cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decision Making in the Treatment of Acute Illness in Nursing Homes: Framing the Decision Problem, Treatment Plan, and Outcome

This article investigates the social-cultural factors and other circumstances that influence decision making in the treatment of acute illness in three West Coast nursing homes. Participant observation, in-depth interviews with physicians, nursing staff, nursing home residents, and family members, and event analysis were used to gather data. Using decision-making theory as the theoretical framework, analysis focuses on how internal and external factors influence the decision-making process. Two case studies are used to illustrate how in real-life acute clinical situations, physicians frame decision problems, treatment plans, and expected outcomes in order to persuade residents and their families to comply with their preferred treatment plans.
Removing indoor particles using portable air cleaners: Implications for residential infection transmission

Abstract Reducing indoor exposure to influenza particles can be an important strategy to manage residential infections. Many portable air cleaning (PAC) technologies are currently employed in residential environments but very little research has been performed to evaluate and compare their performance in terms of particle removal associated with influenza. This study evaluates the effectiveness of portable air cleaners at removing airborne NaCl particles as an analogue to the influenza virus and applies the results to an IAQ mass balance model to evaluate the performance in controlling residential exposures and mitigating infection risks. Various devices representing different PAC technologies were tested using a pull down particle challenge in a full scale stainless steel chamber. Particle generation and measurement were conducted using a 6-jet atomizer and a paired aerodynamic particle sizer (APS)-scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), respectively. PAC incorporating HEPA filtration, electrostatic precipitation, ion generation and electret filtration were tested. We found that particle exposures released during a cough or sneeze event in a typical Quebec City residential room in Canada can significantly be reduced using HEPA, electrostatic precipitation and electret filtration PACs when compared with a situation where no PAC is being used. Modelling analysis demonstrates that the use of these PACs can mitigate the risks of influenza infection via airborne route for a caregiver or a spouse sharing the same room. The implications of this study are significant considering low ventilation rates of Quebec City residences.
Toward safe reuse of product family specifications

Upcoming spacecraft plan extensive reuse of software components, to the extent that some systems will form product families of similar or identical units (e.g. a fleet of spaceborne telescopes).
The basis of the FDA's decision on breast implants.

On April 16, 1992, the Food and Drug Administration announced that breast implants filled with silicone gel would be available only through controlled clinical studies and that women who need such implants for breast reconstruction would be assured of access to these studies. This decision was especially difficult because even after more than 30 years of use involving more than 1 million women, adequate data to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of these devices do not exist. They had been allowed to remain on the market after the enactment of the 1976 Medical Device Amendments ("grandfathered") with the understanding that . . .
Synthesis and photochemistry of two cleavable heterobifunctional benzophenone protein crosslinkers

Abstract Two new heterobifunctional protein crosslinkers were synthesized. These reagents contain the cysteine reactive maleimido group connected via a cleavable ester linkage to the benzophenone photoactivarable group.
Interpersonal problem solving and children's social competence: Are current measures valid?

Ninety-four first- and second-grade students participated in a study designed to determine whether a measure of interpersonal problem-solving skill would predict the social competence of children with no clinical history. The social competence measures used in the study included peer ratings (sociometric scores) and teacher ratings. The interpersonal problem-solving measure used yielded three separate scores obtained from ratings of open-ended responses to hypothetical peer problems. To enable control of other variables known to affect social competence, measures of IQ, academic achievement, and SES also were included. Results did not confirm a prior expectation that problem-solving scores would correlate well with competence measures. Correlations between the three problem-solving scores and both peer and teacher ratings all were in the range between .04 and .20. On the other hand, intelligence, achievement, and SES had moderate to high correlations with competence measures (range = .04–.77). In stepwise multiple regressions, only achievement and SES predicted peer and teacher ratings when other variables were controlled.
On the Calculation of Absorption Coefficients of Daylight in Natural Waters

The calculation of the true absorption coefficient of daylight in natural waters is discussed. It is shown that the vertical absorption coefficient K defined by K = −1/I(dI/dz), where I is the intensity of light and s the vertical depth, is related to the true absorption coefficient k, defined by k = −1/I(dI/dr), where r is the path length in the direction of the light, by the expression: K=k∫02π∫1aJ′(ϑ,φ)e−kzxxdxdφ∫02π∫1aJ′(ϑ,φ)e−kzxx2dxdφ,where J′(ϑ, φ) is the intensity per unit solid angle per unit area just below the surface, ϑ and φ are the angles of refraction and azimuth respectively, x is defined by x = sec ϑ, and a is a number which depends upon the total amount of light reflected at the surface and the index of refraction. The integrals are evaluated for the special case that J′(ϑ, φ) is a constant, corresponding to the conditions prevailing on a perfectly cloudy day, and it is found that near the surface K must be increased around 20 percent of its measured value to give k.
Reradiation and viscous dislocation damping

