Standard Blocks Research Articles

Virtual Reference in the Music Library

Virtual Reference in the Music Library Gerald Szymanski (bio) and Mary Alice Fields (bio) In December 2002, the Information Sharing Subcommittee1 of the Music Library Association's Reference and Public Services Committee (RAPS) created and conducted a survey of virtual reference activity in music libraries. This survey was linked from the MLA-L electronic discussion list with the request that it be completed for each institution where one or more music librarians participate in or actively plan to participate in virtual reference services. For purposes of the survey, virtual reference was defined to include e-mail reference, queries via a Web-based form, live chat, live voice chat, and any other electronically mediated reference interaction between a music librarian and a library patron. Responses to the survey were received from forty-five librarians representing thirty-nine institutions of higher education, five public libraries, and one special library. Following a discussion of the published literature on the topic, this article reports the survey findings. Literature Review A review of the extensive literature relating to reference transactions reveals very little pertaining to music.2 In 1985 Susan Clegg published a sample reference survey form in Fontes Artis Musicae, along with a plea that music libraries collect reference statistics and report them in such a way that others could benefit from them.3 In the same issue, Roger Crudge reported briefly on "Music Library Statistics in Britain."4 Helmut [End Page 634] Rösner's article, "Zur Statistik der Musikbibliotheken," concerning music libraries in Germany, appeared in Fontes Artis Musicae in 1992.5 The International Association of Music Libraries (IAML) Project Group on Statistics, chaired by Susan Clegg, created "Guidelines and Recommendations for the Collection of Music Library Statistics" in 1991. Based on the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 2789:1991 ("Information and Documentation: International Library Statistics," later revised as ISO 2789:2003), the recommendations were accepted as the official IAML guidelines for music library statistics in 1992 and were published in 1993; the only reference statistic included was the "total number of recorded enquiries."6 In 1994, the Music Library Association's Reference and Public Services Committee (RAPS) began a study of the reference performance of librarian, paraprofessional, and student employees in academic music libraries using the survey instrument developed for the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program (WOREP). A preliminary report on the results of this study was published in this journal in 2001.7 The data are intended to "measure general characteristics of reference service in music settings and determine how they mirror or differ from . . . general-library counterparts."8 More recently, analyses of virtual reference services, particularly chat reference service, are beginning to appear in the literature; however, as is true for other aspects of reference service, few articles refer to subject analysis and none were found that relate to music.9 Although this study of virtual reference is no more than a snapshot of activity, the hope is that it can represent a first step in establishing benchmarks for virtual reference within the discipline. Methodology In preparation for a presentation at the Music Library Association (MLA) annual meeting in February of 2003, the RAPS Committee's [End Page 635] Information Sharing Subcommittee, chaired by John Anderies, created a survey on the use of virtual reference in music libraries and by music librarians. Anderies converted the survey into a Web-based input form, using standard radio buttons, check boxes, and text blocks. The responses were collected using a program called Gather, a prototype Common Gateway Interface (CGI) application for gathering data submitted via Web forms.10 From Gather, the results were exported into an Excel spreadsheet for analysis. The survey, included as an appendix to this article, was distributed in December 2002 as a link on the MLA-L electronic mailing list to over a thousand subscribers, with the request that it be completed by music librarians who participate in some form of virtual reference or have plans to do so. "Virtual reference" was defined as including but not limited to "e-mail reference, queries that come via a web-based form, live chat, [and] live voice chat."11 In this survey, "virtual" reference is equivalent in intent...

