cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LEAST-MEAN-SQUARE APPROACH TO PATTERN CLASSIFICATION

Publisher Summary This chapter presents least-mean-square approach to pattern classification. The least-mean-square error (LMS) criterion provides a standard for assessing the quality of an approximation to an arbitrary function. In statistical pattern classification, there have been a number of techniques whose learning algorithms are based on the LMS criterion. The main advantages of using this criterion are that each of these algorithms assumes no a priori knowledge of the probability distribution of patterns, yields a unique optimal solution and the pattern classifier is either a linear machine or its generalization, a Ф machine. The chapter also discusses the mathematical form of linear least-mean-square approximations to functions, the methods of estimating these mathematical approximations, and their use in pattern recognition problems. The vertex mapping idea is equivalent to the least-mean-square approximation to the optimum Bayes discriminant functions with a symmetric loss matrix. One maps the training set into clusters around the first set of vertices in the LMS sense. For classification, one determines the nearest member of the second set and classifies the unknown pattern into that category whose index is the same as this nearest vertex.
Mental Health Stigma Prevention: Pilot Testing a Novel, Language Arts Curriculum‐Based Approach for Youth

BACKGROUND Researchers have emphasized the importance of integrating mental health education with academic curriculum. The focus of the current studies was Mental Health Matters (MHM), a mental health curriculum that is integrated with English language arts. It is taught by trained community member volunteers and aims to increase knowledge and decrease stigma toward individuals with mental health disorders. METHODS In Study 1, 142 sixth graders participated in MHM and completed pre- and postprogram measures of mental health knowledge, stigma, and program acceptability. Teachers also completed ratings of acceptability. Study 2 (N = 120 seventh graders) compared participants who had participated in MHM the previous year with those who had not using the same measures. RESULTS Sixth grade students and teachers rated the program as highly acceptable. Participants significantly increased their knowledge and decreased their levels of stigma. Seventh graders who had participated in MHM had significantly more mental health knowledge than peers who had not, but there were no differences in stigma. CONCLUSIONS The model appears to be acceptable to students and teachers. Future research is needed to assess the long-term effectiveness of integrating mental health education with other academic curriculum such as language arts or science.
Hyperbaric Medicine in the United States

This chapter discusses the practice of hyperbaric medicine in the United States, the various organizations involved in the practice, certifying agencies for practitioners, the status of certification, and the current legislative and reimbursement issues.
Sulfate-Mediated End-to-End Assembly of Gold Nanorods.

There is interest in the controlled aggregation of gold nanorods (GNRs) for the production of extended nanoassemblies. Prior studies have relied upon chemical modification of the GNR surface to achieve a desired final aggregate structure. Herein we illustrate that control of electrolyte composition can facilitate end-to-end assembly of cetyltrimethylammonium-bromide-coated (CTAB) GNRs. By adjusting either the sulfate anion concentration or the exposure time it is possible to connect GNRs in chain-like assemblies. In contrast, end-to-end assembly was not observed in control experiments using monovalent chloride salts. We attribute the end-to-end assembly to the localized association of sulfate with exposed quaternary ammonium head groups of CTAB at the nanorod tip. To quantify the assembly kinetics, visible-near-infrared extinction spectra were collected over a predetermined time period, and the colloidal behavior of the GNR suspensions was interpreted using plasmon band analysis. Transmission electron mic...
Synthesis and characterization of anion-exchange membranes based on hydrogenated poly(norbornene)

Trimethylammonium-containing (TMA) polynorbornene is synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization for study as an anion exchange membrane (AEM) in solid state alkaline fuel cells. The AEMs in this work are designed to incorporate flexible tethers between the TMA and polymer backbone, methyl groups at the β position, and to be semicrystalline, with the goals of high OH− conductivity, good electrochemical stability in high pH environments, and robust mechanical properties when in the membrane form. The resulting materials are found to have high conductivities, but are mechanically weak due to an overall lack of crystalline domains. Electrochemical stability appears dependent on the environment in which lifetime is measured, suggesting that the hydration state of the polymer has a substantial influence on the result.
The left side of courage: Three exploratory studies on the antecedents of social courage

Courage has been linked to important workplace outcomes, but little is known about the antecedents of courage. To identify possible methods to develop a more courageous workforce, the current artic...
Rhetoric and Theological Argumentation: Lessing on Cardano

Like Plato’s Gorgias and Gorgias’ The Encomium of Helen, Lessing’s essay on Cardano discusses and demonstrates his conception of argument within a rhetorical framework. It not only treats basic theological questions that fascinated Lessing throughout his life, but it also manifests methodological approaches to those questions. Moreover, Lessing not only demonstrates a polemical approach, but makes argument itself the theme under discussion. That is, he defends individual theological issues by proving or disproving whether or not polemical principles and methods were used in a given situation. Lessing in this approach inextricably ties knowledge and the way to knowing to argument, implying that discussion and disputation are epistemic in nature.
A WIND POWERED HEAT PUMP