Abstract The vibrating string model has been useful in rationalizing dislocation damping measurements. This model predicts that pinned dislocation line segments of the order of one micron in length will have resonances typically at about 10 9 Hz. Comparisons of theory and experiment have shown that this resonance is normally overdamped by the viscous drag of the dislocation-phonon and dislocation-electron interaction so that the dislocation inertia cannot be measured. In the absence of these processes (low temperatures in insulators or superconductors), only dislocation reradiation of elastic waves should limit the resonance. This effect has been calculated using Eshelby's expression for the reradiation. It is found that the resonance is very sharp, and still persists even when a random distribution of pinning points is assumed.
The social diffusion of warrant and rationality

Many people agree that a proper epistemological treatment of testimonial knowledge will regard testimonial warrant — the total truth-conducive support enjoyed by a belief grounded on a piece of testimony — as socially diffuse, in the sense that it is not something that supervenes on the proper functionality of the hearer's cognitive resources together with the reasons she has for accepting the testimony. After arguing for such a view, I go on to identify a challenge many people think flows from an acknowledgment of the social diffusion of warrant. In particular, such an acknowledgment appears to preclude a happy account of the rationality of testimony-based belief. After identifying the nature of this challenge and the various positions that one can take on it, I develop a response according to which rationality itself (like warrant) is socially diffuse.
Photoacoustic study of KrF laser heating of Si: Implications for laser particle removal

A photoacoustic study of KrF laser heating of Si has revealed that the dominant mechanism of acoustic generation is thermoacoustic with a considerable contribution from the concentration–deformation mechanism at laser fluences below the Si melting threshold of 0.5 J/cm2. Upon Si melting the contraction of the molten material contributes significantly to acoustic generation. At fluences above 1.4 J/cm2 laser ablation of the molten layer enhances the amplitude of the compression pulse and diminishes that of the rarefaction pulse. The results of photoacoustic measurements allow optimization of experimental conditions for dry laser particle removal.
Feelings and the enjoyment of music

We wonder about tying the universal appeal of music to emotion as defined by psychologists. Music is more generally about feelings, and many of these, such as moods and pleasures, are central to the enjoyment of music and fall outside the domain of emotion. The critical component of musical feelings is affective intensity, resulting from syntactically generated implications and their outcomes.
Structure of matter below nuclear saturation density

It is found that just below nuclear saturation density more stable forms of dense matter exist than the near-spherical nuclei or bubbles customarily assumed. Because of the large effect of the Coulomb lattice energy, cylindrical and planar geometries can occur, both as nuclei and as bubbles. It is suggested that in order to approximate more complicated kinds of short-range order, the dimensionality should be regarded as a continuous variable ranging from d = 3 (spheres) to d = 1 (planes). The dependence of d on density is illustrated, and its dependence on nuclear models discussed.
Rural industrial location versus rural industrial growth

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the location of new plants is associated with a different set of factors than is the location of industrial growth. The conceptual basis for this hypothesis is that most industrial growth occurs by expansion and contraction of existing establishments, and is constrained by investment. New plants are less constrained and may select a different type of community. To test this hypothesis a pair of models was developed for each of nine four digit Standard Industrial Class Manufacturing industries. Each model in a pair contained the same set of independent variables but one model used a dependent variable reflecting growth and the other used a dependent variable reflecting location. The results were that in nine pairs of models only one community characteristic type variable was significant in both the growth and location models. This supports the hypothesis that industrial growth and location are associated with different factors. In general, growth occurs in the larger communities with better services and lower poverty rates. Location is not associated with those community characteristics but is responsive to the availability of intermediate inputs and market access.
Hamiltonian Kneser Graphs

The Kneser graph K(n,k) has as vertices the k-subsets of {1, 2, ..., n}. Two vertices are adjacent if the corresponding k-subsets are disjoint. It was recently proved by the first author [2] that Kneser graphs have Hamilton cycles for n >= 3k. In this note, we give a short proof for the case when k divides n.
Social Smoking: An Untenable Position

Abstract Social smokers manage the conflicting aspects of their liminal identities by negotiating complex roles of performance and exchange. Using a combination of methods, including both participant observation of cultural performances and informal interviews, to elicit lay theories and accounts of self-conscious practices, this project examines social actors, self-defined as nonsmokers (or reformed smokers), who engage in recreational tobacco use. Through in-depth interviews and observations of self-identified female social smokers, we document general characteristics of this subpopulation, sampled from a large Midwest capital and its surrounding areas. Social smokers occupy an untenable social space; as neither smokers nor nonsmokers, they use both practices and discourses about those practices to stake their claim to an untenable social position. We conclude with a theoretical discussion that compares our findings with other discourses on smoking, especially the discourse of addiction narratives. In a...
Terra infirma: Understanding salt tectonics