A Study Using the Interdental Thickness Discrimination Test at Three Different Degrees of Mouth Opening: Reproducibility and Gender Differences in Young Adults

Purpose: This study gathered basic information on the ability of healthy dentate individuals to discriminate interdental thicknesses in order to diagnose patients without evident occlusal abnormalities who complain about bite discomfort.Materials and Methods: Twenty healthy dentate adults participated in the study. The interdental thickness discrimination test was performed at the maxillary and mandibular central incisors with 2-, 5-, and 10-mm thick standard blocks. A test block with a different thickness from that of the corresponding standard block was tested after the application of the standard block. The subjects were then asked to answer whether the test block felt thicker or thinner than the standard block. The number of wrong answers was statistically analyzed. The measurement was repeated three times on different days.Results: There was no statistical difference in the number of wrong answers among the measurements on three different days. There were statistically significant differences in the number of wrong answers between the 2- and 10-mm, and 5- and 10-mm thicknesses (p<0.05, ANOVA). Significantly more wrong answers were observed for the test blocks that were thicker than the standard block compared to those that were thinner (p<0.05, ANOVA). There were significant differences between females and males in the distribution of wrong answers for the thinner test blocks (2- and 5-mm thicknesses) (p<0.01, ridit analysis).Conclusion: There was reproducibility of the interdental thickness discrimination test and a gender difference in the thickness discrimination ability in the healthy dentate adults who participated in this study.

The development of X-ray photo-emission electron microscopy (XPEEM) for valence-state imaging of mineral intergrowths

AbstractWe demonstrate the potential of X-ray photo-emission electron microscopy (XPEEM) to reveal valence-state images of the spatial distribution and relative concentration of metals in specific oxidation states. Additionally, XPEEM allows X-ray absorption spectra to be extracted from chosen pixel areas of the images. Using an in-house-built XPEEM instrument we show an application of the method in providing valence-state images of complex mineral intergrowths. The image resolution achieved with this instrument of simple design was ∼5 μm and reasonable quality X-ray absorption spectra were extracted from areas of ∼5×5 μm. These initial results suggest that by using commercial XPEEM instruments on 3rd generation, high-brightness synchrotron sources a spatial resolution of 100 nm or better could be achieved, with the ability to extract high-quality X-ray absorption spectra from areas of 0.1 μm2. Given that standard thin sections or polished blocks can be studied by XPEEM, and that each XPEEM image records ∼1000 μm2, XPEEM can be used in conjunction with other analytical methods such as EMPA and TEM-EELS/PEELS.

Production projects – designing and operating lifecycle-oriented and flexibility-optimized production systems as a project

Due to fast changing markets and ever shorter product lifecycles, lifecycle-orientation and flexibility can be described as major factors for success. As an answer to the resulting challenges this paper introduces the concept of Production Projects. According to the concept either a single production line or an entire production location can be planned and operated as a project. Thereby, Production Projects form the organizational base to link the lifecycles of products and production systems and to optimize the degree of flexibility of the latter. Within Production Projects the traditional project target dimensions ‘quality’, ‘time’ and ‘cost’ are supplemented by ‘flexibility’ as a fourth target dimension. Major elements within the concept are the so-called Production Project Master Schedule, Process Modules, and the Flexibility Mode and Effect Analysis (FlexMEA). The Production Project Master Schedule consists of standardized phases for the lifecycle-oriented design and operation of a production system. Based on the Master Schedule, the standardized building blocks of a production system, so-called Process Modules, can be relocated within and in between production locations. With the FlexMEA, an innovative method is introduced, which enables an enterprise to plan and monitor the degree of flexibility of its production systems and to derive flexibility optimizing measures if necessary.

Delineating mechanisms of dissociation for isomeric heparin disaccharides using isotope labeling and ion trap tandem mass spectrometry

Heparin and heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycans have been identified as important players in many physiological as well as pathophysiological settings. A better understanding of the biosynthesis and structure of these molecules is critical for further elucidation of their biological function. We have demonstrated the successful use of negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the differentiation of all twelve standard heparin-building blocks, including the potentially important N-unsubstituted disaccharides. Collision induced dissociation of each of the isomeric disaccharides provided unique product ion spectra, useful for identification and quantification of the relative amounts of each isomer present. In the research presented herein, isotopic labeling studies using 18O and 2H were used to determine the origins of each of the neutral losses observed in the product ion spectra, and mechanisms of dissociation consistent with the observed data were postulated. The general mechanisms postulated were for the generation of B, Y, and Z ions formed from glycosidic cleavages, as well as A and X ions formed from cross-ring cleavages. The eight isomeric heparin disaccharides all underwent cross-ring cleavage to form 0,2X1 and 0,2A2 ions, and further experiments suggest that the mechanisms of formation of these ions are through a charge-remote process. The tandem mass spectrometry data presented herein also provide a foundation for further developments towards a practical analysis tool for the structural elucidation of larger, biologically important heparin/HS oligosaccharides by using mass spectrometry.

