cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative life‐cycle energy payback analysis of multi‐junction a‐SiGe and nanocrystalline/a‐Si modules

Despite the publicity of nanotechnologies in high tech industries including the photovoltaic sector, their life-cycle energy use and related environmental impacts are understood only to a limited degree as their production is mostly immature. We investigated the life-cycle energy implications of amorphous silicon (a-Si) PV designs using a nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) bottom layer in the context of a comparative, prospective life-cycle analysis framework. Three R&D options using nc-Si bottom layer were evaluated and compared to the current triple-junction a-Si design, i.e., a-Si/a-SiGe/a-SiGe. The life-cycle energy demand to deposit nc-Si was estimated from parametric analyses of film thickness, deposition rate, precursor gas usage, and power for generating gas plasma. We found that extended deposition time and increased gas usages associated to the relatively high thickness of nc-Si lead to a larger primary energy demand for the nc-Si bottom layer designs, than the current triple-junction a-Si. Assuming an 8% conversion efficiency, the energy payback time of those R&D designs will be 0.7–0.9 years, close to that of currently commercial triple-junction a-Si design, 0.8 years. Future scenario analyses show that if nc-Si film is deposited at a higher rate (i.e., 2–3 nm/s), and at the same time the conversion efficiency reaches 10%, the energy-payback time could drop by 30%. Copyright # 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of metal grating polarizers for quasi-optical power combining applications

Reflection and transmission characteristics of thin metal strip grating polarizers on dielectric substrate for quasi-optical power combining applications are analyzed by spectral domain method. Based on the calculated results, simple equivalent circuit models and empirical formula for analyzing metal grating polarizers are presented. The agreement between these simple expressions and spectral domain method are within one percent.
Nurse Anesthetists Convene in Chicago

(1954). Nurse Anesthetists Convene in Chicago. Hospital Topics: Vol. 32, No. 11, pp. 70-74.
The Response of MOS Devices to Dose-Enhanced Low-Energy Radiation

A series of experiments has been performed to investigate the response of MOS structures to low-energy radiation. A 10-keV x-ray source was used to irradiate MOS capacitors through a gold/aluminum bilaminate. As expected, the device response when the gold side of the bilaminate faces the device is enhanced strongly with respect to its response when the aluminum side of the bilaminate faces the device. The degree to which the enhanced radiation affects the device response, as determined by the buildup of oxidetrapped charge, depends on the thickness of the gate insulator and the thickness of the capacitor gate in ways similar to those expected from previous work. In addition, striking dependences of the enhanced device response on the energy of the incident radiation, and on the magnitude and direction of the electric field across the gate insulator during the irradiation were observed. These results may provide new insights into the details of the interaction of low-energy radiation with MOS devices.
Psychological and behavioral drivers of online clothing purchase

As online purchasing grows in importance, understanding which consumers use this new distribution channel is an important question for e‐commerce managers and consumer theorists. The purpose of this study was to examine selected demographic and psychological characteristics that lead consumers to buy clothing online. It surveyed 805 consumers who described their online clothing buying as well as how innovative and involved they were for clothing and fashion, how innovative they were with regard to buying on the Internet, and how much they purchased clothing through catalogues. Although all these variables were positively correlated with amount of online clothing purchase, a multiple regression analysis showed that being an adventurous online buyer and a heavy catalog shopper had the most impact on online clothing buying. These findings imply that online apparel buying is motivated more by Internet innovativeness than by clothing innovativeness.
The Releaser Concept in Bird Behaviour

LORENZ1 has provided a wealth of data and analysis to show that many instinctive acts in birds are ‘released’ not by the external situation as a whole, but by some characteristic part of it. This greatly assists in explaining the evolution of plumage patterns and rhythmical movements in display in birds, particularly with regard to their ‘improbable’ and specific nature.
Photosensitivity of solgel-derived germanosilicate planar waveguides

The effects of controlled atmosphere heat treatments on the photosensitivity and UV absorption of GeO2–SiO2 solgel planar waveguides are presented. Photoinduced refractive-index changes in the samples are deduced from photosensitive grating writing experiments and are found to be of the order of those seen in some fiber experiments. A correlation is seen between the sample sensitivity and the strength of the absorption at 242 nm, providing insight into the possible mechanisms governing photosensitive processes in these materials.
Integration of function in the nervous system - a new theory.

