Showing papers by "Michigan State University published in 2004"

An introduction to biometric recognition

Abstract: A wide variety of systems requires reliable personal recognition schemes to either confirm or determine the identity of an individual requesting their services. The purpose of such schemes is to ensure that the rendered services are accessed only by a legitimate user and no one else. Examples of such applications include secure access to buildings, computer systems, laptops, cellular phones, and ATMs. In the absence of robust personal recognition schemes, these systems are vulnerable to the wiles of an impostor. Biometric recognition, or, simply, biometrics, refers to the automatic recognition of individuals based on their physiological and/or behavioral characteristics. By using biometrics, it is possible to confirm or establish an individual's identity based on "who she is", rather than by "what she possesses" (e.g., an ID card) or "what she remembers" (e.g., a password). We give a brief overview of the field of biometrics and summarize some of its advantages, disadvantages, strengths, limitations, and related privacy concerns.

An Overview of Polylactides as Packaging Materials

Abstract: Polylactide polymers have gained enormous attention as a replacement for conventional synthetic packaging materials in the last decade. By being truly biodegradable, derived from renewable resources and by providing consumers with extra end-use benefits such as avoiding paying the "green tax" in Germany or meeting environmental regulations in Japan, polylactides (PLAs) are a growing alternative as a packaging material for demanding markets. The aim of this paper is to review the production techniques for PLAs, summarize the main properties of PLA and to delineate the main advantages and disadvantages of PLA as a polymeric packaging material. PLA films have better ultraviolet light barrier properties than low density polyethylene (LDPE), but they are slightly worse than those of cellophane, polystyrene (PS) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). PLA films have mechanical properties comparable to those of PET and better than those of PS. PLA also has lower melting and glass transition temperatures than PET and PS. The glass transition temperature of PLA changes with time. Humidity between 10 and 95% and storage temperatures of 5 to 40 degrees C do not have an effect on the transition temperature of PLA, which can be explained by its low water sorption values (i.e. <100 ppm at Aw = 1). PLA seals well at temperatures below the melting temperature but an appreciable shrinking of the films has been noted when the material is sealed near its melting temperature. Solubility parameter predictions indicate that PLA will interact with nitrogen compounds, anhydrides and some alcohols and that it will not interact with aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, esters, sulfur compounds or water. The CO2, O2 and water permeability coefficients of PLA are lower than those of PS and higher than those of PET. Its barrier to ethyl acetate and D-limonene is comparable to PET. The amount of lactic acid and its derivatives that migrate to food simulant solutions from PLA is much lower than any of the current average dietary lactic acid intake values allowed by several governmental agencies. Thus, PLA is safe for use in fabricating articles for contact with food.

Cubic AgPbmSbTe2+m: Bulk Thermoelectric Materials with High Figure of Merit

Abstract: The conversion of heat to electricity by thermoelectric devices may play a key role in the future for energy production and utilization. However, in order to meet that role, more efficient thermoelectric materials are needed that are suitable for high-temperature applications. We show that the material system AgPb m SbTe 2+ m may be suitable for this purpose. With m = 10 and 18 and doped appropriately, n -type semiconductors can be produced that exhibit a high thermoelectric figure of merit material ZT max of ∼2.2 at 800 kelvin. In the temperature range 600 to 900 kelvin, the AgPb m SbTe 2+ m material is expected to outperform all reported bulk thermoelectrics, thereby earmarking it as a material system for potential use in efficient thermoelectric power generation from heat sources.

Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm

Abstract: We investigate born-global firms as early adopters of internationalization – that is, companies that expand into foreign markets and exhibit international business prowess and superior performance, from or near their founding. Our explication highlights the critical role of innovative culture, as well as knowledge and capabilities, in this unique breed of international, entrepreneurial firm. Case studies are analyzed to better understand the early internationalization phenomenon and reveal key orientations and strategies that engender international success among these innovative firms. Case findings are then validated in a survey-based study. Despite the scarce resources typical of young firms, our findings reveal that born-global firms leverage a distinctive mix of orientations and strategies that allow them to succeed in diverse international markets. Findings have important implications for the internationalization of contemporary firms.

