cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adoption of online banking features by financial intermediaries

This paper investigates how the size and type of financial intermediaries affect the adoption of online banking features. One hundred and ten commercial banks, savings banks and credit unions of different sizes, and state coverage were studied. Service feature ranges from basic services such as checking and savings accounts to financial shopping mall service such as comprehensive one-for-all account. Security feature includes: password, encryption, security questions, limited to registered computers, and a banner or icon to certify the website. Our survey results show that comparing to savings banks and credit unions, commercial banks with larger size, and greater state coverage tend to offer more online service features. However, there is no significant difference between commercial banks and credit unions in online security methods. This is due to the fact that most local credit unions do not maintain online banking interface themselves, but delegate a third party for secure online services.
Beyond the center: Intel gives employees more choices through family child care

Flexibility and cost effectiveness became priorities for semiconductor giant Intel when it sought employee child care options in the midst of its worst business downturn. An innovative solution leverages community resources at Intel sites around the country to offer locally managed home-based programs as an alternative to center-based child care. In the process, the new program has improved the quality of at-home child care, created more child care spaces, and given providers access to more clients and resources, to the benefit of the community as a whole. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Modeling of Exciplex Recombination in Organic Bilayer Structures

The effect of exciplex dynamics on the device characteristics of organic semiconductor bilayer structures is explored. Exciplex formation, dissociation, and relaxation to the ground state are incorporated into a physics-based device model. The model is applied to both organic light emitting diodes and photovoltaic cells. In the examples, C60 and tetracene parameters are used for the electron and hole transport layers, respectively.
Disjunctures in Theory and Practice: Making Sense of Change in Agricultural Development at the Office Du Niger, 1920-60

In the introduction to their edited volume International Development and the Social Sciences: Essays on the History and Politics of Knowledge , Frederick Cooper and Randall Packard take on the thorny question of why development policies change and why they sometimes persist or reappear after a period of dormancy. Much recent scholarship has located the reasons for persistence or change in development approaches within international institutions such as multilateral and bilateral aid agencies and Western scientific and social scientific disciplines. Both Arturo Escobar and James Ferguson argue for the existence of a hegemonic development discourse with standardized interventions aimed at ‘solving’ homogenized ‘problems’. Grounded in Western institutions such as the World Bank, this development discourse is maintained by an interlocked network of experts and expertise. In their analyses, development approaches and interventions are minimally affected by the particularities of locale. Other scholars concerned with identifying and understanding significant change in development policy have also focused their studies on Western organizations and disciplines and excluded from their analysis the role that development practice might play in change. But Cooper and Packard challenge scholars to consider the ways in which development policies might be molded by the practice of development, when they note ‘it is not clear that the determinants of these policies are as independent of what goes on at the grassroots as they appear to their authors or their critics to be’.
The fine structure of influenza A, B and C viruses.

1. The particles of various human and animal strains of influenza A are essentially similar. 2. The particles of influenza B and influenza C are similar to those of influenza A, and different from those of the Newcastle disease-mumpsparainfluenza group. 3. The treatment of particles of strains of influenza A and B with formalin enabled the internal structure to be resolved somewhat more clearly. Treatment with chloroform in addition to formalin made it possible to resolve the internal ribonucleoprotein (soluble antigen) lying coiled within the particle in a regular manner.
Peripheral nerve and brain differ in their capacity to resolve N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate-mediated elevations in copper and oxidative injury

Previous studies have demonstrated that N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDC) elevates copper and promotes oxidative stress within the nervous system. However, whether these effects resolve following cessation of exposure or have the potential to persist and result in cumulative injury has not been determined. In this study, an established model for DEDC myelin injury in the rat was used to determine whether copper levels, oxidative stress, and neuromuscular deficits resolve following the cessation of DEDC exposure. Rats were exposed to DEDC for 8 weeks and then either euthanized or maintained for 2, 6 or 12 weeks after cessation of exposure. At each time point copper levels were measured by inductively coupled mass spectrometry to assess the ability of sciatic nerve, brain, spinal cord and liver to eliminate excess copper post-exposure. The protein expression levels of glutathione transferase alpha, heme oxygenase 1 and superoxide dismutase 1 in peripheral nerve and brain were also determined by western blot to assess levels of oxidative stress as a function of post-exposure duration. As an initial assessment of the bioavailability of the excess copper in brain the protein expression levels of copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase 1, and prion protein were determined by western blot as a function of exposure and post-exposure duration. Neuromuscular function in peripheral nerve was evaluated using grip strengths, nerve conduction velocities, and morphologic changes at the light microscope level. The data demonstrated that in peripheral nerve, copper levels and oxidative stress return to control levels within several weeks after cessation of exposure. Neuromuscular function also showed a trend towards pre-exposure values, although the resolution of myelin lesions was more delayed. In contrast, total copper and antioxidant enzyme levels remained significantly elevated in brain for longer post-exposure periods. The persistence of effects observed in brain suggests that the central nervous system is more susceptible to long-term cumulative adverse effects from dithiocarbamates. Additionally, significant changes in expression levels of chaperone for superoxide dismutase 1, and prion protein were observed consistent with at least a portion of the excess copper being bioactive.
Current Methods in Use for Assessing Clinical Competencies: What Works?

