cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Affinities for topological arrangements in grain structures

Abstract Boundaries between neighboring grains with different numbers of faces exhibit a wide range of tendencies to occur in a structure, from high preference to high avoidance. These tendencies are described here in terms their contact affinity, which describes the extent to which an i–j faced grain pair actually occurs in the structure relative to that expected from statistically random contact. An affinity of unity indicates random occurrence and values above or below unity indicate the corresponding factor above or below random with which a particular pairing occurs. Grain contact affinities determined for both 3-D Monte Carlo grain growth simulations and experimental serial sectioned grains show similar trends of high affinity for contact between few- and many-faced grains, avoidance of contact between grains in similar face classes, and random contact between grains of intermediate face classes and all other classes. Contact affinities have been modeled in terms of the relative face curvatures, with high curvatures of opposite sign exhibiting the highest contact affinities, like signs the lowest, and relatively flat-faced grains showing near-random contact with all other classes. The measure of affinity is thus interpreted as the degree of stability or instability of boundaries against rapid face loss from topological events. The affinity approach overcomes a significant bias of the Aboav–Weaire analysis, which describes the average neighbors of face classes but is insensitive to the actual preference or avoidance for boundaries with other classes. The contact affinity term quantifies these tendencies.
Comparing corporate governance practices and exit decisions between US and Japanese firms

This study examines how widespread the similarities between US and Japanese corporate governance practices have become. Results suggest that, in spite of convergence in many areas of business practices, Japanese board structures and governance practices still differ greatly from those in the United States—particularly in Securities and Exchange Commission-mandated reforms such as independent audit and compensation committees. Our results suggest that corporate governance differences between Japanese and US firms may be driven, in part, by differences in directors’ recognition of investors’ performance expectations. In particular, results indicate that the exit barriers related to employment influence decision-making for Japanese directors more strongly than they affect US directors’ decisions. Board independence—particularly with respect to audit and compensation committee membership—reduces the height of perceived exit barriers. Results suggest that, in spite of convergence in many areas of business practices, Japanese board structures and governance practices still differ greatly from those in the United States although it does not conclude that the transition is necessarily desirable.
Solar Power Output Correlation with Utility Demand in Southern Nevada

Various solar electric system performance codes are used to predict the power generated by different solar power systems in the Southern Nevada area during 1990 by using the National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB) for Las Vegas. The system types evaluated along with the prediction codes (shown in parenthesis) are as follows: a central receiver or a power tower system with various amounts of storage (SOLERGY), a Luz type SEGS parabolic trough system without fossil fuel backup or storage (LUZERGY), a dish-Stirling system (DISH2, a conversion of direct beam radiation with constant collector/engine efficiency was used for this), and various arrangements of nonconcentrating photovoltaic devices (PVFORM). Comparisons of these results are made with the daily variations of load requirements of an electrical utility operating in the same geographical area. These comparisons are made for summer and winter periods. It is shown that several of the power generation schemes have summer peak outputs that occur at times very near to, but not coincident with, the peak utility load requirements. The power tower with a relatively small amount of thermal storage was the only scheme able to provide full power output at the times of summer peak demands. Winter peaks in thismore » region occur during the night. Two comparisons are made that illuminate the summer load serving capability of solar generation in addition to simply showing time-variations of outputs. Included in these comparisons are the determination of the difference in time between the peak power output and the peak demand, as well as the normalized fraction of the peak power generated at the peak demand times.« less
Neutralization capacity of measles virus H protein specific IgG determines the balance between antibody-enhanced infectivity and protection in microglial cells

Abstract Neutralizing antibodies directed against measles virus (MV) surface glycoproteins prevent viral attachment and entry through the natural receptors. H protein specific IgG can enhance MV infectivity in macrophages via Fcγ receptor (FcγR)-dependent mechanism. H-specific IgM, anti-F antibodies and complement cascade activation are protective against antibody-mediated enhancement of MV infection. However, protective role of anti-H IgG against antibody-enhanced infection is not well understood. Here we designed a set of experiments to test the protective effect of H-specific IgG against FcγR-mediated infection in microglial cells. Microglial cells are also potential target of the antibody-mediated enhancement and spread of MV infection in the central nervous system. A partially neutralizing IgG monoclonal antibody (MAb) CL55, specific for MV H protein, at 10 μg/ml enhanced MV infection in mouse microglial cells by 13–14-fold. Infection-enhancing antibody concentrations induced large multinucleated syncytia formation 48–72 h post-inoculation. We generated anti-H IgG MAb 20H6 with a strong neutralization capacity >1:80,000 at 1 mg/ml concentration in MV plaque-reduction neutralization assay. In contrast to the partially protective MAb CL55, enhancement of MV infectivity by MAb 20H6 required dilutions below the 1:120 serum titer considered protective against measles infection in humans. At a concentration of 10 μg/ml MAb 20H6 exhibited a dominant protective effect and prevented MAb CL55-mediated enhancement of MV infection and virus-mediated fusion. These results indicate that neutralization capacity of the H-specific IgG determines the balance between antibody enhancement and protection against MV infection in microglial cells.
Application of scanning electrochemical microscopy to biological samples