The impact of involvement of biomedical scientists in specimen dissection and selection of blocks for histopathology: a study of time benefits and specimen handling quality in Ayrshire and Arran area laboratory

Aims: To assess possible time benefits of specimen dissection by biomedical scientists (BMSs) and the quality of specimen handling by BMSs, in a department where BMSs trim those specimens requiring...

Cmos microsystem for ac current measurement with galvanic isolation

In this paper, we present an integrated ac current sensor based on sensitivity-optimized horizontal Hall effect devices and a differential readout chain. This microsystem has been designed for 5-A rms nominal ac current measurement with 5-kV galvanic isolation and 0.5% accuracy after calibration from 250 mA to 5 A, over 1.5-kHz bandwidth, which allows up to 30th (25th) harmonic detection in 50-Hz (60-Hz) applications. This qualifies the current sensor microsystem for class 1 products according to international norms for energy meters (IEC44-1 and IEC1036). From the sensing element throughout the instrumental chain's output, the signal conditioning is exclusively performed by low-noise standard CMOS analog blocks. Moreover, the whole microsystem features a mixed-signal structure dedicated to auto-balancing.

Alternative proofs for improved lmi representations for the analysis and the design of continuous-time systems with polytopic type uncertainty: a predictive approach

In a previous paper (Jia et al. (2002)), several new linear matrix inequality (LMI) conditions have been obtained to reduce the conservativeness for the analysis and the design of continuous-time systems with polytopic-type uncertainty. The results are quite attractive, but their proofs are technical. The aim of this note is to provide a different route to reach the results. To this end, the concepts of standard /spl epsi/- and /spl lambda/-blocks are introduced and the corresponding equivalent forms are also defined, based on which the improved representations of given linear matrix inequalities can be predicted by replacing directly the standard blocks with their equivalent forms under two newly established exchange criteria, while the correctness of the predicted results can be tested by the well-known projection lemma.

Arithmetic inside the universal genetic code

The first information system emerged on the earth as primordial version of the genetic code and genetic texts. The natural appearance of arithmetic power in such a linguistic milieu is theoretically possible and practical for producing information systems of extremely high efficiency. In this case, the arithmetic symbols should be incorporated into an alphabet, i.e. the genetic code. A number is the fundamental arithmetic symbol produced by the system of numeration. If the system of numeration were detected inside the genetic code, it would be natural to expect that its purpose is arithmetic calculation e.g., for the sake of control, safety, and precise alteration of the genetic texts. The nucleons of amino acids and the bases of nucleic acids seem most suitable for embodiments of digits. These assumptions were used for the analyzing the genetic code. The compressed, life-size, and split representation of the Escherichia coli and Euplotes octocarinatus code versions were considered simultaneously. An exact equilibration of the nucleon sums of the amino acid standard blocks and/or side chains was found repeatedly within specified sets of the genetic code. Moreover, the digital notations of the balanced sums acquired, in decimal representation, the unique form 111, 222, …, 999. This form is a consequence of the criterion of divisibility by 037. The criterion could simplify some computing mechanism of a cell if any and facilitate its computational procedure. The cooperative symmetry of the genetic code demonstrates that possibly a zero was invented and used by this mechanism. Such organization of the genetic code could be explained by activities of some hypothetical molecular organelles working as natural biocomputers of digital genetic texts. It is well known that if mutation replaces an amino acid, the change of hydrophobicity is generally weak, while that of size is strong. The antisymmetrical correlation between the amino acid size and the degeneracy number is known as well. It is shown that these and some other familiar properties may be a physicochemical effect of arithmetic inside the genetic code. The “frozen accident” model, giving unlimited freedom to the mapping function, could optimally support the appearance of both arithmetic symbols and physicochemical protection inside the genetic code.