Abstract Following common usage, we broaden the term “salt” to include all rock bodies composed primarily of halite (NaCl). Salt is mechanically weak and flows like a fluid, even at geologically rapid strain rates. Salt is also relatively incompressible so is less dense than most carbonates and all moderately to fully compacted siliciclastic rocks. Salt's fluid rheology and incompressibility make it inherently unstable under a wide range of geologic conditions. The primary driving force for salt tectonics is differential loading, which may be induced by gravitational forces, by forced displacement of one boundary of a salt body relative to another, or by a thermal gradient. Buoyancy, long considered a key driver for salt tectonics, is of secondary importance in many settings. Two factors resist salt flow: strength of the overburden and boundary drag along the edges of the salt body. Salt will move only if driving forces exceed the resistance to flow. In order for a salt diapir to be emplaced into its overburden, any rock previously occupying that space must be removed or displaced. Emplacement may occur by extension, erosion, or uplift of the overburden or by overthrusting of the salt. Once salt reaches the surface, it can continue to rise by passive diapirism, in which the diapir grows as sediments accumulate around it. A rapidly rising passive diapir may spread over the sediment surface to form an allochthonous salt sheet. A variety of salt-sheet lineages are possible, depending on the geometry of the feeder and the tectonic setting. Because salt is weak, its tectonism is closely tied to regional deformation. In extension or transtension, diapirs rise up graben axes, taking advantage of the space created by thinning and separation of fault blocks. Later, once the salt source layer is exhausted, diapirs may fall as they continue to widen. In addition, salt typically acts as a detachment in both gravity-driven and basement-involved extension. In compression or transpression, preexisting diapirs are rejuvenated as salt is displaced upward by lateral shortening. This rise is enhanced by buckling and disruption of the diapir roof. In the absence of precursor structures, salt's primary role in compression is to act as a detachment. Some salt sheets may be emplaced in the hanging walls of thrust faults.
Trichromatic approximation for computer graphics illumination models

The complexity of computer graphics illumination models and the associated need to find ways of reducing evaluation time has led to the use of two methods for simplifying the spectral data needed for an exact solution. The first method, where spectral data is sampled at a number of discrete points, has been extensively investigated and bounds for the error are known. Unfortunately, the second method, where spectral data is replaced with tristimulus values (such as RGB values), is very little understood even though it is widely used. In this paper we examine the error incurred by the use of this method by investigating the problem of approximating the tristimulus coordinates of light reflected from a surface from those of the source and the surface. A variation on a well known and widely used approximation is presented. This variation used the XYZ primaries which have unique properties that yield straightforward analytic bounds for the approximation error. This analysis is important because it gives a sound mathematical footing to the widely used method of trichromatic approximation. The error bounds will give some insights into the factors that affect accuracy and will indicate why this method often works quite well in practice.
Recognition of a peroxisomal tripeptide entry signal by the glycosomes of Trypanosoma brucei

Abstract Trypanosomes compartmentalise the first 9 enzymes of glycolysis and glycerol metabolism in peroxisome-like microbodies known as glycosomes. The identity of the sequences that direct proteins into the glycosome has until now been uncertain. We show here that the peroxisomal tripeptide entry signal is sufficient to cause association of a bacterial enzyme with the glycosomes of Trypanosoma brucei. However, it works less efficiently than the C-terminal 21 amino acids of trypanosome glycosomal phosphoglycerate kinase
The width of a rose petal

"Don't hurry, don't worry. You're only here for a short visit. So be sure to stop and smell the roses" (cf. [1]). Roses are a beautiful class of polar graphs too often passed by too quickly for lack of an interesting remark. (However, see [2] for a thorough discussion of roses and computer graphics.) We investigate three aspects of the famous cosine roses r= cos nO, n = 2,3,4, ..., (1) and two generalizations: the wonderful yet less well-known "double" roses r=a+bcosnO, n=2,3,4, ..., O 0, (3)
Viability of frozen rat granulocytes and granulocyte precursors.

Abstract Mature rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) were frozen to −196 °C, thawed, and tested for functional viability using a variety of criteria. The assays for functional viability included: qualitative and quantitative nitroblue tetrazolium tests for phagocytic activity, fluorometric tests for membrane integrity, chemotaxis, and bactericidal activity. Maximal survival was obtained when mature PMNs were frozen in the presence of 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) and 5% hydroxyethyl-starch (HES) for cells cooled at ~10 °C per minute, followed by rapid warming. Maximal survival was obtained for granulocyte precursor cells (as measured by CFU-c) after freezing in the presence of 10% Me2SO and cooling at ~10 °C per minute. The principal new findings for mature PMNs were: (i) there was a synergistic effect between intra- and extracellular protective additives; (ii) the optimal cooling rate increases from approximately 0.3 to 10 °C per minute when an extracellular protective agent, such as HES is included in the freezing media; (iii) the zwitterion buffer Hepes has a small but consistently beneficial effect on survival; (iv) granulocytes obtained from peripheral blood consistently show a higher functional survival after freezing (95%) than do PMNs obtained from a glycogen-induced peritoneal exudate (70%); (v) neither serum, plasma, nor other macromolecules are needed in the postt-haw dilution media to obtain high survival; and (vi) cells frozen using an optimized two-step protocol survived as well as those frozen using a continuous cooling protocol.
CURRENT PRACTICES IN THE USE OF SERVICE EVALUATION STANDARDS AT PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES

Service standards provide a transit agency with a mechanism to evaluate its service in an objective, consistent, and equitable manner. During these times of shrinking operating budgets, service standards can provide the means by which limited resources are best allocated. Another major objective of service standards is the design and implementation of new service. This project was completed for the Miami-Dade Transit Agency (MDTA) in Southeast Florida. Its purpose was to review the current MDTA service planning guidelines to determine if more formal guidelines or standards should be adopted, develop an updated set of guidelines, and recommend a final set of guidelines and an implementation process. An early step in the development of the service guidelines was to conduct a survey of peer transit systems across North America. The survey identified the existing levels of standards use, including whether the standards are formally adopted, the process of implementing the standards, and their effectiveness in meeting the agency's goals. The survey results uncovered passionate feelings for and against the use of strict standards among the agencies. Also, those surveyed shared their strategies for persuading their governing bodies to adopt staff recommendations for service adjustments. Public hearing and decision-making processes were also addressed in the survey. It was important to explore the relationships among transit planning staff, the agency's governing body, and the public.
Dynamical model for temporal variation in magma type and eruption interval at Kohala volcano, Hawaii

At Kohala volcano, Hawaii, the amount of source partial melting decreases rapidly toward the end of magmatic activity. The decreasing amounts of partial fusion lead to progressively higher concentrations of incompatible trace elements in lavas erupted during the waning stages of volcanism. In addition to the geochemical variations that characterize the transition from tholeiitic to alkalic basalt production, there is a pronounced decrease in the eruption frequency observed for the younger lavas. A model of magma generation by viscous dissipation can duplicate the relationships between geochemistry and age of the lavas. A reduction in the shear stress that produces deformation causes both a decrease in the amount of mantle partial melting and an increase in the eruption interval.
Will the future of health care lead to the end of the robotic golden years

It has been almost 12 years since the US Food and Drug Administration approved the da Vinci robotic surgical system. Since its introduction, robotic assisted laparoscopic procedures have expanded into almost all areas of urology, with robotic prostatectomy being the most prominent. In 2010, national estimates showed that 69–85% of all radical prostatectomy cases were performed robotically [1]. This rapid diffusion of robotic technology into current surgical practice is quite striking. The reasons behind its broad acceptance in prostate cancer are unclear, specifically in light of the significant costs associated with this technique and the lack of its clear superiority compared with conventional approaches: radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). In early comparative studies, advantages with robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) were limited to perioperative factors such as blood loss, transfusion rates, inpatient hospital stay, length of catheterization, and surgical complications [2,3]. The advent of RALP pushed surgeons to modify the open approach to compete as a comparable minimally invasive strategy. Consequently, relative benefits of RALP to RRP have narrowed over time, now with perioperative advantages limited to blood loss and transfusion rates. However, at centers such as ours with very high-volume surgeons, the difference in transfusion rates is no longer significant. Furthermore, techniques such as using a 10-cm incision and reducing the length of stay to approximately 24 h has allowed RRP to compete with the rising popularity of RALP. Recently, Ficarra et al. performed an updated comparative review of prostatectomy approaches and showed that RALP may allow for an earlier return of both potency and continence over RRP [4,5].
SELF-DECEPTION AND THE EXPERIENCE OF FICTION

Sartre's commentary on bad faith is the starting-point for an exploration of self-deception: what it is not, what it is, and whether it's always wrong. The proffered analysis of self-deception parallels a certain theory of our experience of fiction. In essence, it is argued that the self-deceiver creates a kind of fiction in which he is a character, a fiction that he nonetheless believes to be real.
CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta activates insulin-like growth factor-I gene transcription in osteoblasts. Identification of a novel cyclic AMP signaling pathway in bone