The purpose of this paper is to present the design and performance tests of a wind powered heat pump. The system consists of a modified heat pump, a vertical axis wind turbine and a mechanical coupling between the heat pump and the wind turbine. Such a system either alone or combined with solar collectors has the potential for application to residential heating and air conditioning.
A Review of: “Carol Vernallis, Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context”

Certainly a great part of the appeal of music videos comes from their seductive weaving of musical, visual, and verbal threads, but the scholarly study of music videos has been vexed by, among othe...
Electric Charge in Composite Magnetic Monopole Theories

It is observed that the spin approach to the interaction of electric charges with magnetic monopoles leads naturally to theories with composite monopoles made from SU(2) gauge fields. The key steps are to express the “electromagnetic field angular momentum” associated with a charge-pole system as a quantum-mechanical spin operator (as was done some years ago) and then to identify this spin operator as the generator of SU(2) transformations on charged-particle wave functions. It is emphasized that composite monopoles may not occur unless electric charge is one of the operators of an SU(2) symmetry. The formalism for conservation of electric charge, and quantization of the electric charge of a monopole, is developed at a “first-quantized” level. Speculations are given on high energy charge-pole scattering. Some problems with second quantization are discussed, and the possibility is raised that there may be an infinite mass renormalization of a composite monopole which has finite mass in the classical approximation.
Conservation Implications of Shifting Gut Microbiomes in Captive-Reared Endangered Voles Intended for Reintroduction into the Wild

The Amargosa vole is a highly endangered rodent endemic to a small stretch of the Amargosa River basin in Inyo County, California. It specializes on a single, nutritionally marginal food source in nature. As part of a conservation effort to preserve the species, a captive breeding population was established to serve as an insurance colony and a source of individuals to release into the wild as restored habitat becomes available. The colony has successfully been maintained on commercial diets for multiple generations, but there are concerns that colony animals could lose gut microbes necessary to digest a wild diet. We analyzed feces from colony-reared and recently captured wild-born voles on various diets, and foregut contents from colony and wild voles. Unexpectedly, fecal microbial composition did not greatly differ despite drastically different diets and differences observed were mostly in low-abundance microbes. In contrast, colony vole foregut microbiomes were dominated by Allobaculum sp. while wild foreguts were dominated by Lactobacillus sp. If these bacterial community differences result in beneficial functional differences in digestion, then captive-reared Amargosa voles should be prepared prior to release into the wild to minimize or eliminate those differences to maximize their chance of success.
Self-regulation of the use of digital resources in an online language learning course improves learning outcomes

This study investigated how community college students in an online introductory-level language course self-regulated their learning while using digital learning resources. An analysis of reflectiv...
Better together: Coexistence of for-profit and nonprofit firms with an application to the U.S. hospice industry

Many markets maintain a nontrivial mix of both nonprofit and for-profit firms, particularly in health care industries such as hospice, nursing homes, and home health. What are the effects of coexistence vs. dominance of one ownership type? We show how the presence of both ownership types can lead to greater diversity in consumer types served, even if both firms merely profit-maximize. This is the case where firms serve consumers for multiple consumption durations, but where donations are part of a nonprofit firm objective function and happen after services have been provided. This finding is strengthened if the good or service has value beyond immediate consumption or the direct consumer. We show these predictions empirically in the hospice industry, using data containing over 90 percent of freestanding U.S. hospices, 2000-2008. Nonprofit and for-profit providers split the patient market according to length of stay, leading to a wider range of patients being served than in the absence of this coexistence.
Dicamba-resistant kochia (Bassia scoparia) in Kansas: characterization and management with fall- or spring-applied PRE herbicides

Dicamba-resistant (DR) kochia is an increasing concern for growers in the US Great Plains, including Kansas. Greenhouse and field experiments (Garden City and Tribune, KS, in the 2014 to 2015 growing season) were conducted to characterize the dicamba resistance levels in two recently evolved DR kochia accessions collected from fallow fields (wheat–sorghum–fallow rotation) near Hays, KS, and to determine the effectiveness of various PRE herbicide tank mixtures applied in fall or spring prior to the fallow year. Dicamba dose–response studies indicated that the KS-110 and KS-113 accessions had 5- to 8-fold resistance to dicamba, respectively, relative to a dicamba-susceptible (DS) accession. In separate field studies, atrazine-based PRE herbicide tank mixtures, dicamba + pendimethalin + sulfentrazone, and metribuzin + sulfentrazone when applied in the spring had excellent kochia control (85% to 95%) for 3 to 4 mo at the Garden City and Tribune sites. In contrast, kochia control with those PRE herbicide tank mixtures when applied in the fall did not exceed 79% at the later evaluation dates. In conclusion, the tested kochia accessions from western Kansas had evolved moderate to high levels of resistance to dicamba. Growers should utilize these effective PRE herbicide tank mixtures (multiple sites of action) in early spring to manage kochia seed bank during the summer fallow phase of this 3-yr crop rotation (wheat–corn/sorghum–fallow) in the Central Great Plains.
Toward an Enabler-Based Digital Government Maturity Framework: A Preliminary Proposal Based on Theories of Change

