cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multimedia concepts using MC68332 microcontroller

This paper deals with three methodologies used to implement distributed processing or multimedia systems. The first system shows a very simple microcontroller used to decode a keyboard and signal the main CPU when a key stroke has been decoded. The second system details two microcontrollers operating over a serial bus which is synchronous in nature. The third system shows how multiprocessing has been incorporated into single chips. That is, silicon processing/design technology has progressed to the point of putting multiple elements on a single device, each with its own microcontroller.
Multiple Wavelength Geodesy

We are constructing an apparatus which should be able to measure baselines up to 50 km long with a fractional uncertainty of about 5 x 10-8. The instrument will measure both the optical length and the required correction due to the refractivity of the atmosphere using three wavelengths transmitted in one direction over the path to an active receiver. The three wavelengths are 632.8 nm, 441.6 nm and 3.7 cm. The two endpoint instruments are synchronized using subsidiary return transmissions at 632.8 nm and another telemetry signal. The endpoint instruments are synchronized using subsidiary return transmission at 632.8 nm and another telemetry signal. The one-way nature of the systems allows an increase in range over existing round-trip systems.
Statistically-based reorientation of diffusion tensor field

Presents a new method for warping of diffusion tensor fields. The proper reorientation of a tensor field requires knowledge of the underlying fiber orientation, which is not known a priori. Accordingly, a probabilistic representation of the fiber direction is adopted and used in a Procrustean estimation of the rotational component of the warping field. The estimated rotational component, along with the warping field, are then used to warp and properly reorient a tensor field. Results from diffusion tensor MR images demonstrate a dramatic improvement of signal to noise ratio after statistical averaging of properly registered tensor fields across 9 individuals.
A study on the performance of the catalytic porous-wall three-phase reactor

A theoretical investigation of a catalytic porous-wall reactor in which gaseous and liquid reactants approach each other from opposite sides of the catalyst is undertaken. Equations for the annular liquid-channel are coupled with those for the catalytic wall and solved numerically and analytically using a simplified model. For the model reaction under study, the main design and operation parameters which affect reactor performance are the Thiele modulus, Peclet number, width of the liquid channel and the inlet concentration of the reactant in the liquid phase. The effect of reactor configuration is peculiar to the cylindrical geometry because the thickness and relative location of the catalytic wall as well as the selection of the liquid and gas channels can influence the reactor performance. Thin-walled catalyst tubes have larger effectiveness factors and as the tube radius approaches that of the reactor, conversion in the reactor increases especially when the liquid is saturated with the gaseous reactan...
The Unattended Anaphoric "This": When Should Writers Use It?.

Experts on style agree that writers frequently have trouble using the unattended anaphoric this clearly. Few, however, have proposed explicit guidelines for sorting appropriate from inappropriate u...
Plasma trapping in hematocrit determination. Differences among animal species.

SummaryWith the use of albumin-I131, the volume of plasma trapped in the packed cell column of hematocrit tubes was determined for blood samples obtained from 5 animal species. The volume of plasma trapped was least in blood samples obtained from elephant, man and dog (MCV 112 to 72 μ3), larger in sheep blood (MCV 37 μ3) and largest in goat blood (MCV 18 μ3). Increasing the force of centrifugation or removal of plasma proteins reduced the volume of fluid trapped in the packed cell column, and the reduction was most pronounced for goat blood.
Measurements and comparison of the probability density and covariance functions of laser beam intensity fluctuations in a hot-air turbulence emulator with the maritime atmospheric environment

A hot-air turbulence emulator is employed for generating controlled optical clear air turbulence in the weak fluctuation regime in laboratory conditions. The analysis of the first and second-order statistical moments of the fluctuating intensity of a propagating infra-red (IR) laser beam through the turbulence emulator is made and the results are compared with bi-directional shore-to-ship maritime data collected during two 2009 mid-Atlantic Coast field tests utilizing single-mode adaptive optics terminals at a range of 10.7 km, as well as with a 633 nm Helium Neon laser propagating across land and water at the United States Naval Academy.
Application of reproducing and invariance properties of wavelet and Fourier-Wigner transforms

We use group representation theory to establish common theoretical foundation for wavelet, Fourier-Wigner, Gabor and short-time Fourier transforms as well as for the narrow and wideband ambiguity functions. These transforms are coefficients of unitary representations of either affine or Heisenberg groups. From this fact, many important properties of these transforms and ambiguity functions, including volume conservation and admissibility conditions, follow. In this paper we use a generalization of the Frobenius-Shur-Godement theorem (generalized resolution of identity) to derive the reproducing kernels associated with these transforms and ambiguity functions. This result has several new applications to the well- established reproducing kernel Hilbert space theory. First of all, it establishes the conditions for the general resolution of identity and identifies spaces on which transforms are invertible. These results can be used to solve inverse problems that arise in remote sensing and characterization of stochastic propagation and scattering channels. Since reproducing kernels are positive definite functions, they can be used as approximating functions, analogously to the radial bases functions, for neural network expansions, interpolation and optimization. Because auto-wavelet and auto-Fourier-Wigner transforms are reproducing kernels on a well defined space of functions, we have a powerful method for generating a rich set of 2n dimensional positive definite functions for multi-dimensional interpolation, approximation, and sampling.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
THE DERRICK PEAK, ANTARCTICA, IRON METEORITES