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) plays a key role in skeletal growth by stimulating bone cell replication and differentiation. We previously showed that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and other cAMP-activating agents enhanced IGF-I gene transcription in cultured primary rat osteoblasts through promoter 1, the major IGF-I promoter, and identified a short segment of the promoter, termed HS3D, that was essential for hormonal regulation of IGF-I gene expression. We now demonstrate that CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) delta is a major component of a PGE2-stimulated DNA-protein complex involving HS3D and find that C/EBPdelta transactivates IGF-I promoter 1 through this site. Competition gel shift studies first indicated that a core C/EBP half-site (GCAAT) was required for binding of a labeled HS3D oligomer to osteoblast nuclear proteins. Southwestern blotting and UV-cross-linking studies showed that the HS3D probe recognized a approximately 35-kDa nuclear protein, and antibody supershift assays indicated that C/EBPdelta comprised most of the PGE2-activated gel-shifted complex. C/EBPdelta was detected by Western immunoblotting in osteoblast nuclear extracts after treatment of cells with PGE2. An HS3D oligonucleotide competed effectively with a high affinity C/EBP site from the rat albumin gene for binding to osteoblast nuclear proteins. Co-transfection of osteoblast cell cultures with a C/EBPdelta expression plasmid enhanced basal and PGE2-activated IGF-I promoter 1-luciferase activity but did not stimulate a reporter gene lacking an HS3D site. By contrast, an expression plasmid for the related protein, C/EBPbeta, did not alter basal IGF-I gene activity but did increase the response to PGE2. In osteoblasts and in COS-7 cells, C/EBPdelta, but not C/EBPbeta, transactivated a reporter gene containing four tandem copies of HS3D fused to a minimal promoter; neither transcription factor stimulated a gene with four copies of an HS3D mutant that was unable to bind osteoblast nuclear proteins. These results identify C/EBPdelta as a hormonally activated inducer of IGF-I gene transcription in osteoblasts and show that the HS3D element within IGF-I promoter 1 is a high affinity binding site for this protein.
An instrument for the assessment of study behaviors of college students

Abstract The psychometric properties of an instrument designed to assess study behaviors of college and university students were examined. Two convenience samples of 1,052 undergraduates at a group of two‐ and four‐year midwestern colleges and universities in the continental United States and a four‐year college in a U.S. Caribbean territory responded to the Study Behavior Inventory, Form D. Factor analysis using a principal components model with iteration and a varimax rotation yielded three factors composed of items which seemed to deal with feelings of competence, preparation for day to day, routine academic tasks, and preparation for special academic tasks such as term papers and examinations. Internal consistency reliability estimates for the entire instrument and the items in each of the three factors ranged from .70 to .88. The findings suggest that the SBI is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing study behaviors. In addition, providers of developmental education and other study skills prog...
Selective endocytosis of thyroglobulin: a review of potential mechanisms for protecting newly synthesized molecules from premature degradation.

Abstract In 1976 Cortese, Schneider and Salvatore (Eur. J. Biochem. 68 (1976) 121–129) showed that the thyroid gland protects newly synthesized, iodine and hormone poor thyroglobulin from immediate degradation. Since then there has been substantial progress in understanding the mechanism by which this selectivity of degradation occurs. Thyroglobulin in the follicular lumen is internalized mainly by receptor-specific endocytosis. Recycling of immature, poorly iodinated thyroglobulin back to the follicular lumen is the pathway most likely responsible for selectivity. Since additional carbohydrate groups are added to the immature thyroglobulin, it appears that this recycling occurs via the Golgi compartment. The molecular signal for recycling most likely involves the complex carbohydrates and probably is exposed GlcNAc groups. A thyroid-specific GlcNAc receptor has been identified and cloned. Other Tg-binding sites have been identified in the thyroid, but their physiological role remains to be determined.
Effective Demand, Class Struggle, and Cyclical Growth

The paper presents an analytical model of endogenous cyclical growth in a pure capitalist economy. The model integrates Keynesian ideas on effective demand with a Marxian emphasis on class struggle and the reserve army of labor. For reasonable parameter values, the model has a unique (nontrivial) balanced growth equilibrium; the equilibrium is unstable; and using the Poincare-Bendixson theorem, it is shown that the economy will exhibit perpetual fluctuations around the balanced growth path. Copyright 1989 by Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.
A tool for personal data extraction

Digital storage now acts as an archive of the memories of users worldwide, keeping record of data as well as the context in which the data was acquired. The massive amount of data available and the fact that it is fragmented across many services (e.g., Facebook) and devices (e.g., laptop) make it very difficult for users to find specific pieces of information that they remember having stored or accessed. Unifying this fragmented data into a single data set that includes contextual information would allow for much better indexing and searching of personal information. Thus, we have developed a personal data extraction tool as a first step toward this vision. In this paper, we present this extraction tool, along with some preliminary statistics about personal data gathered by the tool for several users. The goal of the data analysis is to give a glimpse of what the digital life of a person may look like, and how it is currently partitioned across many different services; moreover, it reinforces the fact that it is not possible for users to manually retrieve, store and access their extensive digital data without the support of a personalized information management tool.
Further evidence on the stabilization of postwar economic fluctuations