The scanning electrochemical microscope can be used in the feedback mode in two-dimensional scans over biological substrates to obtain topographic information at the micrometer level. In this mode, the effect of distance between a substrate (either conductive or insulating) and a scanning ultramicroelectrode tip on the electrolytic current flowing at the tip is recorded as a function of the tip x-y position. Scans of the upper surface of a grass leaf and the lower surface of a Ligustrum sinensis leaf (which show open stomata structures) immersed in aqueous solution are shown. Scans of the upper surface of an elodea leaf in the dark and under irradiation, where the tip reaction is the reduction of oxygen produced by photosynthesis, demonstrate the possibility of obtaining information about the distribution of reaction sites on the substrate surface.
Adaptive pursuit-evasion under adversarial confrontations-part II: Risk-averse and efficient pareto strategies in linear-quadratic differential games

Adaptive decisions and risk-bearing actions for a linear-quadratic class of stochastic multi-player pursuit-evasion games with performance robustness against uncertain environments and adversarial confrontations are proposed with major theoretical advances and contributions as follows: i) an effective utilization of performance-measure statistics to directly address other higher-order uncertainties such as variance, skewness, flatness, etc. beyond the tradition of statistical averaging of probabilistic performance distributions; ii) a risk-value model for tradeoffs between performance values and risks to anticipatively ensure closed-loop performance robustness without relying on the intensively computational Monte Carlo performance dispersion analysis; and iii) risk-averse and efficient Pareto decision strategies to effectively handle adversarial jamming and confrontations from competing teams.
2-[125I]Iodomelatonin labels sites with identical pharmacological characteristics in chicken brain and chicken retina

The binding and pharmacological characteristics of the melatonin site labeled by the radioligand 2-[125I]iodomelatonin in chicken brain membranes were determined and compared with those of the melatonin site of chicken retinal membranes. The specific binding of 2-[125I]iodomelatonin to chicken brain membranes was found to be stable, saturable, reversible and of high affinity. Scatchard analysis of the binding revealed an affinity constant (Kd) of 344 ± 24pM (n = 4) and a total number of binding sites (Bmax) of 57.6 ± 10.1fmol/gm protein (n = 4). The Kd value correspond closely with that found in kinetic studies (Kd = 407 pM) and that reported in chicken retinal membranes. Competition experiments were carried out with various compounsd revealing the following order of pharmacological affinities: 6-chloromelatonin ≥22-iodomelatonin > melatonin > 2-methyl-6,7-dichloromelatonin > 6-hydroxymelatonin > N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine > luzindole > N-acetyl-5-methoxykynurenamine > 6-methoxymelatonin > N-acetyl-tryptamine > 5-methoxytryptamine > 5-hydroxytryptamine > 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine > 5-methoxytryptophol. This order of pharmacological affinities is identical to that found in chicken retinal membranes. Correlation between affinity constants for various melatonin receptor agonists and putative melatonin receptor antagonists obtained in chicken brain and retinal membranes yielded a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.966 (slope = 0.652, n = 14, P < 0.01). We conclude that the high affinity site labeled by 2-[125I]iodomelatonin in chicken brain membranes has identical binding and pharmacological characteristics to the ML-1 melatonin receptor site previously described in chicken retinal membranes.
An exact penalty method for solving optimal control problems

This paper discusses an algorithm for solving optimal control problems. An optimal control problem is presented where the final time is unknown. The algorithm consists of an integrator and a minimizer; the latter is an exact penalty function used to solve constrained nonlinear programming problems. Essentially, the optimal control problem is converted to a mathematical programming problem such that a point satisfying the differential equations via the integrator is provided to the minimizer, a lower performance index is obtained, the integrator is reinitiated, etc., until a suitable stopping criterion is satisfied.
Laser tissue welding: a urological surgeon's perspective

Laser tissue welding has proven its efficacy in the laboratory setting when compared with more traditional modalities of tissue reapproximation. In the clinical environment, several areas including urethral reconstructive surgery have shown great promise. Several technological advancements including solder development, chromophore enhancement and temperature control have improved upon the welding process and have added more precision and reproducibility to the technique. The current potential applications for laser welding in urology are numerous. On a molecular level, growth factor supplementation has certain potential in improving upon weld site healing and wound strength. Laparoscopic surgery with its need for less cumbersome modes of tissue closure is a field that will greatly benefit from the technology of laser tissue welding. Surgical specialties outside of urology are also participating in developing the field of laser welding. In particular, cardiothoracic surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, neurosurgery among others, have utilized the concept of laser tissue welding. There are many ares that have potential use for laser welding that have yet to be explored. Further investigation will likely reveal more applications for this valuable technology.
The Relationship of Proportional Reasoning Ability to Self-Concept: A Cognitive Developmental Approach