A new theory of synaptic function in the nervous system (Dempsher, 1978) is applied to the simplest system for integration of function in the nervous system. This system includes a sensory and motor neuron and three ‘synaptic’ regions associated with those two neurons; a receptor region, an interneuronal spinal synaptic region linking the two neurons, and an effector region. Information is first received and processed at the receptor region. The processing consists of five components: At the central synaptic region, essentially the same process takes place except here an additional operation takes place which determines its role in the processing system. The incoming information is disassembled into its subunits, mapped into the miniature potentials already there; these are collected together in a meaningful pattern, ‘operated’ on, then repacked for transit to the effector site, where again the same kind of processing sequence takes place. In all three regions, despite the difference in their roles, there are similar processing features: It is suggested that integration of function in the nervous system consists of converting information into energy which is in turn converted into a number. Processing of information at each region then involves mathematical operations applied to these numbers. Function appears to be stereotyped in all three regions. The receptor region receives highly selective and restrictive information so that the universe we ‘perceive’ would appear to be a subset of a much larger universe.
Current and Potential Uses of Starch Products in Plastics

Abstract Although numerous developments have been reported on how starch can be used to make plastics, these have failed to achieve large-scale market reality, largely because better and lower cost plastics can be made from other raw materials, particularly petroleum. Decreasing availability and increasing prices of conventional raw materials, coupled with a greater demand for plastics, are forcing industry to consider starch in plastics, especially those that are biodegradable and flame-resistant. By 1980 the rigid urethane foam market could use 100 million pounds annually of starch-derived products, such as sorbitol, methyl glucoside, and glycol glycosides. Currently, only 1 to 2 million pounds of sorbitol enter this market. In the next few years, major growth is predicted for disposable packaging, food trays, plates, and eating utensils. Many of these articles could be made with starch as a filler to improve the rate of biodegradation upon disposal. Plastic films serve certain agricultural applications...
Aspects of long time behaviour of solutions of nonlinear Hamiltonian evolution equations

In this paper we will be mainly concerned with the behaviour of solutions of (space periodic) nonlinear wave equations $$u_{tt} = \Delta u + p(u;t,x)\,\,\,\,(x \in \text{T}^d )$$ (1) and nonlinear Schrodinger equations $$ - iu_t = - \Delta u + V(x)u + \frac{\partial } {{\partial \bar u}}G(u,\bar u;t,x)\,\,\,(x \in \text{T}^d ).$$ (2) Most of the techniques used have a wider range of applicability however.
Engineering Heterogeneous Accounts: The Case of Submarine Thermal Reactor Mark-I:

Within science and technology studies, few approaches have generated more contention—or more misunderstanding—than the "actor-network" analyses of Callon, Latour, and Law. Although many have taken ...
Cognition and Depression: Current Status and Future Directions

Cognitive theories of depression posit that people’s thoughts, inferences, attitudes, and interpretations, and the way in which they attend to and recall information, can increase their risk for depression. Three mechanisms have been implicated in the relation between biased cognitive processing and the dysregulation of emotion in depression: inhibitory processes and deficits in working memory, ruminative responses to negative mood states and negative life events, and the inability to use positive and rewarding stimuli to regulate negative mood. In this review, we present a contemporary characterization of depressive cognition and discuss how different cognitive processes are related not only to each other, but also to emotion dysregulation, the hallmark feature of depression. We conclude that depression is characterized by increased elaboration of negative information, by difficulties disengaging from negative material, and by deficits in cognitive control when processing negative information. We discuss treatment implications of these conclusions and argue that the study of cognitive aspects of depression must be broadened by investigating neural and genetic factors that are related to cognitive dysfunction in this disorder. Such integrative investigations should help us gain a more comprehensive understanding of how cognitive and biological factors interact to affect the onset, maintenance, and course of depression.
Metropolitan Segregation and the Subprime Lending Crisis

Unsustainable high-cost lending was a major contributor to one of the worst financial crises in U.S. history. While several studies examine individual- and community-level predictors of high-cost lending, little research has tested for the possible causal effect of racial segregation. Using two-stage least squares statistical models, we find evidence that even after controlling for percentage minority, poverty, unemployment, low credit scores, home value escalation, and bank branch accessibility, black/white segregation is a significant predictor of the proportion of subprime loans originated in the largest 200 U.S. metropolitan areas. We also find that increased black education levels are important protective factors, while greater shares of mortgages originated by independent mortgage companies increase the risk for subprime lending. We find no evidence for an effect of Hispanic/white segregation on subprime lending. This research suggests that policy initiatives aimed at limiting high-cost lending shou...
Evaluation of PERSIANN-CCS rainfall measurement using the NAME event rain gauge network