Digital government has been seen as a strategy to improve public services, foster engagement with citizens, and modernize government agencies. Regardless of the recognition of this important role in government transformation, there is no consistent evidence in terms of the determinants and results of digital government strategies. More specifically, there is no clarity about what leads to successful digital government initiatives. Stage-based maturity models have been used to better understand the current situation of digital government in terms of results. They are also seen as useful in helping to understand the resources and capabilities of government agencies and how they contribute to successful digital government projects. However, existing maturity models have been criticised due to their lack of theory, oversimplification of reality, and linear thinking. In an attempt to overcome some of these shortcomings, this paper proposes what we call an enabler-based digital government maturity model. Our proposed model not only argues for a multidimensional view, but also suggests how to think about specific mechanisms of impact. By specifying the mechanisms of influence, our proposal starts a necessary conversation about maturity models and the potential complementarity of stage-based and enabler-based approaches.
Some Causes of Airspace Disease

This chapter reviews the broad categories of airspace disease. Their imaging findings and pathophysiologic bases are discussed. Broad differential diagnoses are populated for common nonspecific radiologic findings across the spectrum of airspace disease, including infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic, and other etiologies. Common descriptive terms are discussed.
Bell's Theorem, Quantum Probabilities, and Superdeterminism

In this short survey article, I discuss Bell’s theorem and some strategies that attempt to avoid the conclusion of non-locality. I focus on two that intersect with the philosophy of probability: (1) quantum probabilities and (2) superdeterminism. The issues they raised not only apply to a wide class of no-go theorems about quantum mechanics but are also of general philosophical interest.
“Mr. Mom” no more: single-father representations on television in primetime drama and comedies

National discourses surrounding fathers and caregiving have changed in the last two decades. Once, fathers were only expected to financially provide for their children and be a disciplinarian; toda...
Eucharistic Imagery in Film: Two Patterns of Usage

In Christian tradition, the primary effects of the Eucharist are the formation of koinonia and the facilitating of metanoia. Metaphorically, these effects make the Eucharist a symbol of community building and personal transformation. However, the way that such symbolic meaning is emplotted in film can vary between two distinct approaches. Augmentative usage uses Eucharistic symbols to deepen and amplify narrative instances of community building, such as by family gathering or reconciliation between characters, or character growth. In ironic usage, Eucharistic symbols elicit standards of virtue and goodness that help critique actions or events that damage koinonia or prevent characters from achieving metanoia. In addition to addressing these patterns of usage, this paper will also suggest criteria for when filmic content can be reasonably interpreted as Eucharistic. Examples to be discussed for augmentative usage include Moonstruck, Romero, Babette’s Feast, and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Examples to be discussed for ironic usage include Arsenic and Old Lace, The Godfather Part II, The Searchers, and Pan's Labyrinth.
Genomic characterization of bladder cancer with variant histology.

470Background: Up to 25% of tumors are of pure variant or mixed urothelial and variant histology. The presence of variant histology may be associated with more advanced stage at presentation and a ...
Accuracy of surface-guided patient setup for conventional radiotherapy of brain and nasopharynx cancer.

PURPOSE To evaluate the accuracy of surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) in cranial patient setup by direct comparison between optical surface imaging (OSI) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), before applying SGRT-only setup for conventional radiotherapy of brain and nasopharynx cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS Using CBCT as reference, SGRT setup accuracy was examined based on 269 patients (415 treatments) treated with frameless cranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) during 2018-2019. Patients were immobilized in customized head molds and open-face masks and monitored using OSI during treatment. The facial skin area in planning CT was used as OSI region of interest (ROI) for automatic surface alignment and the skull was used as the landmark for automatic CBCT/CT registration. A 6 degrees of freedom (6DOF) couch was used. Immediately after CBCT setup, an OSI verification image was captured, recording the SGRT setup differences. These differences were analyzed in 6DOFs and as a function of isocenter positions away from the anterior surface to assess OSI-ROI bias. The SGRT in-room setup time was estimated and compared with CBCT and orthogonal 2D kilovoltage (2DkV) setups. RESULTS The SGRT setup difference (magnitude) is found to be 1.0 ± 2.5 mm and 0.1˚±1.4˚ on average among 415 treatments and within 5 mm/3˚ with greater than 95% confidence level (P 5.0mm and 9 (2.2%) are >3.0˚. The setup differences show minor correlations (|r| < 0.45) between translational and rotational DOFs and a minor increasing trend (<1.0 mm) in the anterior-to-posterior direction. The SGRT setup time is 0.8 ± 0.3 min, much shorter than CBCT (5 ± 2 min) and 2DkV (2 ± 1 min) setups. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that SGRT has sufficient accuracy for fast in-room patient setup and allows real-time motion monitoring for beam holding during treatment, potentially useful to guide radiotherapy of brain and nasopharynx cancer with standard fractionation.
A Comparison of two dosages of prostaglandin F2α for the treatment of functional anestrus in dairy cattle