The relationship between proportional reasoning ability and self concept was studied from a cognitive developmental approach. A sample of 222 adolescents attending public middle or senior high school in a rural southern state were assigned to two problem solving groups, ineffective and effective, based on their performance on three sets of proportional reasoning tasks. The two groups had comparable Cognitive (intellectual) Skills Index scores. Data were also collected on self concept using the My Characteristic Self scale, instrumentality and expressiveness (Self Perception Inventory); and masculinity (Adolescent Sex Role Inventory). The Hotellings multivariate test of significance revealed statistical significance (at = .05) between the two problem solving groups. The investigation of the univariate F-tests indicated that self concept was a statistically significant (cx = .05) dependent variable. The relationship between age and self concept was nonsignificant (r = .19). The results were discussed in rel...
WR-1065, the active metabolite of amifostine, mitigates radiation-induced delayed genomic instability

Compounds that can protect cells from the effects of radiation are important for clinical use, in the event of an accidental or terrorist-generated radiation event, and for astronauts traveling in space. One of the major concerns regarding the use of radio-protective agents is that they may protect cells initially, but predispose surviving cells to increased genomic instability later. In this study we used WR-1065, the active metabolite of amifostine, to determine how protection from direct effects of high- and low-LET radiation exposure influences genomic stability. When added 30 min before irradiation and in high concentrations, WR-1065 protected cells from immediate radiation-induced effects as well as from delayed genomic instability. Lower, nontoxic concentrations of WR-1065 did not protect cells from death; however, it was effective in significantly decreasing delayed genomic instability in the progeny of irradiated cells. The observed increase in manganese superoxide dismutase protein levels and activity may provide an explanation for this effect. These results confirm that WR-1065 is protective against both low- and high-LET radiation-induced genomic instability in surviving cells.
Primitive Path Networks Generated by Annealing and Geometrical Methods: Insights into Differences

Existing methods to obtain the primitive path network for monodisperse, linear polymers in the molten state are critically compared. A connection is established between the original “annealing” and newer geometrical approaches. A discrepancy of about 15% is observed in the mean primitive path length obtained by these methods for well-entangled polymers. This deviation is attributed to disentanglement that occurs during annealing. A number of well-equilibrated polymeric systems and some toy-configurations (rings) were studied to estimate the relative contributions of slip and constraint release by end-looping to the observed disentanglement. We found that about half (≈ 7.7%) of the discrepancy persists for ring polymers in which end-looping is not possible, and may be attributed to slip alone. It is argued that the characteristics of the network obtained by annealing become practically equivalent to those obtained by geometrical methods in the asymptotic limit of small chain diameter and rapid quenching.
Model reduction of Markov chains via low-rank approximation

This paper is concerned with the model reduction for Markov chain models. The goal is to obtain a low-rank approximation to the original Markov transition matrix. A nuclear-norm regularized optimization problem is proposed for this purpose, in which the Kullback-Leibler divergence rate is used to measure the similarity between two Markov chains, and the nuclear norm is used to approximate the rank function. An efficient iterative optimization algorithm is developed to compute the solution to the regularized problem. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated via numerical examples.
Efficient Sugar Release by the Cellulose Solvent-Based Lignocellulose Fractionation Technology and Enzymatic Cellulose Hydrolysis

Efficient liberation of fermentable soluble sugars from lignocellulosic biomass waste not only decreases solid waste handling but also produces value-added biofuels and biobased products. Industrial hemp, a special economic crop, is cultivated for its high-quality fibers and high-value seed oil, but its hollow stalk cords (hurds) are a cellulosic waste. The cellulose-solvent-based lignocellulose fractionation (CSLF) technology has been developed to separate lignocellulose components under modest reaction conditions (Zhang, Y.-H. P.; Ding, S.-Y.; Mielenz, J. R.; Elander, R.; Laser, M.; Himmel, M.; McMillan, J. D.; Lynd, L. R. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007, 97 (2), 214−223). Three pretreatment conditions (acid concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time) were investigated to treat industrial hemp hurds for a maximal sugar release: a combinatorial result of a maximal retention of solid cellulose and a maximal enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis. At the best treatment condition (84.0% H3PO4 at 50 °C for 60 m...
Integrating Sex Therapy Strategies and Techniques into Marital Therapy

Marital therapy is a growing field, while sex therapy is stagnating, and even shrinking. However, this does not mean sexual problems have lessened in frequency or severity. Traditionally, sexuality has not been a focus in marital therapy training, research, or practice. The Plissit model provides a format for marital therapies to integrate sexual interventions into their therapeutic repertoire. Sex therapists can provide workshops and consultations emphasizing permission giving, sexual information, and specific cognitive and behavioral suggestions. The supervision format helps the marital therapist assess interest in and ability to integrate sexual interventions into the therapeutic repertoire, as well as explore personal issues or values that might subvert therapeutic effectiveness.
Metropolitan Prosperity from Major League Sports in the CBD: Stadia Locations or Just Strength of the Central City? A Reply to Arthur C. Nelson:

