cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resolution of incomplete conditions in rule-based expert systems

The authors address the complicated problem of incorporated conditions in rule-based expert systems. Incomplete conditions are defined as having insufficient conditions in the inference chain. The authors propose a precise representation and interpretation of the rule-based system with clear guidelines given for the meaning of the uncertain conditions and the resulting conclusions. To facilitate the accurate evaluation of the incomplete conditions, weighting factors are used and assigned to each antecedent relative to other antecedents in the same rule. These weighting factors are determined by the domain experts and knowledge engineers during knowledge acquisition periods based on three proposed elements, the significance of which is discussed. >
Thiele Rational Interpolation for the Numerical Computation of the Reversible Randles–Sevcik Function in Electrochemistry

This paper uses Thiele rational interpolation to derive a simple method for computing the Randles–Sevcik function π1/2χ(x), with relative error at most 1.9 × 10−5 for −∞ < x < ∞. We develop a piecewise approximation method for the numerical computation of π1/2χ(x) on the union (−∞, −10) ∪ l−10, 10r ∪ (10, ∞). This approximation is particularly convenient to employ in electrochemical applications where four significant digits of accuracy are usually sufficient. Although this paper is primarily concerned with the approximation of the Randles–Sevcik function, some examples are included that illustrate how Thiele rational interpolation can be employed to generate useful approximations to other functions of interest in scientific work.
Ergonomics analysis for vehicle assembly using artificial intelligence

In this paper we discuss a deployed application at Ford Motor Company that utilizes AI technology for the analysis of potential ergonomic concerns at our assembly plants. The manufacture of motor vehicles is a complex and dynamic problem and the costs related to workplace injuries and lost productivity due to bad ergonomic design can be very significant. We have developed two separate ergonomic analysis systems that have been integrated into the process planning for manufacturing system at Ford known as the Global Study and Process Allocation System (GSPAS). GSPAS has become the global repository for standardized engineering processes and data for assembling all Ford vehicles, including parts, tools and standard labor time. One of the more significant benefits of GSPAS is the use of a controlled language, known as Standard Language, which is used throughout Ford to write the process assembly instructions. AI is already used within GSPAS for Standard Language validation and direct labor management. The work described here shows how we built upon our previous success with AI to expand the technology into the new domain of ergonomics analysis.
Individual differences in personality and eyewitness identification.

Although much empirical research has been conducted during the last decade evaluating variables that influence the accuracy of eyewitness identification, the majority of studies have focused on the effects of situational variables (see the other chapters in this volume). In contrast, little is understood about the influence of individual differences in personality and their effects on identification. There are two primary reasons for this dearth of research. First, most researchers in the eyewitness field have earned their degrees in social or cognitive psychology. They continue to do research from these perspectives, neither of which focuses on individual differences, and have historically treated such differences as experimental error (see Cronbach, 1957) to be eliminated with tighter experimental control. The second reason relates to a belief articulated in a seminal paper by Wells on the difference between system and estimator variables in eyewitness identification (Wells, 1978). System variables are those that can be manipulated in actual criminal cases, such as the structure of lineups, the time lapse between the crime occurrence and identification, or the use of techniques designed to elicit maximal recall of information (compare Geiselman, Fisher, MacKinnon, & Holland, 1985, 1986). Estimator variables are those that cannot be controlled in criminal cases and the effects of which must therefore be estimated after the fact. Estimator variables include characteristics of defendants such as their race or attractiveness, characteristics of the crime such as its perceived seriousness, and characteristics of eyewitnesses such as individual differences in personality.
Combining and Strengthening Gomory Cuts

In this paper, we show how to generate Gomory cuts using more than one row of the tableau at a time. We generate a strong cutting plane in this family by solving a sequence of single Diophantine equations. We report computational experience on several instances of pure 0–1 programs.
Inter-agency communication and operations capabilities during a hospital functional exercise: reliability and validity of a measurement tool.

Introduction: As proxies for actual emergencies, drills and exercises can raise awareness, stimulate improvements in planning and training, and provide an opportunity to examine how different components of the public health system would combine to respond to a challenge. Despite these benefits, there remains a substantial need for widely accepted and prospectively validated tools to evaluate agencies' and hospitals' performance during such events. Unfortunately, to date, few studies have focused on addressing this need. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of a qualitative performance assessment tool designed to measure hospitals' communication and operational capabilities during a functional exercise. Methods: The study population included 154 hospital personnel representing nine hospitals that participated in a functional exercise in Massachusetts in June 2008. A 25-item questionnaire was developed to assess the following three hospital functional capabilities: (1) inter-agency communication; (2) communication with the public; and (3) disaster operations. Analyses were conducted to examine internal consistency, associations among scales, the empirical structure of the items, and inter-rater agreement. Results: Twenty-two questions were retained in the final instrument, which demonstrated reliability with alpha coefficients of 0.83 or higher for all scales. A three-factor solution from the principal components analysis accounted for 57% of the total variance, and the factor structure was consistent with the original hypothesized domains. Inter-rater agreement between participants' self-reported scores and external evaluators' scores ranged from moderate to good. Conclusions: The resulting 22-item performance measurement tool reliably measured hospital capabilities in a functional exercise setting, with preliminary evidence of concurrent and criterion-related validity.
Geosynthetics in Geotechnical Engineering

