplifies this process.
Diversion of Carbon to Polysaccharide Synthesis by Bradyrhizobium Japonicum and B. Elkanii Bacteroids

Rhizobia are typical of Gram-negative bacteria in their production of copious amounts of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) (see Carlson 1982). For the fast-growing species of Rhizobium, EPS plays a vital role in infection of the host plant, but a similar role for EPSs in the slow-growing rhizobia is not apparent. (Actually, it may be more appropriate to say that EPS plays a role in formation of indeterminate nodules but not in formation of determinate nodules (Diebold, Noel 1989).) EPS may be synthesized in the soil, but we know of no direct evidence on this point. In addition to EPS, rhizobia produce cyclic periplasmic s-glucans (see Bhagwat, Keister 1992). These lower molecular weight polysaccharides probably play a role in osmoregulation. Finally, recent evidence indicates that the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the rhizobial outer membrane play some vital role in nodule development (Stacey et al. 1991; Lagares et al. 1992).
Types and type families for hardware simulation and synthesis: the internals and externals of Kansas Lava

In this paper, we overview the design and implementation of our latest version of Kansas Lava. Driven by needs and experiences of implementing telemetry circuits, we have made a number of recent improvements to both the external API and the internal representations used. We have retained our dual shallow/deep representation of signals in general, but now have a number of externally visible abstractions for combinatorial, sequential, and enabled signals. We introduce these abstractions, as well as our new abstractions for memory and memory updates. Internally, we found the need to represent unknown values inside our circuits, so we made aggressive use of type families to lift our values in a principled and regular way. We discuss this design decision, how it unfortunately complicates the internals of Kansas Lava, and how we mitigate this complexity.
Contesting Miss South Sudan: GENDER AND NATION-BUILDING IN DIASPORIC DISCOURSE

As South Sudan prepares for a referendum on independence in 2011, heightened nationalist expression within popular and political discourse reveals a messier and more openly disputed conception of the ideal Southern Sudanese woman. In this article I examine one site for debate in the diaspora, the US based Miss South Sudan beauty pageant. Highlighting the perseverance and power of the Woman-as-Nation discourse, I read the contest as a politically significant expression of a ‘South Sudanese’ national identity, with elements of the advertising, organization and the performance itself promoting a particularly faith, race and class based role model. This ideal is deeply politicized, linked both to the long history of conflict in Sudan and contemporary political and social shifts around gender. Miss South Sudan straddles traditional and modern notions of womanhood and women's patriotism revealing productive contestations around femininity and empowerment in the post-conflict period. This analysis highlights the...
Proteasome inhibitors induce AMPK activation via CaMKKβ in human breast cancer cells

The purpose of present study is to examine the mechanism of the 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation induced by proteasome inhibitors. AMPK activation and ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) inhibition have gained great attention as therapeutic strategies for the treatment of certain types of cancers. While AMPK serves as a master regulator of cellular metabolism, UPS regulates protein homeostasis. However, the relationship between these two important pathways is not very clear. We observe that proteasome inhibition leads to AMPK activation in human breast cancer cells. siRNA transfection, western blotting, qPCR, and proteasomal inhibition assays were used to study the mechanism of proteasome inhibitor-induced AMPK activation using human triple-negative breast cancer, lung, and cervical cancer cell lines. We report that a variety of proteasome inhibitors activate AMPK in all the tested different cancer cell lines. Our data using liver kinase B1-deficient cancer cells suggest that proteasome inhibitor-induced AMPK activation is primarily mediated by Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ). This hypothesis is supported by that pharmacological or genetic inhibition of CaMKKβ leads to a decrease in proteasome inhibitor-induced AMPK activation. Additionally, the AMPK-activating function of the FDA-approved proteasome inhibitor bortezomib depends on an increase in intracellular calcium levels as calcium chelation abrogates its induced AMPK activation. Finally, bortezomib-mediated upregulation in CaMKKβ levels is due to its enhanced protein synthesis. These data suggest that proteasome inhibitors indirectly activate AMPK in human cancer cells primarily via Ca(2+)-CaMKKβ-dependent pathway.
An introduction to statistical signal processing with applications