This comment on Nelson’s article, “Prosperity or Blight? A Question of Major League Stadia Locations,” which appears in this issue of Economic Development Quarterly, looks at the possible economic contribution of professional sports to a metropolitan area by summarizing earlier critiques of the literature on the topic, three regression studies that are similar to Nelson’s, and an article that relates central-city economic vitality to suburban economic vitality. The possibility of omitted variable bias in Nelson’s analysis is raised and the appropriate caution provided that sports stadia in a central business district may only be acting as a proxy for the overall strength of the central city. Nelson is commended for the work he has done, but more work along this line needs to be completed before specific public policy toward the desired locations of professional sports stadia is set.
Growing Pains and Progress in the Study of Working Families

Proliferate research on work and family has led to an ongoing concern about how best to conceptualize the complexity of the work-family nexus. This article focuses on how the volumes under review reflect three main themes designed to expand the boundaries of work-family research:(a) families house a diversity of interests, (b) families are culturally and economically variable, and (c) carework is inherently public work. The article suggests that attention to each of these themes—and to the third in particular—will contribute to a more complete conceptualization of how the institutions of work and families are interwoven.
Due date based scheduling in a general flexible manufacturing system

Abstract Dynamic scheduling of manufacturing systems for due date based objectives has received considerable attention from practitioners and researchers due to the importance of meeting due dates in most industries. Research investigations have focused primarily on the relative effectiveness of various dispatching rules in job shops. These rules operate by prioritizing jobs using a “criticality index” based on job and system status. Jobs are then scheduled from most critical to least, with the indexes typically being updated as the system changes. This study considers two important issues which have not been addressed previously in the literature. First, we investigate the impact of unequal machine workloads on the relative effectiveness of dispatching rules. This is significant because workloads are likely to be unbalanced in most real systems. While it is clear, intuitively, that this imbalance in machine workloads is likely to deteriorate system performance, it is not obvious whether the superiority of certain dispatching rules established in earlier studies for balanced workloads is carried forward to this case. We show that the performance of different dispatching rules does indeed depend upon the degree of workload imbalance. We also propose and test a scheduling procedure which performs well in both balanced and unbalanced systems. Next, we develop a scheduling approach which shows promise as being an improved alternative to the use of dispatching rules. This approach decomposes the dynamic scheduling problem into a series of static problems. These static problems are then solved using an optimum-seeking method, and the solutions are implemented on a rolling basis. We show through a simulation experiment that adopting this approach over dispatching rules leads to an improvement in the overall solution quality, even in a dynamic environment. The two very practical implications of our study are: (1) that commonly used dispatching rules in job shops or automated manufacturing systems may not be the best approach when capacity utilization is unbalanced (2) a job shop or automated manufacturing system would likely benefit from implementing optimal-seeking scheduling rules instead of the traditional job dispatching rules.
Processing-texture relationships in dual-unbalanced magnetron deposition of TiN films

There has been sustained interest in using TiN and other sputter deposited thin film materials in electronics applications, such as barrier coatings. However, it is difficult to produce “pin-hole free” coatings using conventional magnetron sputtering, since the high bias potentials required to produce dense films often result in substrate damage. “Unbalanced” magnetron sputtering may offer a low energy alternative since the ion-to-deposited-atom ratio can be greatly increased, permitting the ion-bombardment energy to be reduced to <200 eV, without sacrificing film density, hardness, or adhesion. As has been demonstrated previously, ion energy can have a profound effect on film texture, but what affect the “substitution” of ion flux for ion energy will have on film texture has not been determined. In this work, TiN films were deposited onto M2 steel via “unbalanced” magnetron sputtering in an attempt to correlate changes in film texture and film stress, with ion energy and flux.
Spectrum and energy levels of seven-times-ionized krypton (Kr VIII) and resonance lines of eight-times-ionized krypton (Kr IX)

The spectrum of the copperlike ion Kr viii was observed with a low-inductance spark and 10.7-m normal- and grazing-incidence spectrographs. A total of 46 new lines with wavelengths ranging from 115 to 696 A were identified: 18 of the type 3d10nl–3d10nl′, 10 of the type 3d104s–3d94s4p, and 18 of the type 3d104p–3d94p2. From these lines 37 new energy levels were determined: 14 of the type 3d10nl, 10 belonging to 3d94s4p, and 13 to 3d94p2. New values for all known levels were derived by combining the present results with measurements at longer wavelength by Gallardo et al. [ Appl. Opt.28, 5088 ( 1989)]. The ionization energy was found to be 1014665 ± 25 cm−1 (125.802 ± 0.003 eV). New wavelength measurements were made for the 3d10–3d94p, 4f resonance lines of the nickellike ion Kr ix.
The Effectiveness of Alliances and Acquisitions: The Role of Resource Combination Activities:

Resource complementarity increases the potential value of alliances and acquisitions, but the extent to which the value potential of an alliance or an acquisition becomes realized depends on the ability of the firm to discover and conduct productive resource combinations. Using a sample of 319 small firms, we separate domestic from international alliances and acquisitions and show that alliances and acquisitions bring limited benefits to firms unless deliberate effort is devoted to resource combination. These findings help resolve conflicts in the resource-based literature concerning the benefits of alliances and acquisitions.
Commentary on ‘Manipulative interventions for reducing pulled elbow in young children’

This is a commentary of a Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Krul M, van der Wouden JC, van Suijlekom-Smit LWA, Koes BW. Manipulative interventions for reducing pulled elbow in young children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD007759. DOI: 10.1002/14 651 858.CD007759.pub2. Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying Summary article. Copyright © 2011 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
A new approach to near-optimal path assignment through electric-circuit modeling

This paper introduces a new philosophy and an associated computational algorithm for obtaining near-optimal path assignments in a connected network. The method, which differs completely from traditional and other currently used techniques, is based upon the performance of successive computational examinations of the distribution of currents in the electric-circuit model of the network under observation. Fast sparse-matrix techniques originally developed for real-time studies in the electric power sector are introduced in order to make the algorithm feasible for large-system applications. Small illustrative examples are presented, and observations concerning the use of the authors' algorithm in the solution of a large transportation system problem are discussed. Some unique characteristics of the algorithm are explored.
Application of ion beams in the study of depth profiling of nitrogen

Abstract In recent days there has been considerable interest in the analysis of nitrogen concentration in Si3N4, GaN, TiN and TaN films. The analysis of these films using Rutherford Back Scattering Analysis (RBS) suffers from poor sensitivity to nitrogen. This work presents two resonance reactions for depth profiling of nitrogen: 14N(p, γ)15O at 278 keV and 15N(p, αγ)12C at 897 keV. The technique is non-destructive and can be used for both conductive and non-conductive films. Both the techniques were tried on different films and their sensitivity, accuracy and repeatability are reported in this work.
Sphingomyelinase and Ceramide Stimulate the Expression of Inducible Nitric-oxide Synthase in Rat Primary Astrocytes

The sphingomyelin signal transduction pathway is known to play a role in mediating the action of various cytokines. Here we examined the possible role of the sphingomyelin signaling pathway on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and cytokine-mediated production of NO and the expression of inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS). Sphingomyelinase (SMase) treatment of astrocytes increased the cellular levels of ceramide without the induction of NO production. However, incubation of LPS or cytokine-stimulated astrocytes with SMase or by increasing intracellular ceramide by cell-permeable ceramide analogs (C2- or C6-ceramide) or inhibitor of ceramidase (N-oleoyl ethanolamine) led to a time- and dose-dependent increase in the production of NO. This increase in NO production was accompanied by an increase in iNOS activity, iNOS protein, and iNOS mRNA. Similar to astrocytes, SMase or ceramide analogs also stimulated the LPS- and cytokine-mediated expression of iNOS in the C6 glial cell line. Since activation of NF-κB is necessary for the induction of iNOS, we examined the effect of SMase and C2-ceramide on the activation of NF-κB. Although SMase or C2-ceramide alone was ineffective in activating NF-κB, both stimulated the LPS-mediated activation of NF-κB in LPS-activated astrocytes. Inhibition of ceramide and LPS-mediated induction of iNOS by antioxidant inhibitors of NF-κB (N-acetylcysteine and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate) suggest that the stimulatory effect of ceramide on the induction of iNOS is due to the stimulation of NF-κB activation and that cellular redox plays a role in the activation of NF-κB and induction of iNOS. Inhibition of LPS-mediated as well as LPS and ceramide-mediated induction of iNOS and activation of NF-κB by PD98059, a specific inhibitor of activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase (MEK), and FPT inhibitor II, a selective inhibitor of Ras farnesyl protein transferase, indicate that the Ras-MAP kinase pathway is involved in LPS-ceramide induced activation of NF-κB and induction of iNOS, and that ceramide-mediated signaling events probably converge into the LPS-modulated MAP kinase signaling pathway resulting in greater activation of NF-κB and iNOS induction. This study illustrates a novel role of the sphingomyelin-ceramide signaling pathway in stimulating the expression of iNOS via LPS- or cytokine-mediated activation of NF-κB in astrocytes.
St Segment Shifts Are Poor Predictors of Subsequent Q Wave Evolution in Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Natural History Study of Early Non-q Wave Infarction