Sixteen iron meteorite specimens, Derrick Peak A78001 through DRPA78016, were recovered from the slopes of Derrick Peak, Antarctica, in 1978. Recovery from a relatively small area combined with their strikingly similar appearances suggest they represent a single fall. The metallographic structure of the two specimens that have been cut is dominated by regions of swathing kamacite enclosing coarse schreibersite and schreibersite-troilite inclusions. Patches of coarsest octahedrite Widmanstatten structure are interspersed. Specimens DRPA78008 and DRPA78009 have been analyzed: 6.64, 6.59 wt % Ni; 0.51, 0.46 wt % Co; 0.35, 0.34 wt % P. The specimens are coarsest octahedrites of chemical group IIB.
Does race matter? The phenomenology of discrimination experienced among African Americans

This qualitative phenomenological study explores perceived discrimination among African American women and men living in Topeka, Kansas. Focus groups and in-depth interviews with 15 African American women and men examined their experiences with perceived discrimination. The theoretical framework guiding this study is predicated under the assumption of symbolic racism. Four major themes emerged during data analysis (1) shopping experiences, (2) law enforcement contact, (3) employment, and (4) Black in Topeka. The essential, invariant structure of discrimination as experienced by African Americans was identified as fear, frustration, depression, and anger. The research paints a portrait of the everyday struggles that participants experience in this community due to discrimination.
Returns to acquiring firms: The role of managerial ownership, managerial wealth, and outside owners

Since merger and acquisition activity does not unambiguously benefit the shareholders of acquiring firms, the motivation of managers who undertake such actions is unclear. The present study investigates the extent to which the wealth effects of acquisition activity undertaken by firms in one industry—communications and publishing—are related to (1) the ownership and wealth characteristics of both the executives and the board of directors of these firms and (2) the ownership concentration of large outside shareholders. The motivating hypothesis, supported by empirical results, is that these factors contribute to the alignment of executive and shareholder interests.
Is the Structure of O 16 Understood

We argue that the structure of ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$ cannot be completely understood unless the position of the first ${0}^{+}$ state can be calculated without using adjustable parameters. We further demonstrate that this state cannot be calculated by Hartree-Fock or related methods using the present generation of nuclear forces.
Rayleigh wave phase velocities, small‐scale convection, and azimuthal anisotropy beneath southern California

[1] We use Rayleigh waves to invert for shear velocities in the upper mantle beneath southern California. A one-dimensional shear velocity model reveals a pronounced low-velocity zone (LVZ) from 90 to 210 km. The pattern of velocity anomalies indicates that there is active small-scale convection in the asthenosphere and that the dominant form of convection is three-dimensional (3-D) lithospheric drips and asthenospheric upwellings, rather than 2-D sheets or slabs. Several of the features that we observe have been previously detected by body wave tomography: these anomalies have been interpreted as delaminated lithosphere and consequent upwelling of the asthenosphere beneath the eastern edge of the southern Sierra Nevada and Walker Lane region; sinking lithosphere beneath the southern Central Valley; upwelling beneath the Salton Trough; and downwelling beneath the Transverse Ranges. Our new observations provide better constraints on the lateral and vertical extent of these anomalies. In addition, we detect two previously undetected features: a high-velocity anomaly beneath the northern Peninsular Range and a low-velocity anomaly beneath the northeastern Mojave block. We also estimate the azimuthal anisotropy from Rayleigh wave data. The strength is ∼1.7% at periods shorter than 100 s and decreases to below 1% at longer periods. The fast direction is nearly E-W. The anisotropic layer is more than 300 km thick. The E-W fast directions in the lithosphere and sublithosphere mantle may be caused by distinct deformation mechanisms: pure shear in the lithosphere due to N-S tectonic shortening and simple shear in sublithosphere mantle due to mantle flow.
Evolutionary conservation of a genetic pathway of programmed cell death

Genetic analysis of programmed cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans has led to the identification of 13 genes that constitute a developmental pathway of programmed cell death. Two of the three key genes in this pathway, ced-9, a cell death suppressor, and ced-3, a cell death inducer, were found to encode proteins that share structural and functional similarities with the mammalian proto-oncogene product Bcl-2 and interleukin-1β converting enzyme, respectively. These results suggest that the genetic pathway of programmed cell death may be evolutionarily conserved from worms to mammals. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
PRICES IN LARGE AND SMALL COOPERATIVES

