bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promotion of flowering in potted Piceaengelmannii (Perry) grafts: effects of heat, drought, gibberellin A4/7, and their timing
Authors: Ross Stephen D.
Published: December 2007

Young, potted grafts ofPiceaengelmannii were moved into a 30:20 °C (day:night) heated polyethylene house at different stages of lateral shoot elongation; and there they were subjected to low, moderate, or severe drought stress with and without branch applications of gibberellin A4/7 (GA4/7). The critical time for promoting flowering by high temperature was the late stage of slow shoot elongation, whereas for drought it was during early and rapid shoot growth. Each treatment inhibited flowering at the time the other was maximally effective and the effective treatment period for GA4/7 appeared to include that both for high temperature and drought. In contrast to drought, optimally timed heat treatment did not retard shoot elongation, nor did it result in a decreased needle water potential relative to well-watered grafts outdoors. It appears that heat and drought promote flowering through different mechanisms, albeit mechanisms which may be mediated, at least in part, through their influence on gibberellin metabolism. Advantages of indoor-potted orchards over conventional soil-based orchards for accelerating the breeding and production of genetically improved P. engelmannii seeds are discussed.
Multifactor classification and analysis of upland hardwood forest ecosystems of the Kickapoo River watershed, southwestern Wisconsin
Authors: Hix David M.
Published: December 2007

An ecological multifactor approach was used to develop a hierarchical classification of upland hardwood forest ecosystems of the Kickapoo River watershed, southwestern Wisconsin. This method was chosen from among the variety available because of its utility in this area of heavily disturbed forests. Eleven major ecosystem units were distinguished for the 67 plot areas sampled. Each ecosystem unit is characterized by a distinct combination of physiography (aspect and slope position and steepness), soil (parent material depth and type), and vegetation (canopy tree species and groups of ground cover species), and occurs in a unique position in the landscape. The canopies of most units are dominated by combinations of northern red oak (Quercusrubra L.), white oak (Q. alba L.), and sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.). The results of several discriminant analyses indicate a high level of association between plots within some units. A combination of physiographic, soil, and vegetational variables resulted in the highest overall percentage of correct classification of the plots. These 11 ecosystem units ranged in estimated productivity (average site index for northern red oak) from 12 to 21 m, with the two extremes significantly different at the 5% level.
Etiology of canopy gaps in spruce–fir forests at Crawford Notch, New Hampshire
Authors: Worrall J. J. , Harrington T. C.
Published: December 2007

Natural disturbance agents causing formation of canopy gaps were identified and quantified at five elevations (640, 765, 885, 1005, and 1130 m) in an old-growth spruce–fir forest. Actual and expanded gaps were measured to the inner edge of the crown or to the bole, respectively, of the live canopy trees at the gap margin. The percentage of forest canopy in gaps was lowest (6% for actual and 40% for expanded gap areas) at 1005 m elevation, near the upper limit of the spruce–fir phase, and highest (33% actual and 77% expanded) where the spruce–fir phase meets the mixed hardwood–conifer forest type at 765 m elevation. Mean gap size was smallest at the higher elevations. Expanded gap area was apportioned to tree species and disturbance agents according to basal area of affected trees in each gap. Twenty-two identified agents were involved in gap-phase mortality, and their relative importance varied strongly with elevation. Biotic diseases accounted for 66% of gap area at the lowest elevation (640 m) and only 7 and 15%, respectively, at the highest elevations (1005 and 1130 m). Root and butt rots were the most important group of biotic diseases at all elevations; their primary effect was to predispose trees to breakage of the stem near ground level. In contrast to biotic disease agents, chronic wind stress increased greatly in relative importance with elevation, accounting for 72% of gap area at 1130 m. The spruce beetle was an important disturbance agent at 640 and 765 m, where large, overmature red spruce trees had dominated the stand. Gap etiology appeared to be rarely restricted in time to a single event, and was often complex, with multiple agents occurring in the same gap and on the same tree.
Spatially constrained timber harvest scheduling
Authors: O'Hara Anthony J. , Faaland Bruce H. , Bare B. Bruce
Published: December 2007

Multiple-use management of forests often requires imposition of spatial constraints on the selection of units for harvest. To satisfy such constraints, harvest units must be treated as integral units. A biased sampling search technique is used to find integer solutions to operationally sized problems. Solutions found for the sample problems are within 8% of the upper bound of the corresponding linear programming solution and less than 4% below the upper bound on the true optimum as defined by a confidence interval estimator.
Modelling the incidence of butt rot in plantations of Piceaabies in Denmark
Authors: Vollbrecht G. , Jørgensen B. Bilde
Published: December 2007