LANDMARC: indoor location sensing using active RFID

Abstract: Growing convergence among mobile computing devices and embedded technology sparks the development and deployment of "context-aware" applications, where location is the most essential context. In this paper we present LANDMARC, a location sensing prototype system that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for locating objects inside buildings. The major advantage of LANDMARC is that it improves the overall accuracy of locating objects by utilizing the concept of reference tags. Based on experimental analysis, we demonstrate that active RFID is a viable and cost-effective candidate for indoor location sensing. Although RFID is not designed for indoor location sensing, we point out three major features that should be added to make RFID technologies competitive in this new and growing market.

Sequence and comparative analysis of the chicken genome provide unique perspectives on vertebrate evolution

Abstract: We present here a draft genome sequence of the red jungle fowl, Gallus gallus. Because the chicken is a modern descendant of the dinosaurs and the first non-mammalian amniote to have its genome sequenced, the draft sequence of its genome--composed of approximately one billion base pairs of sequence and an estimated 20,000-23,000 genes--provides a new perspective on vertebrate genome evolution, while also improving the annotation of mammalian genomes. For example, the evolutionary distance between chicken and human provides high specificity in detecting functional elements, both non-coding and coding. Notably, many conserved non-coding sequences are far from genes and cannot be assigned to defined functional classes. In coding regions the evolutionary dynamics of protein domains and orthologous groups illustrate processes that distinguish the lineages leading to birds and mammals. The distinctive properties of avian microchromosomes, together with the inferred patterns of conserved synteny, provide additional insights into vertebrate chromosome architecture.

Are natural fiber composites environmentally superior to glass fiber reinforced composites

Abstract: Natural fibers are emerging as low cost, lightweight and apparently environmentally superior alternatives to glass fibers in composites. We review select comparative life cycle assessment studies of natural fiber and glass fiber composites, and identify key drivers of their relative environmental performance. Natural fiber composites are likely to be environmentally superior to glass fiber composites in most cases for the following reasons: (1) natural fiber production has lower environmental impacts compared to glass fiber production; (2) natural fiber composites have higher fiber content for equivalent performance, reducing more polluting base polymer content; (3) the light-weight natural fiber composites improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions in the use phase of the component, especially in auto applications; and (4) end of life incineration of natural fibers results in recovered energy and carbon credits.

A Comparison of Web and Mail Survey Response Rates

Abstract: The Internet (also called the World Wide Web or the Web) is increasingly looked at as a means of surveying the public (Couper 2000). Possible advantages of using the Internet include cost savings associated with eliminating the printing and mailing of survey instruments (Cobanoglu, Warae, and Morec 2001) as well as time and cost savings of having returned survey data already in an electronic format. For special populations that regularly use the Internet, the Web has been found to be a useful means of conducting research (Couper, Traugott, and Lamias 2001; Sills and Song 2002). In some instances, a mixedmode strategy has been suggested as a means for exploiting the advantages of Web surveys and minimizing nonresponse (Dillman 2000; Schaefer and Dillman 1998). To reliably use a mixed-mode strategy (e.g., mail surveys and Web surveys) or to select among alternative survey modes, researchers must understand and demonstrate the equivalency and complementarity, or relative strengths of alternative modes (Dillman 2000). Researchers have used survey response rates as one measure of equivalency. Some studies suggest that in populations with access to the Internet, response rates for e-mail and Web surveys may not match those of other survey methods (Cook, Heath, and Thompson 2000; Couper 2000). Apparent differences in response rates for Web surveys and mail surveys have many causes or explanations. One explanation for these differences in response rates may be the fact that less time and attention have been devoted to developing and testing motivating tools to increase Web survey response, compared to the time spent studying tools employed in mail surveys (e.g., the use of personalization, precontact letters, follow-up postcards, and incentives). The widely followed elements of the “tailored design method” for mail surveys (Dillman