To test whether small cooperatives can offset economies of scale through volunteer labour inputs, prices charged at five small coops using volunteers and five large coop branches with paid staff were compared with prices at nearby commercial supermarkets. There were more low prices at the smaller coops than at the larger coops and coop shoppers received best values on whole and unprocessed foods and the least price benefits for processed and convenience foods. In interpreting these results, the lesser amount of convenience, the limited product selection, and the work requirement at the smaller cooperatives must be considered.
Shifting the burden to the interlocutor: Compensation for pragmatic deficits in signers with Parkinson's disease

Abstract This paper takes a qualitative look at the behavior of interlocutors in the context of conversations with deaf signers of American Sign Language (ASL) who have Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disease affecting sensori-motor planning and execution, attentional systems, and memory. Deficits in these areas, while non-linguistic, impact pragmatic aspects of conversational interaction. Three signers with PD at varying levels of severity (mild, moderate-to-severe, and severe) are compared and contrasted with attention given to the effects of PD on their use of conversational regulators and turn-taking devices. The behavior of persons engaging in conversation with signers who have PD is shown to corroborate in tangible ways what we have identified as the attentional and sensori-motor deficits of PD. Interlocutors' complex repositioning to maximize visual acuity, increased use of shift regulators, hyperattentiveness to sign initiation, as well as increased reiteration and expansion of information all serve to amplify and reinforce the contributions of signers with PD to ASL conversations. Over the course of the disease, unimpaired interlocutors gradually “become” the attentional system of signers with PD. Increased tapping and attention-getting devices used to explicitly reorient attention compensate for attentional deficits and maintain the participation of signers with PD in multi-participant conversations.
The role of Foxg1 and dorsal midline signaling in the generation of Cajal-Retzius subtypes

Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells, the earliest-born neurons in the neocortex, arise from discrete sources within the telencephalon, including the dorsal midline and the pallial-subpallial boundary (PSB). In particular, the cortical hem, a region of high bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and Wnt (wingless-type MMTV integration site family) expression but lacking in Foxg1 (forkhead box G1) is a major source of CR neurons. Whether CR cells from distinct origins arise from disparate developmental processes or share a common mechanism is unclear. To elucidate the molecular basis of CR cell development, we assessed the role of both Foxg1 and dorsal midline signaling in the production of cortical hem- and PSB-derived CR cells. We demonstrate that the loss of Foxg1 results in the overproduction of both of these CR populations. However, removal of Foxg1 at embryonic day 13, although expanding the number of CR cells with a PSB phenotype, does not result in an expansion of BMPs or Wnts in the dorsomedial signaling center. Conversely, loss of the dorsal midline ligands as observed in Gli3 (glioma-associated oncogene homolog 3) mutants results in the loss of the cortical hem-derived CR character but does not affect the specification of PSB-derived CR cells. Hence, our findings demonstrate that, although the specification of cortical hem-derived CR cells is dependent on signaling from the dorsal midline, Foxg1 functions to repress the generation of both cortical hem- and PSB-derived CR cells.
Gender Differences in Academic Productivity and Academic Career Choice Among Urology Residents

Purpose: Gender disparities have long existed in medicine but they have not been well examined in urology. We analyzed a large cohort of graduating urology residents to investigate gender disparities in academic productivity, as measured by peer reviewed publications and academic career choice.Materials and Methods: We assembled a list of urology residents who graduated from 2002 through 2008 who were affiliated with the top 50 urology hospitals, as ranked by 2009 U.S. News & World Report. PubMed® was queried to determine the publication output of each resident during the last 3 years of residency. We used an Internet search to determine the fellowship training, career choice and academic rank of each subject. Gender effects on each factor were evaluated.Results: A total of 459 male (84.5%) and 84 female (15.5%) residents were included in analysis. During residency women produced fewer total publications (average 3.0 vs 4.8, p = 0.01) and fewer as first author (average 1.8 vs 2.5, p = 0.03) than men. A hi...
Preparation of Nanotextured VO2[B] from Vanadium Oxide Aerogels

Vanadium oxide aerogels were used as a precursor for preparing nanotextured VO2[B] by low-temperature heat treatment under vacuum. The VO2[B] material retains the fibrous morphology and high surface area of the aerogel. Evolution of the VO2[B] phase, as studied by FTIR and X-ray diffraction, indicates that the local structure of the vanadium oxide aerogel is close to that of VO2[B], in agreement with the bilayer-type structure previously proposed for vanadium oxide aerogels/xerogels. The electrochemical behavior of VO2[B] also bears similarity to that of vanadium oxide aerogels. Specific capacities for lithium as high as 500 mA·h/g are obtained for nanocrystalline VO2[B], and stable electrochemical response is obtained when cycled between 4 and 2.4 V vs Li+/Li0.
On anatomy of nerves by galen of pergamon