An empirical model is presented to forecast the incidence of butt rot at the stand level. In addition, the impact of different thinning regimes and stump treatment on the incidence of butt rot was evaluated. The model is based on data from 166 permanent forest yield research plots of pure even-aged Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) plantations in Denmark, within which the incidence of butt rot at stump height in thinned trees has been recorded after each thinning since 1947. In total, 79 000 stumps from 895 thinnings were studied. Regression analyses were carried out with the incidence of butt rot at a given point of time as the dependent variable and variables describing site, stand, and silvicultural treatments as the independent variables. Predictions carried out with the model imply that Norway spruce planted on old hardwood forest sites show the fastest development of butt rot and that the more heavily or more often a stand is thinned, the faster will be the development of butt rot. Furthermore, stump treatment with urea or sodium nitrite and thinnings carried out during January–March reduce the rot development.
Relative frequency of bole and branch infection of lodgepole pine by western gall rust
Authors: Kamp B.J. van der , Karlman M. , Witzell J.
Published: December 2007

Tree height and number of western gall rust (caused by Endocronartiumharknessii (J.P. Moore) Hirat.) bole and branch infections per living tree were recorded in three experimental 7-year-old lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl. ex Loud.) plantations located near Fort St. James, Mackenzie, and Fort St. John, B.C. An extra set of data for trees originating from north of 60°N was also taken at Fort St. John. Each plantation consisted of 40 types of genetic material (i.e., different parentage and latitude of origin), while the extra set at Fort St. John consisted of 17 types of genetic material. The 4357 trees examined had an average of 1.81 gall rust infections per tree, and 49.1% of all trees were infected. Ninety percent of all infections originated in a single year (1990). The number of galls per unit target area declined with increasing height above ground. The percentage of galls located on the bole was 3.10, 10.53, 8.03, and 9.88% for the four populations, respectively. The number of western gall rust infections per tree was linearly related to tree height. The number of infections on boles did not vary with tree height, but the proportion of all infections located on the bole was linearly related to the reciprocal of tree height. The proportion of infections on the bole did not vary significantly with infection severity. Finally, the proportion of galls on the bole did not differ significantly between types of genetic material.
Tree regeneration in an Abiesfaxoniana forest after bamboo dieback, Wang Lang Natural Reserve, China
Authors: Taylor Alan H. , Qin Zisheng , Liu Jie
Published: December 2007

Bamboos in the understory of Abiesfaxoniana Render & Wilson forests in China impede tree regeneration when they are mature. However, bamboos die back every few decades and may synchronize tree seedling establishment on the forest floor. Tree seedling regeneration patterns were studied beneath 20 canopy gaps and adjacent closed forest in an old-growth A. faxoniana forest where understory bamboos died back in 1976. Most seedlings of A. faxoniana, Acercaudatum Wallich, and Betulautilis D. Don in gaps established 2 years after dieback of the bamboo Fargesiadenudata Yi. Acercaudatum seedlings in gaps were taller than those of B. utilis or A. faxoniana, and B. utilis seedlings were fourfold more abundant in gaps than the other species. All species (except A. caudatum) had greater seedling densities in gaps, but there were no density differences among species beneath closed forest. Bamboo cover and maximum culm height were greater under gaps than forest, and it takes bamboo seedlings about 18 years to grow to full height. Bamboo seems to reduce the success of an advanced regeneration strategy and promotes synchronized seedling establishment in gaps after it dies back.
THERMODYNAMICS OF NONCOMMUTATIVE SCHWARZSCHILD BLACK HOLE
Authors: NOZARI KOUROSH , FAZLPOUR BEHNAZ
Published: December 2007

We investigate the effects of space noncommutativity and the generalized uncertainty principle on the thermodynamics of a radiating Schwarzschild black hole. We show that evaporation process is in such a way that black hole reaches a maximum temperature before its final stage of evolution and then cools down to a nonsingular remnant with zero temperature and entropy. We compare our results with more reliable results of string theory. This comparison shows that GUP and space noncommutativity are similar concepts at least from the viewpoint of black hole thermodynamics.
ADDENDUM: "GRAVITATIONAL PERFECT FLUID COLLAPSE WITH COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT"
Authors: Sharif M. , Ahmad Zahid
Published: December 2007

The energy conservation equation is added to obtain the solution of the field equations in Ref. 1.
ISOLATED SCAPHOTRAPEZIOTRAPEZOID OSTEOARTHRITIS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF TREATMENT USING A PYROCARBON IMPLANT
Authors: Low A. K. , Edmunds I. A.
Published: December 2007