Robust validation of the space–time structure of remotely sensed precipitation estimates is critical to improving their quality and confident application in water cycle–related research. In this work, the performance of the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks-Cloud Classification System (PERSIANN-CCS) precipitation product is evaluated against warm season precipitation observations from the North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME) Event Rain Gauge Network (NERN) in the complex terrain region of northwestern Mexico. Analyses of hourly and daily precipitation estimates show that the PERSIANN-CCS captures well active and break periods in the early and mature phases of the monsoon season. While the PERSIANN-CCS generally captures the spatial distribution and timing of diurnal convective rainfall, elevation-dependent biases exist, which are characterized by an underestimate in the occurrence of light precipitation at high elevations and an overestimate in the occurrence of precipitation at low elevations. The elevation-dependent biases contribute to a 1–2-h phase shift of the diurnal cycle of precipitation at various elevation bands. For reasons yet to be determined, the PERSIANN-CCS significantly underestimated a few active periods of precipitation during the late or “senescent” phase of the monsoon. Despite these shortcomings, the continuous domain and relatively high spatial resolution of PERSIANN-CCS quantitative precipitation estimates (QPEs) provide useful characterization of precipitation space–time structures in the North American monsoon region of northwestern Mexico, which should prove useful for hydrological applications.
A Web-Based Network Worm Simulator

We present a worm simulator which can be run remotely through the Web, based on the parameters supplied by the client. The core simulator program executes on the server and simulates the flow of the worm through a user-specified topology. The results of the simulation are then graphically displayed to the client. A variety of worm vectors can be simulated and various countermeasures such as rate throttling and quarantining can also be employed. The simulator uses a design that is efficient in terms of speed and memory requirements, while providing a lot of features for realistic simulations.
A custom DSP chip to implement a robot motion controller

The authors discuss the issues related to implementing an adaptive control algorithm for robots. The requirements of this application lead to different architectural choices than what is typically done in general-purpose DSPs (digital signal processors). Based on this analysis, they have designed a dedicated chip whose important features are efficient implementation of control flow operations such as branches, loops, etc., and a practical strategy for testability. The layout generation of the custom circuit is facilitated by integrating a structural description of the processor inside a silicon compiler environment. With this scheme, customized versions of processor can be quickly generated for different applications. >
An impedance sensor to monitor and control cerebral ventricular volume

This paper presents a sensor for monitoring and controlling the volume of the cerebrospinal fluid-filled ventricles of the brain. The measurement principle of the sensor exploits electrical conductivity differences between the cerebrospinal fluid and the brain tissue. The electrical contrast was validated using dog brain tissue. Experiments with prototype sensors accurately measured the volume content of elastically deformable membranes and gel phantoms with conductivity properties made to match human brain. The sensor was incorporated into a fully automatic feedback control system designed to maintain the ventricular volume at normal levels. The experimental conductivity properties were also used to assess the sensor performance in a simulated case of hydrocephalus. The computer analysis predicted voltage drops over the entire range of ventricular size changes with acceptable positional dependence of the sensor electrodes inside the ventricular space. These promising experimental and computational results of the novel impedance sensor with feedback may serve as the foundation for improved therapeutic options for hydrocephalic patients relying on volume sensing, monitoring or active feedback control.
Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Relationship to Innate Immunity, Clinical Features, and Strategies for Prevention

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Define the pathophysiology of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). 2. Explain the relationship among minimal enteral nutrition, subsequent feedings, and NEC. 3. List the factors that render human milk enteral feedings protective against NEC. 4. Explain what measures should promote advances in mortality and morbidity associated with NEC in the near future. 5. Describe the complications of NEC. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most serious and devastating diseases encountered in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It is the most common gastrointestinal malady in neonates. It affects 1% to 8% of all infants admitted to the NICU and has a mortality rate of 10% to 50%. NEC accounts for at least 1,000 deaths annually in the United States. The increased incidence of NEC over the past few decades may be attributable to advancements in perinatal care, which have allowed very preterm infants to survive long enough to develop NEC. The only consistently defined risk factor for NEC is prematurity; the incidence varies inversely with birthweight and gestational age. NEC strikes 4% to 13% of all very low-birthweight babies (<1,500 g). Although NEC primarily affects preterm infants, 5% to 28% of cases occur in term and near-term babies. The disease is rare in older children. Asphyxia, congenital heart disease, polycythemia, umbilical catheterization, and the use of indomethacin and methylxanthines have been proposed as risk factors, although none has been shown to have a consistent association with NEC. The age of onset of NEC also varies inversely with gestational age. In term infants, the median age at onset is 2 days; the preterm infant may develop the disease at several weeks of age. The risk remains high in preterm infants until they reach 35 to 36 weeks postconceptional age. The disparity in age of onset between term …
Traumatic lumbar hernias: do patient or hernia characteristics predict bowel or mesenteric injury?