In this treatise Galen gives a synopsis of the description of the nerves contained in his long anatomical work “On Anatomical Procedures.” He omits the olfactory nerves from the cranial group, considering them a part of the brain. Out of loyalty to his teacher, Marinos, he numbers seven cranial nerves but actually identifies ten, misconstruing the fourth, omitting the sixth, and describing all the others. The sympathetic is linked with the trigeminal but most parts of it are described. The spinal nerves and their plexuses are briefiy but quite accurately described. He leaves no doubt that he identified these nerves anatomically and understood much of their function.
Plasma Kinetics and Acute Effects of Pharmacologic Doses of Porcine Calcitonin in Man

ABSTRACT Plasma kinetics of a pharmacologic dose of porcine calcitonin (PCT) in man were investigated using a sensitive radioimmunoassay. A single intravenous injection of 1 mg of homogeneous PCT was given to 21 subjects (5 normal, 6 with osteoporosis, 5 with hyperparathyroidism and 5 with Paget's disease) and a continuous prolonged infusion was given to 5 normal subjects. Plasma disappearance after single injection or continuous infusion could be described as a sum of at least 2 exponential components with half-times of 2.4 (0.3) and 40.9 (6.2) min (mean and se). Metabolic clearance rate during continuous infusion was 846 (42) ml/min. The apparent volume of distribution was 21.4 (2.0)% of body weight. Substantial hypocalcemia was associated, in 4 of 5 patients with Paget's disease, with an increase in serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH) which was sustained for the duration of the hypocalcemia; in the other groups these responses were equivocal or absent. However, injection of homogeneous PCT ...
High and low threshold service provision in drug-free settings: Practitioner views.

Abstract Background In the United States, drug-free (non-drug substitution) treatment programmes are informed by an abstinence-only, disease model. Some critics believe this model hinders treatment service utilization and retention. An alternative public health model of harm reduction suggests that drug services should have a "low-threshold" for entry and retention such that they are offered with few or no conditions, such as abstinence from drug use. Methods Using semi-structured qualitative interviews with 15 practitioners from 9 outpatient drug-free agencies, this study examined beliefs about low threshold service provisions. Results Respondents identified certain conditions for drug services as clinically and programmatically appropriate and necessary to ensure safety. Factors relevant to outpatient services, drug use and client dynamics were also cited. Respondents tended to support service conditions to inform treatment planning and practices. Conclusions Practitioners in these settings accept and support some threshold of imposed service conditions as useful in treatment and service planning. When outpatient services are terminated clinically appropriate services are offered instead. Concerns for service accessibility should focus on the availability of medically intensive services.
RNA synthesis as a measure of microbial growth in aquatic environments. I. Evaluation, verification and optimization of methods

Measurement of rates of microbial (bacteria and unicellular algae) ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis in environmental samples by radioactive tracers requires several assumptions that we test and evaluate herein. After addition of 3H-adenine to water samples from eutrophic freshwater or pelagic and oceanic ecosystems, microorganisms assimilate it without (1) any luxury uptake or (2) any expansion of intracellular adenine nucleotide pools. The calculated rate of stable RNA synthesis tends to be overestimated during the initial time periods of labeling (i.e., less than 30 s for cultures of Serratia marinorubra, and less than 20 min for most environmental samples) due to kinetic compartmentalization of the nucleic acid precursor (ATP) pool. Time-series analyses are recommended because the effects of compartmentalization decrease with increasing incubation. The kinetics of 3H-adenine uptake and aspects of its subsequent assimilation, intermediary metabolism and breakdown are described in bacteria and natural assemblages of microorganisms. Mass-balance radioactivity inventories greatly facilitate interpretation of nucleic acid precursor assimilation. Finally, we demonstrate that independent measurements of precursor (ATP) specific radioactivity are required for any elucidation of rates of stable RNA synthesis (and thus microbial growth) in nature.
The moral domain of the medical record: the routine ethics evaluation.

The structure, content, and orientation of the contemporary medical record inadequately reflect the appropriate influence of patients' rights and bioethics on health care. Most tellingly, the medical chart reveals a remarkable absence of attention to medical ethics, except in the case of crisis management. But medical ethics informs both crisis decision-making and virtually all clinical interventions. Indeed, clinical care embodies a complex array of choices influenced by individual and cultural values, themselves reflecting religious beliefs, personal histories, psychologies, and social mores. But the typical medical chart, which records clinical descriptions, analyses, and rationales for treatment, rarely identifies or accounts for this value-laden dimension of care and thus both over-simplifies and distorts the depiction of a patient's illness and its treatment. To better reflect the complex moral domain of clinical care, and assist in organizing its complex structure, a systematic procedure is propose...
Computation of reflected images from EUV masks