Sustainable water cycle design for urban areas

This paper presents the argument that the environmental, social and economic benefits of decentralised systems are such that they should present a serious alternative to centralised systems in existing and future planned urban developments. It will be shown that the combination of technical, social and regulatory factors that influenced the popularity of centralised systems has altered, and that decentralised systems should now be considered as well. The environmental, social and economic advantages and disadvantages of several sustainable watercycle case studies are examined and compared with centralised systems. The studies examined will go from large scale down to designs suitable for typical residential houses on standard urban blocks.

A Comparative Sustainability Assessment of Standard Housing Blocks in Hong Kong and Proposed Integer Concept Tower Alternative

This study endeavours to establish an internationally recognised methodology to undertake comparative assessments of the relative ‘sustainability’ of buildings and in future civil engineering projects. The methodology devised (in particular the materials database of environmental impacts) to achieve this, has been specifically tailored to Hong Kong’s Construction Industry, and thereafter with some further development will be applicable to the broader South East Asia Region.Hong Kong and the South China region are strongly driven by costs so, in this context, Life Cycle Costing (LCC) sometimes referred to as Whole Life Costing, must be included in any assessment. Life Cycle Costing (LCC), together with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are the sustainability impacts measured. Therefore in this study, two of the three recognised environmental aspects of sustainability are measured: economics and environment. Social impacts were omitted because at present there is not an established consensus of which social indicators are relevant and the relative weighting between each of these and between the economic and environmental impacts measured.The study compared the environmental and cost performance of the following three 40-storey residential tower types:a housing authority “standard” harmony block (HAB),a private sector housing block (PSB),and the Integer Concept Tower (ICT) (50-year and 75-year life).The results show that longevity is important and the ICT becomes the best performer over all the indicators in the 75-year life assessment. The presumption here is that it will in reality have a 75-year life because of its intrinsic flexibility of its frame construction, where as the inherent inflexibility of the other two buildings will limit their life spans to just 50 years before they become redundant. The results also show that the operational regime is significant for all buildings. Energy efficiency is clearly important and strategies to reduce demand and increase supply from renewable energy generation sources should be examined. The repair and maintenance regime is also very significant indicating that varying and improving how the building is run and maintained could greatly reduce the overall life cycle impacts. The Integer Concept Tower is definitely worthy of further investigation.

Evaluation Technique of the Hardness and Elastic Modulus of Materials with Fine Microstructures

Quantitative data of mechanical properties such as hardness, H, and elastic modulus, E, are required for the constituent phases of an alloy in the process of alloy design. To meet the needs, the evaluation technique of H and E of phases in composites through nanoindentation tests is proposed. Moreover, H and E of Nb solid solution (Nbss) and niobium silicide (Nb 5 Si 3 ) phases in Nb-base in-situ composites were characterized by the proposed method. To clarify the quantitative relationship between the nanohardness, H n , and the micro-Vickers hardness, Hv, nanoindentation tests were carried out on the Hv Standard blocks with Hv 100, 500, 700, 900 and 1600, under a wide range of applied loads from 0.1 to 40 mN. As a result, it was clarified that Hv and Hn are linearly related under each applied load Therefore, Hv could be estimated from Hn by applying the linear relation. It was also confirmed that the elastic modulus is almost independent of the applied loads. Therefore, the elastic modulus, E, could also be directly estimated by nanoindentation tests with Poisson's ratios of tested materials. Hv and E of Nb SS and Nb 3 Si 3 in the Nb-base composites determined by the method show good agreement with the reported values for both phases. Accordingly, it is possible to conclude that the proposed method is useful to quantitatively evaluate the hardness and elastic modulus of constituent phases in a composite.