An online survey was used to capture qualitative descriptions of methods used by a veterinary college to assess clinical competencies in its students. Each college was specifically asked about use of the methods detailed in the Toolbox of Assessment Methods developed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Medical Specialties. Additionally, each college was asked to detail the methods used to ensure competency in each of the nine areas specified by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Associate deans of academic affairs or their equivalents at veterinary colleges in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Caribbean were contacted by e-mail and asked to complete the survey. Responses were obtained from 24 of 32 colleges. The methods most often used were review of students’ medical records (16), checklist evaluation of must-learn skills (16), procedural logs (11), multiple-choice skill examinations (11), case simulatio...
A Design Preference Elicitation Query as an Optimization Process

We seek to elicit individual design preferences through human-computer interaction. During an iteration of the interactive session, the computer queries the subject by presenting a set of designs from which the subject must make a choice. The computer uses this choice feedback and creates the next set of designs using knowledge accumulated from previous choices. Under the hypothesis that human responses are deterministic, we discuss how query schemes in the elicitation task can be viewed mathematically as learning or optimization algorithms. Two query schemes are defined. Query type 1 considers the subject’s binary choices as definite preferences, i.e., only preferred designs are chosen, while others are skipped; query type 2 treats choices as comparisons among a set, i.e., preferred designs are chosen relative to those in the current set but may be dropped in future iterations. We show that query type 1 can be considered as an active learning problem, while type 2 as a “black-box” optimization problem. This paper concentrates on query type 2. Two algorithms based on support vector machine and efficient global optimization search are presented and discussed. Early user tests for vehicle exterior styling preference elicitation are also presented. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4005104]
Land for Peace in Nagorny Karabakh? Political Geographies and Public Attitudes Inside a Contested De Facto State

AbstractDiscussions of the territorial conflict over Nagorny Karabakh often fail to convey the multiple political geographies at play in the dispute. This paper outlines six distinct political geographies—territorial regimes and geographical imaginations—that are important in understanding Armenian perspectives on the conflict only (Azerbaijani perspectives are the subject of ongoing research). It presents the results of a 2011 social survey in Nagorny Karabakh that measures the extent of support these contending spatial visions have among local Armenian residents of the area. The survey finds widespread support for the territorial maximalist conceptions. These results underscore an important chasm between international diplomatic conceptions of Nagorny Karabakh and the everyday spatial attitudes and perceptions of residents in these disputed territories.
Changes in the composition of the enamel of human premolar teeth shortly after eruption.

Abstract Ca and P contents in slices of the enamel cut from the labial surface of human premolar teeth decreased from the surface to deeper layers, but levelled off at a depth of about 60 μm, in young as well as in older teeth. Post-eruptive changes were found most clearly at a depth of approx. 25 μm where the Ca and P content decreased with age. The data are interpreted in terms of four different calcium phosphate phases presumed to occur in enamel mineral, in view of the finding that gradients in tooth enamel have also been found for Na, F, CO 2− 3 and Mg and that these impurities have a preference to become incorporated into certain calcium phosphates. Electron microprobe analysis suggested that the unknown phase at a depth of 25–60 μm was not whitlockite, but rather a defective hydroxyapatite.
Dynamic charges for photoexcited defects in trans (CH)x

Abstract We show that the dynamic charge for an arbitrary vibrational excitation of a photogenerated defect in (CH) x vanishes in the SSH Hamiltonian for a band filling which is symmetric with respect to the interchange of electrons and holes. As a consequence solitonic excitons do not contribute to the infrared conductivity although dissociated charged defects do. Trapping of dissociated kinks at defects on the chain is suggested as a pinning mechanism.
Variation in type I collagen fibril nanomorphology: the significance and origin