The scaphotrapeziotrapezoid (STT) joint is the second most common site in the wrist affected by degenerative arthritis. STT fusion has been the traditional treatment for patients with isolated STT arthritis but there are concerns about the complication rate and loss of wrist movement post-surgery. The current study presents the results of an interposition arthroplasty using a scaphoid trapezium pyrocarbon implant (STPI, BIOProfile). Ten STPI's were implanted in nine patients (mean age 66, 58–76 years) with isolated STT arthritis. The mean follow-up was 16.4 (3–35) months. Following surgery, VAS pain scores improved significantly and most patients had minimal restrictions in function, with a mean DASH score of 21. The mean wrist flexion-extension arc was 126° and radioulnar deviation was 43°. Mean grip strength was 82% and pinch strength 85% compared to the non-operated side. Patients were highly satisfied with the results of their surgery (mean VAS score 9.1). No surgical complications were encountered and no significant changes in carpal alignment were noted on radiographs. The results of this study suggest that STPI interposition arthroplasty may be a good alternative to STT fusion for isolated STT arthritis.
Clastic depositional systems at the base of the late Miocene evaporites of the Levant region, Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Bertoni C. , Cartwright J. A.
Published: December 2007

This study investigates the evidence for the presence of clastic sediments at the base of the distal Messinian evaporites in the Levant region (Eastern Mediterranean). Seismic geomorphological analysis of three-dimensional seismic data clearly reveals the occurrence of a well-imaged clastic body composed of two closely spaced channel-mouth lobe deposits, within the basal part of the Messinian evaporites. Comparable seismic facies observed at the same stratigraphic level point to the occurrence of additional clastic deposits and allows their correlation with the El Arish and Afiq canyon systems. The seismic characteristics of the clastic bodies and the analogy with other coeval deposits in the Mediterranean Basin suggest that they deposited in a submarine (shallow- or deep-water) setting. Knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of these clastic deposits has considerable impact on the interpretation of the depositional environment of this basinwide evaporitic system.
Role of rifting in evaporite deposition in the Great Kavir Basin, central Iran
Authors: Rahimpour-Bonab H. , Shariatinia Z. , Siemann M. G.
Published: December 2007

The thick middle Miocene evaporites of the Great Kavir Basin, Central Iran, are classified as MgSO
4
-poor potash-bearing deposits. In the northern domain of the Great Kavir Basin these sediments occur as 50 very large salt diapirs, as well as outcrops in several areas, including the Melheh salt pit to the south of Semnan, north Central Iran. Based on the excellent preservation of layering in these sequences, along with well-preserved bottom nucleated primary textures within the halite and sylvite, they are interpreted as largely primary deposits. They also contain some secondary minerals such as langbeinite, d'ansite, polyhalite and anhydrite. The Br content in the halite and sylvinite layers falls within the range of marine evaporites. These MgSO
4
-poor potash-bearing evaporites deposits, along with other marine and continental sediments, appear to have been precipitated in the marginal marine basins around continental rifts. Seemingly, these evaporites formed in marginal marine rift-related basins which also received input from deep, circulating hydrothermal CaCl
2
-rich brines. These hydrothermal brines were also rich in Fe and Zn and apparently were driven upward along faults and fracture zones by the thermal gradient along the axis of the extensional trough.
Genesis and evolution of ‘pseudocarniole’: preliminary observations from the Susa Valley (Western Alps)
Authors: Alberto W. , Carraro F. , Giardino M. , Tiranti D.
Published: December 2007

In the Alpine geological literature some particular carbonate rocks having a vuggy appearance, associated with evaporite rocks, have a controversial origin and diversified, uneven, nomenclature. In this paper they are provisionally called ‘pseudocarniole’. An excellent exposure along the Susa Valley (Italian Western Alps) permitted a relatively full analysis of a group of such vuggy rocks
in situ
. Five main lithologies have been identified with respect to their nature, shape, dimensions and organization of the clasts, also according to the matrix and the composition of the cements.

Utilizing the interpretation of geological and geomorphological field data that cover these deposits, detailed stratigraphical descriptions and laboratory microanalyses (optical microscope and cathode-luminescence), a genetic interpretative model is proposed. The main formational process is dissolution, starting from solution of gypsum and anhydrite; then the processes affecting carbonate ‘parental residual rocks’ are considered. Thereafter a general instability of the rock masses is introduced with a consequent gravitational collapse. Other general processes are usually associated: tectonics, gravity and Plio-Quaternary karst phenomena. Finally, a particularly young age for the formation of the pseudocarniole deposits is noted, based on palynological data, Plio-Quaternary.
A Feedback Model Reproduces Muscle Activity During Human Postural Responses to Support-Surface Translations
Authors: Welch Torrence D. J. , Ting Lena H.
Published: December 2007