YEAR ONE OF THE STONE FRUIT PEST MANAGEMENT ALLIANCE

The Stone Fruit Pest Management Alliance implements reduced risk pest management programs in Prunus persica that do not rely on conventional broad spectrum pesticides. The goal is to obtain equal or less pest damage and cost. Six orchard demonstration comparisons were made in 2000 consisting of the conventional grower standard (Standard) and the pest management alternatives (PMA) for extra early, late and extra late cling peaches. Mating disruption was used to control Oriental fruit moth in the PMA blocks. The extra early and late Standard blocks also had one early Oriental fruit moth mating disruption application in addition to one spray. The extra late Standard received only conventional pesticides. Oriental fruit moth caused more damage in the PMA block for the extra late variety comparison only. No peach twig borer damage was detected; it was managed in the PMA blocks with Bacillus thuringiensis applied at bloom with mating disruption for in-season control. Lygus bug and oblique banded leaf roller, both secondary pests, caused the greatest overall damage. The average cost for materials and application of the three PMA orchards was US $593 per hectare. The same average cost of the three Standard orchards was US $348. The greater cost in the PMA orchards was due to a second application of OFM mating disruptant and the PTB mating disruptant. A second PTB mating disruptant was applied in the extra late variety PMA block that further increased costs. The least expensive Standard program included one OFM mating disruption application followed by one in-season spray. This program effectively controlled OFM while reducing pesticide use and was more economic than the Standard all spray program.

The physical and chemical performance of artificial reef blocks made using quarry by-products

The cost of construction materials is a major factor determining the economic viability of artificial reefs. The use of by-products is one method of reducing costs, but often, to comply with licensing conditions, chemical and physical stability have to be demonstrated before such materials may be employed. Granite quarrying produces a range of low-value by-products, including an aqueous granite powder suspension. When mixed with other by-products and consolidated using 5% (w/w) cement and 5% (w/w) coal fly-ash, this substance was used to produce concrete blocks with a compressive strength of approximately 14 N mm −2 after a standard 90-day curing period. The blocks exceeded the strength requirement of commercial building blocks (British Standard 6073) by five times, were cheaper to produce compared with standard construction-grade blocks, and permitted a range of design options to be considered through the inclusion of voids. The chemical stability of the proposed concrete and base granite material was tested, under conditions designed to maximize metal flux, and showed significant but very low leaching of iron, strontium, barium, rubidium, manganese, and uranium. Metal leaching was not necessarily in proportion to the metal concentration in the base material. Quarry by-products can be used in the manufacture of blocks that are physically robust and environmentally safe with a concomitant reduction in production costs. Copyright 2002 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spectral Characteristics of the Linear Systems over a Bounded Time Interval

Consideration was given to the spectral characteristics of the linear dynamic systems over a bounded time interval. Singular characteristics of standard dynamic blocks, transcendental characteristic equations, and partial spectra of the singular functions were studied. Relationship between the spectra under study and the classical frequency characteristic was demonstrated.

Protein Structure and Folding: A New Start

Standard building blocks of proteins—closed loops of 25–30 amino acid residues—have been recently discovered and further characterized by combined efforts of several laboratories. New challenging views on the protein structure, folding, and evolution are introduced by these studies. In particular, the role of van der Waals contacts in protein stability is better understood. They can be considered as locks closing the polypeptide chain returns and forming the loop-n-lock elements. The linearity of the arrangement of the standard loops in the proteins has important evolutionary implications. Selection pressure to maintain the loops of nearly standard size is reflected in the protein sequences as characteristic distance between hydrophobic residues, equal to the loop end-to-end distance. Further characterization of the loop-n-lock units reveals several sequence/structure prototypes, which suggests a new basis for protein classification. The following is a review of these studies.