Although the axial D-periodic spacing is a well-recognized nanomorphological feature of type I collagen fibrils, the existence of a distribution of values has been largely overlooked since its discovery seven decades ago. Studies based on single fibril measurements occasionally noted variation in D-spacing values, but accredited it with no biological significance. Recent quantitative characterizations supported that a 10-nm collagen D-spacing distribution is intrinsic to collagen fibrils in various tissues as well as in vitro self-assembly of reconstituted collagen. In addition, the distribution is altered in Osteogenesis Imperfecta and long-term estrogen deprivation. Bone collagen is organized into lamellar sheets of bundles at the micro-scale, and D-spacings within a bundle of a lamella are mostly identical, whereas variations among different bundles contribute to the full-scale distribution. This seems to be a very general phenomenon for the protein as the same type of D-spacing/bundle organization is observed for dermal and tendon collagen. More research investigation of collagen nanomorphology in connection to bone biology is required to fully understand these new observations. Here we review the data demonstrating the existence of a D-spacing distribution, the impact of disease on the distribution and possible explanations for the origin of D-spacing variations based on various collagen fibrillogenesis models.
Focal Plane Processing Techniques For Background Clutter Suppression And Target Detection

Objectives of new infrared smart sensor systems-and their focal plane processing requirements for target detection are presented. Various image processing techniques for enhancement of target-to-noise ratio by performing background clutter suppression are surveyed, including a family of statistical target estimation techniques being developed at the Naval Postgraduate School. Highlights of their results in processing a set of multiple frame infrared test images are presented using statistical spatial filters for single frames of image and statistical temporal filters and combined statistical spatial/temporal filters for multiple frames of images.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Is There a U.S. Negotiating Style

In this final essay, a number of issues are raised about depicting negotiating behavior in terms of national styles. Although many of the previous commentaries describe particular characteristics of a U.S. style, these are unlikely to be inherent attributes of negotiators from that country. Rather, a nation's approach to negotiation is better understood in terms of the situation confronting its negotiators. For example, behavior thought to reflect "style" may be a result of power differences between the nations in a particular negotiation. Negotiators from different nations may react to the same situation in similar ways due to shared socializing experiences. Systematic research is needed to distinguish among the various possible sources for negotiating behavior. It should be guided by a framework that places culture among the panoply of influences on negotiating behavior. And it should consist of research designs that compare different national delegations and employ a variety of methodological strategies.
The Evolution of the Insanity Defense: Welcome to the Twilight Zone of Mental Illness, Psychiatry, and the Law

This article traces and critically analyzes the various tests and indicia of insanity employed from earliest times to the present. It seems that the more people have tinkered with the insanity defe...
Unit activity indicators of a catecholamine role in expression of morphine effects.

Abstract 1. We tested the hypothesis that morphine effect on unit activity in certain limbic system areas is primarily dependent on morphine's action on noradrenergic function. Unit activity (UA) was recorded in two limbic areas rich in noradrenergic projections and in a control area (caudate). We compared the influence of morphine on the UA of these areas in intact rats and in rats that were lesioned with intraventricular 6-0H dopamine to destroy adrenergic input. 2. The results showed that: a) morphine alone depressed UA in the caudate, while causing a mild increase in the hippocampus and cingulate gyrus, b) lesioning of animals with 6-0H dopamine resulted in suppressed morphine response in the noradrenergically innervated limbic areas, and c) the caudate was depressed similarly by morphine whether or not there was 6-0H dopamine lesioning. 3. Thus we conclude that the full expression of morphine effects in these two limbic areas seems to require intact noradrenergic input.
An Iridovirus Isolated from Wild Largemouth Bass

Abstract During July through September 1995, about 1,000 adult largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides died in Santee-Cooper Reservoir, South Carolina. Necropsy of two moribund largemouth bass (each weighing about 2 kg and measuring about 50 cm) revealed no parasites or bacterial infection. Fathead minnow (FHM) cell cultures inoculated with filtered homogenate from the swim bladder of one fish and the swim bladder and liver of the second fish developed cytopathic effect 48 h after inoculation. Media from infected cell cultures contained up to 108.9 TCID50/mL of a 0.45-μm filterable agent (TCID50 is the tissue culture infective dose that affects 50% of innoculated cultures). Electron microscopy of infected FHM cells revealed a cytoplasmic, icosahedral virion that averaged 132 nm from facet to facet and 145 nm from corner to corner. Viruses acquired an envelope upon passing through the plasma membrane. Studies of virus replication inhibition by pyrimidine analogs were inconclusive in classifying the nucleic a...
Improved truncation error bounds for limit periodic continued fractions with additional assumptions on its elements

Abstract It is well known that for convergent pure periodic continued fractions (i.e.: |r|=|x1/x2| ∑ m=1 ∞ md m , it was shown that the truncation error for limit periodic continued fractions is, at best, of the form K(|r′|)|r′| n , 0 , where K(|r′|) is a function of |r′| which may tend to infinity as |r′|→|r|. It is thus of interest to determine whether there exist conditions on {a n }, {b n } in the limit periodic continued fraction K(an/bn), which would insure that the truncation error is O(|r|n). It is shown here that restrictions of that kind do exist and that ∑ndn
A reaction rate model for deformation and fracture in polymeric fibers

A model to describe bond rupture and fracture in polymeric fibers is described. An experimentally determined distribution in stresses is incorporated with absolute reaction rate theory in the model to predict bond rupture. Model predictions are compared with experimentally determined fracture and free radical concentrations for various loadings. The experimental parameters in the model are discussed and their “best fit” values given. In general, these values are found to compare quite satisfactorily with accepted values from theory or other tests in the literature.
Determination of cisplatin and some possible metabolites by ion-pairing chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric detection.