Acute ST segment elevation is regarded generally as the sine qua non of evolving Q wave myocardial infarction (MI) because such electrocardiographic (ECG) injury is believed to be a marker of transmural ischemia and a forerunner of transmural necrosis. Alternatively, ST segment depression with or without T wave inversion is viewed as the dominant ECG feature of non-Q wave MI. However, this hypothesis has not been assessed prospectively in an acute MI population. We analyzed 2,304 serial ECGs at study entry (admission), day 2, day 3, and predischarge (mean, 10.2 +/- 2 days) from 576 patients with creatine kinase MB confirmed acute non-Q wave MI to determine what percentage of patients with early ST segment elevation culminated in subsequent Q wave development. Of this group, 187 patients (32%) exhibited 1 mm or greater ST segment elevation in two or more contiguous entry ECG leads. Of those patients whose non-Q wave MI could be localized on the basis of diagnostic admission ST segment shifts, the prevalence of early ST segment elevation was 43% (187 of 439). The sum total mean (+/- SD) peak ST segment elevation by lead group (anterior, inferior, lateral) was 4.0 +/- 2.4, 4.5 +/- 2.4, and 2.5 +/- 0.6 mm, respectively. Despite this, only 20% of patients with ST segment elevation (37 of 187) developed Q waves. Of 252 patients who exhibited early ST segment depression or T wave inversion or both, 39 (15%) evolved subsequent Q waves. Thus, while the prevalence of early ST segment elevation in acute evolving non-Q wave MI was higher than previously reported, 80% of patients with and 85% of patients without ST segment elevation and absent Q waves on the admission ECG did not develop subsequent Q waves during a 2-week period of observation (p = NS). In addition, when patients with ST segment elevation were compared with patients with ST segment depression or T wave inversions or both, there were no between-group differences in log peak creatine kinase (404 vs. 383 IU), reinfarction (6% vs. 8%), postinfarction angina (50% vs. 42%), or early recurrent ischemia (49% vs. 45%), defined as postinfarction angina with transient ECG changes. Thus, in patients who present with initial acute non-Q wave MI, ST segment shifts on admission are unreliable predictors of subsequent Q wave evolution and do not discriminate significant differences in postinfarction outcome. In particular, ST segment elevation during the early hours of evolving infarction is not an invariable harbinger of subsequent Q wave development.
Ernest Fenollosa's Etymosinology in the Age of Global Communication

This article puts forward the thesis that in the age of multiculturalism, global communication is rooted in cross-cultural understanding as shown in McLuhan's late communication theory. The American philosopher Ernest Fenollosa went to Japan during the Meiji Restoration when it started in earnest full-scale Westernization. He became fascinated with the poetics of sinography manifested in etymosinology. Etymosinology reveals the depth of the Sinic cultural soul, which is this-worldly, practical, concrete and specific. Sinism (i.e. Confucianism, Daoism and Chan/Zen Buddhism) is a species of relational ontology which is predicated upon the conception of reality as social process. This social process is always already embodied. With the aid of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of embodiment, I critically explore and examine the connection between embodiment and `new media' theory.
Acquaintance and Accuracy of Vocal Communication of Emotions

Acquaintance, encoding ability, and decoding ability were related to the accuracy of vocal communication of ten emotions. A sample of twenty-five students served as subjects in a design that measured degrees of acquaintance between communicators. Experimentally measured was the accuracy of communication of emotions using content-free messages. Ability measures were derived from the accuracy measure. Results showed no relationship of accuracy and acquaintance but substantial relationship with ability measures.
Physiology: A metabolic minuet

Two related nuclear receptors mediate circadian fat metabolism in two different tissues using a lipid messenger as an intermediary. This signalling pathway might be relevant to the understanding of metabolic disorders. See Letter p.550 Recent evidence has suggested that diurnal and/or circadian regulation of hepatic metabolic genes has a key role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis, but the molecular basis for hepatic regulation of systemic energy substrate homeostasis remains unclear. In particular, the question of how lipogenesis in the liver is coordinated with the energy requirements of peripheral tissues. This study shows that the nuclear hormone receptor PPARδ regulates de novo lipogenesis in the liver, and orchestrates fat use by muscle via a circulating lipid. High fat feeding diminishes the rhythmic production of this serum lipid, whereas administration in db/db diabetic mice improves metabolic homeostasis.
Transient ischaemic attacks : new approaches to management.