1. Introduction. 2. Signals and Systems. 3. Detection Theory. 4. Detection of Signals in Noise. 5. Estimation Theory. 6. Estimation of Waveforms. 7. Further Topics in Detection and Estimation. 8. Applications to Communication and Radar Systems. 9. Miscellaneous Applications. Appendix A: Bilateral Transforms. Appendix B: Calculus of Extrema. Appendix C: Vectors and Matrices. Subject Index. Author Index.
Moral Identity in Friendships between Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Students and Straight Students in College

People construct moral identities for being a supportive affiliate of stigmatized groups. To extend past research that focused on such identities within formal organizations, this study seeks to identify the process of moral identity construction in a personal setting—friendships between gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) people and straight people. Analyzing data from in-depth interviews with college students, we show that straight students claim moral worth by emphasizing their deliberate decisions to develop and sustain friendships with GLB people and by highlighting how the friendships led them to personal enlightenment and political engagement. GLB students, as a stigmatized group, also claim moral worth by emphasizing their ability to transcend the community boundary and to be accepted in the larger society. Students make such claims as they strategically link these aspects of cross-orientation friendships to existing moral discourses in the larger society and draw on resources available in the organizational and life course contexts.
Continuing Information Systems Issues: A Comparison Of The Manufacturing And Non-Manufacturing Sectors

The CIOs of a sample of publicly-traded U.S. corporations were surveyed about the relative importance of information systems issues. The issues were selected from a series of MIS Quarterly studies of information systems issues. An analysis of the differences in the responses from manufacturing firms versus non-manufacturing firms discovered that non-manufacturing firms view these issues as more important than manufacturing firms do. There is also a difference in the underlying factor structure for manufacturing as opposed to non-manufacturing firms. The differences suggest that manufacturing firms are not as focused upon strategic uses of information systems as non-manufacturing firms.
Desegregation and the Historically Black High School: The Establishment of Howard W. Blake in Tampa, Florida.

This article examines a grassroots movement among African-Americans to reestablish Howard W. Blake High School, named for a historically black high school closed during the desegregation process in Tampa, Florida. The establishment of Blake High School was contentious, involving negotiations by multiple and conflicting interests—school officials, black leaders, alumni of the historically black high schools that had existed prior to desegregation, the federal judge overseeing the 1971 desegregation order, and civil rights leaders. Analyzing the debates over Blake's status as a magnet, its location, and its attendance zone, this article highlights the paradox of desegregation for African-American communities in Tampa. This case reveals the tension between the desire for community schooling and the consequences of resegregation.
A nutrition environment evaluation of grocery and convenience stores in low-income communities using the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey for Stores (NEMS-S) (LB382)

INTRO: As part of a 5-year multi-state adolescent obesity prevention project, the nutrition environments of grocery and convenience stores were assessed in selected low income communities in Kansas, South Dakota, and Ohio (KS, SD, and OH). One control and one intervention community was selected per state. METHODS: Grocery and convenience stores (n=23) were identified for audit using the validated Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey for Stores (NEMS-S). NEMS-S evaluates availability of healthful food, price of healthy versus unhealthy food, and quality of fresh produce. Standard NEMS-S scoring methods were used; higher overall scores indicate greater quality and availability of healthy items as well as lower or equal prices of healthy compared to unhealthy items (range -9-54). Stores that did not meet NEMS-S parameters were excluded. RESULTS: Using non-parametric testing, no significant differences were found between average NEMS-S scores of control and intervention communities within or among states ...
Re-reviving Disparate Impact