Abstract A sensitive method is described for measuring cisplatin and some possible metabolites. The method combines reversed-phase ion-pairing liquid chromatography (LC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for platinum-specific detection. Separation conditions for cisplatin hydrolysis products and the reaction products of cisplatin with methionine, cysteine, and glutathione have been investigated with sodium dodecylsulfate or heptanesulfonate as the ion-pairing agent. The detection limit for cisplatin was found to be 0.1 ng, corresponding to a concentration detection limit of 1 ng/ml when using an injection volume of 100 μl. This study has demonstrated the usefulness of LC—ICP-MS for cisplatin metabolism studies.
Evaluation of azo food dyes for mutagenicity and inhibition of mutagenicity by methods using Salmonella typhimurium.

The mutagenicity of 4 azo dyes (FDC (2) application of the standard plate assay to ether extracts of aqueous solutions of the dyes; (3) a variant of the standard assay, using hamster liver S9, preincubation, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and other modifications designed to facilitate azo reduction; and (4) reduction of the dyes with sodium dithionite, followed by ether extraction and the standard plate assay. Assays that include chemical reduction (methods 3 and 4) were included because azo compounds ingested orally are reduced in the intestine with the release of free aromatic amines. No mutagenic activity was seen for any of the azo dyes tested by using the standard Ames plate assay (method 1). Ether extracts of some samples of FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Red No. 40 and amaranth were active (method 2), but only at high doses, generally 250 mg-equivalents or more per plate. These results indicate the presence of low levels of ether-extractable mutagenic impurities. The FMN preincubation assay (method 3) gave negative results for all dye samples tested. Most batches of FD&C Red No. 40 tested had mutagenic activity that was detectable when the ether extract of less than 1 mg of dithionite-reduced dye was plated in the presence of S9 (method 4). This finding implies that an impurity in these samples of FD&C Red No. 40 can be reduced to yield an ether-extractable mutagen. Dithionite-reduced samples of FD&C Yellow No. 6 and amaranth showed ether-extractable mutagenic activity only at much higher doses than those at which activity was seen with most dithionite-reduced samples of FD&C Red No. 40 (method 4). FD&C Yellow No. 5 showed no mutagenic activity with this method. Mutagenic activity was not detected when FD&C Red No. 40 was tested by using the azo reduction preincubation assay with FMN (method 3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Substrates of human hepatic cytochrome P450 3A4

Cytochrome P450 isozyme 3A4 (CYP3A4) is a major isozyme in the human liver and is known to metabolize a larger variety of xenobiotics and endogenous biochemicals. The identities of CYP3A4 substrates are summarized here. A total of 32 chemicals belonging to different structural classes have been evaluated and found to be substrates for CYP3A4. The metabolic pathways for these substrates include N-oxidation, C-oxidation, N-dealkylation, O-dealkylation, nitro-reduction, dehydration, and C-hydroxylation. While the major experimental system used to elucidate the role of CYP3A4 in the metabolic transformation of these substrates is the human liver microsome system, cultured human hepatocytes and yeast/cultured cells genetically engineered to express CYP3A4 are also employed by the different investigators. The common approaches to identify the role of CYP3A4 are also summarized, which include correlation of metabolic activity of the substrates studied with those for known CYP3A4-catalyzed substrates, correlation of activity with CYP3A4 content, inhibition of activity with CYP3A4 specific antibodies, inhibition of activity with known CYP3A4 substrates and inhibitors, induction of activity with CYP3A4 inducers and demonstration of activity with purified CYP3A4 enzyme.
Developmental Changes in the Molecular Weights of Polypeptides in the Human CNS That Carry the HNK‐1 Epitope and Bind Phaseolus vulgaris Lectins

: The binding patterns of electrophoresed polypeptides from homogenates of human frontal lobe, cerebellum, and spinal cord obtained at various stages of development were determined for several lectins with specificities for a wide range of oligosaccharides. A discrete developmental change in the molecular-weight pattern was seen only among polypeptides binding the two Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinins, E-phytohemagglutinin (E-PHA) and L-PHA. With increasing maturity, the apparent molecular weights of the major polypeptides binding these two lectins progressively decreased. Furthermore, at all stages of development, E-PHA and L-PHA bound to the same polypeptides as the monoclonal antibody HNK-1, which recognizes a carbohydrate epitope on polypeptides that may play roles in cell adhesion. Based on the carbohydrate specificities of the two PHAs, we conclude that it is likely that the HNK-1 epitope resides on a triantennary N-linked oligosaccharide bisected by N-acetylglucosamine.
Peptide amino acid sequence analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and fourier transform mass spectrometry