Two dosages (25 and 50 mg) of prostaglandin F2a (Lutalyse) were compared for the treatment of functional anestrus in two herds of Holstein cattle. Response was measured by percent in estrus within five days after treatment, percent pregnant of those bred, and percent pregnant of total treated. Doubling the recommended dosage (25 mg) had no effect on response in either herd. Nor were there any differences in response between lightweight and heavyweight cows. Heifers were significantly more responsive than cows. Of those exhibiting estrus after treatment 81% were observed on days three and four, and 6.2% developed ovarian cysts by the first examination after an unresponsive treatment. In one herd there were significantly less animals observed in estrus in the summer when compared to the other three seasons.
Comparison of Two Techniques for Laparoscopic Abomasopexy for Correction of Left Displaced Abomasum in Dairy Cows

Laparoscopic abomasopexy has been described to reduce the incidence of complications associated with traditional laparotomy and the blind, roll-and-tack corrective techniques for left-displaced abomasum in cattle. As originally described, this surgical technique involved left paralumbar fossa laparoscopy in standing cattle for placement of the abomasopexy suture, followed by right paramedian laparoscopy for suture retrieval. We hypothesized that laparoscopic abomasopexy could be performed successfully in cattle through a right paramedian laparoscopy alone. The purpose of this study was to compare the "two-step" procedure to a "one-step" procedure for laparoscopic abomasopexy.
A 1.1 GHz Scanned Acoustic Microscope

A 1.1 GHz acoustic microscope is being developed with an anticipated resolution capability of 5 μm. The microscope uses a unique scanning method which employs the photoconductive effect to locally switch a CdS piezoelectric transducer. A focused laser beam scanned across the CdS transducer sequentially deactivates resolution elements and generates the video signal. To form the image, the video signal intensity modulates a CRT display which is scanned synchronously with the laser beam.
Microgrooved Heat Pipe

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the microgrooved heat pipe (MHP) research and development. A MHP is a reliable and efficient heat transport device for thermal control of integrated electronic circuits packaging, laser diodes, photovoltaic cells, infrared (IR) detectors, and space vehicles. The device transfers heat using evaporation and condensation of the coolant liquid, and the circulation of the coolant fluid is due to the capillary pressure generated due to the liquid meniscus difference at the evaporator and condenser sections. The length of the heat pipe is divided into three parts: evaporative, adiabatic (transport), and condenser sections. There are many factors to be considered while designing an MHP. For a working fluid, the compatibility, thermal stability, wettability, vapor pressure, high latent heat, high conductivity, low viscosity, high surface tension, and accepted freezing point have to be considered. The most important heat pipe design consideration is the amount of power that a heat pipe is capable of transferring. The chapter describes eight heat transport limitations of a heat pipe. These heat transport limits, which are a function of a heat pipe operating temperature, include viscous, sonic, capillary pumping, entrainment or flooding, boiling, condenser, vapor continuum, and frozen start-up. Furthermore, the chapter discusses issues such as the critical heat inputs, dryout length, fill charge, liquid temperature, and performance factor.
Comparison of TPA, bone healing, and intra-articular screw placement using conventional nonlocked application of surgeon-contoured versus locked application of precontoured TPLO plates in dogs.

Objective To determine the influence of conventional nonlocked application of surgeon-contoured (NL-SXc) and locked-hybrid application of precontoured (L-Pc)- TPLO plates on the tibial plateau angle (TPA) immediately postoperatively and longterm after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs as well as to evaluate their influence on the incidence of intra-articular screw placement and bone healing. Study Design Retrospective, cross-sectional, clinical study. Animals Dogs (n = 101) with cruciate ligament insufficiency that had TPLO. Methods Collected data included signalment, plate size/type, preoperative (PreTPA), postoperative (PostTPA), and recheck TPA (ReTPA). Tibial plateau rotation achieved during surgery (RotaTPA = PreTPA-PostTPA) and TPA shift during healing (ShiftTPA = ReTPA-PostTPA) were calculated. Radiographic evidence of stability and time to radiographic recheck were recorded. Variables were compared by plate type using a 2-sample t-test or χ2 as appropriate (significance at P < .05). Results Median time to radiographic follow-up was 75 days (range, 43–2815 days). The remaining data are reported as means. Forty-two stifles had NL-SXc, 59 stifles had L-Pc. PreTPA of NL-SXc and L-Pc was 28.3° and 29.1°, respectively (P = .22). PostTPA (13.2° and 7.9°), RotaTPA (15.0° and 21.2°) and ReTPA (14.9° and 10.3°) for NL-SXc and L-Pc, respectively, were all significantly different (P< .0001). ShiftTPA for these constructs (1.7° and 2.4°, respectively) was not significantly different (P = .25), and 92.1% of dogs were considered to have radiographically stable osteotomies at last recheck. Conclusions A higher degree of tibial plateau rotation was achieved and maintained in osteotomies with L-Pc. There was no significant difference in ShiftTPA or radiographic osteotomy stability between constructs.
Developing a Market-Based Monetary Policy Transparency Index: Evidence from the United States