The reflective mask used in Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography is based on a multilayer stack reflector, over-coated with a suitable absorber. We show that in order to predict correctly the reflected field it is necessary to describe in detail the diffraction and multiple reflection processes that the propagating field undergoes in the multilayer stack. The effects of absorber thickness, mask bias and partial spatial coherence are shown through several examples using numerical calculations.
Rhetoric and Poetics in the Early Middle Ages

eception and transformation, Curtius reminds us, characterize the life of antiquity in the Middle Ages.' That this is so is clearly demonstrated in embryo in the pioneer essay of Richard McKeon and more fully in James Murphy's Rhetoric in the Middle Ages.^ Both McKeon and Murphy trace the metamorphosis of classical precepts of rhetoric into the artes dictaminis, poetriae, and praedicandi of the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries. What is less well-known is that the earlier medieval period was also a time of fertUe collection and adaptation. The medieval encylopedists Martianus Capella, Cassiodorus, Isidore of SevUle, and Rabanus Maurus, ensured that elementary principles of the seven liberal arts would be preserved for later generations, albeit in a crippled form. Scribes diUgently copied the manuscripts of Cicero, VirgU, Ovid, Seneca, and others. And the church, eager to carry out Augustine's program to "despoil the Egyptians," re-
An algorithm for straight-line representation of simple planar graphs

Abstract An algorithm is developed for drawing straight-line planar graphs which are isomorphic to a convex polyhedron and simple (i.e. a connected graph with no self-loops or multiple branches). The construction of such graphs is outlined in three stages. Stage 1 determines all the independent cycles of the graph plus one dependent cycle by Goldstein's algorithm. Stage 2 orders the cycles in such a way that they may be drawn in sequence with a given cycle as external. Stage 3 constructs the graph by successively assigning coordinates to the vertices which were placed in order according to the result of Stage 2. An iterative procedure is used for shifting the coordinates to eliminate crossings of edges. Results show that practically all these planar connected graphs up to 22 cycles can be drawn provided that the longest cycle is chosen as the external one. In addition, in the event of failure of the iteration procedure for graphs with a large number of cycles, a heuristic decision involving man-machine interaction is introduced to adjust the partially completed straight-line graph.
Study of the total Q of antennas in terms of modal Q n provided by Characteristic Modes Theory

An expression of the total radiation Q in terms of the Q n of characteristic modes for an arbitrary antenna is presented. The theory of Characteristic Modes (CM) was used to expand the total Q in terms of Q n (quality factor of each mode) including the effect of each mode and the interaction between them. This expression is very useful because it provides physical insight; therefore, it is very helpful in antenna design and analysis. The expression was obtained using the expansion of the total input admittance of the antenna in terms of the individual admittances of the CM in conjunction with the well-known expression for Q by Yaghjian and Best [1]. Numerical examples will be provided to illustrate the expression and compare it with the original expression by Yajian and Best.
Deformation in the Lower Crust of the San Andreas Fault System in Northern California

A continuous seismic velocity and reflectivity cross-section of the San Andreas fault system in northern California shows offsets in the lower crust and the Mohorovicic Discontinuity near the San Andreas and Maacama strike-slip faults. These faults may cut through the crust to the upper mantle in a zone less than 10 kilometers wide. The northern California continental margin to the eastern edge of the Coast Ranges is underlain by a high-velocity lowermost crustal layer that may have been emplaced within 2 million years following the removal of the Gorda plate slab. The rapid emplacement and structure within this layer are difficult to reconcile with existing tectonic models.
How robust is the rationality assumption in economics? A statistical test based on student grade distributions

Abstract This note re-addresses the question of the rationality of economic actors in a new setting. We examine the distribution of final course grades for a “Principles of Economics Class” in an effort to draw conclusions about rational student work effort. Based on the concepts of the opportunity cost of time, the relative reward for earning various grades (based on university codes for determining grade points) and the concept of rationality, we expect to find a greater percentage of grades at the lower end of the distribution for each grade level. We find statistical evidence that there are more students at the lower end of each grade interval than at the upper end. This result is consistent with what economists have long conjectured: students are rational in the allocation of study time.
Bilinear PseudodifferentialOperators on ModulationSpaces

We use the theory of Gabor frames to prove the boundedness of bilinear pseudodifferential operators on products of modulation spaces. In particular, we show that bilinear pseudodifferential operators corresponding to non-smooth symbols in the Feichtinger algebra are bounded on products of modulation spaces.
Brief Comparison of nonlinear control design techniques on a model of the Caltech ducted fan

In this paper we compare different nonlinear control design methods by applying them to the planar model of a ducted fan engine. The methods used range from Jacobian linearization of the nonlinear plant and designing an LQR controller, to using model predictive control and linear parameter varying methods. The controller design can be divided into two steps. The first step requires the derivation of a control Lyapunov function (CLF), while the second involves using an existing CLF to generate a controller. The main premise of this paper is that by combining the best of these two phases, it is possible to find controllers that achieve superior performance when compared to those that apply each phase independently. All of the results are compared to the optimal solution which is approximated by solving a trajectory optimization problem with a sufficiently large time horizon.
The Nature of the Glass Transition in a Silica-Rich Oxide Melt