Rejecting the Supreme Court's attempt in Wards Cove to cut back the disparate impact theory of liability under Title VII, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1991 codifying the doctrine. Although that Act was the culmination of a vibrant national debate, there has been surprisingly little implementation of the doctrine since its passage. During the same period, however, there has been increasing scholarly consensus both that discrimination remains an important national problem and that the legal tools to address it are wholly inadequate. While the 1991 resurrection of disparate impact might have seemed the answer, the attention of the commentators returned instead to disparate impact's sibling, disparate treatment liability. On the disparate treatment front, there has been change but perhaps not progress. After thirty years of wrestling with the McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green grand experiment with proof structures for proving intentional discrimination, the Court's 2003 decision in Desert Palace, Inc. v. Costa circled back to the obvious and simply asked whether there was "sufficient evidence" that a prohibited ground was "a motivating factor" for an employment practice. While Desert Palace may make proof structures obsolete, it is doubtful that its "sufficient evidence" approach will result in more verdicts for victims of discrimination. The same judges whose summary judgments and judgments as a matter of law have for years reflected profound skepticism about the prevalence of discrimination in the workplace will continue to keep the gates, and juries may also be reluctant to find violations because of common perceptions that discrimination is largely a thing of the past. The time, then, is ripe for a reconsideration of the question of discrimination in an effort to define the proper role of the two theories of liability - disparate treatment and disparate impact. This reassessment is in large part responsive to the new wave of research by scholars such as Linda Krieger and Tristin Green. Speaking in terms of cognitive bias and workplace dynamics they argue that discrimination is both more pervasive and less conscious today than was true when Title VII was enacted in 1964. While these commentators have rejected a disparate impact solution in favor of modifying disparate treatment, the history of that paradigm hardly justifies optimism. Consequently, this Article argues for expanded use of disparate impact as a tool to address both old- and new-fashioned discrimination and develops the justifications and mechanisms for so doing. While a more robust use of disparate impact forfeits the moral high ground that validates the core disparate treatment prohibition, it argues that those heights have already been eroded by scholarship such as Krieger's and Green's. Further, since disparate impact functions not as an absolute prohibition but rather as a means of balancing adverse effect against business justifications, it is a more attractive avenue to address present-day "subtle discrimination" than radically expanding the disparate treatment model.
Accounting for Noise in the Sizing of Populations

Abstract This paper considers the effect of noise on the quality of convergence of genetic algorithms (GAs). A population-sizing equation is derived to ensure that minimum signal-to-noise ratios are favorable to the discrimination of the best building blocks required to solve a problem of bounded deception. In five test problems of varying degrees of nonlinearity, nonuniform scaling, and nondeterminism, the sizing relation proves to be a conservative predictor of average correct convergence. These results suggest how the sizing equation may be viewed as a coarse delineation of a boundary between two distinct types of GA behavior. Besides discussing a number of extensions of this work, the paper discusses how these results may one day lead to rigorous proofs of convergence for recombinative GAs operating on problems of bounded deception.
Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Gifted Education: Examples with Self-Concept Data

Factor analysis allows researchers to conduct exploratory analyses of latent variables, reduce data in large datasets, and test specific models. The purpose of this paper is to review common uses of factor analysis, provide general guidelines for best practices, illustrate these guidelines with examples using previously published self-concept data, and discuss common pitfalls and ways to avoid them.
Effects of Sampling Context on the Expressive Language of Children and Adolescents with Mental Retardation.

This study was designed to determine whether conversational samples of language should be supplemented with samples obtained in narrative, or storytelling, contexts when evaluating the expressive language skills of individuals with mental retardation. Language samples were elicited in both conversational and narrative contexts from 16 school-age individuals with mental retardation and 16 typically developing children matched to them on MA. An analysis of the samples demonstrated that both groups produced more syntactically complex language in narration than in conversation, whereas they were more talkative in conversation than in narration. These results suggest that conversational and narrative contexts should be used together when evaluating the expressive language performance of individuals with mental retardation.
Quantitative assessment of amide proton transfer (APT) and nuclear overhauser enhancement (NOE) imaging with extrapolated semi-solid magnetization transfer reference (EMR) signals: Application to a rat glioma model at 4.7 Tesla.