High-performance matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) using 7 T Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) was investigated for peptide amino acid sequence analysis. Two synthetic peptides representative of the type which would be displayed by major histocompatibility complex molecules from tumor cells were investigated by MALDI/FTMS. Molecular ions of the two 9-amino acids peptides were detected with resolving power of 8000–17 900 and mass measurement accuracy between 8 and 81 ppm for the all 12C isotope ions. An ultra-high resolution spectrum (RP 300 000) for the molecular ion of one of the two peptides was obtained. Structurally useful sequence information was obtained by use of surface-induced dissociation (SID) of the molecular ion species. Interestingly, SID of a sodium-attached peptide molecular ion resulted in the production of numerous sodium-attached sequence ions.
IGBT for high performance induction heating applications

Power Semiconductor IGBT has been the enabling technology for induction heating power inverters. In this paper key IGBT device design techniques and their attributes will be described. It will be shown that IGBT is amenable to fine dialing for soft and hard switching which requires IGBT suppliers to possess sophisticated design, process and applications test capability. The advantages of advanced high voltage IGBTs along with freewheeling diodes will be described for IH quasi-resonant and half-bridge converters. Emphasis will be placed on trench gate IGBT as the most efficient device structure. The power processing efficiency will be presented in terms of overall system efficiency, and particularly, power-loss temperature rise. As a crucial system design criteria for induction heating applications, case or board temperature is emphasized. 1200V, 600V and 1350V platforms, their topology and IGBT device selection will be discussed. The turn off energy (Eoff) and saturation voltage drop (Vcesat) that are optimized by device design represent the most influential factors on system level efficiency and power dissipation. It is shown that precipitous reduction of board temperature of induction cookers is achieved by techniques that simultaneously reduce Eoff and Vcesat.
Perspective: Flow at High Reynolds Number and Over Rough Surfaces—Achilles Heel of CFD

The law of the wall and related correlations underpin much of current computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, either directly through use of so-called wall functions or indirectly in near-wall turbulence models. The correlations for near-wall flow become crucial in solution of two problems of great practical importance, namely, in prediction of flow at high Reynolds numbers and in modeling the effects of surface roughness. Although the two problems may appear vastly different from a physical point of view, they share common numerical features. Some results from the 'super-pipe' experiment at Princeton University are analyzed along with those of previous experiments on the boundary layer on an axisymmetric body to identify features of near-wall flow at high Reynolds numbers that are useful in modeling. The study is complemented by a review of some computations in simple and complex flows to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of turbulence models used in modern CFD methods. Similarly, principal results of classical experiments on the effects of sand-grain roughness are reviewed, along with various models proposed to account for these effects in numerical solutions
Being Gay and Mentally Ill: The Case Study of a Gay Man with Schizophrenia Treated at a Community Mental Health Facility

SUMMARY Gays and lesbians with major mental illness often spend their lives within the public mental health system, in which the existence of gay-affirmative programs is a rarity. This potentially alienating situation is often exacerbated by gaps in the training of psychodynamic clinicians that leave important issues of sexuality unexplored in most programs' core curricula. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Affirmative Program at the Heights Hill Mental Health Center in Brooklyn, New York is an exception to this common state of affairs. This case presentation describes the two-year treatment of a gay man at the Center diagnosed with schizophrenia. An important portion of the therapeutic work was disentangling the two issues of the patient's minority status: being gay and mentally ill. At the beginning of treatment, the two categories were undifferentiated for him, and the difficulties of being gay were entangled with the difficulties of schizophrenia. Over time, the work to expand and clar...
Structure-Induced Enhancement in Electrooxidation of Trimetallic FePtAu Nanoparticles

Using FePtAu nanoparticles (NPs) as an example, this Communication demonstrates a new structure-control strategy to tune and optimize NP catalysis. The presence of Au in FePtAu facilitates FePt structure transformation from chemically disordered face-centered cubic (fcc) structure to chemically ordered face-centered tetragonal (fct) structure, and further promotes formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). The fct-FePtAu NPs have mass activity as high as 2809.9 mA/mg Pt and retain 92.5% of this activity after a 13 h stability test. They become the most efficient NP catalyst ever reported for FAOR. This structure-control strategy can be extended to other multimetallic NP systems, providing a general approach to advanced NP catalysts with desired activity and durability control for practical applications.
Left ventricular aneurysm as a coronary risk factor independent of overall left ventricular function