Although feedback models have been used to simulate body motions in human postural control, it is not known whether muscle activation patterns generated by the nervous system during postural responses can also be explained by a feedback control process. We investigated whether a simple feedback law could explain temporal patterns of muscle activation in response to support-surface translations in human subjects. Previously, we used a single-link inverted-pendulum model with a delayed feedback controller to reproduce temporal patterns of muscle activity during postural responses in cats. We scaled this model to human dimensions and determined whether it could reproduce human muscle activity during forward and backward support-surface perturbations. Through optimization, we found three feedback gains (on pendulum acceleration, velocity, and displacement) and a common time delay that allowed the model to best match measured electromyographic (EMG) signals. For each muscle and each subject, the entire time courses of EMG signals during postural responses were well reconstructed in muscles throughout the lower body and resembled the solution derived from an optimal control model. In ankle muscles, >75% of the EMG variability was accounted for by model reconstructions. Surprisingly, >67% of the EMG variability was also accounted for in knee, hip, and pelvis muscles, even though motion at these joints was minimal. Although not explicitly required by our optimization, pendulum kinematics were well matched to subject center-of-mass (CoM) kinematics. Together, these results suggest that a common set of feedback signals related to task-level control of CoM motion is used in the temporal formation of muscle activity during postural control.
Phase I Trial of aLactobacillus crispatusVaginal Suppository for Prevention of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection in Women
Authors: Czaja Christopher A. , Stapleton Ann E. , Yarova-Yarovaya Yuliya , Stamm Walter E.
Published: December 2007

Objectives: We performed a phase I trial to assess the safety and tolerance of aLactobacillusvaginal suppository for prevention of recurrent UTI.Methods: Premenopausal women with a history of recurrent UTI were randomized to useL. crispatusCTV-05 or placebo vaginal suppositories daily for five days.Results: 30 women were randomized (15 toL. crispatusCTV-05). No severe adverse events occurred. Mild to moderate vaginal discharge and genital irritation were reported by women in both study arms. Seven women randomized toL. crispatusCTV-05 developed pyuria without associated symptoms. Most women had high concentrations of vaginalH202-producing lactobacilli before randomization.L. crispatus,L. jensenii, andL. gasseriwere the most commonLactobacillusspecies identified, with stable prevalence over time.Conclusions:L. crispatusCTV-05 can be given as a vaginal suppository with minimal sideeffects to healthy women with a history of recurrent UTI. Mild inflammation of the urinary tract was noted in some women.
Cost Comparisons between Home- and Clinic-Based Testing for Sexually Transmitted Diseases in High-Risk Young Women
Authors: Smith Kenneth J. , Cook Robert L. , Ness Roberta B.
Published: December 2007

Home testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea increases screening rates, but the cost consequences of this intervention are unclear. We examined the cost differences between home-based and clinic-based testing and the cost-effectiveness of home testing based on the DAISY study, a randomized controlled trial. Direct and indirect costs were estimated for home and clinic testing, and cost-effectiveness was calculated as cost per additional test performed. In the clinic testing group, direct costs were $49/test and indirect costs (the costs of seeking or receiving care) were $62/test. Home testing cost was $25/test. We found that home testing was cost saving when all testing for all patients was considered. However cost savings were not seen when only asymptomatic tests or when patient subgroups were considered. A home testing program could be cost saving, depending on whether changes in clinic testing frequency occur when home testing is available.
Safety Study of an Antimicrobial Peptide Lactocin 160, Produced by the VaginalLactobacillus rhamnosus
Authors: Dover Sara E. , Aroutcheva Alla A. , Faro S. , Chikindas Michael L.
Published: December 2007

Objective.To evaluate the safety of the antimicrobial peptide, lactocin 160.Methods.Lactocin 160, a product of vaginal probioticLactobacillus rhamnosus160 was evaluated for toxicity and irritation. An in vitro human organotypic vaginal-ectocervical tissue model (EpiVaginal) was employed for the safety testing by determining the exposure time to reduce tissue viability to 50% (ET-50). Hemolytic activity of lactocin160 was tested using 8% of human erythrocyte suspension. Susceptibility of lactobacilli to lactocin160 was also studied. Rabbit vaginal irritation (RVI) model was used for an in vivo safety evaluation.Results.The ET-50 value was 17.5 hours for lactocin 160 (4.9 hours for nonoxynol 9, N9). Hemolytic activity of lactocin 160 was 8.2% (N9 caused total hemolysis). Lactobacilli resisted to high concentrations of peptide preparation. The RVI model revealed slight vaginal irritation. An average irritation index grade was evaluated as “none.”Conclusions.Lactocin 160 showed minimal irritation and has a good potential for intravaginal application.
Serum Levels of Pigmentation Markers Are Elevated in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis
Authors: Murakami Kazutaka , Wakamatsu Kazumasa , Nakanishi Yukiko , Takahashi Hiroki , Sugiyama Satoshi , Ito Shosuke
Published: December 2007