Abstract Recent work suggests that the NBER used inconsistent methods to date prewar and postwar business cycles. Using Romer's (1994) business cycle chronology, we show that the extant evidence in favour of postwar duration stabilization is significantly weakened. The evidence in favor of the no business cycle stabilization null hypothesis is particularly strong when the analysis is restricted to a comparison of the pre-World War I and post-World War II periods.
Fluorescence-resolved hole burning of squaraine dyes in polymer matrices at low temperature

A new technique that combines nonphotochemical hole burning with multichannel detected fluorescence line narrowing has been used to obtain vibrationally resolved fluorescence spectra of squaraine chromophores in polymer matrices at 1.4 K. At a fixed excitation frequency, the intensities of the zero-phonon lines decay with time due to nonphotochemical hole burning, leaving behind a broader background attributed to emission from molecules excited into phonon sidebands. Subtracting the spectrum of the hole-burned sample from the initial one leaves predominantly a zero-phonon line excited spectrum exhibiting enhanced vibrational structure. Spectra of the same squaraine in polystyrene and polyethylene matrices show differences in the frequencies and intensities of the phonon sidebands, indicating differences in the frequencies and strengths of the matrix modes coupled to the electronic transition of the chromophore. The phonon densities of states inferred through different measurement techniques are compared and related to electronic dephasing rates.
Comparisons between different syndromes of heart attack—A multivariate analysis

A register of acute coronary events in Auckland, New Zealand enabled characterization of cases of the following different coronary syndromes: definite myocardial infarction (MI) (divided to Type I with typical ECG findings and Type II with new symmetrical T wave inversion only), nonhypotensive definite infarction with and without ventricular fibrillation, possible myocardial infarction and sudden death. Comparisons between these syndromes were analyzed. ECG type II (as compared to ECG type I) definite infarction was a more chronic, repeated syndrome, with more myocardial fibrosis in fatal cases, and more previous prolonged anginal pain without documented infarction. Cases of possible (as compared to definite) myocardial infarction were also more likely to report previous prolonged aningal pain, to use beta blockers, furosemide and less likely to die within 30 days. They consumed significantly more alcohol and were more likely to be female, than cases of definite infarction. Patients with nonhypotensive definite infarction complicated by ventricular fibrillation had higher acute phase pulse rates and more pallor and sweating than similar patients not experiencing ventricular fibrillation. Some possible explanations for the above findings were discussed.
Spectral properties of the scaled quartic anharmonic oscillator

Abstract The analytic properties of the eigenvalues of the scaled quartic anharmonic oscillator are studied for complex values of the quadratic coupling constant γ. The spectral crossing points that are square root singularities of the eigenvalues are located in the complex γ-plane by numerical methods. The quantum numbers associated with the crossing points are determined and a suitable Reimann surface for the energy is chosen in each parity that contains an infinite number of sheets with one for each quantum number n . The distribution of crossing points is studied and an accumulation is expected on the asymptotic sheet of the Riemann surface. Qualitative arguments that a relation exists between the lack of smoothness in crossing a separatrix orbit in a classical problem and the phenomenon of level crossing in the corresponding quantum problem are presented. This relation gives a new insight into the divergence of perturbation theory for the quartic anharmonic oscillator and also may have implications for problems exhibiting quantum chaos.
Level of Economic Development and Political Democracy Revisited

This article reassesses a democracy-economic development linkage for the period 1972 to 1990. The results show that economic development has a significant effect on democratic performance in the semiperiphery and periphery, yet in an opposite direction. For the core, there is no linkage from economic development to political performance. Moreover, the finding also suggests that democracy enhances economic development only in the core and semiperiphery. This finding thus contradicts Barro's [1996] contention that more democracy enhances economic growth at low levels of political freedom, but it depresses economic growth when a moderate level of freedom has already been attained.
Language characteristics of a linguistically precocious child

This study investigated the language skills of a two-year-old child who displayed apparently advanced communication skills. Analysis of 1,258 child utterances in relation to surrounding discourse structures indicated a high functioning level of contingent forms (retrieved forms). Utterances that contained retrieved forms displayed a higher index of language abilities than utterances that lacked such forms. This type of contingent speech elevated language abilities by the manipulation of discourse features.
Preoperative irradiation and cystectomy for bladder cancer

Between 1971 and 1974, 101 patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center underwent planned integrated treatment for bladder cancer with 2000 rads by megavoltage delivered to the whole pelvis over five consecutive days followed by radical cystectomy within a week. The overall five-year survival rate was 39%; the hospital mortality rate was 2%. In the pelvis alone tumor recurred in 9% of the patients. These results support other studies demonstrating the efficacy of this and other regimens of preoperative irradiation and cystectomy.
On Prosodic Vacuity and Verbal Resumption in Asante Twi