Geosynthetics are a rapidly emerging family of materials used in geotechnical engineering in a wide variety of applications. They are almost exclusively polymeric and consist of the following major types (Koerner, 1990): Geotextiles Geogrids Geonets Geomembranes Geocomposites
Spectator response to the participant blast

The interplay between spectator and participant matter in heavy-ion collisions is investigated in the context of a microscopic transport model. Transport simulations show that flow patterns for the participant matter are strongly influenced by the presence of the nearby spectator matter. However, the influence is mutual. During the explosion of the participant zone, the spectator matter acquires a transverse momentum $〈{P}^{x}/A〉$ that shows sensitivity to the nuclear incompressibility and to the momentum dependence of the nuclear mean field (MF). An observed change in the net average momentum per nucleon, $\ensuremath{\Delta}|〈\mathbf{P}/A〉|,$ can be associated with the momentum dependence of the MF. For a momentum-dependent MF and a low impact parameter in a heavy system, the spectators may emerge faster than in the initial state, accelerated by the violent participant explosion. The average excitation energy and the mass of the spectators, in contrast to the momentum, show little sensitivity to the nuclear equation of state.
On multiple routes to chaos in advection induced by point vortices

Abstract Chaotic advection induced by periodic motions of point vortices inside and outside of a circular domain and in the infinite plane is analyzed. Though simple, this model flow captures multiple routes to chaos and gives a good qualitative picture of advection in more complicated domains such as rectangle and ellipse. Different scenarios of chaotic advection depend on the topology of unperturbed phase portraits and type of perturbations. In addition to the typical KAM cases, we find scenarios accounting for inherent singularity of the velocity field.
Women and Gender Equity in Development Theory and Practice: Institutions, Resources, and Mobilization

Jaquette, Jane S. and Gale Summerfield, eds. (2006), Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 376 pp., $24.95, ISBN 978‐0822336983. “We have to begin where we are” when it comes to gender and development...
Personal warmth and psychological health at midlife

Personal warmth, arguably a strong trait in the makeup of psychological health, seems to fade in conceptual importance at midlife. In contrast, ideas of interiority and androgyny appear to gain conceptual importance at midlife. The present study sought to rebalance these foci by determining the predictive power of personal warmth for psychological health of men and women at age 50: first, by developing separate California Psychological Inventory (CPI) scales to assess personal warmth; next, by joining these warmth scales with the 20 standard CPI scales to predict psychological health. Without the personal warmth scale, the standard CPI scales do not significantly predict psychological health for men; for women, the standard scales do. For both genders, the personal warmth scales add significantly to the predictability of psychological health. The results point to an amendment of current theoretical formulations of interiority and androgyny to better understand optimal psychological development in men and women at midlife.
Intercalation of solid C60 with iodine

METALLIC and superconducting donor-type intercalation compounds of C60 are now well established. These involve electron transfer from a sublattice of alkali-metal dopants to a sublattice of fullerene molecules. Three stoichiometric phases have been identified1–3, and a binary phase diagram describing composition regions of two-phase coexistence has been proposed2. Oxidative intercalation by electron acceptors, meanwhile, has not previously been reported. Ohno et al.4 recently presented photoemission data suggesting that solid C60 will take up only minor amounts of iodine, resulting in a non-metallic product which is not a stoichiometric compound4. Here we report that, by using different reaction conditions, we have prepared a highly crystalline C60: iodine compound of ideal stoichiometry C60I4, with an alternating guest–host layer structure closely resembling that of classic intercalation compounds. The 300-K resistivity exceeds 109 Ωcm and we observe no superconductivity down to 4 K, despite the fact that the inter-fullerene separation lies in the range of that in the superconducting M3 C60 phases (where M is K, Rb, Cs). C60I4 is apparently the first example of a fullerite intercalation compound in which there is no electron transfer between C60 and the intercalate.
Neogene deformation of the flat-subduction segment of the Argentine-Chilean Andes: Magnetostratigraphic constraints from Las Juntas, La Rioja province, Argentina