Patients with left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) have been shown to have a higher mortality rate than those with normal left ventricular function. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not LVA, in patients with coronary artery disease, is a risk factor independent of left ventricular function. Thirty-nine patients with angiographically demonstrated segmental dyskinesis (LVA group) were retrospectively compared to 28 patients with segmental akinesis and ejection fraction less than 60% (control group). There was no significant difference in age, ejection fraction, severity of coronary artery disease, cardiac index, or frequency of cardiac surgery between the two groups. Compared to control subjects, the LVA group had a significantly higher left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and greater tendency to have apical involvement. Although electrocardiography, echocardiography, and radioventriculography were each highly specific, their sensitivities were only 40% to 60%. Follow-up data were available for a mean of 33 months after catheterization. No significant benefit from aneurysmectomy could be demonstrated. There was an insignificant trend in the LVA group toward more severe congestive heart failure and less angina. There was no significant difference in the reinfarction rate, incidence of ventricular tachycardia, or embolism. Mortality rate was 38% in the LVA group and 32% in the control group (p = 0.59). We conclude that LVA is not an independent risk factor for congestive heart failure, angina, ventricular tachycardia, reinfarction, embolism, or death.
Reduced memory augmented Lagrangian algorithm for 3D iterative x-ray CT image reconstruction

Although statistical image reconstruction methods for X-ray CT can provide improved image quality at reduced patient doses, computation times for 3D axial and helical CT are a challenge. Rapidly converging algorithms are needed for practical use. Augmented Lagrangian methods based on variable splitting recently have been found to be effective for image denoising and deblurring applications.5 These methods are particularly effective for non-smooth regularizers such as total variation or those involving the 1 norm. However, when standard "split Bregman" methods6 are applied directly to 3D X-ray CT problems, numerous auxiliary variables are needed, leading to undesirably high memory requirements.7 For minimizing regularized, weighted least-squares (WLS) cost functions, we propose a new splitting approach for CT, based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM)1,5 that has multiple benefits over previous methods: (i) reduced memory requirements, (ii) effective preconditioning using modified ramp/cone filters, (iii) accommodating very general regularizers including edge-preserving roughness penalties, total variation methods, and sparsifying transforms like wavelets. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithm converges rapidly, and that the cone filter is particularly effective for accelerating convergence.
An experimental study of anorthosite dissolution in lunar picritic magmas: Implications for crustal assimilation processes

Abstract Experiments characterizing the kinetics of anorthosite dissolution in lunar picritic magmas (very low-Ti, low-Ti, and high-Ti picritic glasses) were conducted at 0.6 GPa and 1250–1400 °C using the dissolution couple method. Reaction between the anorthosite and lunar picritic magmas at 1250–1300 °C produced a spinel + melt layer. Reaction between the anorthosite and an olivine-saturated low-Ti magma at 1250–1300 °C produced a crystal-free region between the spinel + melt layer and the olivine-saturated magma. The anorthosite dissolution experiments conducted at 1400 °C simply dissolved anorthosite and did not result in a crystal-bearing region. The rate of anorthosite dissolution strongly depends on temperature and composition of the reacting melt. Concentration profiles that develop during anorthosite dissolution are nonlinear and extend from the picritic glass compositions to anorthite. These profiles feature a large and continuous variation in melt density and viscosity from the anorthosite-melt interface to the initial picritic magmas. In both the low-Ti and high-Ti magmas the diffusive fluxes of TiO2, Al2O3, and SiO2 are strongly coupled to the concentration gradients of CaO and FeO. Anorthosite dissolution may play an important role in producing the chemical variability of the lunar picritic magmas, the origin of spinel in the lunar basalts and picritic glasses, and the petrogenesis of the high-Al basalts.
Methodology of on-line optimisation applied to a chemical reactor

The structure of an on-line optimisation procedure is complex, and may involve several steps from different areas. In this paper, a methodology of on-line optimisation that consists of: steady-state detection, data reconciliation, gross error detection, parameter estimation and optimisation is discussed, and applied under simulation, on a two continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) connected in series system. Simulation results show that there are some advantages to be gained when this methodology is applied in conjunction with the ISOPE algorithm.
Effect of incubation upon folic acid content of eggs.