Global potential bioethanol production from wasted crops and crop residues

Abstract: The global annual potential bioethanol production from the major crops, corn, barley, oat, rice, wheat, sorghum, and sugar cane, is estimated. To avoid conflicts between human food use and industrial use of crops, only the wasted crop, which is defined as crop lost in distribution, is considered as feedstock. Lignocellulosic biomass such as crop residues and sugar cane bagasse are included in feedstock for producing bioethanol as well. There are about 73.9 Tg of dry wasted crops in the world that could potentially produce 49.1 GL year −1 of bioethanol. About 1.5 Pg year −1 of dry lignocellulosic biomass from these seven crops is also available for conversion to bioethanol. Lignocellulosic biomass could produce up to 442 GL year −1 of bioethanol. Thus, the total potential bioethanol production from crop residues and wasted crops is 491 GL year −1 , about 16 times higher than the current world ethanol production. The potential bioethanol production could replace 353 GL of gasoline (32% of the global gasoline consumption) when bioethanol is used in E85 fuel for a midsize passenger vehicle. Furthermore, lignin-rich fermentation residue, which is the coproduct of bioethanol made from crop residues and sugar cane bagasse, can potentially generate both 458 TWh of electricity (about 3.6% of world electricity production) and 2.6 EJ of steam. Asia is the largest potential producer of bioethanol from crop residues and wasted crops, and could produce up to 291 GL year −1 of bioethanol. Rice straw, wheat straw, and corn stover are the most favorable bioethanol feedstocks in Asia. The next highest potential region is Europe ( 69.2 GL of bioethanol), in which most bioethanol comes from wheat straw. Corn stover is the main feedstock in North America, from which about 38.4 GL year −1 of bioethanol can potentially be produced. Globally rice straw can produce 205 GL of bioethanol, which is the largest amount from single biomass feedstock. The next highest potential feedstock is wheat straw, which can produce 104 GL of bioethanol. This paper is intended to give some perspective on the size of the bioethanol feedstock resource, globally and by region, and to summarize relevant data that we believe others will find useful, for example, those who are interested in producing biobased products such as lactic acid, rather than ethanol, from crops and wastes. The paper does not attempt to indicate how much, if any, of this waste material could actually be converted to bioethanol.

Alternative states and positive feedbacks in restoration ecology

Abstract: There is increasing interest in developing better predictive tools and a broader conceptual framework to guide the restoration of degraded land. Traditionally, restoration efforts have focused on re-establishing historical disturbance regimes or abiotic conditions, relying on successional processes to guide the recovery of biotic communities. However, strong feedbacks between biotic factors and the physical environment can alter the efficacy of these successional-based management efforts. Recent experimental work indicates that some degraded systems are resilient to traditional restoration efforts owing to constraints such as changes in landscape connectivity and organization, loss of native species pools, shifts in species dominance, trophic interactions and/or invasion by exotics, and concomitant effects on biogeochemical processes. Models of alternative ecosystem states that incorporate system thresholds and feedbacks are now being applied to the dynamics of recovery in degraded systems and are suggesting ways in which restoration can identify, prioritize and address these constraints.

The Generality of Working Memory Capacity: A Latent-Variable Approach to Verbal and Visuospatial Memory Span and Reasoning

Abstract: A latent-variable study examined whether verbal and visuospatial working memory (WM) capacity measures reflect a primarily domain-general construct by testing 236 participants in 3 span tests each of verbal WM, visuospatial WM, verbal short-term memory (STM), and visuospatial STM, as well as in tests of verbal and spatial reasoning and general fluid intelligence (Gf). Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation models indicated that the WM tasks largely reflected a domain-general factor, whereas STM tasks, based on the same stimuli as the WM tasks, were much more domain specific. The WM construct was a strong predictor of Gf and a weaker predictor of domain-specific reasoning, and the reverse was true for the STM construct. The findings support a domain-general view of WM capacity, in which executive-attention processes drive the broad predictive utility of WM span measures, and domain-specific storage and rehearsal processes relate more strongly to domain-specific aspects of complex cognition.

The Ribosomal Database Project (RDP-II): sequences and tools for high-throughput rRNA analysis

Abstract: The Ribosomal Database Project (RDP-II) provides the research community with aligned and annotated rRNA gene sequences, along with analysis services and a phylogenetically consistent taxonomic framework for these data. Updated monthly, these services are made available through the RDP-II website (http://rdp.cme.msu.edu/). RDP-II release 9.21 (August 2004) contains 101,632 bacterial small subunit rRNA gene sequences in aligned and annotated format. High-throughput tools for initial taxonomic placement, identification of related sequences, probe and primer testing, data navigation and subalignment download are provided. The RDP-II email address for questions or comments is rdpstaff@msu.edu.