Substantial Neogene deformation occurred in the part of the Andes Mountains and the Sierras Pampeanas that overlie a subhorizontal segment of the subducting Nazca plate in northern Argentina. The history of the volcanic arc suggests that the Nazca plate attained the present low-angle inclination between about 17 and 10 Ma, with the region underlain by the flat Nazca plate widening eastward thereafter. We compare the history of deformation, provided by magnetostratigraphy of Miocene strata in foreland and intermontane basins, to the history of the subducting plate. At Las Juntas, in the Precordillera thin-skinned thrust belt, 4,780 m of Neogene nonmarine strata record the initiation and termination of sedimentation in a segment of a foreland basin. Magnetostratigraphic data, complemented by fission-track dating of an interbedded tuff, indicate that the strata span from 18 to ∼9 Ma. The earliest strata correlate to the end of a time of volcanic activity in the magmatic arc and the beginning of reverse faulting in the Frontal Cordillera. Subsequently, the deformation front migrated eastward, generating the Precordillera thrust belt, and finally the Sierras Pampeanas basement uplifts. The rate of strata accumulation varied systematically as new uplifts arose, with a maximum rate exceeding 1.0 mm/a between ∼15 and 12 Ma. A correlation between the deformational history and the geometric history of the subducted slab suggests that thrusting migrated eastward as the angle of subduction shallowed. Although large-scale factors affecting the plate margin beyond the flat-slab segment may have partly induced the compressional deformation, this correlation suggests that processes related to flat subduction are of importance in deforming the continental plate.
Advances in Packaging Methods, Processes and Systems

The food processing and packaging industry is becoming a multi-trillion dollar global business. The reason is that the recent increase in incomes in traditionally less economically developed countries has led to a rise in standards of living that includes a significantly higher consumption of packaged foods. As a result, food safety guidelines have been more stringent than ever. At the same time, the number of research and educational institutions—that is, the number of potential researchers and stakeholders—has increased in the recent past. This paper reviews recent developments in food processing and packaging (FPP), keeping in view the aforementioned advancements and bearing in mind that FPP is an interdisciplinary area in that materials, safety, systems, regulation, and supply chains play vital roles. In particular, the review covers processing and packaging principles, standards, interfaces, techniques, methods, and state-of-the-art technologies that are currently in use or in development. Recent advances such as smart packaging, non-destructive inspection methods, printing techniques, application of robotics and machineries, automation architecture, software systems and interfaces are reviewed.
The effects of adenosine and guanosine on the replication of Sindbis and vesicular stomatitis viruses in Aedes albopictus cells.

Abstract Adenosine and guanosine (100 to 500 μg) inhibited the growth of Aedes albopictus cells and prevented the replication of Sindbis and vesicular stomatitis viruses in these cells. Uridine reversed the effects of adenosine but not of guanosine; actinomycin (0.2 μg/ml) reversed the effects of both adenosine and guanosine on virus replication. Analysis of intracellular nucleotides by thin-layer chromatography and HPLC showed that the levels of CTP and UTP were reduced by both adenosine and guanosine, and that guanosine also markedly reduced the concentration of ATP. The addition of exogenous uridine prevented the reduction in UTP and CTP but had no effect on the guanosine-induced reduction in ATP. The decrease in CTP and UTP seen in adenosine- or guanosine-treated cells and the decrease in ATP seen in the latter were reversed by actinomycin. These results along with earlier work from our laboratory on the antiviral effects of ribavirin suggest that in A. albopictus cells each of the four ribonucleotide triphosphates must be present at a certain minimal concentration in order for virus replication to occur; when the concentration of one or more of these nucleotides falls below a threshold level, viral replication is inhibited.
Neuronal model of tactile allodynia produced by spinal strychnine : Effects of excitatory amino acid receptor antagonists and a μ-opiate receptor agonist

Touch evoked agitation (allodynia) can be induced by spinal delivery of strychnine and this effect is antagonized by intrathecal NMDA and non-NMDA receptor antagonists, but not by μ-opiate receptor agonists. In this study, we sought to characterize the effect of focal glycine-receptor inhibition on spontaneous and evoked activity in dorsal horn neurons of the chloralose-anesthetized cat. Strychnine (1 mM) applied near the neurons through a dialysis fiber caused an enhanced response to hair deflection, enlargement of the low threshold receptive fields and in some cells, an increase in afterdischarge. These changes were observed only in cells that were activated by both hair deflection and high intensity mechanical stimulation. Subsequent co-administration of an NMDA receptor antagonist (AP-7, 2.0 mM) preferentially blocked strychnine-associated effects without changing the original receptive field characteristics. Co-administration of a non-NMDA excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist (CNQX, 1 mM) with the strychnine served to block low (brush) and high intensity (pinch) afferent input. In contrast, addition of a μ-opiate receptor agonist (alfentanil 2.4 mM) to the strychnine perfusate selectively reduced responsiveness to high intensity stimulation, while having no effect on the exaggerated response to hair deflection. Given the functional and pharmacological similarity of the effects of spinal strychnine to post-nerve injury states in man, disinhibition due to a loss of glycinergic input may be associated with large myelinated fiber-mediated nociceptive states. Consistent with these data is the contention that under normal circumstances, afferent hair follicle input onto convergent neurons is regulated by a tonic glycinergic circuit. Removal of this regulatory influence leads to a magnification of low threshold tactile throughput in dorsal horn. This model may help to provide pharmacological insights into more efficacious treatments for such pain states that are relatively refractory to opioid therapies.
Is the Presidency in Decline