The atomic-scale dynamics of the glass-to-liquid transition are, in general, poorly understood in inorganic materials. Here, two-dimensional magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectra collected just above the glass transition of K2Si4O9 at temperatures as high as 583°C are presented. Rates of exchange for silicon among silicate species, which involves Si—O bond breaking, have been measured and are shown to be closely related in time scale to those defined by viscosity. Thus, even at viscosities as high as 1010 pascal seconds, local bond breaking (in contrast to the cooperative motion of large clusters) is of major importance in the control of macroscopic flow and diffusion.
The Epidemiology of Asthma

Significant strides have been made in recent years in the epidemiologic study of obstructive lung diseases including asthma. Community population samples are being evaluated prospectively and followed up longitudinally to document the appearance of morbidity and clinical diagnoses. Also, a variety of environmental, physiologic, and immunologic variables are being collected on a serial basis to correlate changes with the appearance (or disappearance) of recognizable disease. Unfortunately, until the semantics and diagnostic labeling of airway abnormalities becomes more precise, especially in the older population, the incidence and prevalence of disease will lack the precision it should have.
Embedding Learning within the Processes of Organizations

This article describes how to embed learning within the processes of organizations. It begins by discussing traditional training and educational course development and the delivery of courses within an organizational context. It next describes how to embed learning within an organizational context-and how it differs with a traditional approach. This is followed by a description of the theoretical foundation for embedding learning within the processes of an organization. It addresses the underlying performance objectives of work and the cognitive needs of learners in an organization. Next, a section describing how to deploy supportive technology for embedding learning within the processes of organizations is presented. Finally, the implication of embedding learning within the processes of organizations is discussed.
Severe mitral regurgitation due to mitral valve prolapse: risk factors for development, progression, and need for mitral valve surgery

Patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) may develop severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and require valve surgery. Preliminary data suggest that high body weight and blood pressure might add to the irreversible factors of older age and male gender in increasing risk of these complications. Fifty-four patients with severe MR due to MVP were compared with 117 control subjects with uncomplicated MVP to elucidate factors independently associated with severe MR: the need for valve surgery and the cumulative risk of requiring mitral valve surgery. Patients with severe MR were older (p <0.00005), more overweight (p = 0.002), had higher systolic (p = 0.0003) and diastolic (p = 0.007) blood pressures, and were more likely to have hypertension (p = 0.0001) and to be men (p <0.001). In both groups, men had higher blood pressure and relative body weight than women. In multivariate analysis, older age was most strongly associated with MR; higher body mass index, hypertension, and gender were independent predictors of severe MR in analyses that excluded age. Among the 54 patients with severe MR, the 32 (59%) who underwent mitral valve surgery during 11 years of follow-up were older, more overweight, and more likely to be hypertensive than those not requiring surgery. Among patients undergoing mitral valve surgery in 3 centers, mitral prolapse was the etiology in 25%, 67% of whom were men. Using these data and national statistics, we estimate that the gender-specific cumulative risk for requiring valvular surgery for severe MR in subjects with MVP is 0.8% in women and 2.6% in men before age 65, and 1.4% and 5.5% by age 75. Thus, subjects with MVP who are older, more overweight, and hypertensive are at greater risk for severe MR and valve surgery. Higher blood pressure and relative weight in men with MVP appear to contribute to the gender difference in risk for severe MR.
Prolonged ambulatory duodeno-jejunal manometry in humans: normal values and gender effect

Objective: The aim of this study was to provide a detailed comparison of motor activity in the duodenum and jejunum and between men and women studied by prolonged ambulatory manometry. Methods: Thirty healthy volunteers (17 males) underwent prolonged ambulatory recording of duodeno-jejunal motility using a catheter with five built-in strain-gauge transducers (two duodenal and three jejunal). Manometric data was obtained during an extended period of fasting, the postprandial period and during sleep. Results: There was a wide range of durations of the migrating motor complex (MMC), but at least one phase III was detected during 6 h of fasting, or 6 h of sleep in each subject (0.52 ± 0.04 phase III/hour during fasting vs 0.59 ± 0.04 during sleep, p = 0.1). There was marked variation in the duration and pattern of phase III. Postprandially, frequency of contractions and motility index were maximal in the first 2 h after the meal, in both the duodenum and jejunum. There were no substantive differences between males and females or between the duodenum and jejunum. Conclusion: We conclude that upper small bowel motility is little affected by gender or segment.
Global data synchronisation: deployment and implementation issues of a global standard-based information system

As businesses transact globally, collaborative transaction management and collaborative supply chain management are two strategically important measures for improving the efficiency of business operations in the global scope. In such a setting, it is gradually becoming evident that the inefficiency of business operations can be, at least partially, attributed to the lack of quality data. Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN) was developed in the consumer-packaged goods industry as a global standard-based information system to address the critical issue of data quality. GDSN has many unique characteristics as an information system that is designed to be adopted internationally. This paper discusses how the global standard-based information system has been deployed and issues the governing organisation and businesses contemplating to join the network must address in order to facilitate the broader adoption of similar global information systems to be developed in the future.
Is Shale Gas Good for Climate Change