Group performance and decision making.

Abstract: Theory and research on small group performance and decision making is reviewed. Recent trends in group performance research have found that process gains as well as losses are possible, and both are frequently explained by situational and procedural contexts that differentially affect motivation and resource coordination. Research has continued on classic topics (e.g., brainstorming, group goal setting, stress, and group performance) and relatively new areas (e.g., collective induction). Group decision making research has focused on preference combination for continuous response distributions and group information processing. New approaches (e.g., group-level signal detection) and traditional topics (e.g., groupthink) are discussed. New directions, such as nonlinear dynamic systems, evolutionary adaptation, and technological advances, should keep small group research vigorous well into the future.

First stars V - abundance patterns from C to Zn and supernova yields in the early galaxy

Abstract: In the framework of the ESO Large Programme "First Stars", very high-quality spectra of some 70 very metal-poor dwarfs and giants were obtained with the ESO VLT and UVES spectrograph. These stars are likely to have descended from the first generation(s) of stars formed after the Big Bang, and their detailed composition provides constraints on issues such as the nature of the first supernovae, the efficiency of mixing processes in the early Galaxy, the formation and evolution of the halo of the Galaxy, and the possible sources of reionization of the Universe. This paper presents the abundance analysis of an homogeneous sample of 35 giants selected from the HK survey of Beers et al. (1992, 1999), emphasizing stars of extremely low metallicity: 30 of our 35 stars are in the range −4.1 < (Fe/H) < −2. 7, and 22 stars have (Fe/H) < −3.0. Our new VLT/UVES spectra, at a resolving power of R ∼ 45 000 and with signal-to-noise ratios of 100-200 per pixel over the wavelength range 330-1000 nm, are greatly superior to those of the classic studies of McWilliam et al. (1995) and Ryan et al. (1996). The immediate objective of the work is to determine precise, comprehensive, and homogeneous element abundances for this large sample of the most metal-poor giants presently known. In the analysis we combine the spectral line modeling code "Turbospectrum" with OSMARCS model atmospheres, which treat continuum scattering correctly and thus allow proper inter- pretation of the blue regions of the spectra, where scattering becomes important relative to continuous absorption ( λ< 400 nm). We obtain detailed information on the trends of elemental abundance ratios and the star-to-star scatter around those trends, en- abling us to separate the relative contributions of cosmic scatter and observational/analysis errors. Abundances of 17 elements from C to Zn have been measured in all stars, including K and Zn, which have not previously been detected in stars with (Fe/H) < −3.0. Among the key results, we discuss the oxygen abundance (from the forbidden (OI) line), the different and sometimes complex trends of the abundance ratios with metallicity, the very tight relationship between the abundances of certain elements (e.g., Fe and Cr), and the high (Zn/Fe) ratio in the most metal-poor stars. Within the error bars, the trends of the abundance ratios with metallicity are consistent with those found in earlier literature, but in many cases the scatter around the average trends is much smaller than found in earlier studies, which were limited to lower-quality spectra. We find that the cosmic scatter in several element ratios may be as low as 0.05 dex. The evolution of the abundance trends and scatter with declining metallicity provides strong constraints on the yields of the first supernovae and their mixing into the early ISM. The abundance ratios found in our sample do not match the predicted yields from pair-instability hypernovae, but are consistent with element production by super- novae with progenitor masses up to 100 M� . Moreover, the composition of the ejecta that have enriched the matter

Unemployment Alters the Set Point for Life Satisfaction

Abstract: According to set-point theories of subjective well-being, people react to events but then return to baseline levels of happiness and satisfaction over time. We tested this idea by examining reaction and adaptation to unemployment in a 15-year longitudinal study of more than 24,000 individuals living in Germany. In accordance with set-point theories, individuals reacted strongly to unemployment and then shifted back toward their baseline levels of life satisfaction. However, on average, individuals did not completely return to their former levels of satisfaction, even after they became reemployed. Furthermore, contrary to expectations from adaptation theories, people who had experienced unemployment in the past did not react any less negatively to a new bout of unemployment than did people who had not been previously unemployed. These results suggest that although life satisfaction is moderately stable over time, life events can have a strong influence on long-term levels of subjective well-being.