Traumatic lumbar hernias are rare but important injuries to diagnose in blunt abdominal trauma, both because of delayed complications of the hernia itself and because of well-documented association with bowel and mesenteric injuries. No study to our knowledge has determined whether specific features of the hernia—size of the wall defect, inferior or superior location, or the side of the hernia—bear any predictive value on the presence of underlying bowel and mesenteric injury. A retrospective query of the radiology information system yielded 21 patients with lumbar hernias which were diagnosed on CT. These were reviewed by three radiologists to confirm the presence of an acute lumbar hernia and to determine the size and location of the hernia. The patients’ medical records were reviewed to determine the presence of operatively confirmed bowel and/or mesenteric injuries, which occurred in 52 % of patients. A significant (p < 0.001) difference was found in the frequency of bowel and/or mesenteric injury with hernia defects greater than 4.0 cm (100 %) and those less than 4.0 cm (17 %). Larger hernias also resulted in more procedures (p = 0.042) and a trend towards longer ICU stay, but no difference in injury severity score (ISS) or overall hospital stay. No significant difference was seen in the frequency of bowel and/or mesenteric injuries based on side or location of the hernia, though distal colonic injuries were more commonly seen with left-sided hernias (50 %) compared to right-sided hernias (18 %). Although based on a small patient population, these results suggest that larger traumatic lumbar hernias warrant particularly close evaluation for an underlying bowel and/or mesenteric injury.
Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of sports-related musculoskeletal injury in children: current techniques and clinical applications.

a t a s p t l During the past 2 decades, there has been a substantial increase in the number of children and adolescents inolved in organized sports. The trend toward year-round raining and earlier involvement of children in highly cometitive sports before skeletal maturity increases the risk and everity of injury.1 Approximately 4.3 million recreational nd sports injuries occur each year in school-aged children in he United States,2 with approximately 3.5 million sportrelated injuries requiring medical treatment in children under the age of 15 years.3 Although some data suggest that oys are nearly twice as likely to suffer from athletic injuries, here has been a substantial increase in the number of girls nvolved in sports, and this has greatly increased the number f injuries they suffer, particularly in the knee. For boys, the ighest rates of injury per 1000 hours of exposure have been eported with ice hockey, rugby, and soccer, and for girls, ith soccer, basketball, and gymnastics.1 Specific injury patterns at each stage of development are determined by the sequential changes of the growing skeleton from childhood to adolescence along with the sportspecific mechanism of injury. Athletic injuries can be acute or may result from long standing overuse. Injuries from overuse may be confused with normal development-related changes in the skeleton. In pediatric patients, most injuries occur at the chondro-osseous junction, as this transition is the weakest link in the growing skeleton. During adolescence, rapid growth results in wider weaker physes, and increase in muscle strength outpaces the strength of bone and cartilage.4 This redisposes to avulsions at the insertions of muscles in the pophyses. Physeal injuries usually occur at the junction of etaphyseal bone and physeal cartilage at the zone of proviional calcification.5 This article will review the pathophysilogy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics, nd best imaging alternatives for the assessment and diagno-
Neurofuzzy model-based predictive control of weld fusion zone geometry

A closed-loop system is developed to control the weld fusion, which Is specified by the top-side and back-side bead widths of the weld pool. Because in many applications only a top-side sensor is allowed, which is attached to and moves with the welding torch, an image processing algorithm and neurofuzzy model have been incorporated to measure and estimate the top-side and back-side bead widths based on an advanced top-side vision sensor. The welding current and speed are selected as the control variables. It is found that the correlation between any output and input depends on the value of another input. This cross coupling implies that a nonlinearity exists in the process being controlled. A neurofuzzy model is used to model this nonlinear dynamic process. Based on the dynamic fuzzy model, a predictive control system has been developed to control the welding process. Experiments confirmed that the developed control system is effective in achieving the desired fusion state despite the different disturbances.
OBTAINING NUCLEI FROM CHAINS OF NORMAL SUBGROUPS

In this paper, we reexamine the foundation of Isaacs' π-theory. One of the key concepts in Isaacs' π-theory is the construction of the characters Bπ(G) for a π-separable group G. The key to determining which characters lie in Bπ(G) was the construction of a nucleus for each irreducible character χ. In this paper, we present a different way of finding a nucleus for χ which is based on a chain of normal subgroup . Using this nucleus, we obtain the set of characters . We investigate the properties that has in common with Bπ(G).
THE USE OF PROTECTIVE BEHAVIORAL STRATEGIES IS RELATED TO REDUCED RISK IN HEAVY DRINKING COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH POORER MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