Radiation prophylaxis for heterotopic ossification about the hip joint—a multicenter study

Purpose: Prophylactic radiotherapy (RT) can prevent ectopic bone formation about the hip after total hip arthroplasty. The German Cooperative Group on Radiotherapy for Benign Diseases conducted a patterns of care study about this indication addressing the involved institutions, RT dose concepts, clinical handling, and treatment outcome of prophylactic RT about the hip joint.Methods and Materials: In 1999, a patterns of care study was conducted in all German institutions to analyze the accrual pattern, number of patients, and different indications for the use and performance of prophylactic RT about the hip. The applied RT concepts of prophylactic RT were evaluated with regard to the RT technique, timing of RT (pre- or postoperative), RT dose prescription (median, range of single and total doses), and treatment outcome. All institutions were asked about the radiologic and functional failure rates at least 1 year after the completion of RT using the established radiologic (Brooker) and functional (Harris) scores with objective and subjective evaluation components.Results: One hundred fourteen institutions reported their clinical experience with prophylactic RT for the prevention of heterotopic ossification about the hip joint: 70 community hospitals, 23 university hospitals, and 21 private RT practices. In 1999, 5677 patients (5989 hips) had received prophylactic RT. The median number per institution was 36 patients (range 8–240). The interdisciplinary referral included orthopedic surgery (89 institutions; 3763 patients), trauma surgery (82 institutions; 1611 patients), or other disciplines (8 institutions; 298 patients). Preoperative RT was applied in 53 institutions 0.5–24 h before surgery, and postoperative RT was applied in 54 institutions 1–120 h after surgery. Most patients received 1 × 7 Gy either pre- or postoperatively. The total dose range was 5–10 Gy (preoperative RT) or 5–16 Gy (postoperative RT); the median total RT dose of both RT concepts was 7 Gy. Cobalt-60 (n = 15), linear accelerators (n = 95), and a few lower energy units (n = 4) were used. Bony structures or prostheses were shielded with standard blocks in 31 and with individual blocks in 27 institutions. Long-term clinical evaluation was available in 30 institutions from 4377 hips. Of those, 475 (11%) developed radiologic failures according to Brooker’s criteria. Functional hip evaluation was available in 5 institutions from 685 hips. Of those, 34 (5%) had functional failures according to the criteria of Harris. No difference in outcome was found between pre- and postoperative RT, but was with regard to the patient’s referral and the timing of RT. The patients who were treated >8 h before surgery or >72 h after surgery experienced a higher radiologic failure rate; radiologic failures were an important precondition for functional failures (p <0.05).Conclusion: This patterns of care study comprises the largest number of cases reported for prophylactic hip RT to date. The results reveal that both preoperative (within 24 h) and postoperative RT (within 72 h) are effective in preventing heterotopic ossification after hip surgery. Both RT concepts achieved a similar low radiologic and functional failure rate. Single-dose RT concepts, especially, can be recommended as an excellent treatment alternative for patients with contraindications to long-term steroid or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and this approach has become standard in most German RT institutions.

Understanding Content Management

Les systemes de gestion de contenu (SGC) ne permettent pas seulement de creer des pages HTML (HyperText Markup Language) pour les sites de grande taille, ils traitent tout le processus de collecte, de gestion et d'edition de contenu et sont cruciaux pour le commerce electronique. Du plus simple au plus elabore, l'A. decrit les fonctionnalites des differents types de systemes existants : Le SGC Web nominal, le site Web dynamique, le SGC Web integral, le SGC d'entreprise.

Of Hype and Hyperbolas: Introducing the New Economic Geography

Reviewing The Spatial Economy by Fujita, Krugman, and Venables, this paper argues that the key contribution of the new economic geography is a framework in which standard building blocks of mainstream economics (especially rational decision making and simple general equilibrium models) are used to model the trade-off between dispersal and agglomeration. The approach thus gives a choice-theoretic basis for a “propensity to agglomerate.”

Single-block renormalization group: quantum mechanical problems

We reformulate the density matrix renormalization group method (DMRG) in terms of a single block, instead of the standard left and right blocks used in the construction of the superblock. This version of the DMRG, which we call the puncture renormalization group (PRG), makes easy and natural the extension of the DMRG to higher dimensional lattices. To test numerically this proposal, we study several quantum mechanical models in one, two and three dimensions. In 1D the performance of the standard DMRG is much better than its PRG version, however for 2D models the PRG is more efficient than the DMRG in a variety of circumstances. In 3D the PRG performs also quite well.