Background: Diffuse hyperpigmentation is common among patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis (HD). We have examined serum levels of 5-S-cysteinyldopa (5SCD, a pheomelanin precursor), pheomelanin, eumelanin, and protein-bound (PB-) 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and PB-5SCD in HD patients. Methods: Pheomelanin and eumelanin were assayed by chemical degradation methods. Results: Serum levels of free 5SCD in HD patients (n = 16) were 9-fold higher than in healthy controls (n = 16). Levels of pheomelanin in HD patients were 2.6-fold higher than in controls, while levels of eumelanin did not differ between HD patients and controls. Levels of PB-DOPA and PB-5SCD in HD patients were approximately 1.5-fold higher than in controls. Serum levels of free 5SCD were positively correlated to the duration of HD therapy. Conclusions: The high constitutive levels of free 5SCD, pheomelanin, and PB-DOPA in the blood may be deteriorating in HD patients through the production of reactive oxygen species.
The 1999 Electoral Reforms in Indonesia: Debate, Design and Implementation
Authors: King Dwight Y.
Published: December 2007

This article describes some of the major ways in which the recent electoral reforms changed the Soeharto-era electoral system. The system of only three political parties adhering to a common philosophy (Pancasila) was replaced by hundreds of parties and considerable ideological diversity. To make elections of legislators more meaningful, responsibility for the administration and supervision of elections was placed with more neutral authorities. The reforms enhanced the representativeness, power and accountability of the legislatures in various ways, including multipartyism, establishment of standing subcommissions, bestowal of subpoena power, and decrease in appointed representatives. Particular attention is given to the debate surrounding the most sensitive issues in electoral reform: appointed military representatives, proportional versus district (plurality) electoral principle, and civil servants' involvement in political parties. Despite numerous flaws both in the design of the reforms and in their implementation, reasons for cautious optimism about Indonesia's political evolution are offered in conclusion.
Surviving the Politics of Late Modernity: The Eurasian Fringe Community of Singapore1
Authors: Rappa Antonio L.
Published: December 2007

This paper locates the Eurasian community's reconciliatory politics in an age marked by a proclivity for primordial purity within complex political, social and economic sub-systems. The word "Eurasian" has both old and new connotations; "old" because of primordial accents of physically "observable" biological mixture, and "difference"; and "new" because of cultural origins in the early to mid-sixteenth century. This paper concentrates on Eurasians in Singapore after 1945. Eurasians are the architects, objects, and subjects of a hybrid culture, a momentary reminder of a formerly powerful colonial presence in Southeast Asia. Since the early sixteenth century Eurasians have been transformed by the impact of at least three different phases of Western colonialism, and since 1955, two ongoing phases of internal colonialism by a predominantly Malay state in Malay[si]a, and a migrant, Chinese-dominated State in Singapore. Eurasians in Malaysia and Singapore survive as a fringe community: a politically, and demographically marginal community that has existed and continues to exist on the fringe of the modern Malay world, subjected through the years to the state policies of the Portuguese, Dutch, British, Malay, and Singapore governments, yet managing to preserve their culture of "Eurasianess" through a strategy of reconciliatory politics in late modernity.
Recovering a Missing Voice from Mughal India: The Imperial Discourse of Jahāngīr (R. 1605-1627) in his Memoirs
Authors: Lefèvre Corinne
Published: December 2007

This article argues against the common view according to which the Mughal emperor Jahāngīr was a political lightweight who was dominated by his famous spouse Nūr Jahān. Beginning with a discussion of the historiographical processes which presided over the construction of such a negative image, the essay continues with a thorough re-examination of the emperor's memoirs entitled Jahāngīr Nāma. This text brings out a coherent and original political voice, in which Jahāngīr skilfully connects his identities of sovereign, naturalist, and collector. The conclusion evaluates the impact of this discourse through a brief analysis of the reaction of the Mughal political and religious elite. Cet article s'élève contre l'opinion commune suivant laquelle l'empereur moghol Jahāngīr fut une figure politique mineure, dominée par sa célèbre épouse Nār Jahīn. Il s'ouvre sur une discussion des processus historiographiques qui présidèrent à la construction de cette image négative, et se poursuit par une réexamen serré des mémoires de l'empereur (ou Jahāngīr Nāma). En ressort une voix politique cohérente et originale, Jahāngīr articulant habilement ses identités de souverain, de naturaliste et de collectionneur. La conclusion évalue l'impact de ce discours à travers un rapide analyse de la réaction qu'il suscita auprès de l'élite politique et religieuse du royaume.
National Scientific Communities in the Globalized World: Global ICTs as a Tool of Modernization among the Russian Academic Community
Authors: Mirskaya Elena
Published: December 2007