Crovitz, L. Gordon, and Jeremy A. Rabkin, eds., The Fettered Presidency. Washington: American Enterprise Institute, 1989. Pp. xx, 335; $14.95 softbound. Jones, Gordon S., and John A. Marini, eds., The Imperial Congress. New York: Pharos Books, 1988. Pp. xi, 366; $24.95. Reedy, George E., The Twilight of the Presidency: From Johnson to Reagan. New York: New American Library, 1987. Pp. 200; $4.50 softbound. Seligman, Lester G., and Cary R. Covington, The Coalitional Presidency. Chicago: Dorsey Press, 1989. Pp. 191; $25.00 hardbound; $11.95 softbound.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a major risk factor for intra- and postoperative complications, including post-extubation hypoxemia, hypercarbia, unplanned reintubation, pneumonia, all-cause respiratory failure, cardiac complications (including arrhythmia and myocardial injury), unplanned ICU transfer, longer length-of-stay, and even sudden death [1–3]. The use of sedatives/analgesics and postoperative sleep deprivation likely play a major role in these adverse events [4].
Role of co‐infection by Pectobacterium and Verticillium dahliae in the development of early dying and aerial stem rot of Russet Burbank potato

Potato early dying (PED) is a disease complex primarily caused by the fungus Verticillium dahliae. Pectolytic bacteria in the genus Pectobacterium can also cause PED symptoms as well as aerial stem rot (ASR) of potato. Both pathogens can be present in potato production settings, but it is not entirely clear if additive or synergistic interactions occur during co-infection of potato. The objective of this study was to determine if co-infection by V. dahliae and Pectobacterium results in greater PED or ASR severity using a greenhouse assay and quantitative real-time PCR to quantify pathogen levels in planta. PED symptoms caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum isolate Ec101 or V. dahliae isolate 653 alone included wilt, chlorosis and senescence and were nearly indistinguishable. Pectobacterium wasabiae isolate PwO405 caused ASR symptoms including water-soaked lesions and necrosis. Greater Pectobacterium levels were detected in plants inoculated with PwO405 compared to Ec101, suggesting that ASR can result in high Pectobacterium populations in potato stems. Significant additive or synergistic effects were not observed following co-inoculation with these strains of V. dahliae and Pectobacterium. However, infection coefficients of V. dahliae and Ec101 were higher and premature senescence was greater in plants co-inoculated with both pathogens compared to either pathogen alone in both trials, and V. dahliae levels were greater in basal stems of plants co-inoculated with either Pectobacterium isolate. Overall, these results indicate that although co-infection by Pectobacterium and V. dahliae does not always result in significant additive or synergistic interactions in potato, co-infection can increase PED severity.
Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug references in lyrics of popular music from 1959 to 2009

This study analyzed alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) references in lyrics of popular music over a 50-year time period. The study sample was comprised of Billboard Hot 100 year-end songs from 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, and 2009 (N = 1100). Songs were coded for inclusion of ATOD references, including ATOD-related motivations and associations. Trend analyses were used to test for an increase in ATOD references across the study years. Regression analysis was used to compare the presence of ATOD references in lyrics from 1959 with other study years. Male artists’ lyrics (OR = 2.163; p = 0.029; CI = 1.080–4.333), non-White artists’ lyrics in 1999 and 2009 (OR = 2.670; p < 0.001; CI = 1.554–4.586), and 2009 lyrics (OR = 3.439; p = 0.003; CI = 1.515–7.809), were significantly more likely to contain ATOD references. The most common ATOD-related motivations were related to sexual activity, mood management, and celebrating or partying.
Endothelium-dependent responses of cerebral arterioles to adenosine 5'-diphosphate.

The goal of this study was to determine the role of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in dilatation of cerebral arterioles in response to adenosine 5’-diphosphate (ADP). Using intravital micr
ATP release by infected bovine monocytes increases the intracellular survival of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

Abstract Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is the etiologic agent of Johne's disease, a chronic intestinal infection in ruminants. Adenosine 5′-Triphosphate (ATP) has been reported to induce killing of several Mycobacterium species in human and murine macrophages. We investigated whether ATP secreted from M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis -infected bovine monocytes affects intracellular survival of the bacilli. Bovine monocytes constitutively secreted ATP during an 8-day incubation period in vitro ; however, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection did not enhance ATP release. Removal of extracellular ATP by the addition of apyrase increased the viability of infected monocytes, but surprisingly decreased the number of viable intracellular bacilli. In contrast to previous reports, addition of extracellular ATP (1 mM) increased intracellular survival of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in bovine monocytes. Neither apyrase nor ATP altered production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) or reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) by bovine monocytes. These results suggest that ATP release from infected bovine monocytes improves, rather than decreases, the intracellular survival of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis .
Intraoperative air entrainment with Ohio Modulus anesthesia machine.