This paper extends the literature by developing an objective market based index, which is dynamic and continuous and can be used to measure the monetary policy transparency for a country or, simultaneously, a series of countries. ENTRAL BANKS ARE MOVING UNEQUIVOCALLY towards greater openness or to more transparent monetary policy frameworks by engaging in, among other things, inflation targeting, publishing inflation forecasts and increasing the number of public statements from bank officials. Whether such moves are desirable or not, or to what degree they are desirable, is still open to question. The theoretical studies in favour of and/or against more transparency in central banking, although ample, are not unanimous in their findings,2 and empirical tests of these arguments are scarce, mostly because transparency in monetary policy is a concept hard to measure. According to Blinder et al. (2008), central bank communication can be an important factor in improving the ability of the market to predict monetary policy and to help monetary authorities achieve their objectives. The existing transparency measures have some limitations. Most of them are not in time-series form and therefore can only be used for cross-sectional studies and for a limited number of hypotheses. They are based on the quantity, timeliness, and periodicity of information provided by central banks and finally, they are somewhat static. In general, the existing measures of transparency can be divided into four groups: (i) Descriptive accounts of transparency: This kind of transparency measure concentrates on strategies that central bankers follow in order to communicate with the public. It mostly includes do’s and don’ts of central bankers’ actions, see, e.g. Blinder et al. (2001). The main problem with this measure is that no index can be derived/constructed from these do’s and don’ts.
Belco Global Foods

This case introduces students to the fundamental issues that managers face when deciding what international trade finance terms to use when transacting with other firms. In late 2009, Pam Arnold, the Head of Global Credit at Belco Global Foods must decide which trade finance terms to offer to two new customers and how to pursue a claim against a customer who has missed a payment deadline.
Charge rearrangement by sprites over a north Texas mesoscale convective system

[1] Charge rearrangement by sprites is analyzed for a mesoscale convective system (MCS) situated in north Texas and east New Mexico on 15 July 2010. During the thunderstorm, electric field data were recorded by the Langmuir Electric Field Array (LEFA), while magnetic field data were recorded by the charge-moment network near Duke University. A high speed (12500 fps) video system operated at Langmuir Laboratory recorded telescopic images of the sprites. Data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) show that each sprite was preceded by a series of cloud discharges and cloud-to-ground discharges. The triggering event preceding the sprite was typically a positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) stroke. For one out of the 10 sprites that were recorded, there was a positive hump in the electric field a few milliseconds after the +CG return stroke. The size and shape of the hump roughly matched the light intensity emitted from the sprite. The electric field hump is fit by a sprite current that originates in the ionosphere and propagates downward, producing the same effect as a downward moving positive current. The integral under the current hump was 23.9 C when the velocity of the current pulse was between 0.25 c and 0.55 c. The large sprite current was followed by impulsive electromagnetic radiation which has not been previously reported and could be a recoil effect similar to what is called a “K-change” when it is observed in a lightning flash.
On the stability of thin-shell wormholes

A thin-shell wormhole is theoretically constructible by surgically grafting together two Schwarzschild spacetimes using the so-called cut-and-paste technique. By describing such a wormhole as a limiting case of a constant- density spherical shell, it is shown that the structure must be unstable to linearized radial perturbations. Some earlier studies by the author et al. have shown, however, that under certain conditions, thin-shell wormholes can be stable.
FACTORS INFLUENCING PAIR TERRITORIALITY IN THE JUNIPER TITMOUSE

Abstract Pair territoriality outside of the breeding season is a relatively uncommon pattern of social organization in the Paridae (tits, titmice, and chickadees). Within the territorial parids, pair territoriality appears to be the derived state. Because of this, it is possible to address the question: What favors the evolution of this social system? I assessed factors that may be responsible for inducing pair territoriality in Juniper Titmice (Baeolophus ridgwayi), focusing largely on foraging behavior and predation risk. I found that the diet of Juniper Titmice is distinctive as compared to other tits, with large seeds (juniper and pinyon pine) and acorns making up most of the winter diet instead of arthropods. Time budgets reflected that a large proportion of time is spent handling food. Space use was strongly skewed toward locations that should be relatively safe from predators, both because food is located in such sites and because titmice transport seeds to sheltered sites for processing. Seeds dec...
Central Bank Autonomy in Latin America: A Survey and Case Studies

INTRODUCTION Beads of sweat forming on his furrowed brow, an uncharacteristically anxious Hugo Chavez appeared on television from the Miraflores Palace early in the morning of December 3, 2007.2 For a nation accustomed to seeing its bombastic president sing the praises of his “Bolivarian” Revolution, Chavez struck the pose of a leader under siege. Though many experts had speculated that the sweeping constitutional amendments he had proposed a mere two months earlier might fail, amendments which would have wrought far-reaching changes on Venezuela, few were prepared for the political theatre which ensued when they actually did.3 Given Chavez’s seeming grasp on all the levers of Venezuelan power, many observers noted that the proposed amendments, collectively referred to as the Reforma de la Constitucion de la Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela (the Reforma), would all but make him the latest in a long line of Latin American caudillos that litter the region’s history.4
Product Lifecycle Management: Measuring What Is Important – Product Lifecycle Implementation Maturity Model