Purpose To quantify amide proton transfer (APT) and nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) contributions to in vivo chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI signals in tumors. Theory and Methods Two-pool (free water and semi-solid protons) and four-pool (free water, semi-solid, amide, and upfield NOE-related protons) tissue models combined with the super-Lorentzian lineshape for semi-solid protons were used to fit wide and narrow frequency-offset magnetization-transfer (MT) data, respectively. Extrapolated semi-solid MT signals at 3.5 and −3.5 ppm from water were used as reference signals to quantify APT and NOE, respectively. Six glioma-bearing rats were scanned at 4.7 Tesla. Quantitative APT and NOE signals were compared at three saturation power levels. Results The observed APT signals were significantly higher in the tumor (center and rim) than in the contralateral normal brain tissue at all saturation powers, and were the major contributor to the APT-weighted image contrast (based on MT asymmetry analysis) between the tumor and the normal brain tissue. The NOE (a positive confounding factor) enhanced this APT-weighted image contrast. The fitted amide pool sizes were significantly larger, while the NOE-related pool sizes were significantly smaller in the tumor than in the normal brain tissue. Conclusion The extrapolated semi-solid magnetization transfer reference provides a relatively accurate approach for quantitatively measuring pure APT and NOE signals. Magn Reson Med, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sindbis Virus-induced Viral Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase

A cytoplasmic structure containing the viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase has been isolated by sucrose density centrifugation from cells infected with Sindbis virus. Uninfected cells did not contain any such structure. Preliminary experiments indicated that the structure may be associated with membranes. This structure incorporated (3)H-guanosine triphosphate in vitro in the absence of added template. The RNA synthesized in vitro by the enzyme consisted of single-stranded 40S RNA, the ribonuclease-resistant replicative form, and possibly the replicative intermediate form of viral RNA. The products formed in vitro by the enzyme are identical in sedimentation rates to those formed in the infected cells in vivo.
On the influence of a fabrication imperfection on the normal acceleration sensitivity of contoured quartz resonators with rectangular supports

It is shown that the normal acceleration sensitivity of contoured quartz resonators with rectangular supports vanishes when the centers of the mode shape and support rectangle coincide. This result is essentially a consequence of symmetry and applies to many other shapes. Since it is extremely difficult to realize this situation in practice, an analysis of the influence of an offset of the centers on the normal acceleration sensitivity is performed. The biasing deformation is determined by means of a variational approximation procedure using the variational principle with all natural conditions for anisotropic static flexure. The very important accompanying strains which vary quadratically across the thickness are determined recursively. The resulting flexural biasing states are used in the existing perturbation equation along with the equivalent trapped energy mode shapes of the contoured resonators to calculate the normal acceleration sensitivities. It is shown that for small offsets the acceleration sensitivity increases linearly with offsets and orientations for which this effect is minimized. >
Moral Evaluations of Illegal Behaviors

Groups of institutionalized delinquents, urban males and females, and rural males and females were asked to report on their involvement in a variety of illegal acts; in addition, these respondents were asked whether they strongly approved through strongly disapproved of each act and whether they believed that their best friend strongly approved through strongly disapproved of each act. Contrary to Matza's (1964) hypotheses: 1) those who report involvement in illegal behaviors are much more likely to view their friends as equally approving, or less approving of the acts than themselves; 2) this finding remains virtually unchanged when those under 17 are compared with those 17 and older; 3) those who report engaging in a given illegal act are consistently and substantially less disapproving of that act than those who report not engaging in the act. The asymmetry of the relationship between disapproval/lack of disapproval and involvement/non-involvement is noted and briefly discussed.
Aging-related changes in auditory and visual integration measured with MEG.