2 observations. L'unite circuit malade devrait etre libre de fuites. La valve d'interface d'evacuation des gaz doit etre ajustee a chaque malade. Le systeme doit etre monitorise pour une pression negative du circuit
A Characterization of the Polydisc

The Kobayashi metric of a complex manifold dominates its Caratheodory metric. It thus seems natural to investigate cases of equality of these metrics, especially so since they correspond to the extremal case in Schwarz's lemma. The open unit polydisc A" in ~n is one of the simplest cases in which these metrics coincide, and the following theorem shows how these metrics characterize the complex structure of the polydisc. (Definitions of the metrics and the terms "finitely compact" and "indicatrix" appear in Sect. 2.)
Can Health Care Rationing Ever Be Rational

Americans' appetite for life-prolonging therapies has led to unsustainable growth in health care costs. It is tempting to target older people for health care rationing based on their disproportionate use of health care resources and lifespan already lived, but aged-based rationing is unacceptable to many. Systems reforms can improve the efficiency of health care and may lessen pressure to ration services, but difficult choices still must be made to limit expensive, marginally beneficial interventions. In the absence of agreement on principles to govern health care resource allocation, a fair, open priority-setting process should be created to allow for reasonable disagreement on principles while being seen as legitimate by all stakeholders. At the patient-care level, careful discussions about the benefits and burdens of medical intervention and support for slow medicine - a gentle, family-centered care approach for frail elders - can do much to avoid harming these patients with aggressive yet unwanted medical care while reducing wasteful spending.
Survey of Sustainable Building Design Practices in North America, Europe, and Asia

Sustainable design should be applied in all phases of the life cycle of a building, including programming, design, building construction, building operation, and finally demolition. This paper compares and contrasts sustainable design programs based on the life cycle of a building in North America, Europe, and Asia. Tables comparing programs from these three regions are provided for each phase in the life cycle of a building. These tables can be used by building design professionals as a reference guide to sustainable design around the world. The tables also highlight specific requirements or concerns that are applicable in a particular region. The similarities between different programs and regions can be taken into consideration during the planning of sustainable design work, regardless of the region of construction. Finally, references to more detailed program documents are provided so that interested readers can determine specific requirements that apply in a region of interest.
Women: Why does society age them sooner

A sample of 264 graduate and undergraduate students were administered the Kastenbaum and Durkee Age-Appropriate Attitude Technique (AAAT). By random assignment, one group of 120 subjects received the original all-male character sketch instrument, while a second group of 144 subjects received an altered version which made all the sketches female. The results indicated an absence of a main effect for subject sex. However, a significant main effect for character sex was present. In all cases of significance, a younger age was assigned to the female characters. Further, the ages assigned provide strong support for Neugarten's hypotheses that the attitudes of adults reflect their social roles and social states, which manifest themselves throughout the life span.
A Self-Consistent Electrothermal Model for Analyzing NBTI Effect in p-Type Poly-Si Thin-Film Transistors

The electrical performance of low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) thin-film transistors (TFTs) has improved considerably in the last decade, due to the flourishing active-matrix liquid crystal display industry. However, there is a need to further scale down LTPS TFT devices on flexible substrates to explore other application domains. In order to realize this goal, self-heating-induced negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) in LTPS TFTs needs to be modeled to determine its effect on transistor degradation and to develop mitigation techniques. Although the characteristics of NBTI for TFTs are widely known, the effects of device geometry and substrate on temperature-dependent NBTI have not been considered. In this paper, for the first time, a self-consistent electrothermal model that considers the effects of device geometry, substrate, and stress conditions on NBTI is proposed. With the proposed modeling methodology, we show the significant impact of device geometry, substrate, and supply voltage on NBTI in LTPS TFTs.
Vibrational spectra and structure of small ring compounds. XXI - 1,1,2,2-tetrafluorocyclobutane

Abstract The infrared spectrum of gaseous and polycrystalline 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro cyclo butane has been recorded from 33 to 4000 cm −1 and the Raman spectrum of the liquid sample has been measured from 70 to 4000 cm −1 . The vibrational data is consistent with a puckered molecule with C 2 symmetry. A vibrational assignment is proposed for the 30 fundamental modes based upon the observed band contours, relative band intensities, depolarization values and group frequency correlations. The band resulting from the ring-puckering mode was broad and centered near 90 cm −1 . Since no distinct Q -branches could be resolved, it was not possible to establish a unique potential function for this vibration; however, the data has been compared in a qualitative manner with cyclo butane and several of the substituted cyclo butanes. A correlation of this type implies that the barrier to planarity in tetrafluoro cyclo butane is 140 ± 50 cm −1 . The significance of this inversion barrier is demonstrated by a comparison of the established values for cyclo butane and 1,1-difluoro cyclo butane.
Risk of disease transmission with bone allograft.