The present study examined the moderating role of health status (physical, mental, and social health) and the relationships between protective behavioral strategies utilized to reduce high-risk drinking (e.g., avoiding drinking games, setting consumption limits, or having a designated driver) and alcohol use and negative consequences in a sample of heavy drinking college students (N = 1,820). In this high risk sample, multiple regression analyses showed that stronger social health was related to increased drinking, while poorer physical, mental, and social health were related to increased alcohol negative consequences. Further, moderation effects revealed that increasing the use of protective behaviors was associated with significantly less drinking in those with stronger social health, as well as significantly lower numbers of negative consequences among participants with poorer physical and mental health. Implications for college counselors and medical personnel are discussed.
Twelve- to 14-month-old infants can predict single-event probability with large set sizes

Previous research has revealed that infants can reason correctly about single-event probabilities with small but not large set sizes (Bonatti, 2008; Teglas et al., 2007). The current study asks whether infants can make predictions regarding single-event probability with large set sizes using a novel procedure. Infants completed two trials: A preference trial to determine whether they preferred pink or black lollipops and a test trial where infants saw two jars, one containing mostly pink lollipops and another containing mostly black lollipops. The experimenter removed one occluded lollipop from each jar and placed them in two separate opaque cups. Seventy-eight percent of infants searched in the cup that contained a lollipop from the jar with a higher proportion of their preferred color object, significantly better than chance. Thus infants can reason about single-event probabilities with large set sizes in a choice paradigm, and contrary to most findings in the infant literature, the prediction task used here appears a more sensitive measure than the standard looking-time task.
Dynamic stressing of thin oxides

The breakdown of thin oxides due to DC stressing and uni-polarity and bi-polarity dynamic stressing has been compared. For dynamic stressing, the total integrated charge-to-breakdown, Q BD , and the total stressed time-to-breakdown, t BD , depend on both the pulse width and duty cycle of the stressing voltage. Uni-polarity and bipolarity stressing produce similar results. In all cases, both Q BD and t BD of dynamic stressing are greater than those of DC stressing. For 0.1 ms pulses, Q BD and t BD are about four times larger than what DC stressing would predict. The main reason for the higher Q BD and t BD under dynamic stressing is reduced hole trapping at localized weak oxide areas. A transient hole generation and relaxation model is proposed to quantitatively explain the increase in Q BD for dynamic stressing.
Endoleak after endovascular aneurysm repair: duplex ultrasound imaging is better than computed tomography at determining the need for intervention.

Objective Color duplex ultrasound (CDU) imaging is a noninvasive alternative to computed tomography (CT) for the detection of endoleak. This study compared CT and CDU imaging in the detection of endoleaks requiring intervention after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods All EVARs performed at our institution from 1996 to 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. CDU and CT scans ≤3 months were paired and the presence of an endoleak and its type were recorded. Clinical follow-up was reviewed and interventions for endoleak were recorded. Interventions were performed for type I, for type II with sac enlargement, and for type III endoleaks. The first analysis of clinical test outcomes used the findings of CT scan as a gold standard and the second used the findings at time of intervention as a gold standard. Results During the time period reviewed, 496 patients underwent EVAR, and 236 of these had CDU and CT follow-up studies paired ≤3 months of each other. Mean follow-up was 17 months (range, P P Conclusions CDU imaging has a high sensitivity in detecting endoleaks requiring intervention, is better at identifying the type of endoleak, and is an excellent test for graft surveillance after endovascular aneurysm repair. Compared with CT scan, CDU imaging in our experience is the preferred test on which to base an intervention for endoleak.
Aspects of the Life History of the Texas Map Turtle (Graptemys versa)

Abstract The Texas map turtle (Graptemys versa) is endemic to the Colorado River drainage in southcentral Texas. A study of its life history was undertaken using data collected in 1998–2000 from a population in the South Llano River, southernmost tributary of the Colorado drainage, and data from museum specimens that had been collected from the South Llano River in 1949. Compared to congeners, G. versa is a small-bodied species. Its small body size is, predictably, linked to relatively small clutch size, small egg size, rapid growth toward asymptotic size and early maturation. As many as four clutches may be laid during an active season, although the effects of follicular atresia on clutch frequency are not known. Both clutch size and egg width were positively correlated with female body size, with the former relationship having a log-log slope significantly less than the expected value of 3, probably due to the latter relationship. Analyses were consistent with the hypothesis of anatomical constraint on ...
Speaking without Words: Silence and Epistolary Rhetoric of Catholic Women Eduacators on the Antebellum Frontier, 1828-1834

Silence has long been discounted as unrhetorical, but this article explores emerging theory on silence, especially religious women’s silence, that suggests otherwise. The silence of two Catholic nuns on the American frontier is examined alongside epistolary responses to confrontations with Protestant politicians.
Equal Charge Displacement Rule in Fission Product Poisoning