Industry reports that benefits of PLM are difficult to assess because the same benefit can be expressed as a function of time, cost, quality, or any combination. Based on a review of the PLM literature in an earlier study, a PLM Process Model and an initial list of PLM related metrics was generated and later confirmed through interviews with experienced PLM users. In the current study, the original PLM Process Model was refined and the list of metrics was subjected to an exploratory factor analysis in which specific metrics were found to be related to one of four factors: Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Outcomes. Based on the results of this study, a Product Lifecycle Implementation Maturity Model was developed that serves as a program-level guide in helping to quantify PLM performance in support of meeting organizational strategic goals.
Electrostatic metallic spray theory

A statistical model for the description of an isolated cloud of electrostatically generated droplets is developed. The droplet charging process is assumed independent of droplet population density consistent with high fluid conductivity and maximal charging levels. It is found that charge distribution is describable by Fermi‐Dirac statistics and droplet number distribution by Maxwell‐Boltzmann statistics. Evaluation of molten copper sprays reveals that the smaller the droplet cloud mass the higher the overall charge‐to‐mass ratio will be. Charge‐to‐mass ratio is found to vary approximately as the inverse square of droplet radius. The smaller the droplet the closer it can in general approach the Rayleigh criterion charge limit. The influence of emission‐limited charging was found to be unimportant for the cases studied. The model indicates the possibility that microscopic distributions of charge and mass can be inferred from knowledge of total charge and mass.
Associations between the hospitalist model of care and quality-of-care-related outcomes in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between the hospitalist consultant model of care and both length of hospital stay (LOS) and hospital cost for patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively studied 118 consecutive patients admitted with hip fracture (diagnosis related groups 79.35 and 81.52) between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2002, at a community-based academic medical center. For each patient, consultations for preoperative medical evaluation and management of postoperative complications were performed by a hospitalist or a traditional medical consultant (nonhospitalist). We defined "hospitalist" as dedicated hospital-based physicians who provide their maximum professional time in inpatient health care delivery and who are completely free of outpatient responsibilities. Time to consultation (TTC), time to surgery (TTS), LOS, and total hospital costs were determined for each patient by review of the medical records and were compared between hospitalist and nonhospitalist consultants. RESULTS Both TTC and TTS were significantly lower for hospitalist patients ( P P =.004, respectively). Although not statistically significant, cost and LOS also were lower for patients receiving hospitalist care. In the hospitalist group, median cost was an estimated $1777 less, and median LOS was 1 day less than in the nonhospitalist group. CONCLUSION Hospitalist involvement in the medical management of patients undergoing hip fracture surgery may be associated with decreases in TTC, TTS, LOS, and total hospital cost. The results of this study have implications for consultative medical care of patients undergoing urgent surgery and their health outcomes.
Voting across ethnic lines in late Imperial Austria1

. The Austrian party system, following the introduction of universal manhood suffrage in 1907, has conventionally been characterised as being divided along ethno-national lines, reinforcing perceptions that politics within the Habsburg Empire was overwhelmingly driven by nationalism. However, the electoral results in a number of districts only make sense if one assumes that voters cast ballots for their alleged ethnic opponents. A systematic analysis of election results, utilising a simple process of elimination and drawing on the highly detailed statistical records available, strongly suggests that such voting was commonplace. Furthermore, alternative explanations based on differential voting qualification rates, errors in the census, and electoral fraud do not withstand close scrutiny. One must therefore conclude that although ethnic conflict did occur, it was paralleled by inter-ethnic bargaining and compromise, thereby supporting more positive appraisals of Austrian electoral and parliamentary politics and of representative political institutions in ethnically divided societies.
The "sliver sign": a specific radiographic sign of acute lateral patellar dislocation.

Objective The objective of this work is to assess the prevalence of the sliver sign, defined as an intraarticular linear or curvilinear ossific density, in association with knee effusion in patients with acute knee trauma, as a predictor of recent lateral patellar dislocation (LPD).
Assessing caregivers for team interventions (ACT): a new paradigm for comprehensive hospice quality care.

This article provides a framework labeled ACT that aims to successfully integrate family caregivers and patients into one unit of care, as dictated by the hospice philosophy. ACT (assessing caregivers for team interventions) is based on the ongoing assessment of the caregiver background context, primary, secondary, and intrapsychic stressors as well as outcomes of the caregiving experience and subsequently, the design and delivery of appropriate interventions to be delivered by the hospice interdisciplinary team. Interventions have to be tailored to a caregiver’s individual needs; such a comprehensive needs assessment allows teams to customize interventions recognizing that most needs and challenges cannot be met by only one health care professional or only one discipline. The proposed model ensures a holistic approach to address the multifaceted challenges of the caregiving experience.
The Skyrme model and the nucleon-nucleon interaction