ConclusionNo change in concentration of folic acid was found in eggs during incubation for 3 weeks.
Sodium thiosulfate in the treatment of non‐uremic calciphylaxis

Calciphylaxis is a metastatic calcification-induced vasculopathy that results in the occlusion of small blood vessels. Although calciphylaxis is normally associated with end-stage renal disease, calciphylaxis from non-uremic origin occurs as well. While the number of reports continues to increase, a standard treatment for non-uremic calciphylaxis has yet to be established. Sodium thiosulfate (STS), which has been proven to be effective in the treatment of uremic calciphylaxis, shows promise; however, reports of its use in non-uremic cases are limited. We describe a case of non-uremic calciphylaxis in a patient with normal renal and parathyroid function who had complete resolution of disease after treatment with STS, and we review similar cases in the published work. Based on the successful outcomes detailed in this case series, STS appears to be an effective therapy for non-uremic calciphylaxis.
Localization of impalpable testis by computed tomography.

Abstract Computed tomography was used successfully in the preoperative localization of an intra-abdominal testis in an adult.
Image based smartphone interaction with large high resolution displays

We investigate the practicality of using smartphones to interact with large high resolution displays. We do not intend to find the spatial location of the phone relative to the display, but we want to identify the object a user wants to interact with through image recognition. The interaction with the object itself is done with the smartphone.
The Relationship of Complement-Mediated Microvasculopathy to the Histologic Features and Clinical Duration of Disease in Dermatomyositis

• Accumulating evidence indicates that a complement-mediated microvasculopathy may play a pathogenic role in dermatomyositis. In a previous study, we demonstrated neoantigens of the C5b-9 complement membrane attack complex in the muscle microvasculature of childhood and adult cases of dermatomyositis. To further characterize the relationship between the vascular complement deposits and histologic changes, quantitative histopathologic analyses were performed on 39 dermatomyositis biopsy specimens (26 adult, 13 children). There was a significant correlation between the percentage of fascicles with fibers having focal myofibrillar loss, a change seen early in the evolution of ischemic muscle fiber damage, and the percentage of fascicles having capillary deposits of membrane attack complex. Conversely, in biopsy specimens with a higher percentage of fascicles with perifascicular atrophy, membrane attack complex deposits were significantly less common. A fascicle-by-fascicle analysis supported these observations. Patients whose biopsy specimens were negative for microvascular membrane attack complex had clinical weakness for a significantly longer time than those patients with vascular complement deposits. These data support the hypothesis that the complement-mediated vasculopathy is a primary immunopathogenic event in the evolution of muscle lesions in dermatomyositis.
Thermal denaturations of staphylococcal nuclease wild-type and mutants monitored by fluorescence and circular dichroism are similar: Lack of evidence for other than a two state thermal denaturation

Abstract It is unclear whether the thermal denaturation of staphylococcal nuclease is a two state, three state, or variable two state process. The thermal denaturation of wild-type staphylococcal nuclease was followed by tryptophan fluorescence and circular dichroism signal at 222 nm, forty-two and fourteen times, respectively. Analysis of this data using a simple two state model gave melting temperatures of 53.0 ± 0.4 °C (fluorescence) and 52.7 ± 0.6 °C (CD) and van't Hoff enthalpies of 82.4 ± 2.6 kcal/mol and 88.6 ± 4.2 kcal/mol. Ninety-seven mutants also had these parameters determined by both fluorescence and CD. The average difference between the melting temperatures was 1.05 ± 0.75° and the average difference between van't Hoff enthalpies was 1.6 ± 4.8 kcal/mol. These very similar results for the two spectroscopic probes of structure are discussed in the context of the different models that have been proposed for nuclease denaturation. It is concluded, for most nuclease variants, that the errors introduced by a two state assumption are negligible and either virtually all helical structure is lost in any initial unfolding event or any intermediate must have low stability.
Saving and Uncertainty: The Precautionary Demand for Saving

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a two-period model developed to analyze rigorously the precautionary demand for saving. The precautionary demand for saving is usually described as the extra saving caused by future income being random rather than determinate. The effect of uncertainty on saving becomes obfuscated by generality. Many of the usual outlets for consumer saving, including saving deposits and government bonds, offer a fixed monetary rate of return. A multi-period model would be necessary to explore fully the effect of assets on the precautionary demand for saving. Until further progress is made with the more powerful inter-temporal models of optimization under uncertainty, the two-period model must be accepted along with its conclusion that states that under reasonable assumptions, there exists a positive precautionary demand for saving.
Descriptive and predictive applications of constraint-based metabolic models

Constraint-based models of metabolism are becoming available for an increasing number of organisms. These models can be used in combination with existing experimental data to describe the behavior of an organism and to analyze experimental observations in the context of a model. Such a descriptive application of the models can also allow for the integration of various types of data. Additionally, these models can be used in a predictive fashion to hypothesize the outcomes of new experiments. Comparing model predictions with experimental results allows for the iterative improvement of developed models and increases our understanding of the organism being studied. A number of recent examples of both descriptive and predictive applications of constraint-based models are discussed.
Rethinking Hard and Soft News Production: From Common Ground to Divergent Paths