I argue that verbal resumption (the occurrence of an additional default verbal element ye meaning ‘do’) in Asante Twi is prosodically conditioned. Following the MATCH theory of syntactic-prosodic constituency correspondence (Selkirk 2011), I propose that phonosyntactic constituency matching requires, at the minimum, avoidance of phonetically empty transferred syntactic structures (i.e., prosodic vacuity). I show that Twi verbal resumption is highly constrained and occurs precisely in those contexts where a prosodically vacuous domain would otherwise be mapped from a fully evacuated syntactic Spell- Out domain. As a measure of last resort, a late default-form insertion of the verb root (the ye-form) occurs to evade prosodic vacuity and ensure a matching correspondence between syntactic and prosodic constituents at PF. Because an additional higher copy of the verb root (i.e., the lexical verb) survives as well, Twi verbal resumption represents an instance of multiple copy Spell-Out. The article thus bears o...
QCD basis for factorization in decays of heavy mesons

Abstract The amplitudes for nonleptonic decays of heavy mesons are notoriously difficult to calculate. Factorization has been used in an attempt to transcribe results from model calculations of semileptonic decay rates of heavy mesons. We propose that factorization holds perturbatively in QCD, provided one looks in the appropriate kinematic regime. This is studied with the use of a novel expansion in which factorization holds in leading order, which includes all orders in the loop expansion. Our results are contrasted with large- N expansion arguments.
Tiletamine–Zolazepam–Xylazine Immobilization of American Marten (Martes americana)

The effectiveness of tiletamine–zolazepam (Telazol) and xylazine as an immobilizing combination for American martens (Martes americana) was evaluated. Fifteen martens were intramuscularly injected on 19 occasions using a 3:2 mixture of tiletamine–zolazepam (3.2±0.6 mg/kg [mean ± SD]) and xylazine (2.1 ±0.4 mg/kg) at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan (USA) during May to October 2002–2003. Mean induction time was 2.5 ±1.8 min; mean recovery time was 70.8±31.9 min. There was no relation between the amount (mg/kg) of tiletamine–zolazepam–xylazine injected and induction (r2=0.08, P = 0.26). However, there was an inverse relation (r2=0.28, P<0.01) between dosage and time to first effect of immobilants. Time to recovery increased (r=0.21, P=0.05) with increased dosage. Mean heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature declined through 10 min postinduction (P<0.05). No mortality occurred and no short-term adverse effects were observed in recaptured individuals. In conclusion, a 3:2 mixture of tile...
Magnus’ expansion for time-periodic systems: Parameter-dependent approximations

Abstract Magnus’ expansion solves the nonlinear Hausdorff equation associated with a linear time-varying system of ordinary differential equations by forming the matrix exponential of a series of integrated commutators of the matrix-valued coefficient. Instead of expanding the fundamental solution itself, that is, the logarithm is expanded. Within some finite interval in the time variable, such an expansion converges faster than direct methods like Picard iteration and it preserves symmetries of the ODE system, if present. For time-periodic systems, Magnus expansion, in some cases, allows one to symbolically approximate the logarithm of the Floquet transition matrix (monodromy matrix) in terms of parameters. Although it has been successfully used as a numerical tool, this use of the Magnus expansion is new. Here we use a version of Magnus’ expansion due to Iserles [Iserles A. Expansions that grow on trees. Not Am Math Soc 2002;49:430–40], who reordered the terms of Magnus’ expansion for more efficient computation. Though much about the convergence of the Magnus expansion is not known, we explore the convergence of the expansion and apply known convergence estimates. We discuss the possible benefits to using it for time-periodic systems, and we demonstrate the expansion on several examples of periodic systems through the use of a computer algebra system, showing how the convergence depends on parameters.
The convenient fiction of steady-state soil thickness

Abstract Steady-state regolith or soil thickness (SSST), whereby surface removals are approximately balanced by production of new soil by bedrock weathering, is a common assumption in most models of hillslope and landscape evolution. SSST is also a fundamental assumption in the use of cosmogenic radionuclides (CRN) to estimate erosion and weathering rates. The steady-state concept is based on feedbacks between soil thickness and weathering at the base of the regolith, such that (sometimes after an optimal or threshold thickness is achieved), thicker soils lead to lower weathering rates (and vice versa). SSST is thus only applicable to soils formed chiefly from weathering of the underlying bedrock, where sufficient time has elapsed for regolith accumulation, and where effects of processes other than weathering and surface removals on thickness are negligible. Even within this domain, the widespread occurrence of deep weathering profiles, regolith stripping, and inherited regolith features makes SSST problematic as a conceptual model for pedogenesis or weathering profile development. The ratio of soil thickness to total weathering profile thickness is proposed as a simple index of steady state. Steady-state profiles formed on weathered bedrock should exhibit ratios close to unity. Data from the Cumberland Plateau region of eastern Kentucky show that soil/weathering profile ratios in shallow ( 20 m, and generally significantly greater than soil thicknesses in the region, suggesting ratios
FITC-poly-D-lysine conjugates as fluorescent probes to quantify hapten-specific macrophage receptor binding and uptake kinetics