Continuous growth in the use of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) in science essentially expands the potentialities of scientists to receive the topical scientific information and to extend the professional communication that are the crucial elements for producing the new scientific knowledge. At the same time, these global technologies after becoming an integral part of the national sciences create and promote the new forms of organizing research corresponding to the globalized world science; that is, modern ICTs per se appear as a tool of globalization and transition to the information society. Both mentioned aspects of ICTs influence give enough motivation to investigate the real processes in those scientific communities that are assimilating this innovation. It is important to note that before our study, the productivity of ICTs within the sciences was not proved, although in principle it was not doubted. This article analyzes the process of ICTs assimilation in the Russian academic community (1994-2004), including dynamics of indicators characterizing not only the level of ICTs use but also their act on professional life and productivity of scientists as well. On the basis of empirical data from Russia obtained during 10 years of sociological monitoring, the research reveals the positive correlation between the level of ICTs use by scientists and their professional success. The new “virtual” types of science organizations, such as virtual laboratories and a grid system, that are considered as offshoots of globalization, are not typical to Russian academic science, which keeps safe a more traditional style. Nonetheless, some issues connected with the long-term prospects of e-science are also discussed.
Changing Borders and Realities: Emigration of Indian Scientists and Engineers to the United States
Authors: Varma Roli
Published: December 2007

International migration cannot be viewed as a byproduct of globalization since people have been migrating for centuries. However, globalization has given rise to a new kind of immigration, where a growing variety of interconnected social activities are taking place among technical immigrants at a high speed irrespective of their geographical location. The advent of instant online communication and the ability to share discoveries, inventions, advances, documents, and pictures in real time, as well as safe, easy, and fast travel options have made the traditional notions of borders, immigration, and even assimilation obsolete. This paper looks at how the tenets of immigration under globalization seem to be becoming outmoded as scientific knowledge flows between India and the U.S. It is based on the review of literature on the subject and in-depth interviews conducted in 2002-2004 with 120 Indian scientists and engineers from both countries.
Fair-Trade Coffee and Commodity Fetishism: The Limits of Market-Driven Social Justice
Authors: Fridell Gavin
Published: December 2007

This paper explores the claims made by various authors that the fair-trade network provides an initial basis for a challenge to the commodification of goods under global capitalism. Proponents of fair trade generally advance two essential arguments in this regard. First, they claim that fair trade reveals the social and environmental conditions under which goods are produced and brings producers and consumers together through 'ethical consumerism', which challenges the commodification of goods into items with an independent life of their own. Second, they argue that fair trade affirms non-economic values of co-operation and solidarity which challenge the capitalist imperatives of competition, accumulation, and profit-maximisation. Drawing from cases in the fair-trade coffee sector, these assertions are critically examined and it is argued that, while fair trade can provide a symbolic challenge to commodity fetishism, in the end this challenge is strictly limited by the power of global market imperatives and the network's market-driven approach.
The Portrait of Commodus in Herodian's History (1,7,5-6) as the Source of Pionius' post mortem Description in Martyrium Pionii (22,2-4)
Authors: Kozlowski Jan
Published: December 2007

The description of the martyr Pionius' body after his execution bears a remarkable likeness to a passage in the historian Herodian in which the appearance of the emperor Commodus is described. It seems most likely that the author of the Martyrium Pionii was inspired by Herodian.
Paradoxe Formulierungen bei Dionysios Areopagites mit speziellem Bezug auf Gregor von Nyssa
Authors: Alexopoulos Theodoros
Published: December 2007

The unknown writer of the Corpus Areopagiticum is one of the most important thinkers of the Eastern Church whose theology exercised an enormous influence on the so-called mystical tradition of the mediaeval West. His writings are characterised by a great theological depth and reveal a significant familiarity with neo-platonic philosophy, in particular with that of Proclus. Nevertheless, his dependence on Cappadocian thought and above all on Gregory of Nyssa is not to be neglected. One of the points of correspondence between the two thinkers is a remarkably frequent use of antithetic terminology, as another way of expressing deep meanings. The antithesis becomes the means by which the theological paradox is brought to light and revealed and signifies the tendency of the writer to pinpoint mystical experiences. It would thus appear self-evident that a study is needed of "Pseudo-Dionysius", use of this terminology, in the form of collecting the contradictory expressions and elucidating their meaning and importance for his thought.
Population Pharmacokinetic Investigation of Actinomycin‐D in Children and Young Adults
Authors: Mondick Joh T. , Gibiansky Leonid , Gastonguay Mar R. , Skolnik Jeffre M. , Cole Michael , Veal Garet J. , Boddy Ala V. , Adamson Pete C. , Barrett Jeffre S.
Published: December 2007