The twin issues of recent changes in journalistic phenomena and how they afford theory development are addressed by depicting a key transformation in the former—the increase in the frequency and volume of content dissemination in online news—and using this depiction to examine the current heuristic value of the conceptual distinction between hard and soft news. An ethnographic study of online news production at the largest online newspaper in Argentina is used to show that a growing separation in the temporal patterns of hard and soft news production is intertwined with major differences in critical aspects of editorial practice in which the common ground between hard and soft news work has traditionally been assumed to be significant. This finding challenges a dominant strain in the literature that underscores a blurring of the differences between hard and soft news. Because central elements of this case resonate with developments identified in several other settings, this study suggests rethinking some notions about the distinction between hard and soft news.
Competitive ability: Definitions, contingency and correlated traits

Although the relationship between individual plant traits and competitive success in communities is an essential component of comprehensive models of the role of competition in structuring plant communities, three obstacles have stymied efforts to empirically examine such relationships. First, definitions of competitive ability are often inconsistent among bodies of theory and between theoretical predictions and empirical research. Much of the theoretical literature is for populations and often at equilibrium, while experimental work has been largely on individuals and short term. This situation is likely to continue, except for a few model systems, and therefore it is critical that individual-level surrogates for population level phenomena be found. I suggest that competitive response of seedlings to established vegetation may be an effective surrogate for estimating competitive success of populations at equilibrium and that competitive response of individuals with more similar-sized neighbours may be an effective surrogate for competitive success of populations earlier in succession or in non-equilibrium systems. Second, competitive ability may be contingent on many factors, such that it may not be an identifiable characteristic of any particular taxon and thus no broadly applicable relationships between traits and competitive ability may exist. However, a literature survey shows that both competitive response and competitive effect are generally, but not always, consistent regardless of identity of competing species, making the search for relationships with traits reasonable, at least within environments. Among environments, both competitive effect and competitive response are consistent in only about half the studies, making it unreasonable to assume a priori that competitive hierarchies will be similar under different conditions. The third obstacle is logistical; competitive ability is necessarily measured experimentally, and preferably in the field, making it difficult to obtain sufficient sample sizes (numbers of taxa) for rigorous analysis of relationships with traits. I suggest several simplifying assumptions and experimental approaches that could enable much more efficient assaying of competitive abilities of many species.
Numerical Simulation of Novel MEMS Strain Sensor for Structural Health Monitoring

This paper presents the numerical simulation of novel Micro-Electro-MechanicalSystem (MEMS) based piezoresistive strain sensor in order to monitor the localized strain in structures such as crack tips. The MEMS strain sensor developed in this study is made of single crystal silicon, and has 100 μm width and 400 μm length which prevents the strain gradient effect at the vicinity of stress concentration regions. The device has a novel U shape configuration where the open side of the U shape faces the crack tip and provides additional strain amplification. The silicon has piezoresistive property, which can have a gage factor reaching up to 165. Rigid substrate effect of silicon package on the strain sensor has been minimized based on the geometrical feature which has been used to amplify the stress in the sensor. The MEMS strain sensor has been optimized using COMSOL Multiphysics software, which enables the combination of multiple physics solutions in a single model, which are structural and electrical in this study.
Algal Community Composition from Kaolin Recovery Ponds Located in Middle Georgia

This is the first floristic and ecological evaluation of small pond systems developed over different periods of time after seized kaolin mining operations. Assessment of the total algal assemblage was used to infer environmental conditions of the aquatic habitats and also provided information about the ecological health and integrity of the aquatic ecosystems. The main objectives of this study were to document algal community composition and discern the amount of time it takes for a mined pond to reach its high biodiversity of primary producers. Winter and summer samples were taken from a pond developing for two years after removal of kaolin and from a pond that was thirty years old. Both pond systems contained rich algal communities predominantly from Cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyta, and Chlorophyta; however, the 30-year pond had higher Shannon-Wiener diversity, richness, and evenness values in both sampling seasons. In winter, filamentous Zygnematales dominated algal communities in the 2-year pond, while the 30-year pond community was dominated by diatoms. In both sites, the most taxon- rich group was green algal representatives of Desmidiaceae. In summer, potentially toxin- producing filamentous Cyanobacteria of the Nostocales were recorded in the 2-year pond, while the 30-year pond had higher average algal cell evenness and few toxic Nostocales. The average abundance of 11 diatom species, seven green algae, and one representative each of Euglenophyta, Cyanobacteria, and Cryptophyta resulted in less than 20 percent overall similarity between the two ponds. Our findings suggest that after two years of development potentially harmful kaolin residues are removed by natural sorption processes and do not negatively influence primary producers. However, stabilization processes in those manmade ecosystems may potentially take more than two years to produce high species richness and prevent toxic algal blooms.