As noted in the aging literature, processing delays often occur in the central nervous system with increasing age, which is often attributable in part to demyelination. In addition, differential slowing between sensory systems has been shown to be most discrepant between visual (up to 20 ms) and auditory systems (<5 ms). Therefore, we used MEG to measure the multisensory integration response in auditory association cortex in young and elderly participants to better understand the effects of aging on multisensory integration abilities. Results show a main effect for reaction times (RTs); the mean RTs of the elderly were significantly slower than the young. In addition, in the young we found significant facilitation of RTs to the multisensory stimuli relative to both unisensory stimuli, when comparing the cumulative distribution functions, which was not evident for the elderly. We also identified a significant interaction between age and condition in the superior temporal gyrus. In particular, the elderly had larger amplitude responses (∼100 ms) to auditory stimuli relative to the young when auditory stimuli alone were presented, whereas the amplitude of responses to the multisensory stimuli was reduced in the elderly, relative to the young. This suppressed cortical multisensory integration response in the elderly, which corresponded with slower RTs and reduced RT facilitation effects, has not been reported previously and may be related to poor cortical integration based on timing changes in unisensory processing in the elderly.
Management of Intraabdominal Hypertension by Percutaneous Catheter Drainage

The authors report a case of an 18-year-old man with T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia who developed hemorrhagic pancreatitis after chemotherapy. He subsequently developed abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Computed tomography showed a large fluid-filled mass in the area of the pancreas. As a result of the instability of his condition, surgical decompression, the standard therapy for ACS, was believed to carry significant morbidity and potential mortality. The patient underwent ultrasound-guided drainage of the peripancreatic fluid, which decreased his abdominal pressures and improved his clinical status. Without this procedure, the patient may not have tolerated subsequent surgery.
Planning with movable obstacles in continuous environments with uncertain dynamics

In this paper we present a decision theoretic planner for the problem of Navigation Among Movable Obstacles (NAMO) operating under conditions faced by real robotic systems. While planners for the NAMO domain exist, they typically assume a deterministic environment or rely on discretization of the configuration and action spaces, preventing their use in practice. In contrast, we propose a planner that operates in real-world conditions such as uncertainty about the parameters of workspace objects and continuous configuration and action (control) spaces. To achieve robust NAMO planning despite these conditions, we introduce a novel integration of Monte Carlo simulation with an abstract MDP construction. We present theoretical and empirical arguments for time complexity linear in the number of obstacles as well as a detailed implementation and examples from a dynamic simulation environment.
n-Player impartial combinatorial games with random players

In this paper we develop a method of analyzing n-player impartial combinatorial games where n - 1 players behave optimally while one of the players plays randomly. More specifically, we develop a function g r that maps impartial combinatorial games to n-tuples called game values. A game value of some impartial combinatorial game G describes the probability that any player can win assuming player r plays randomly (i.e. player r chooses games at random without strategy).After devising our game value function g r , we apply it to the analysis of three-player Chomp whereby the second player plays randomly. Our analysis gives game values for single rowed Chomp positions and two rowed Chomp positions where the bottom row has 1 or 2 elements.We next discuss three alternative methods of analysis. First we extend our game value function to support more than just a single random player. Our second extension allows the random player to choose from an arbitrary distribution over games (as opposed to uniform which is assumed in our analysis of Chomp). This second extension also allows us to model a player who makes correct decisions for "simple" games (those that are, for instance, close to an end game) while playing randomly for more complex games. Finally, the third method considers the case where the random player only makes a mistake with probability ? and otherwise plays strategically.We conclude with many open problems and some interesting observations on the behavior of games containing a random player.
Identification of fractures from computerized medicare files

Study of non-hip fractures, which are a serious public health problem for persons greater than or equal to 65 years of age, has been hindered by the absence of an economical method for case identification. We assessed the utility of computerized Medicare inpatient, emergency room, hospital outpatient department and physician claims for identifying fractures in an elderly Tennessee Medicaid population. We used these files for 1987 to identify 3086 possible fractures and reviewed medical records for a sample of 1440. Using this sample, we developed a definition of probable fractures that excluded claims unlikely to represent newly diagnosed fractures. For all fractures, this definition had a positive predictive value of 94%, which for individual fracture sites, ranged from 79% (tibia/fibula) to 98% (hip). Of fractures in the reviewed sample, 91% were identified as probable fractures; this upper bound for sensitivity varied between 75% (femoral shaft) and 100% (patella). These data suggest that computerized Medicare files can be used for rapid and economical fracture ascertainment among persons greater than or equal to 65 years of age. However, further work is needed to obtain better estimates of sensitivity.
Effect of Culture pH on D Value, Cell Growth and Sporulation Rates of P.A. 3679 Spores Produced in an Anaerobic Fermentor