Abstract Shale gas is a new energy resource that has shifted the dominant paradigm on U.S. hydrocarbon resources. Some have argued that shale gas will play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by displacing coal used for electricity, serving as a moderate-carbon “bridge fuel.” Others have questioned whether methane emissions from shale gas extraction lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions overall. I argue that the main impact of shale gas on climate change is neither the reduced emissions from fuel substitution nor the greenhouse gas footprint of natural gas itself, but rather the competition between abundant, low-cost gas and low-carbon technologies, including renewables and carbon capture and storage. This might be remedied if the gas industry joins forces with environmental groups, providing a counterbalance to the coal lobby, and ultimately eliminating the conventional use of coal in the United States.
The locations of firms on intersecting roadways

With Bertrand-Nash mill-price competition, travel costs proportional to distance squared, and three firms on an interval, the equilibrium locations of the peripheral firms are further from the center than is socially optimal. If there is a central intersection, with four (or more) finite roadway segments radiating outward from the center (a small city spread along two intersecting roadways), and with one firm at the center and one on each radial segment, then the equilibrium locations of the peripheral firms are closer to the center than is socially optimal. Extensions include competition with spatial price discrimination, a more complicated system of intersecting roadways, and more than one firm on each roadway segment.
FULL-SCALE FIELD TESTS OF DISCRETE FIBER-REINFORCED SAND

The purpose of this investigation was to verify the results of an extensive laboratory experiment conducted to determine the effects of numerous variables on the performance of fiber-stabilized sand specimens. Laboratory unconfined compression tests were conducted on sand specimens reinforced with randomly oriented discrete fibers to provide an index of performance between specimens of different combinations of experiment variables. The laboratory results were used to design two full-scale field test sections to validate the performance of fiber-reinforced sands for low-volume roads. The laboratory experiment is discussed in detail in a separate paper. Only the field validation phase of the experiment will be discussed in this paper. The primary conclusion was that fiber-stabilized sands are a viable alternative to traditional road construction materials for temporary or low-volume roads. Additionally, the optimum values of the key variables identified in the laboratory experiment were verified through the comparison of individual test section items. Construction and maintenance is provided.
Prospective case–control study of nonfatal cancer preceding the diagnosis of parkinson’s disease

Prior studies suggest a decreased frequency of cancer in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We conducted a nested case–control study to estimate the association between the diagnosis of PD and a history of preceding cancer. Our case–control study was nested within a prospective cohort of 22,071 US male physicians. During 22 years of follow-up, 487 incident cases of PD were identified and matched by age to 487 controls. We then evaluated a history of cancer prior to the index date that was confirmed by medical record review. The frequency of any cancer was less in cases (13.1%) than in controls (14.8%). There was an inverse relationship between overall cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.57–1.21), smoking-related (OR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.35–1.57), and non-smoking-related cancer (OR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.59–1.32) and the subsequent development of PD. Smoking significantly modified the relationship between PD and smoking-related cancer (p interaction = 0.002). PD cases who smoked had an OR of 0.32 (95% CI, 0.11–0.89) for smoking-related cancer. In contrast, PD cases who never smoked had an OR of 6.85 (95% CI, 0.83–56.39). Our data suggest that the frequency of cancer preceding the diagnosis of PD is decreased. Smoking status prior to PD or cancer diagnosis significantly modified the association between smoking-related cancer and PD.
Intrastromal delivery of bevacizumab using microneedles to treat corneal neovascularization.

Purpose This study tested the hypothesis that highly targeted intrastromal delivery of bevacizumab using coated microneedles allows dramatic dose sparing compared with subconjunctival and topical delivery for treatment of corneal neovascularization. Methods Stainless steel microneedles 400 μm in length were coated with bevacizumab. A silk suture was placed in the cornea approximately 1 mm from the limbus to induce corneal neovascularization in the eyes of New Zealand white rabbits that were divided into different groups: untreated, microneedle delivery, topical eye drop, and subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab. All drug treatments were initiated 4 days after suture placement and area of neovascularization was measured daily by digital photography for 18 days. Results Eyes treated once with 4.4 μg bevacizumab using microneedles reduced neovascularization compared with untreated eyes by 44% (day 18). Eyes treated once with 2500 μg bevacizumab using subconjunctival injection gave similar results to microneedle-treated eyes. Eyes treated once with 4.4 μg subconjunctival bevacizumab showed no significant effect compared with untreated eyes. Eyes treated with 52,500 μg bevacizumab by eye drops three times per day for 14 days reduced the neovascularization area compared with untreated eyes by 6% (day 18), which was significantly less effective than the single microneedle treatment. Visual exam and histological analysis showed no observable effect of microneedle treatment on corneal transparency or microanatomical structure. Conclusions This study shows that microneedles can target drug delivery to corneal stroma in a minimally invasive way and demonstrates effective suppression of corneal neovascularization after suture-induced injury using a much lower dose compared with conventional methods.
Cycle specific association of nascent chromatin with nuclear envelope components in Physarum polycephalum