Psychological ownership and feelings of possession: three field studies predicting employee attitudes and organizational citizenship behavior

Abstract: Summary An increasing number of scholars and practitioners have emphasized the importance of ‘feelings of ownership’ for the organization (even when employees are not legal owners). In this exploratory study, we examine the relationships of psychological ownership with work attitudes and work behaviors. We start by developing hypotheses based on the psychology of possession and psychological ownership literatures. We then test these hypotheses with data from three field samples, using responses from over 800 employees, as well as manager and peer observations of employee behavior. Results demonstrate positive links between psychological ownership for the organization and employee attitudes (organizational commitment, job satisfaction, organization-based self-esteem), and work behavior (performance and organizational citizenship). More important, psychological ownership increased explained variance in organization-based self-esteem and organizational citizenship behavior (both peer and supervisor observations of citizenship), over and above the effects of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Contrary to prior theoretical work on psychological ownership, results, however, fail to show an incremental value of psychological ownership in predicting employee performance. Copyright # 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Predictions and tests of climate‐based hypotheses of broad‐scale variation in taxonomic richness

Abstract: Broad-scale variation in taxonomic richness is strongly correlated with climate. Many mechanisms have been hypothesized to explain these patterns; however, testable predictions that would distinguish among them have rarely been derived. Here, we examine several prominent hypotheses for climate–richness relationships, deriving and testing predictions based on their hypothesized mechanisms. The ‘energy–richness hypothesis’ (also called the ‘more individuals hypothesis’) postulates that more productive areas have more individuals and therefore more species. More productive areas do often have more species, but extant data are not consistent with the expected causal relationship from energy to numbers of individuals to numbers of species. We reject the energy–richness hypothesis in its standard form and consider some proposed modifications. The ‘physiological tolerance hypothesis’ postulates that richness varies according to the tolerances of individual species for different sets of climatic conditions. This hypothesis predicts that more combinations of physiological parameters can survive under warm and wet than cold or dry conditions. Data are qualitatively consistent with this prediction, but are inconsistent with the prediction that species should fill climatically suitable areas. Finally, the ‘speciation rate hypothesis’ postulates that speciation rates should vary with climate, due either to faster evolutionary rates or stronger biotic interactions increasing the opportunity for evolutionary diversification in some regions. The biotic interactions mechanism also has the potential to amplify shallower, underlying gradients in richness. Tests of speciation rate hypotheses are few (to date), and their results are mixed.

The neural basis of puberty and adolescence

Abstract: The pubertal transition to adulthood involves both gonadal and behavioral maturation. A developmental clock, along with permissive signals that provide information on somatic growth, energy balance and season, time the awakening of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons at the onset of puberty. High-frequency GnRH release results from disinhibition and activation of GnRH neurons at puberty onset, leading to gametogenesis and an increase in gonadal steroid hormone secretion. Steroid hormones, in turn, both remodel and activate neural circuits during adolescent brain development, leading to the development of sexual salience of sensory stimuli, sexual motivation, and expression of copulatory behaviors in specific social contexts. These influences of hormones on reproductive behavior depend in part on changes in the adolescent brain that occur independently of gonadal maturation. Reproductive maturity is therefore the product of developmentally timed, brain-driven and recurrent interactions between steroid hormones and the adolescent nervous system.

Biometric cryptosystems: issues and challenges

Abstract: In traditional cryptosystems, user authentication is based on possession of secret keys; the method falls apart if the keys are not kept secret (i.e., shared with non-legitimate users). Further, keys can be forgotten, lost, or stolen and, thus, cannot provide non-repudiation. Current authentication systems based on physiological and behavioral characteristics of persons (known as biometrics), such as fingerprints, inherently provide solutions to many of these problems and may replace the authentication component of traditional cryptosystems. We present various methods that monolithically bind a cryptographic key with the biometric template of a user stored in the database in such a way that the key cannot be revealed without a successful biometric authentication. We assess the performance of one of these biometric key binding/generation algorithms using the fingerprint biometric. We illustrate the challenges involved in biometric key generation primarily due to drastic acquisition variations in the representation of a biometric identifier and the imperfect nature of biometric feature extraction and matching algorithms. We elaborate on the suitability of these algorithms for digital rights management systems.