Why is the risk of disease transmission with bone allograft an important topic? Approximately 1 million bone allografts are implanted every year in the United States. Although safety measures to prevent disease transmission have improved significantly over the past 2 decades, infectious complications remain a relevant concern. During informed consent, patients invariably take pause at the prospect of potentially contracting a serious and incurable condition from surgery. Although many are adequately reassured with the proverbial “1 in a million” estimated risk, astute clinicians should be prepared to provide the more incisive individuals a deeper understanding of the real and theoretical risks of allograft.
Lip and jaw kinematics in bilabial stop consonant production

This paper reports two experiments, each designed to clarify different aspects of bilabial stop consonant production. The first one examined events during the labial closure using kinematic recordings in combination with records of oral air pressure and force of labial contact. The results of this experiment suggested that the lips were moving at a high velocity when the oral closure occurred. They also indicated mechanical interactions between the lips during the closure, including tissue compression and the lower lip moving the upper lip upward. The second experiment studied patterns of upper and lower lip interactions, movement variability within and across speakers, and the effects on lip and jaw kinematics of stop consonant voicing and vowel context. Again, the results showed that the lips were moving at a high velocity at the onset of the oral closure. No consistent influences of stop consonant voicing were observed on lip and jaw kinematics in five subjects, nor on a derived measure of lip aperture. The overall results are compatible with the hypothesis that one target for the lips in bilabial stop production is a region of negative lip aperture. A negative lip aperture implies that to reach their virtual target, the lips would have to move beyond each other. Such a control strategy would ensure that the lips will form an air light seal irrespective of any contextual variability in the onset positions of their closing movements.
Relationship between defect energies and embedded-atom-method parameters

The parameter dependence of vacancy and self-interstitial formation energies has been studied with an analytic nearest-neighbor atomistic model based on the embedded-atom method. The model was designed for fcc copper, but the results should not depend on either the structure or the element. Exponentially decreasing functions were used for both the electron density function and the two-body interaction. Energies were dependent on the cutoff procedure for these functions between first and second neighbors, but the conclusions indicate trends and are quite general. Defect energies (vacancy and self-interstitial) were found to have negligible dependence on the cohesive energy, vary only slightly with the bulk modulus, but to be linearly proportional to the average shear modulus. Defect energies were insensitive to variations in the exponent parameters if their average was held constant and thus to whether the two-body potential was attractive or repulsive. Vacancy energies decreased while interstitial energies increased with an increase in the average of the exponent parameters.
Training, punishment and avoidance

Eighty albino rats learned active avoidance responses; 40 in a straight alley and 40 in a Skinner box. Then each group was separated into subgroups of 20 each and tested under these conditions: (a) 20 Ss in each apparatus underwent regular extinction, and (b) 20 Ss in each apparatus were given experimenter-produced punishment with Ss responses producing only CS termination. Condition (a) Ss responded at reduced levels on succeeding trials, and served as control Ss. Condition (b) continued responding at the maximal level throughout the testing phase despite the continuation of the US after the CR.
Sorption of uranyl ion on hydrous silica: Effects of ionic strength and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)

The effects of ionic strength and of ethylenediamin et etraacetic acid (EDTA) on the sorption of uranyl ion, UO2 2+, to SiO2·xH2O (silica gel) were investigated. It was observed that pH and the ions present in the supporting electrolytes influence the ionic strength effects. The presence of different sodium salts in the concentration range (0.20 to 1.40M) suppressed the sorption of UO2 2+ in the order: NaNO3 < NaClO4 < NaCl < NaOCOCH3 < Na2SO4 [pH 2.75(±0.05)], while the presence of perchlorate salts of Li+, Na+ and Ca2+ (0.20 to 1.40M) promoted the sorption of UO2 2+ on silica gel in the order: LiClO4∼NaClO4<Ca(ClO4)2 at pH 2.80(±0.05). The ionic strength effect on UO2 2+ sorption was studied in presence of EDTA (0–1.00·10−3M) in the pH range 2.90 to 5.57. The sorption data and speciation calculation suggest negligible complexation of UO2 2+ with EDTA at I≥1.00M NaClO4.
Computing environments for data analysis III: programming environments

This is the third in a series of papers on aspects of modern computing environments that are relevant to statistical data analysis. In this paper, we discuss programming environments. In particular, we argue that integrated programming environments (for example, Lisp and Smalltalk environments) are more appropriate as a base for data analysis than conventional operating systems (for example, Unix).
The Conceptual Framework for the Development of a Mathematics Performance Assessment Instrument.