The equal charge displacement rule has been used for estimating yields of some important fission products. The results are not appreciably different from previous estimates but the present method i...
On transient stability and voltage regulation through MIMO feedback linearizing control of generator and energy storage

In this paper we develop a nonlinear coordinated controller for a battery storage and a generator excitation that guarantees terminal voltage regulation and transient stabilization of the generator. The proposed controller is based on a new state transformation that enables the derivation of a Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) feedback-linearizing controller. First, we define the state-space transformation that transforms the original state-space into a new state-space that contains all the relevant state-variables for achieving transient stability and voltage regulation. Then, we design the coordinated controller for the energy storage and the generator excitation based on this tranformation and MIMO feedback linearization theory. We illustrate the achievement of the desired objectives by the controller through simulations on a 3-bus power system.
Seats, Votes, and Gerrymandering: Measuring Bias and Representation in Legislative Redistricting

The Davis v. Bandemer case focused much attention on the problem of using statistical evidence to demonstrate the existence of political gerrymandering. In this paper, we evaluate the uses and limitations of measures of the seat-votes relationship in the Bandemer case. We outline a statistical method we have developed that can be used to estimate bias and the form of representation in legislative redistricting. We apply this method to Indiana State House and Senate elections for the period 1972 to 1984 and demonstrate a maximum bias 6.2% toward the Republicans in the House and a 2.8% bias in the Senate.
Quantitative Assessment of Vectorcardiographic Loop Morphology

Vectorcardiography (VCG), developed 100years ago, characterizes clinically important electrophysiological properties of the heart. In this study, VCG QRS loop roundness, planarity, thickness, rotational angle, and dihedral angle were measured in 81 healthy control subjects (39.0±14.2y; 51.8% male; 94% white), and 8 patients with infarct-cardiomyopathy and sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) (68.0±7.8y, 37.5% male). The angle between two consecutive QRS vectors was defined as the rotational angle, while dihedral angle quantified planar alteration over the QRS loop. In VT subjects, planarity index decreased (0.63±0.22 vs. 0.88±0.10; P=0.014), and dihedral angle was significantly more variable (variance of dihedral angle, median (IQR): 897(575-1450) vs. 542(343-773); P=0.029; rMSSD: 47.7±12.7 vs. 35.1±13.1; P=0.027). Abnormal electrophysiological substrate in VT patients is characterized by the appearance of QRS loop folding, likely due to local conduction block. The presence of fragmented QRS complexes on the 12-lead ECG had low sensitivity (31%) for detecting QRS loop folding on the VCG.
Some Thoughts on the Interdisciplinary Aspects of Environmental Enforcement

A multitude of parties are involved in the enforcement of environmental laws. Attorneys, scientists, investigators and other trained professionals working at the federal, state and local levels are all necessary to ensure compliance, and the key to effective enforcement of environmental laws is teamwork. This article explores that facet of environmental enforcement, focusing on environmental enforcement personnel within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It examines the typical circumstances under which civil and criminal cases are brought, describes the various skills different players bring to the table during the enforcement process, and presents an ideal model of interdisciplinary enforcement cooperation. The piece reviews the historical background of environmental enforcement and the trends that have taken place at EPA over the years, and it offers some recommendations to promote effective teamwork in the years to come.
Predictable representation of martingale spaces and changes of probability measure

We study the predictable representation of martingale spaces under a change of probability measure. The canonical decomposition of special semimartingales provides a simple route to the identity and cardinality of a minimal generating subset of martingales under a change of probability.
Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in peripheral vascular disease: a review

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) carries a significant morbidity and mortality. The role of inflammatory markers in cardiovascular medicine has been extensively studied. Neutrophil Lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a novel biomarker which has been proposed as a marker of cardiovascular disease. We review the association of NLR with PVD. NLR has been shown to be an independent predictor of early and midterm amputation in patients with acute limb ischemia after embolectomy. A recent risk stratification model including NLR has emerged as a predictor of mortality and/or major amputation in critical limb ischemia. NLR appears to be an independent predictor of severity of PVD based on TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus classification, which classifies PVD based on the nature of the lesion and its anatomic distribution. A review of a large cohort of patients who had major vascular surgery, an NLR > 5 was found to be an independent predictor of mortality. In patients with intermediate carotid artery disease, NLR of 2.6 was found to be an independent variable for symptomatic carotid artery disease. It is a good predictor of early death in acute pulmonary embolism. NLR is inexpensive and readily available and appears to have a major role in peripheral vascular disease.
God in Gotham: Tim Keller’s theology of the city:

The mass exodus of white evangelicals from urban life after World War II created numerous injustices for the minority populations that remained in the city. Evangelical missiologists have attempted...
Optimizing data-acquisition schedules in physicochemical experiments

Abstract By monitoring the absorbance of a solution in which an absorbing species is undergoing first- or pseudo-first-order decay, one can evaluate both the initial absorbance A 0 and the rate constant k . The precisions of the resulting values depend on the standard errors of measurement of both absorbance and time, which are most conveniently expressed by the dimensionless parameters σ A / A 0 and k σ t . Equations describing these dependences for both the overall precision indexes for the individual parameters and the global overall precision index are given to aid in maximizing the efficiencies and precisions of practical experiments.
Does forest thinning affect predation on Gypsy moth (Lepidoptera : Lymantriidae) larvae and pupae?

Predation on larvae and pupae of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) was studied in a leading-edge population in West Virginia. In 8 thinned and 8 uncut stands, rates of survival of larvae and pupae were monitored in 3 types of exclosures placed at 3 heights in the forest strata. The abundance of small mammals was measured within each of these stands using pitfall traps. 37% of larvae and 25% of pupae were killed by predators over the 3 d of observations each year. Thinning did not influence the proportion of larvae or pupae killed. Survival of larvae and pupae on the ground was significantly lower than that found on tree boles or in the foliage. Differences in survival among exclosure types indicated that invertebrates were the major predators of larvae, and small mammals were the major predators of pupae.
A semiotic analysis of consumer-generated antibranding:

This study is a semiotic analysis of consumer-generated antibranding efforts and reveals tacit semiotic rules used by digital antibranders. A broad theoretical discussion about the semiotic characteristics of branding and antibranding is provided and “digital antibranding semiotics” is defined. The semiotics of consumer digital antibranding efforts are investigated in two studies examining a sample of antibranding images targeted at valuable corporate brands. The first study reveals that antibranders use drama and humor to demonize, criminalize, dehumanize, and “Hitlerize” the targeted brands, creating strong antibrand voices and positioning themselves against corporate greed and wrongdoing. The second study found that consumers successfully decode antibranding semiotic representations and classify them in terms of message clarity, fact finding, and “hostility versus entertainment values.” These findings reveal that both antibranding images with dark humor and clear messages and an aggressive and intrigui...
Improved total synthesis and biological evaluation of potent apratoxin S4 based anticancer agents with differential stability and further enhanced activity.

Apratoxins are cytotoxic natural products originally isolated from marine cyanobacteria that act by preventing cotranslational translocation early in the secretory pathway to downregulate receptor levels and inhibit growth factor secretion, leading to potent antiproliferative activity. Through rational design and total synthesis of an apratoxin A/E hybrid, apratoxin S4 (1a), we have previously improved the antitumor activity and tolerability in vivo. Compound 1a and newly designed analogues apratoxins S7–S9 (1b–d), with various degrees of methylation at C34 (1b,c) or epimeric configuration at C30 (1d), were efficiently synthesized utilizing improved procedures. Optimizations have been applied to the synthesis of key intermediate aldehyde 7 and further include the application of Leighton’s silanes and modifications of Kelly’s methods to induce thiazoline ring formation in other crucial steps of the apratoxin synthesis. Apratoxin S9 (1d) exhibited increased activity with subnanomolar potency. Apratoxin S8 (...
CONGENITAL ANOMALIES OF THE TRACHEOBRONCHIAL TREE.

Tracheal or bronchial constriction produced by membranous webs, fibrous stenoses, or deformities of cartilages can create serious problems in the newborn period. Absence of tracheal or bronchial rings at the site of a compressing vascular anomaly has been demonstrated repeatedly. Tracheal or bronchial evaginations also can produce severe respiratory obstruction. Congenital tracheal fistulas are commonly associated with esophageal atresia. Bronchial evaginations are far less common than congenital lung cysts. Bilobation of the right lung and trilobation of the left lung are the most common lobation anomalies.
An Extrapolated Second Order Backward Difference Time-Stepping Scheme for the Magnetohydrodynamics System

ABSTRACTIn this article, we introduce a fully implicit, linearly extrapolated second-order backward difference time-stepping scheme for solving a time dependent non-homogeneous magnetohydrodynamic system for electrically conducting fluids. The extrapolated time-stepping scheme is used for time discretization and the mixed finite element method is used for spatial discretization. We first prove unconditional energetic stability without introducing an undesirable exponential Gronwall constant. Complete error analysis is provided without assuming any stability condition or restrictions on the time-step size. Numerical experiments are presented to confirm the theoretical convergence results and efficiency of the scheme.
A survey on the effect of internet access in middle school students to their spiritual health in Xuhui district Shanghai

[Objective] To study the effect of internet access in middle school students to their spiritual health in Xuhui district Shanghai. [Methods] 2,500 middle school students were selected by two steps sampling method to answer a questionnaire. [Results] 93 students suffered from internet addiction disorders(IAD) which accounted for 4.08% of all the students investigated.Three groups of students with IAD,non-IAD and without internet access showed significant difference on the harmonious,anxiety and depression factors. [Conclusion] The internet addiction disorders has a considerable effect on psychology and spiritual health of middle school students.
"C.A.P.P.E."-A Strategy for Counselling Tinnitus Patients.