The submerged culture of P.A. 3679 spores was studied in an anaerobic fermentor with pH control. The control of pH was necessary for sporulation in trypticase soy broth medium supplemented with 5.0 g/L or more glucose. D values, growth rates, and sporulation rates showed variation with pH in the range 6.0–8.0. z value appeared to be less sensitive to culture pH.
Max-geometric Infinite Divisibility and Stability

We consider a stability property for Rd-valued random vectors appropriate for describing extreme events up to the time of a catastrophe. Let N(p) be geometrically distributed. The random vector Y is max-geometrically infinitely divisible if for some iid random vectors {Yp,j, j ≥ 1} independent of N(p) we have for any 0 < p < 1. Y is max-geometrically stable if for 0 < p < 1, for Y, Yn, n ≥ 1 iid and independent of N(p), we have Y and Yj of the same type. These distributions are characterized and domains of attraction and related rates of convergence questions explored.
The extent of undiagnosed HIV infection among emergency department patients: results of a blinded seroprevalence survey and a pilot HIV testing program.

Abstract This study was performed to determine the rate of previously undiagnosed HIV infection among patients presenting to an urban emergency department (ED) and to assess the feasibility of routinely offering voluntary HIV testing in this setting. HIV serostatus was determined anonymously among consecutive acute medicine and trauma ED patients (aged 18–55) who had blood drawn as part of their medical care. Excess serum was aliquoted and coded with an anonymous study code. Before performing HIV testing, the number of persons with previously reported HIV infection was determined by linkage with the state HIV/AIDS reporting registry. Concurrent with the blinded HIV serosurvey, ED patients were offered voluntary HIV testing in a pilot program. Overall, 76 of 2,155 (3.5%) adult ED patients in the blinded survey were HIV-seropositive, 15 of whom (0.7% of those tested, 20% of those HIV-seropositive) had no infection previously reported to the state HIV/AIDS registry. In the pilot program, six of the 156 (3.8%) individuals who underwent voluntary HIV testing were HIV-seropositive, including three of 53 (5.6%) individuals without prior HIV testing. Of the six HIV-seropositive subjects, one was previously diagnosed, while five of the remaining 155 (3.2%) represented previously undiagnosed infections. Overall, 3.5% of ED patients from whom blood was obtained for other reasons tested positive for HIV antibody, 20% of whom were previously undiagnosed. Implementation of the voluntary testing program uncovered newly diagnosed infection among 3.2% of those tested. An ED may be an important setting for routinely offering HIV testing, especially for patients who have not been previously tested for HIV.
Integration by design: Bringing science, math, and technology together through the engineering design process

The primary goal of this mini-workshop is to assist participants in developing engineering- and art-based design projects that reinforce concepts in mathematics and science, thus providing an integrative environment for learning. The emerging STEAM (STEM + art, which is also a design discipline) approach emphasizes a hands-on, project-based, interdisciplinary approach to the study of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). To emphasize the importance of using engineering design principles to integrate learning in science and math and gain technological literacy, we refer to this approach as STEAMd. This mini-workshop will be of interest to those involved in P-16 engineering education and in developing a philosophy of engineering education that stresses an integrative approach to instruction and practice grounded in design, the fundamental process of engineering.
The roles of hopeful thinking in preventing problems and enhancing strengths