The fact that transient ischaemic attacks are a harbinger for the possible development of ischaemic stroke has been recognised for several decades. However, within the past decade, our concepts regarding transient ischaemic attacks as a distinct entity from stroke and the prognosis for transient ischaemic attack patients have been challenged. In addition, clinical trials have clarified that modern transient ischaemic attack management is more complex than in the past, with the addition of newer pharmacological options to the stroke prevention armamentarium. Recent information regarding newer antiplatelet agents is reviewed in this article, along with results of clinical trials pertaining to warfarin in stroke prevention. The evolving role of statins, ACE inhibitors and estrogen replacement is reviewed. Finally, the appropriate use of surgery following transient ischaemic attacks is outlined. Recent studies have shown that many patients will benefit from a multimodal pharmacological approach following transient cerebral ischaemia, and the potential for combination therapy is highlighted.
Three-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling of the Chicago River, Illinois

We present and describe results from a three-dimensional model applied to the Chicago River under a wet weather condition. Chicago River is an integral part of Chicago, the third largest city in United States, for recreational, commercial and industrial purposes. Although the flow in the Chicago River is supposed to be from north to south, the flow acquires a three-dimensional nature at various points in the river. The reasons for the three dimensionality of the flow can be attributed to the dynamic boundary conditions generated by combined sewer overflow (CSO) events during wet weather conditions, as well as the presence of confluences of various branches of the river with creeks and slips. This work presents the hydrodynamic application and validation of a three dimensional numerical model, which was used to simulate the flow in the Chicago River for a period of 8 days in September of 2008, during which the torrential rains in the city of Chicago led to intense CSO events. The numerical model used for the aforementioned exercise is the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) which solves the three dimensional vertically hydrostatic, free surface, turbulence averaged equations of motions for a variable density fluid. The results obtained by the numerical model were validated with the help of stage values obtained from the USGS gauging station [Station No. 05536123] present inside the domain of interest. It was estimated that during the storm September 2008, several billion gallons of water were discharged into Lake Michigan from the Chicago River Controlling Works to prevent city flooding. The 3D model also provides a tool for the management of the waterways, in particular for future analysis of different alternatives being considered to reverse the Chicago River once again with the goal of preventing the passage of invasive species (e.g. Asian carp) towards the Great Lakes.
The music notepad

We present a system for entering common music notation based on 2D gestural input. The key feature of the system is the look-and-feel of the interface which approximates sketching music with paper and pencil. A probability-based interpreter integrates sequences of gestural input to perform the most common notation and editing operations. In this paper, we present the user’s model of the system, the components of the high-level recognition system, and a discussion of the evolution of the system including user feedback.
Cardiology patient page: warning signs of a heart attack.

Each year, ≈1.1 million Americans experience a heart attack; ≈460 000 of them are fatal. Of those who die, almost half do so suddenly, before they can get to a hospital. Although a heart attack is a frightening event, if you learn the signs of a heart attack and what steps to take, you can save a life—perhaps even your own. Many people think that heart attacks are a “man’s problem,” yet heart disease is actually the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. In men, the risk for heart attack increases significantly after the age of 45. In women, heart attacks are more likely to occur in the years after menopause (usually, after the age of 50). However, younger men and women can also have heart attacks. Besides age, factors that increase the risk for heart attack are: If you have one or more of these factors, see your health care provider to find out how to reduce your risk of having a heart attack. During a heart attack, a clot in the heart’s artery blocks the flow of blood to the heart. Heart muscle begins to die. This is technically called a “myocardial infarction,” meaning “death of heart muscle.” The more time that passes without treatment, the greater the damage. The part of the heart that dies during a heart attack cannot grow back or be repaired. Fortunately, clot-busting drugs and other artery-opening treatments, such as angioplasty, can stop a heart attack in …
Assessing What Distinguishes Highly Cited from Less-Cited Papers Published in Interfaces

We evaluate what distinguishes a highly cited Interfaces paper from other Interfaces papers that are cited less often. Citations are used to acknowledge prior relevant research, to document sources of information, and to substantiate claims. As such, citations play a key role in the evolution of knowledge. More recently, citations are also being used to quantify the impact of papers and journals, a practice not without controversy, but one that motivates our work here. We find that Edelman competition papers, longer papers, tutorials, papers with larger numbers of references to prior literature, and papers with a larger number of “callouts” (a feature no longer used by Interfaces) tend to have a higher number of citations.
The long-term burden of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome relative to upper-extremity fractures and dermatitis in Washington State.

Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is among the most burdensome of all musculoskeletal disorders as measured by workers’ compensation claims costs and lost earnings. But the burden of CTS extends beyond direct claim costs. Methods A survey covering health, social, economic and work-related outcomes was administered to 1,255 injured workers whose Washington State Fund workers’ compensation claims had closed 6 years previously. Logistic and linear regression methods were used to model the outcomes of CTS claimants across four separate outcome domains. Results Workers diagnosed with CTS suffer substantial deficits across all four outcome domains as compared to the two comparison groups of claimants. Former CTS claimants were almost twice as likely not to be working as compared to the fractures cohort. Conclusions A comprehensive measurement of the burden of CTS shows losses extend beyond direct claims costs to include continuing pain, loss of function, adverse financial impacts and household disruption which extend long after claim closure. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:1255–1269, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Applied Mathematics for Earth Scientists