How can you align instruction, learning, and assessment in an educationally sound way? How can you define and measure competence in mathematics? What areas of competence do you need to specify and how? How can one evaluate the validity and consequences of using a particular assessment instrument or technique?
Mycobacterium fortuitum prosthetic valve endocarditis: a case for the pathogenetic role of biofilms

Abstract Background Prosthetic valve endocarditis presents unique challenges for both diagnosis and treatment. A potential role of biofilm has been hypothesized in the pathogenesis of these infections. Methods A patient with infective endocarditis involving a stentless (Freestyle) porcine prosthetic aortic valve with annular abscess and paravalvular leak 8 months after implantation is reported. Results The infected valve did not show vegetations or perforations, but histiocytic inflammation was seen along the endocardial surfaces of the valve. Auramine–rhodamine staining revealed many acid-fast organisms associated with the inflammation. There was also an acellular matrix material with ultrastructural features of biofilm. Blood cultures grew Mycobacterium fortuitum , a biofilm-associated microbe. Conclusions The role of biofilm in prosthetic valve endocarditis is discussed. The importance of microscopy for prosthetic valves, even when no vegetations are present, is highlighted along with correlation of pathologic findings with culture results.
Single molecule electron transfer process of ruthenium complexes

Transition metal complexes such as ruthenium complexes, having metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) states, are extensively used in solar energy conversion and electron transfer in biological systems and at interfaces. The dynamics of metal-to-ligand charge transfer and subsequent intermolecular, intramolecular, and interfacial electron transfer processes can be highly complex and inhomogeneous, especially when molecules are involved in interactions and perturbations from heterogeneous local environments and gated by conformation fluctuations. We have employed single-molecule spectroscopy, a powerful approach for studying inhomogeneous systems, to study the electron transfer dynamics of ruthenium complexes. We have applied a range of statistical analysis methods to reveal nonclassical photon emission behaviors of single ruthenium complexes, e.g., photon antibunching and photophysical ground-state recovering dynamics on a microsecond time-scale. The use of photon antibunching to measure phosphorescence lifetimes and single-molecule electron transfer dynamics at room temperature is demonstrated, which is a novel way of probing ground state regeneration in back electron transfer processes.
Hospitalist Handoffs: A Systematic Review and Task Force Recommendations

BACKGROUND: Handoffs are ubiquitous to Hospital Medicine and are considered a vulnerable time for patient safety. PURPOSE: To develop recommendations for hospitalist handoffs during shift change and service change. DATA SOURCES: PubMed (through January 2007), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Network, white papers, and hand search of article bibliographies. STUDY SELECTION: Controlled studies evaluating interventions to improve in-hospital handoffs (n = 10). DATA EXTRACTION: Studies were abstracted for design, setting, target, outcomes (including patient-level, staff-level, or system-level outcomes), and relevance to hospitalists. DATA SYNTHESIS: Although there were no studies of hospitalist handoffs, the existing literature from related disciplines and expert opinion support the use of a verbal handoff supplemented with written documentation in a structured format or technology solution. Technology solutions were associated with a reduction in preventable adverse events, improved satisfaction with handoff quality, and improved provider identification. Nursing studies demonstrate that supplementing verbal exchange with a written medium leads to improved retention of information. White papers characterized effective verbal exchange, as focusing on ill patients and actions required, with time for questions and minimal interruptions. In addition, content should be updated daily to ensure communication of the latest clinical information. Using this literature, recommendations for hospitalist handoffs are presented with corresponding levels of evidence. Recommendations were reviewed by hospitalists at the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) Annual Meeting and by an interdisciplinary team of expert consultants and were endorsed by the SHM governing board. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic review and resulting recommendations provide hospitalists a starting point from which to improve in-hospital handoffs. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2009;4:433–440. © 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine.
An alternate hypothesis to explain the high frequency of "revertants" in hothead mutants in Arabidopsis.

: Lolle et al. reported a high frequency of genomic changes in Arabidopsis plants carrying the hothead mutation and proposed that the changes observed were the result of a gene correction system mediated by a hypothetical RNA cache. Here, we propose a very different hypothesis to explain the data reported by Lolle et al. Our hypothesis is based on a relatively straightforward developmental aberration in which maternal cells (“Legacy cells”) fuse with the developing embryo, resulting in a chimera, which could then give rise to the aberrant genetic segregations reported by Lolle et al.
What if Hurricane Katrina Hit in 2020? The Need for Strategic Management of Disasters

What would another Hurricane Katrina bring in 2020? Is government at all levels ready for such an event? This essay argues that learning to manage actions supporting disaster response and recovery operations consistently and effectively requires strategic, not reactive, thinking. It adopts a framework based in issues focused thinking, externally focused management, and opportunity-seeking behavior to examine the complex mix of individuals, organizations, and actions involved in response and recovery. The authors conclude that strides have been made since Katrina, but the development of greater strategic capacity is a necessary prerequisite to effective disaster management in the future. Wise and fortunate indeed is that community that has so analyzed its problems and needs, and has so prepared to make use of catastrophe should it come by plans for carrying out programs of improvements, that the aftermath of tragedy finds its victims as well cared for as humanly possible and in addition some tangible new advance in the equipment and life of the community. —John Gaus, 1947
Ti overlayer growth on oxidized GaAs(110) versus Ti oxidation on physisorbed O2 on GaAs(110) at 25 K