A series of fluorescein derivatized poly-D-lysine (FITC-PDL) probes were used to elucidate the role of fluorescein in receptor binding of fluorescein-conjugated macromolecules to J774 murine macrophages. Poly-D-lysine served to eliminate receptor recognition of the carrier due to the biologically inert nature of the D-isomer. This concept enabled the focused investigation of the role played by fluorescein in receptor recognition, binding and internalization. Results revealed dependency of cellular uptake on polymer concentration, hapten density and accessibility. The results differed from those previously obtained with FITC-BSA in that saturating fluorescein densities on the poly-D-lysine polymer resulted in diminished rates of uptake by macrophages. Receptor-mediated endocytosis via clathrin-coated pits was concluded based on results that showed inhibition of FITC-PDL uptake by intracellular K+ depletion but not by the macropinocytosis inhibitor, amiloride. Further, FITC-PDL was found to inhibit the endocytic uptake of FITC-BSA suggesting competition between the two probes at the level of a macrophage receptor. Association rates (kon) for binding to the macrophage surface were measured for the various FITC-PDL probes based on fractional receptor occupancies. Results are discussed on the basis of receptor recognition of fluorescein in J774 macrophages and the requirements for this recognition which include appropriate spacing and accessibility of the hapten moieties to facilitate receptor crosslinking.
Robustly secure computer systems: a new security paradigm of system discontinuity

For over 30 years, system software has been bound by compatibility with legacy applications. The system software base, whether proprietary or open source, is dominated by the programming language C and the POSIX operating system specification. Even when commercial operating systems stray from this model, they don't go very far.Unfortunately, the POSIX/C base was constructed in a more benign environment than today and before many security issues were widely understood. Rather than fix these issues, compatibility has been deemed more important than security, and so this base has been kept intact with all its flaws. As a result, programmers routinely create software with security holes---even in the most security critical software---and today's systems are easily attacked.We propose a new paradigm of system discontinuity which emphasizes security over compatibility by removing those constructs in our system software which lead to security holes in applications. Of course, removing parts of the interface will break applications, and hence the discontinuity. To deal with this situation, we advocate the use of virtual machines to enable multiple operating systems to run concurrently. Thus high security OSs can be used for the most security sensitive applications. Compatibility is maintained for less security sensitive applications using legacy operating systems. Over time, legacy applications can migrate to a more secure OS, thus raising the security of all applications.
Distributed cognition and knowledge-based controlled medical terminologies

Controlled medical terminologies (CMTs) are playing central roles in clinical information systems and medical knowledge resource applications. As these terminologies grow, they are able to support more complex tasks but require more intensive efforts to create and maintain them. Several terminologies are evolving into knowledge bases of medical concepts. The knowledge they include is being used to support distributed cognition in two forms: complex medical decisions involving multiple people and applications, and coordination of maintenance of the terminologies themselves.
Invariant manifold techniques for attitude control of symmetric spacecraft

In this paper we consider the problem of attitude stabilization of an axially symmetric spacecraft using two pairs of gas jet actuators to generate control torques about two axes spanning the two-dimensional plane orthogonal to the axis of symmetry. Under the assumption that the initial spin rate about the symmetry axis is zero, and using a new kinematic formulation, we construct an invariant manifold for the closed loop system with a specific feedback law. Using this manifold we derive a stabilizing control law which achieves arbitrary reorientation of the spacecraft. >
Context-aware packet switching in ad hoc networks

We present the design and performance of a new approach to packet switching for MANETs, which we call context aware protocol engines (CAPE). With CAPE, nodes disseminate information in the network by means of context-aware packet switching that enables the statistical multiplexing of bandwidth, processing and storage resources using integrated signaling covering channel access, routing and other functions, to share and store the context within which information is disseminated. Data packet headers consist of simple pointers to their context, and elections and opportunistic reservations integrated with routing are used to attain high throughput and low channel-access delay.
Public Bureaucracy and Regionalism in South Korea

This study explores ways for the central Korean government to reinforce its legitimacy through answering the demands by provinces for more equitable representation in the public bureaucracy. Based on the widespread belief of the existence of regionalism or regional bias, the Korean civil service is scrutinized in terms of civil servants' regional background The South Korean public bureaucracy as a whole seems to be representative of the people, but evidence over time shows that the higher civil service and the leadership of the central bureaus are under representative of natives of the southwestern region (Cholla).