A new mid-infrared map of the BN/KL region using the Keck telescope

We present a new mid-infrared (12.5micron) map of the BN/KL high-mass star-forming complex in Orion using the LWS instrument at Keck I. Despite poor weather we achieved nearly diffraction-limited images (FWHM = 0.38'') over a roughly 25'' X 25'' region centered on IRc2 down to a flux limit of ~250 mJy. Many of the known infrared (IR) sources in the region break up into smaller sub-components. We have also detected 6 new mid-IR sources. Nearly all of the sources are resolved in our mosaic. The near-IR source ''n'' is slightly elongated in the mid-IR along a NW--SE axis and perfectly bisects the double-peaked radio source ''L''. Source n has been identified as a candidate for powering the large IR luminosity of the BN/KL region (L = 10^5 L_sun). We postulate that the 12 micron emission arises in a circumstellar disk surrounding source n. The morphology of the mid-IR emission and the Orion ''hot core'' (as seen in NH_3 emission), along with the location of water and OH masers, is very suggestive of a bipolar cavity centered on source n and aligned with the rotation axis of the hypothetical circumstellar disk. IRc2, once thought to be the dominant energy source for the BN/KL region, clearly breaks into 4 sub-sources in our mosaic, as seen previously at 3.8 -- 5.0 micron. The anti-correlation of mid-IR emission and NH_3 emission from the nearby hot core indicates that the IRc2 sources are roughly coincident (or behind) the dense hot core. The nature of IRc2 is not clear: neither self-luminous sources (embedded protostars) nor external heating by source I can be definitively ruled out. We also report the discovery of a new arc-like feature SW of the BN object, and some curious morphology surrounding near-IR source ''t".Comment: To appear in The Astronomical Journal, July 2004 (16 pages, 7 figures

Psychological Issues in Online Adaptive Task Allocation

Adaptive aiding is an idea that offers potential for improvement over many current approaches to aiding in human-computer systems. The expected return of tailoring the system to fit the user could be in the form of improved system performance and/or increased user satisfaction. Issues such as the manner in which information is shared between human and computer, the appropriate division of labor between them, and the level of autonomy of the aid are explored. A simulated visual search task was developed. Subjects are required to identify targets in a moving display while performing a compensatory sub-critical tracking task. By manipulating characteristics of the situation such as imposed task-related workload and effort required to communicate with the computer, it is possible to create conditions in which interaction with the computer would be more or less desirable. The results of preliminary research using this experimental scenario are presented, and future directions for this research effort are discussed

Maintaining a Wormhole with a Scalar Field

It is well known that it takes matter that violates the averaged weak energy condition to hold the throat of a wormhole open. The production of such ``exotic'' matter is usually discussed within the context of quantum field theory. In this paper I show that it is possible to produce the exotic matter required to hold a wormhole open classically. This is accomplished by coupling a scalar field to matter that satisfies the weak energy condition. The energy-momentum tensor of the scalar field and the matter separately satisfy the weak energy condition, but there exists an interaction energy-momentum tensor that does not. It is this interaction energy-momentum tensor that allows the wormhole to be maintained.Comment: 12 pages, LaTe

Development and Psychometric Properties of an Assessment for Persons With Intellectual Disability—The interRAI ID

This paper describes the development of the interRAI-Intellectual Disability (interRAI ID), a comprehensive instrument that assesses all key domains of interest to service providers relative to a person with an intellectual disability (ID). The authors report on the reliability and validity of embedded scales for cognition, self-care, aggression, and depression. Four provider agencies volunteered to participate and assessed a total of 160 community-dwelling adults with ID using the interRAI ID, Dementia Questionnaire for Persons with Mental Retardation, and Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behavior. All scales had acceptable levels of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.74–0.93) and good relationships with the criterion measures ( r  = 0.50–0.93, p  < 0.0001). The development of the interRAI ID represents an important and successful first step toward an integrated, comprehensive, and standardized assessment of adults with ID. Use of this instrument may lead to more appropriate support planning, enhanced communication between various professionals supporting persons with ID, and a more seamless approach to supports across the health and social service systems.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75618/1/j.1741-1130.2006.00094.x.pd

Building Tremor Journal: Examining the Costs of Open Access Publishing

The Center for Digital Research and Scholarship (CDRS) was established in 2007 by the Columbia University Libraries/ Information Services (CUL/IS) to explore and provision new research support services for the university in all areas of scholarly communication, including online scholarly publishing. (Renfro and Neal, 2012) As the landscape for library publishing has continued to grow, CDRS has found an increasing level of demand for library-based support of publishing initiatives from within the University and beyond. Because of CDRS’ unique position as an organization housed within the existing CUL/IS infrastructure, the Center has access to a great deal of resources and support systems that have enabled it to provide a full suite of services in support of library-based publishing, including the publication of Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements (TOHM) journal (http://www.tremorjournal.org/), a fully open access scientific journal based on the Open Journal Systems (OJS) software. Using CDRS' publication and support of TOHM as a case study, this presentation will examine the costs involved in publishing an open access journal, moving beyond the basic setup and execution of a journal website capable of incorporating a peer-review workflow to look in detail at the specific essential services CDRS provides, including: Software development, hosting, and maintenance: The Center continually works to develop on top of the OJS software to customize the web site to allow for full journal publication workflow, including the build of a plugin to work with third-party vendors. Indexing support: In an effort to uphold the journal’s contribution to the scientific community, CDRS has successfully undertaken application for indexing in PubMed Central (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/), and continues to maintain this relationship. Finance management: Through the Center’s relationship with the library finance office, CDRS manages the journal’s finances, including author fees, waivers, and the incorporation of third-party funding and grants to the journal. Research and Development: A constant aspect of CDRS’ support for open-access publication through TOHM is the task of keeping abreast of new opportunities for enhancing the scholarly content through new software tools and platforms; metadata optimization and SEO tools; and methods for integration with the broader scientific research community. The support of TOHM speaks to the Center’s strategy for securing paths for the open access to scholarly research. Additionally, as exemplified by the Library Publishing Coalition’s (LPC) goal to “refine justification and positioning for library-based publishing activities,” (“LPC Project Deliverables”) it provides a useful mechanism for analysis of the opportunities the greater research library community has in the support of scholarly research publication