Abstract Some inadequacies in previous descriptions of the low-energy nucleon-nucleon interaction using the Skyrme effective Lagrangian are noted. It is shown that a generalization of the effective Lagrangian and the inclusion of certain quantum corrections leads to an improved description of this interaction.
Who will teach? A fundamental challenge to medical education

The level of expertise possessed by medical school faculty members is unprecedented. Unfortunately, faculty members' broad understanding of their domains has atrophied as the specialization they need to compete successfully in the clinical and research arenas has increased. Medical students are novices, needing teachers who possess broad knowledge and experience, who can integrate the specific areas of a subject with overarching themes, and who can teach at the students' level. Clinical subspecialists and researchers on faculties often are ill-equipped to teach medical students. Likewise, busy clinical preceptors may no longer have the latest understanding of pathophysiology. The usual solution of bringing a series of basic science and clinical faculty members to classrooms and seminar rooms often results in disjointed coverage of material. Expanding the values of the university to once again include the scholarship of integration and teaching would provide the best type of faculty.
MO‐E‐AUD B‐07: SAF Values for Internal Electron Emitters Calculated for the RPI‐P Pregnant‐Female Models Using Monte Carlo Methods

Purpose: to calculate specific absorbed fraction (SAF) values for internal electron emitters based on more realistic RPI‐P serial pregnant female models. Method and Materials: The RPI‐P series pregnant‐female models developed by Xu and coworkers were used for Monte Carlo simulation. Those models are based on boundary‐representation method for organ delineation. The image sources are from clinical CTimage, VIP‐Man image, and public domain images. The pregnant woman models, RPI‐P3, RPI‐P6, and RPI‐P9, were implemented into a previously developed Monte Carlo user code, EGS4‐VLSI. In this study, internal electron emitters were considered for the following energies: 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 4000 keV. SAF values to the fetus were calculated for each of these energies involving 35 source organs.Results and Discussion: SAF factors from source organs to the fetus have been calculated for all the three pregnant female models. Results show that electron SAF values follow linear relationship as equation: log (SAF(fetus ← source) = A ⋅ log (E) + B , where E is the electron energy, A and B are coefficients. A and B coefficients were calculated. R2 coefficient, the determination for the linear relationship, is ranging from 0.90∼1.00 except source organ=heart for RPI‐P3 model. It means the linear relationship between log(SAF) and log(E) is fitting well. Conclusion: SAF values have been derived based on a new developed RPI‐P series pregnant‐female models using Monte Carlo method. For electron emitters ranging from 10 keV to 4000 keV, the log(SAF) and log(energy) relationship can be approximated by linear function.
Comparison of calcaneus ultrasound and dual X-ray absorptiometry in children at risk of osteopenia.

Abstract The optimal method to assess pediatric bone mass remains controversial. Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is used most commonly for clinical assessments in children, but calcaneus ultrasound (CUS) is less costly, is free of ionizing radiation, and predicts fracture as well as DXA in adults. This study was designed to compare CUS and DXA in 42 young patients (ages 9–21) with chronic disease and/or fragility fractures. Z-scores for broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) determined using the Lunar Achilles Plus ultrasonometer were compared with Z-scores for areal bone mineral density (BMD) and volumetric BMD using DXA (Hologic). Logistic regression was employed to predict low bone density measured by DXA (defined as spinal BMD Z-score r = 0.3–0.6. Areas under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves for BUA and SOS predicting low bone density by DXA were similar: 0.81 and 0.82, respectively. ROC curve areas for spinal DXA, BUA, and SOS predicting previous fracture were also similar: 0.85, 0.84, and 0.84, respectively. While CUS correlates only modestly with DXA, ROC curve areas indicate that CUS detects low bone mineral in children with fragility fractures as well as DXA and may be a viable initial screen for osteopenia.
Tidal evolution into the Laplace resonance and the resurfacing of Ganymede

Abstract We use the numerical model of R. Malhotra (1991,Icarus94, 399–412) to explore the orbital history of Io, Europa, and Ganymede for a large range of parameters and initial conditions near the Laplace resonance. We identify two new Laplace-like resonances which pump Ganymede's eccentricity and may help explain the resurfacing of Ganymede. Near the Laplace resonance, the Io–Europa conjunction drifts at a mean angular velocity ω1≡ 2n2−n1, while the Europa-Ganymede conjunction drifts at a rate ω2≡ 2n3−n2, wheren1,n2, andn3are the mean motions of Io, Europa, and Ganymede. We find that Laplace-like resonances characterized by ω1/ω2≈ 3/2 and ω1/ω2≈ 2 can pump Ganymede's eccentricity to ∼0.07, producing tidal heating several hundred times higher than at the present epoch and 2 to 30 times greater than that occurring in the ω1/ω2≈ 1/2 resonance identified previously by Malhotra. The evolution of ω1and ω2prior to capture is strongly affected byQ′Io/Q′J. (Here,Q′ =Q/kis the ratio of the tidal dissipation function to second-degree Love number; the subscriptJis for Jupiter.) We find that capture into ω1/ω2≈ 3/2 or 2 occurs over a large range of possible initial satellite orbits ifQ′Io/Q′J≤ 4 × 10−4, but cannot occur for values ≥ 8 × 10−4. (The latter is approximately two-thirds the value required to maintain Io's current eccentricity in steady state.) For constantQ/k, the system, once captured, remains trapped in these resonances. We show, however, that they can be disrupted by rapid changes in the tidal dissipation rate in Io or Europa during the course of the evolution; the satellites subsequently evolve into the Laplace resonance (ω1= ω2) with high probability. Because the higher dissipation in these resonances increases the likelihood of internal activity within Ganymede, we favor the ω1/ω2≈ 3/2 and 2 resonances over ω1/ω2≈ 1/2 for the evolutionary path taken by the Galilean satellites before their capture into the Laplace resonance. In addition to its surface appearance, Ganymede's large free eccentricity (0.0015) has long been a puzzle. We find that the ω1/ω2≈ 3/2 and ω1/ω2≈ 2 resonances can pump Ganymede's free eccentricity up to ∼10−3independent ofQ′Gany/Q′J. We also show that Ganymede's free eccentricity cannot have been produced by impact with a large asteroid or comet.
Polarity mechanisms such as contact inhibition of locomotion regulate persistent rotational motion of mammalian cells on micropatterns