General Mental Ability in the World of Work: Occupational Attainment and Job Performance.

Abstract: The psychological construct of general mental ability (GMA), introduced by C. Spearman (1904) nearly 100 years ago, has enjoyed a resurgence of interest and attention in recent decades. This article presents the research evidence that GMA predicts both occupational level attained and performance within one's chosen occupation and does so better than any other ability, trait, or disposition and better than job experience. The sizes of these relationships with GMA are also larger than most found in psychological research. Evidence is presented that weighted combinations of specific aptitudes tailored to individual jobs do not predict job performance better than GMA alone, disconfirming specific aptitude theory. A theory of job performance is described that explicates the central role of GMA in the world of work. These findings support Spearman's proposition that GMA is of critical importance in human affairs.

PDFgetX2: a GUI-driven program to obtain the pair distribution function from X-ray powder diffraction data

Abstract: The pair distribution function (PDF) reveals directly in real space the interatomic distances in a material. Recent applications have proved the PDF technique to be a powerful local-structure probe of nanostructured materials (Egami & Billinge, 2003; Billinge & Kanatzidis, 2004), in addition to its traditional use to study liquids and glasses (Furukawa, 1962; Wright, 1998). The experimental PDF is obtained by a sine Fourier transformation of the total-scattering structure function S(Q), where Q is the magnitude of the scattering vector. To obtain S(Q) from raw scattering intensities, many corrections have to be made to account for various instrument and sample effects. Adding to this complexity, most existing X-ray data PDF analysis software is menu driven and not particularly user-friendly. Reproducing an earlier data analysis has been dif®cult because data processing parameters are usually kept in the notebook other than with the data. Cross-platform compatibility has also been an issue.

Increased airway epithelial Na+ absorption produces cystic fibrosis-like lung disease in mice.

Abstract: Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene result in defective epithelial cAMP-dependent Cl− secretion and increased airway Na+ absorption. The mechanistic links between these altered ion transport processes and the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis lung disease, however, are unclear. To test the hypothesis that accelerated Na+ transport alone can produce cystic fibrosis-like lung disease, we generated mice with airway-specific overexpression of epithelial Na+ channels (ENaC). Here we show that increased airway Na+ absorption in vivo caused airway surface liquid (ASL) volume depletion, increased mucus concentration, delayed mucus transport and mucus adhesion to airway surfaces. Defective mucus transport caused a severe spontaneous lung disease sharing features with cystic fibrosis, including mucus obstruction, goblet cell metaplasia, neutrophilic inflammation and poor bacterial clearance. We conclude that increasing airway Na+ absorption initiates cystic fibrosis-like lung disease and produces a model for the study of the pathogenesis and therapy of this disease.

Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT): A Patient-Centered Approach to Grading Evidence in the Medical Literature

Abstract: A large number of taxonomies are used to rate the quality of an individual study and the strength of a recommendation based on a body of evidence. We have developed a new grading scale that will be used by several family medicine and primary care journals (required or optional), with the goal of allowing readers to learn one taxonomy that will apply to many sources of evidence. Our scale is called the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy. It addresses the quality, quantity, and consistency of evidence and allows authors to rate individual studies or bodies of evidence. The taxonomy is built around the information mastery framework, which emphasizes the use of patient-oriented outcomes that measure changes in morbidity or mortality. An A-level recommendation is based on consistent and good quality patient-oriented evidence; a B-level recommendation is based on inconsistent or limited quality patient-oriented evidence; and a C-level recommendation is based on consensus, usual practice, opinion, disease-oriented evidence, or case series for studies of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or screening. Levels of evidence from 1 to 3 for individual studies also are defined. We hope that consistent use of this taxonomy will improve the ability of authors and readers to communicate about the translation of research into practice.