Writing an applied mathematics book can be hazardous to one's ego. First, there typically are strong and incompatible opinions on what should go into such a book, and second, there are already many excellent applied mathematics books on the market. Nevertheless, three prestigious geophysicists from Toyko University, Rikitake, Sato, and Hagiwara, have correctly identified a niche to be filled in this competitive market, and they have attempted to fill it with the publication of Applied Mathematics for Earth Sciences. A more appropriate title for this book might be “Applied Mathematics for Geophysicists”; it is at geophysicists and not at, say, stratigraphers that the book is aimed. The book is divided into Part I, Fundamentals (164 pages) and Part II, Applications (271 pages). The main subtitles of Part I are, in order, Fourier transform, Laplace transform, Heaviside operator, spectral analysis, special functions, Laplace equation, wave equation, and relaxation method. As separate books have been written on virtually all of these topics, one can correctly anticipate that the material presented here will be very condensed. The applications part consists of 10 chapters of examples that draw strongly on papers published by the authors. Seismology constitutes roughly a third of the applications part, with the remainder going to selected topics on Earth's gravity, rotation and tides, heat conduction, magnetic and electrical potentials, electromagnetic induction, and magnetohydrodynamics. Emphasis throughout the book is placed on selected analytical theory, as opposed to methods of numerical analysis.
An Exceptional Election: Performance, Values, and Crisis in the 2008 Presidential Election

This article examines the influences on the 2008 presidential election that led to the election of Barack Obama. There were many reasons why observers expected 2008 to be a strong year for the Democrats. The poor retrospective evaluations of the Bush presidency were thought to be too much of a burden for any Republican presidential candidate to bear successfully. On the other hand, open seat elections have been historically close, in part because successor candidates receive neither the full credit nor the full blame of incumbents. Moreover, in a period of partisan parity and ideological polarization, tight contests are to be expected. Add to these factors the fact that neither party’s nominee faced an easy time winning his party’s nomination and the fact that McCain was unusually moderate for a Republican presidential candidate and Obama was a northern liberal as well as the first African-American presidential candidate of a major party and there was every reason to suspect a closely decided election. That was the way that the election was shaping up in the polls until the Wall Street meltdown hit in mid-September. It was the “game changer” that tipped the election to Obama.
A CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator using high-Q on-chip inductor implemented in a wafer-level package

This paper presents a CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with a high-Q inductor in a wafer-level package for the LC-resonator. The on-chip inductor is implemented using the redistribution metal layer of the WLP, and therefore it is called a WLP inductor. Using the thick passivation and copper metallization, the WLP inductor has high quality-factor (Q-factor). A 2nH inductor exhibits a Q-factor of 8 at 2 GHz. The center frequency of the VCO is 2.16 GHz with a tuning range of 385 MHz (18 %). The minimum phase noise is measured to be -120.2 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 600 KHz. The DC power consumed by the VCO-core is 1.87 mW with a supply voltage of 1.7 V and a current of 1.1 mA. The output power with a 50 Q load is -12.5 /spl plusmn/ 1.3 dBm throughout the whole tuning range. From the best of our knowledge, compared with recently published 2 GHz-band 0.35 /spl mu/m CMOS VCOs in the literature, the VCO in this work shows the lowest power consumption and the best FOM.
A Mediation Skills Model To Manage Disclosure Of Errors And Adverse Events To Patients

In 2002 Pennsylvania became the first state to impose on hospitals a statutory duty to notify patients in writing of a serious event. If the disclosure conversations are carefully planned, properly executed, and responsive to patients’ needs, this new requirement creates possible benefits for both patient safety and litigation risk management. This paper describes a model for accomplishing these goals that encourages health care providers to communicate more effectively with patients following an adverse event or medical error, learn from mistakes, respond to the concerns of patients and families after an adverse event, and arrive at a fair and cost-effective resolution of valid claims.
The three threats of action research: a discussion of methodological antidotes in the context of an information systems study

This paper provides a brief historical discussion of action research (AR), from its emergence as a distinct research approach after World War II to its relatively recent use in the field of information systems (IS). Based on a review of the research methods literature, it presents and discusses three main threats inherent in action research, called "uncontrollability", "contingency", and "subjectivity"; and three methodological antidotes to deal with these three action research threats, called "unit of analysis", "grounded theory", and "multiple iterations". Both the threats and the antidotes are discussed in the context of a real information systems action research study that investigated the impact of computer support on the success of group-based business process improvement (BPI) attempts.
Specific Targeting of Prevention Programs in Alcohol and Drug Dependence

Il existe un enorme gâchis d'argent et d'energie dans le domaine de la prevention en matiere d'alcoolisme et de toxico-dependance, car les programmes ne sont pas suffisamment cibles sur les categories et les situations a haut risque: tranches d'âge, subcultures, phases de transition dans les roles sociaux, statuts marginaux