Pairs of endothelial cells on adhesive micropatterns rotate persistently, but pairs of fibroblasts do not; coherent rotation is present in normal mammary acini and kidney cells but absent in cancerous cells. Why? To answer this question, we develop a computational model of pairs of mammalian cells on adhesive micropatterns using a phase field method and study the conditions under which persistent rotational motion (PRM) emerges. Our model couples the shape of the cell, the cell’s internal chemical polarity, and interactions between cells such as volume exclusion and adhesion. We show that PRM can emerge from this minimal model and that the cell-cell interface may be influenced by the nucleus. We study the effect of various cell polarity mechanisms on rotational motion, including contact inhibition of locomotion, neighbor alignment, and velocity alignment, where cells align their polarity to their velocity. These polarity mechanisms strongly regulate PRM: Small differences in polarity mechanisms can create significant differences in collective rotation. We argue that the existence or absence of rotation under confinement may lead to insight into the cell’s methods for coordinating collective cell motility.
Microplate system for routine use in blood bank laboratories.

Modifications of the microplate system are described which permit this system to be used for all laboratory phases of blood banking with notable economy of time and reagents and without loss of accuracy. Antibody screening, identification, and typing studies are summarized.
Defects in Dynein Linked to Motor Neuron Degeneration in Mice

Although the causative genetic mutations for a subset of some of the most prevalent human motor neurodegenerative diseases have been identified, the exact molecular mechanisms behind motor neuron and associated muscular loss in these disorders remain an unsolved mystery. In a recent issue of Science, two mutagenesis-derived mouse mutants are described that contain missense mutations in the gene encoding the cytoplasmic dynein heavy-chain protein, which is part of a major cellular motor complex involved in retrograde axonal transport. These mutations result in progressive motor neuron degeneration in heterozygous animals and Lewy-like inclusion bodies in the homozygotes resembling those that occur in related human pathologies such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, and spinal-bulbar muscular atrophy. This discovery opens up the exciting possibility that similar mutations may be involved in these human disease states.
Circulating interleukin-6 in relation to adiposity, insulin action, and insulin secretion.

AbstractVOZAROVA, BARBORA, CHRISTIAN WEYER, KRISTINHANSON, P. ANTONIO TATARANNI, CLIFTONBOGARDUS, AND RICHARD E. PRATLEY. Circulatinginterleukin-6 in relation to adiposity, insulin action, andinsulin secretion. Obes Res. 2001;9:414–417.Objective: Plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), aproinflammatory cytokine produced and released in part byadipose tissue, are elevated in people with obesity and type2 diabetes. Because recent studies suggest that markers ofinflammation predict the development of type 2 diabetes,we examined whether circulating plasma IL-6 concentra-tions were related to direct measures of insulin resistanceand insulin secretory dysfunction in Pima Indians, a popu-lation with high rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes.Research Methods and Procedures: Fasting plasma IL-6concentrations (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay),body composition (DXA), insulin action (M; hyperinsuline-mic euglycemic clamp), and acute insulin secretory re-sponses to glucose (25 g intravenous glucose tolerance test)were measured in 58 Pima Indians without diabetes (24women, 34 men).Results: Fasting plasma IL-6 concentrations were positivelycorrelated with percentage of body fat (r 5 0.26, p 5 0.049)and negatively correlated with M (r 520.28, p 5 0.031),but were not related to acute insulin response (r 5 0.13, p 50.339). After adjusting for percentage of body fat, plasmaIL-6 was not related to M (partialr 520.23, p 5 0.089).Discussion: Fasting plasma IL-6 concentrations are posi-tively related to adiposity and negatively related to insulinaction in Pima Indians. The relationship between IL-6 andinsulin action seems to be mediated through adiposity.Key words: inflammation, insulin resistance, cytokines,adipose tissue