CONGRUENCE EFFECTS IN SPONSORSHIP: The Mediating Role of Sponsor Credibility and Consumer Attributions of Sponsor Motive

Abstract: Corporations sponsoring causes may hope to create the appearance of "good citizenship." Using attribution theory, the authors develop and test a cognitive explanation of sponsorship effects. Results of the experiment suggest that a good fit between a company and the cause it sponsors generates consumer attributions of altruistic sponsor motives and enhances sponsor credibility and attitude toward the sponsor. Mediation analysis results indicate that congruence effects on sponsor attitudes were mediated by sponsor credibility.

Strength of recommendation taxonomy (SORT): a patient-centered approach to grading evidence in the medical literature.

Abstract: A large number of taxonomies are used to rate the quality of an individual study and the strength of a recommendation based on a body of evidence. We have developed a new grading scale that will be used by several family medicine and primary care journals (required or optional), with the goal of allowing readers to learn one taxonomy that will apply to many sources of evidence. Our scale is called the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy. It addresses the quality, quantity, and consistency of evidence and allows authors to rate individual studies or bodies of evidence. The taxonomy is built around the information mastery framework, which emphasizes the use of patient-oriented outcomes that measure changes in morbidity or mortality. An A-level recommendation is based on consistent and good-quality patient-oriented evidence; a B-level recommendation is based on inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence; and a C-level recommendation is based on consensus, usual practice, opinion, disease-oriented evidence, or case series for studies of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or screening. Levels of evidence from 1 to 3 for individual studies also are defined. We hope that consistent use of this taxonomy will improve the ability of authors and readers to communicate about the translation of research into practice.

The effects of physician empathy on patient satisfaction and compliance

Abstract: The present study attempted to develop new scales of patient-perceived, empathy-related constructs and to test a model of the relationships of physician empathy and related constructs to patient satisfaction and compliance. Five hundred fifty outpatients at a large university hospital in Korea were interviewed with the questionnaire. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Patient-perceived physician empathy significantly influenced patient satisfaction and compliance via the mediating factors of information exchange, perceived expertise, inter-personal trust, and partnership. Improving physician empathic communication skills should increase patient satisfaction and compliance. Health providers who wish to improve patient satisfaction and compliance should first identify components of their empathic communication needing improvement and then try to refine their skills to better serve patients.

An assessment of the use of structural equation modeling in strategic management research

Abstract: Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a powerful, yet complex, analytical technique. The use of SEM to examine strategic management phenomena has increased dramatically in recent years, suggesting that a critical evaluation of the technique's implementation is needed. We compared the use of SEM in 92 strategic management studies published in nine prominent journals from 1984 to 2002 to guidelines culled from methodological research. We found that the use and reporting of SEM often have been less than ideal, indicating that authors may be drawing erroneous conclusions about relationships among variables. Given these results, we offer suggestions for researchers on how to better deploy SEM within future inquiry. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

FeII/alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent hydroxylases and related enzymes.

Abstract: FeII/alpha-ketoglutarate (alphaKG)-dependent hydroxylases catalyze an amazing diversity of reactions that result in protein side-chain modifications, repair of alkylated DNA/RNA, biosynthesis of antibiotics and plant products, metabolism related to lipids, and biodegradation of a variety of compounds. These enzymes possess a beta-strand "jellyroll" structural fold that contains three metal-binding ligands found in a His1-X-Asp/Glu-Xn-His2 motif. The cosubstrate, alphaKG, chelates FeII using its C-2 keto group (binding opposite the Asp/Glu residue) and C-1 carboxylate (coordinating opposite either His1 or His2). Oxidative decomposition of alphaKG forms CO2 plus succinate and leads to the generation of an FeIV-oxo or other activated oxygen species that hydroxylate the primary substrate. The reactive oxygen species displays alternate reactivity in related enzymes that catalyze desaturations, ring expansions, or ring closures. Other enzymes resemble the FeII/alphaKG-dependent hydroxylases in terms of protein structure or chemical mechanism but do not utilize alphaKG as a substrate. This review describes the reactions catalyzed by this superfamily of enzymes, highlights key active site features revealed by structural studies, and summarizes results from spectroscopic and other approaches that provide insights into the chemical mechanisms.