The status of CP violation and the CKM matrix is reviewed. Direct CP violation in B decay has been established and the measurement of sin 2β in ψK modes reached 5% accuracy. I discuss the implications of these, and of the possible deviations of the CP asymmetries in b → s modes from that in ψK. The first meaningful measurements of α and γ are explained, together with their significance for cons...

Seafloor diking-eruptive events represent the irreducible, quantum events of upper oceanic crustal accretion. They record events by which a large portion of the oceanic crust has formed through geological history. Since 1993, the U.S. Navy's real-time Sound Surveillance System has allowed location of ongoing acoustic signatures of dike emplacement and basalt eruptions at ridge crests in the nor...

The status of CP violation and the CKM matrix is reviewed. Direct CP violation in B decay has been established and the measurement of sin 2β in ψK modes reached 5% accuracy. I discuss the implications of these, and of the possible deviations of the CP asymmetries in b → s modes from that in ψK. The first meaningful measurements of α and γ are explained, together with their significance for cons...

Natural and technological interdependent systems have been shown to be highly vulnerable due to cascading failures and an abrupt collapse of global connectivity under initial failure. Mitigating the risk by partial disconnection endangers their functionality. Here we propose a systematic strategy of selecting a minimum number of autonomous nodes that guarantee a smooth transition in robustness....

Elastic-plastic fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth resistance of full penetration butt welds were experimentally investigated. The obtained results were used to predict the critical crack size and the time to structural collapse of weld joints typically adopted in tubular towers of windmills. For this purpose, heavy in-service loading conditions were considered. In this way, it was pos...

Cardiac arrhythmias are a common cause of sudden death. ECG monitoring should be established as soon as possible for all patients who collapse suddenly or have symptoms of coronary ischemia or infarction. To avoid delay, apply adhesive electrodes with a conventional or automated external defibrillator (AED) or use the “quick-look” paddles feature on conventional defibrillators. For patients wit...

Cardiac arrhythmias are a common cause of sudden death. ECG monitoring should be established as soon as possible for all patients who collapse suddenly or have symptoms of coronary ischemia or infarction. To avoid delay, apply adhesive electrodes with a conventional or automated external defibrillator (AED) or use the “quick-look” paddles feature on conventional defibrillators. For patients wit...

GRW theory offers precise laws for the collapse of the wave function. These collapses are characterized by two new constants, λ and σ. Recent work has put experimental upper bounds on the collapse rate, λ. Lower bounds on λ have been more controversial since GRW begins to take on a many-worlds character for small values of λ. Here I examine GRW in this odd region of parameter space where collap...

Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation is an alternative to intubation in critically ill patients with respiratory insufficiency or poor gas exchange who may require flexible bronchoscopy for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. This ventilatory technique might help decrease the risk of bronchoscopy-related complications in patients with refractory hypoxemia, postoperative respiratory distres...