Actinomycin‐D is an antineoplastic agent that inhibits RNA synthesis by binding to guanine residues and inhibiting DNA‐dependent RNA polymerase. Although actinomycin‐D has been used to treat rhabdomyosarcoma and Wilms tumor for more than 40 years, the dose/exposure relationship is not well characterized. The objective of this study was to develop an initial population pharmacokinetic model to describe actinomycin‐D disposition in children and young adults from which a prospective study could be designed. A total of 165 actinomycin‐D plasma concentration measurements from 33 patients, aged 1.6 to 20.3 years, were used for the analysis. The data were analyzed using nonlinear mixed‐effects modeling with the NONMEM software system. Age, weight, and gender were examined as covariates for the ability to explain interindividual variability in actinomycin‐D pharmacokinetics. The final model was qualified via predictive check and nonparametric bootstrap procedures. A 3‐compartment model with first‐order elimination was chosen as the structural model. Allometric expressions incorporating weight were used to describe the effects of body size on actinomycin‐D pharmacokinetics. Age and gender had no discernible effects on actinomycin‐D pharmacokinetics in the population studied. The predictive check showed that the developed model was able to simulate data in close agreement with the actual study observations. The availability of an initial population pharmacokinetic model to describe actinomycin‐D pharmacokinetics will facilitate the development of a large‐scale clinical trial to study the actinomycin‐D dose/exposure relationship in pediatric patients with rhabdomyosarcoma and Wilms tumor. The covariate analysis described by the current data set suggests that indices of body size captured via allometric expressions improve the partition of variation in actinomycin‐D pharmacokinetics from this pilot data set. Relationships between pharmacokinetics and toxicity will be examined in future prospective studies in which children less than 1 year old will be enrolled.
ASP, The Art and Science of Practice: Appeal to NP-Completeness Considered Harmful: Does the Fact That a Problem Is NP-Complete Tell Us Anything?
Authors: Goulimis Constantine N.
Published: December 2007

NP-completeness is often used as an argument for the development of heuristic algorithms, as opposed to optimal ones. The intent of this article is to show that this is a mistake.
Assessing the Impact of RFID on Return Center Logistics
Authors: Langer Nishtha , Forman Chris , Kekre Sunder , Scheller-Wolf Alan
Published: December 2007

As many manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and logistics firms adopt RFID, the technology is becoming pervasive in the supply chain. Although its advocates include retail giants such as Wal-Mart, not all companies are enthusiastic about its benefits. It is not clear whether RFID is a boon or a curse to the supply chain—its market growth may just be an issue of compliance. To establish the real benefits of RFID, we conducted a field study with GENCO, a third-party logistics company that deployed RFID in the outbound logistics operations at one of its return centers. Our analysis found that the RFID implementation had a significant impact on the GENCO outbound process. The number of customer claims fell substantially following the RFID deployment. After controlling for other factors in our model, we confirmed that RFID was a key factor that contributed to the positive results at this return center. The current study underscores the potential of RFID for today's businesses.
Against Your Better Judgment? How Organizations Can Improve Their Use of Management Judgment in Forecasting
Authors: Fildes Robert , Goodwin Paul
Published: December 2007

Accurate forecasts are crucial to successful organizational planning. In 2001, 40 international experts published a set of principles to guide best practices in forecasting. Some of these principles relate to the use of management judgment. Most organizations use judgment at some stage in their forecasting process, but do they do so effectively? Although judgment can lead to significant improvements in forecasting accuracy, it can also be biased and inconsistent. The principles show how forecasters should use judgment and assess its effectiveness. We conducted a survey of 149 forecasters to examine the use of judgment based on these established principles and to investigate whether their forecasting procedures were consistent with the principles. In addition, we conducted four in-depth case studies. Although we found examples of good practice, we also discovered that many organizations would improve forecast accuracy if they followed basic principles such as limiting judgmental adjustments of quantitative forecasts, requiring managers to justify their adjustments in writing, and assessing the results of judgmental interventions.
Book Reviews
Authors: Lev Benjamin
Published: December 2007

In Book Reviews, we review an extensive and diverse range of books. They cover theory and applications in operations research, statistics, management science, econometrics, mathematics, computers, and information systems. In addition, we include books in other fields that emphasize technical applications. However, we do not review software. To submit a book for review, please send it to me at the above address. Although we cannot review all books because of space limitations, we do list all books that we receive.