This paper presents a simple, straightforward vehicle for counseling tinnitus patients when discussing probable cause. The five stress factors are: Chemical, Acoustic, Pathologic, Physical, and Emotional (C.A.P.P.E.).
Is atherosclerosis an arginine deficiency disease

To conclude, an impairment of the NO synthase pathway may be one of the earliest events in atherogenesis. A reduction in NO synthesis and/or activity may contribute to the initiation and progressive of atherosclerosis. Derangement of the NO synthase pathway may occur by several mechanisms, including lipoproptein-induced alterations in signal transduction; increases in superoxide anion elaboration (and degradation of NO); reduced affinity of NOS for L-arginine; and/or elevated levels of circulating antagonists. NO is a potent vasodilator, a regulator of vascular structure, and an inhibitor of endothelial interactions and circulating blood elements. A loss of endothelial NO activity may contribute to the abnormal vasomotion observed in coronary artery disease, as well as the progression of atherosclerosis. Strategies to enhance NO synthesis and/or activity may be useful in maintaining cardiovascular health.
Return of the repressed: delayed stress reaction to war.

Psychanalyse des nevroses de guerre, apres la guerre du Viet-Nam. Une histoire de cas illustre le propos
Things Newly Performed: The Resurrection Tradition in Shakespeare’s Plays

In the penultimate scene of The Winter’s Tale (1610), the Third Gentleman describes Hermione’s statue as ‘a piece many years in doing and now newly performed’ by the artist Giulio Romano.1 This tantalizing clue about the material process of making the statue challenges any simple identification of the work as Giulio Romano’s, but the phrase ‘newly performed’ also has implications for our reading of the text itself. When the statue of Hermione comes to life in act 5, the miracle is explicitly construed as a theatrical performance choreographed by Paulina. The association between visual art and live theater is thus established by the phrase ‘newly performed’ and then materialized in the play’s final scene, which trades the artfulness of the statue for the miracle of the living actor. The fact that the piece has been ‘many years in doing’ and is now ‘newly performed by that rare Italian master’ suggests an analogy between Romano and Shakespeare, who has created his play by revising an existing artwork, the prose romance Pandosto (5.2.95-6; 301A). At the same time, the revelation of the actor’s body behind the guise of the statue also signals the emergence of a new type of theatrical event. The Winter’s Tale thus acknowledges its own influences while calling attention to the ways in which Shakespeare has reconfigured existing dramatic forms.
Emerging processes in the landscape

This chapter focuses mainly on processes that operate in a landscape across a range of spatiotemporal scales and which in turn influence many landscape patterns.
A Strategic Perspective on Green Packaging: Concerns and Actions

The purpose of this study was to examine how firms are reacting disposable products and green packaging. As consumer's concern for environmental safety assumes greater importance, so will the interest in green packaging. As stated in the Small Business Report “Green can be converted into gold” by organizations adopting green packaging. The scope of consumer consciousness in green packaging can be seen by the popularity of Earth Day, movements like Green Peace, federally sponsored EPA environmental safety programs, environmental legislation passed by various states and more recently, various efforts to restrict certain forms of packaging. The success of green packaging depends primarily upon the attitudes of consumers expressed in their buying patterns. Are consumers willing to pay a little more for green packaging? Companies fear falling behind their competition because of the additional expenses of green packaging and therefore ask themselves three questions: (1) Is the risk of more expensive green packaging worth taking?, (2) Can the cost of green packaging be reasonably contained?, (3) Can additional expenses associated with green packaging be re-couped in a reasonable time? Some firms have resisted green packaging, including the recycling symbol itself. Five identified problem areas are: ( 1) symbols and definition of green packaging terms, (2) the high cost of investment expenditures, (3) mixed signals and information presented on whether or not a “solid waste” crisis exists, ( 4) governmental bias of accepted options of product recycling and reusing leading to satisfying governmental regulators rather than seeking solutions for positive long term effects on the environment and (5) most importantly to many companies, the unpredictability of consumer buying patterns.