Abstract From its most famous tale, that of Pandora, hope was meant to prevent the emergence and reemergence of life difficulties. A new model defining hope as a combination of agentic pathways and goal-directed thinking is reviewed. Comparisons of the similarities of this theory to other existing theories are made. The beneficial roles of hope in primary (before the appearance of a problem) and secondary (after a problem has appeared) prevention are explored. Primary enhancement is introduced as involving those thoughts and actions that establish optimal functioning and satisfaction. Secondary enhancement is posited to describe those thoughts and actions that are undertaken over time so as to further functioning and satisfaction in order to reach peak levels. Using hope theory as a lens, these primary and secondary enhancement processes are described. The natural synergy between prevention and enhancement activities is discussed, along with the future priorities for using hope in prevention and enhancement efforts.
Lateral spatial effects in compressor grating pairs

An effective computational technique to estimate lateral spatial effects in laser beams compressed by diffraction grating plates is established. In particular, the equivalence of the Kirchoff-Fresnel integral form to the exponential split-operator Fourier transform representation for a propagating-beam amplitude provides a more general numerical technique. Thus realistic beam profiles may be accurately propagated through the compressor pair, including grating-plate misalignment contributions. Additionally, the use of a stationary-phase approximation to the propagation integral kernel is shown to be a convenient, reliable method to evaluate analytical beam forms. Both the numerical and the approximate approaches generalize previously discussed ray-tracing approaches to optimize compressor design.
Meiotic Synapsis in the Absence of Recombination

Although in Saccharomyces cerevisiae the initiation of meiotic recombination, as indicated by double-strand break formation, appears to be functionally linked to the initiation of synapsis, meiotic chromosome synapsis in Drosophila females occurs in the absence of meiotic exchange. Electron microscopy of oocytes from females homozygous for either of two meiotic mutants (mei-W68 and mei-P22), which eliminate both meiotic crossing over and gene conversion, revealed normal synaptonemal complex formation. Thus, synapsis in Drosophila is independent of meiotic recombination, consistent with a model in which synapsis is required for the initiation of meiotic recombination. Furthermore, the basic processes of early meiosis may have different functional or temporal relations, or both, in yeast and Drosophila.
Dual Function Labeling of Biomolecules Based on DsRed-Monomer

Unavailability of fusion tags that possess both affinity and visualization properties is a hurdle for biomolecular research. Typically, either a choice is made between an affinity tag and a reporter tag or both are employed in tandem if a fusion can be made at both termini of the target biomolecule. In this work, we have developed a site-specific genetic fusion approach employing DsRed-Monomer, a red fluorescent protein, that provides for both affinity and reporter functionality in a single tag. As a proof-of-concept, two fusion proteins, bradykinin-DsRed-Monomer and calmodulin-DsRed-Monomer, were prepared for the study. These fusion proteins were purified using a copper-immobilized column based on the inherent copper-binding property of DsRed-Monomer. Spectroscopic characterization of fusion proteins and comparison with native DsRed-Monomer showed no effect of fusion on the properties of DsRed-Monomer. Further, bradykinin-DsRed-Monomer was employed in the development of a competitive fluorescence immunoassay for the peptide bradykinin. Calmodulin-DsRed-Monomer was used to detect binding of the calmodulin ligand chlorpromazine, based on a change in the fluorescence of DsRed-Monomer upon binding of chlorpromazine to calmodulin. The studies performed demonstrate the application of DsRed-Monomer as a dual function tag indicating the potential usefulness of DsRed-monomer in proteomics and biomolecular research.
Modeling and error identification on three-dimensional tomosynthetic reconstructions

ABSTRACT The advent of large (40cm X 40cm) flat panel x-ray detection devices has ushered in a new era of synthetically gener-ating tomographic image sets for many diagnostic applications. Tomosynthetic image sets correspond to focal planes passing through an imaged object and are commonly generated by algebraically reconstructing (backprojecting) aset of two-dimensional (2D) projections. Tomosynthetic image sets typically contain a significant amount of cross-sectional blur. This paper describes a system for modeling the tomosynthesis process and proposes a methodologyfor quantitatively and qualitatively evaluating erroneous intensity values in reconstructed three-dimensional (3D)tomosynthetic image sets.Keywords: tomosynthesis, 3D image reconstruction, synthetic computed tomography, backprojection, cone beamCT 1. INTRODUCTION Optical tomography was originally described by Des Plantes1'2 and it has been somewhat useful in medical diagnosis for many decades. Limiting widespread acceptance of optical tomography has been the large doses of radiation and
FOLLOW UP STUDY OF MACRO CEPHALIC DEVELOPMENTALLY DELAYED PRESCHOOLERS