Abstract Interfacial reactions for Ti deposition onto oxidized GaAs(110) have been studied for oxide thicknesses up to ∼ 10 A. The oxidized GaAs surfaces were produced by low-temperature X-ray-enhanced techniques using condensed N2O at 25 K. Titanium deposition at 300 K reduced the surface Ga and As oxides and a Ti oxide layer was formed. Schottky barrier studies showed that the Fermi level pinning position for these interfaces was closer to the valence band maximum than for Ti growth on clean, oxide-free GaAs(110). We also investigated Ti interactions when deposited directly onto solid O2 condensed on GaAs(110) at 25 K. In this case, the Ti adatoms were completely oxidized to Ti4+-like bonding when there was sufficient O2 for reaction. This process follows a thermodynamically favorable pathway and results in a GaAs surface with little semiconductor disruption.
Potential applications of lifetime-based, phase-modulation fluorimetry in bioprocess and clinical monitoring

The measurement of analyte concentration is a critical part of successful bioreactor and clinical monitoring. Although strategies exist for measuring the majority of relevant analytes, industrial on-line bioreactor control is carried out primarily by measurement and control of pH, pO2 and, in some cases, cell density. This is because the available technology cannot be easily and inexpensively adapted to (a) measure the analyte in an aseptic manner and/or allow for remote sensing, and (b) measure in real time so that on-line control is possible. Similar issues need to be addressed for biosensors for clinical applications. A rapidly emerging technology that has the potential of meeting these challenges is lifetime-based phase-modulation fluorimetry, an optical technique that uses the measurement of fluorescence lifetime rather than intensity for determining the concentration of an analyte.
Diffusing wave spectroscopy

We obtain useful information from the intensity autocorrelations of light scattered from systems which exhibit strong multiple scattering. A phenomenological model, which exploits the diffusive nature of the transport of light, is shown to be in excellent agreement with experimental data for several different scattering geometries. The dependence on geometry provides an important experimental control over the time scale probed. We call this technique diffusing wave spectroscopy, and illustrate its utility by studying diffusion in a strongly interacting colloidal glass.
The determination of hyperoside in the flower and leaf of hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha and Crataegus monogyna) by the spectrophotometric method

The flower and leaf of hawthorn contains many active components, used in the production of pharmaceutical preparations for cardiotonic, anti-hypertonic anti-hypotonic, artherosclerotic, anti-arithmic and anti-anemic groups. According to the ROTTE list (1996), 159 of 1800 pharmaceutical preparations contain components from hawthorn. Due to the remedial action of hyperoside and other flavonoids from hawthorn, their determination is important for the standardization of extract and preparation quality. The extraction of the flavonoids from a mixture of hawthorn (C. oxycantha and C. monogyna) flower and leaf was carried out by percolation with 40% and 70% (v/v) ethanol. In order to determine the content of total flavonoids calculated as hyperoside spectrophotometric method with aluminium(lll) chloride as a colour reagent at 425 nm was applied. The total flavonoid content in the herbal material mixture was 0.483%, in 40% and 70% (v/v) ethanolic liquid extract it was 138 mg/100 cm3 and 157 mg/100 cm, respectively. The extraction degree of total flavonoids with 40% and 70% (v/v) ethanolic solutions was 57.14% and 65.01% respectively. The yield of total flavonoids in the dry extract was 63% in regard to the herbal mixure content.
Non-permutation flowshop scheduling in a supply chain with sequence-dependent setup times

Abstract In this paper, we consider a flowshop scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times and a bicriteria objective to minimize the work-in-process inventory for the producer and to maximize the customers' service level. The use of a bicriteria objective is motivated by the fact that successful companies in today's environment not only try to minimize their own cost but also try to fulfill their customers' need. Two main approaches, permutation and non-permutation schedules, are considered in finding the optimal schedule for a flowshop. In permutation schedules the sequence of jobs remains the same on all machines whereas in non-permutation schedule, jobs can have different sequence on different machines. A linear mathematical model for solving the non-permutation flowshop is developed to comply with all of the operational constraints commonly encountered in the industry, including dynamic machine availabilities, dynamic job releases, and the possibility of jobs skipping one or more machines, should their operational requirements deem that it was necessary. As the model is shown to be NP-hard, a metasearch heuristic, employing a newly developed concept known as the Tabu search with embedded progressive perturbation (TSEPP) is developed to solve, in particular, industry-size problems efficiently. The effectiveness and efficiency of the search algorithm are assessed by comparing the search algorithmic solutions with that of the optimal solutions obtained from CPLEX in solvable small problem instances.