Abstract The action of heparin on isolated nuclei derived from different phases of the mitotic cycle in plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum was studied. Heparin addition at two-fold excess over DNA concentration to nuclei in Mg-free low ionic strength buffer (10 mM TRIS-HC1, 10 mM Na2 HPO4, pH = 8) releases 60-80% of chromatin from S, G2, and mitotic phase nuclei. The RNA/protein ratio of herparin-solubilized cromatin is constant through S and G2 phases, but rises about two-fold at early prophase coincident with nucleolar breakdown. Purified nuclear envelopes were obtained from heparin-treated nuclei by sedimentation according to Bornens procedures (Nature 244, 28, 1973), and examined by transmission electron microscopy. Residual chromatin is seen at all stages with fine network of DNA fibrils in contact with the envelop. Regardless of time in S, 80% of 3H-labeled DNA was released into soluble chromatin with identical 3H/14C ratios. The residual chromatin in nuclear envelopes exhibited a preferential association of early S-DNA in nuclei engaged in early S replication, and late S preferential association in nuclei engaged in late S replication.
IP-10 protects while MIP-2 promotes experimental anesthetic hapten - induced hepatitis

MIP-2 and IFN-gamma inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and their respective receptors, CXCR2 and CXCR3, modulate tissue inflammation by recruiting neutrophils or T cells from the spleen or bone marrow. Yet, how these chemokines modulate diseases such as immune-mediated drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is essentially unknown. To investigate how chemokines modulate experimental DILI in our model we used susceptible BALB/c (WT) and IL-4-/- (KO) mice that develop significantly reduced hepatitis and splenic T cell priming to anesthetic haptens and self proteins following TFA-S100 immunizations. We detected CXCR2+ splenic granulocytes in all mice two weeks following immunizations; by three weeks, MIP-2 levels (p<0.001) and GR1+ cells were elevated in WT livers, suggesting MIP-2-recruited granulocytes. Elevated splenic CXCR3+CD4+T cells were identified after two weeks in KO mice indicating elevated IP-10 levels which were confirmed during T cell priming. This result suggested that IP-10 reduced T cell priming to critical DILI antigens. Increased T cell proliferation following co-culture of TFA-S100-primed WT splenocytes with anti-IP-10 (p<0.05) confirmed that IP-10 reduced T cell priming to CYP2E1 and TFA. We propose that MIP-2 promotes and IP-10 protects against the development of hepatitis and T cell priming in this murine model.
Analysis of finite elastoplastic deformation using a new finite element method

Abstract A direct finite element scheme based on a variational method of the least squares type is used to analyze large deformation of dilatant solids. The approach is incremental in nature. The scheme treats both Cauchy stress rates and velocities as dependent variables, and provides the requisite computational basis for mixed problems, that is, problems with combined elliptic and hyperbolic character. There are two unique features of the method, which distinguish the scheme from that based on the conventional displacement and the mixed formulations. One is that the method is insensitive to the type of the governing field equations, that is, the computational algorithm is the same in both elliptic and hyperbolic regions. The other is that the method is insensitive to the absence of work hardening, that is, the resulting matrix system is always symmetric and positive definite. Numerical results for a number of fundamental deformation problems demonstrate that the onset of progressive damage of the deforming material, either due to dilational cracking or the formation of shear bands, can emerge as the natural outcome of the analysis. The analysis predicts various failure modes as they are embedded in the governing field equations and does not employ any additional failure criterion. The results also demonstrate the significance of the infinitesimal assumption of the elastic component of the deformation rate in choosing time-step sizes during numerical implementation.
The Eschatology of the Eos-Circle

Madame de Stael, in her monumental study of German culture, L'Allemagne , wrote of the Catholic church at the dawn of the nineteenth century: “Today, standing disarmed, it has the majesty of an aged lion which formerly made the universe tremble.” 1 The French empire, continuing the policy of the revolution, confiscated ecclesiastical property wherever it expanded. By 1804 Napoleon distributed the church's land in Germany—which had been the most extensive in her possession of any country in Christendom—among his client rulers on the right bank of the Rhine. 2 All over Europe princes were dissolving monastic communities in order to make their revenues available to the state. Perhaps the church suffered her crowning indignity in 1809, when Napoleon responded to a dispute with the pope by making him his prisoner.
Invariant measures for Chebyshev maps

Let T λ ( x ) = cos ( λ arccos x ) , − 1 ≤ x ≤ 1 , where 1$" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> λ > 1 is not an integer. For a certain set of λ 's which are irrational, the density of the unique absolutely continuous measure invariant under T λ is determined exactly. This is accomplished by showing that T λ is differentially conjugate to a piecewise linear Markov map whose unique invariant density can be computed as the unique left eigenvector of a matrix.