Of nine developmentally delayed preschool children with macrccephaly identified at an inner city developmental evaluation clinic, eight were still macrccephalic on follow up. Evaluations consisted of parental and child interviews, assessment of academic progress, and physical and neurodevelopmental examinations. Follow up examinations revealed an unexpected finding of acceleration of growth in height for the group as a whole. Academic placement of children initially diagnosed as having borderline intelligence was at grade level with performance above expectations in reading and spelling and below in arithmetic on the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) and on the Test of Early Language Development (TELD). These children were without major behavior problems. Children who initially tested as mildly retarded were in special classes receiving added therapies, tested below grade and age expectations on the WRAT and TELD, and had significant emotional difficulties. Those who initially tested as moderately or severely retarded were in special classes, had no academic gains and were noted to have significant behavior problems. Our data suggests that: (1) Macrocephaly tends to persist; (2) These children surprisingly display an accelerated rate of growth in height; (3) Initial intelligence testing was prognostically discriminating; (4) Emotional and behavior problems were common in this cohort of children.
Effects of victim gender and physical vs. psychological trauma/injury on observers' perceptions of sexual assault and its aftereffects

Researchers have examined many underlying attitudes toward rape. Studies have focused on female victims while an increasing number of reported male rape victims has been overlooked. This study compared observers' attribution of guilt toward rape victims and their rapists. It also specified the trauma inflicted by either physical or psychological concomitants of rape victimization and compared the effect of such information on both blame and expectation of recovery. Participants were university students, primarily Caucasian, with mean ages 20.56 and 21.21 years for males and females, respectively. Female victims were judged more harshly than male victims. Length of imprisonment considered appropriate for guilty assailants was found to be greater when injury was done to one's own gender. Recovery was expected to be a lengthy process. Implications for social gender stereotyping and public attitudes concerning aftereffects of traumatic stress are discussed.
Assessing gustatory detection capabilities using preference procedures

On etudie les consequences, sur l'estimation du seuil de perception, de differents parametres : facteurs hedoniques (testes ou non dans des conditions d'aversion), conditions experimentales (concentrations en produits notamment) et facteurs genetiques
Optimum survey methods when interviewing employed women.

Background While survey studies have examined bias much is unknown regarding specific subpopulations, especially women workers. Methods A population based phone, Internet, and mail survey of workplace falls during pregnancy was undertaken. Participation by industry and occupation and survey approach and bias, reliability, and incomplete data were examined. Results Of the 3,997 women surveyed, 71% were employed during their pregnancy. Internet responders were most likely to be employed while pregnant and to report a workplace fall at 8.8% compared to 5.8% and 6.1% for mail and phone respondents. Internet responders had the most missing employment data with company name missing for 17.9% compared to 1.3% for phone responders. Mail surveys were best for recruiting those employed in eight of nine industries, and this was especially true for service occupations. Conclusions To decrease bias and increase participation, mixed approaches may be useful with particular attention for collecting occupational data. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:105–112, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ultra-low power data storage for sensor networks

Local storage is required in many sensor network applications, both for archival of detailed event information, as well as to overcome sensor platform memory constraints. Recent gains in energy efficiency of new-generation NAND flash storage have strengthened the case for in-network storage by data-centric sensor network applications. We argue that current storage solutions offering a simple file system abstraction are inadequate for sensor applications to exploit storage. Instead, we propose Capsule—a rich, flexible and portable object storage abstraction that offers stream, file, array, queue and index storage objects for data storage and retrieval. Further, Capsule supports checkpointing and rollback of object state for fault tolerance. Our experiments demonstrate that Capsule provides platform independence, greater functionality and greater energy efficiency than existing storage solutions.