We commission all book reviews and do not accept unsolicited reviews. To become a reviewer, please send me your name, address, and specific areas of expertise. We encourage readers to suggest books for review or to ask publishers to send copies of such books.

The authors or editors of books we review in this issue are Sven Axsater, Ignacy Kaliszewski, Rainer Kleber, Bart Kosko, Hau L. Lee, and Chung-Yee Lee.
Editorial: The Seventh Interfaces Ranking of Universities' Contributions to the Practice Literature
Authors: Rothkopf Michael H.
Published: December 2007

For the seventh time, I rank universities according to their contributions to the INFORMS practice literature and trace the evolution of the rankings of the top universities. Two universities are tied for the top ranking this time: the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania. Erasmus University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Chile are now tied for the top ranking among non-US universities. The number of non-US universities contributing to the practice literature is growing.
Operations Research Helps Reshape Operations Strategy at Standard Register Company
Authors: Ahire Sanjay L. , Gorman Michael F. , Dwiggins David , Mudry Oleh
Published: December 2007

Standard Register (SR) Company is a 93-year-old firm leading in high-volume print production of forms and print stationery for major US firms. SR is facing the strategic challenge of minimizing the total landed costs to offer competitive pricing in the highly competitive traditional print market segment. We applied a trio of operations research (OR) techniques to help SR optimally allocate the production orders across its production-distribution network for minimizing the total landed cost: (1) regressions to estimate the cost and time efficiency attributes of various printing presses on print jobs of different types; (2) optimization modeling to determine the optimal order-routing strategy; and (3) simulation modeling of the production-distribution network to assess the effectiveness of optimal and heuristic allocation strategies under uncertainty of customer orders and equipment performance. With an estimated potential annual savings of over $10 million across SR's major product segments in the high-volume rotary production business, the study has resulted in a strategic shift in SR's capacity-allocation policies. SR's executive-leadership team has launched system-wide production-distribution improvement initiatives and expedited efforts to build real-time supply chain decision-support capabilities to support this philosophy.
Practice Abstracts
Authors: Denton Brian T.
Published: December 2007

The goal of “Practice Abstracts” is to present interesting, topical, and novel applications of operations research methodology to a wide range of industrial applications. “Practice Abstracts” are intended to provide Interfaces readers with short (2–4 page) descriptions of the most relevant aspects of operations-research–based projects, in a form that is accessible to academics and practitioners in other organizations. Contributions should be sent for evaluation to the editor of “Practice Abstracts,” Brian T. Denton, Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 370 Daniels Hall, North Carolina State University, 111 Lampe Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7906, bdenton@ncsu.edu.
Scheduling the Chilean Soccer League by Integer Programming
Authors: Durán Guillermo , Guajardo Mario , Miranda Jaime , Sauré Denis , Souyris Sebastián , Weintraub Andres , Wolf Rodrigo
Published: December 2007

Since 2005, Chile's professional soccer league has used a game-scheduling system that is based on an integer linear programming model. The Chilean league managers considered several operational, economic, and sporting criteria for the final tournaments' scheduling. Thus, they created a highly constrained problem that had been, in practice, unsolvable using their previous methodology. This led to the adoption of a model that used some techniques that were new in soccer-league sports scheduling. The schedules they generated provided the teams with benefits such as lower costs, higher incomes, and fairer seasons. In addition, the tournaments were more attractive to sports fans. The success of the new scheduling system has completely fulfilled the expectations of the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (ANFP), the organization for Chilean professional soccer.
Fewer Equipment Changeovers for the Embroidery Process at Oxford Industries
Authors: Bowers Melissa R. , Agarwal Anurag
Published: December 2007

Oxford Industries, Inc., a leading US apparel manufacturer, implemented a scheduling algorithm that significantly reduced equipment changeovers in its in-house embroidery facility. The company was experiencing difficulties meeting due dates in one of its more profitable, new markets—branded custom-embroidered golfwear. The time Oxford was spending on equipment changeovers was leaving insufficient processing time to meet a surge in demand in this new market. We identified an opportunity for increased production capacity through more efficient scheduling of sequence-dependent changeovers among garments. During the period that we studied, the use of the scheduling algorithm reduced the number of changeovers by an average of 88 percent per order.
Optimizing Highway Transportation at the United States Postal Service
Authors: Pajunas Anthony , Matto Edward J. , Trick Michael , Zuluaga Luis F.
Published: December 2007

The United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers more than 200 billion items per year. Transporting these items in a timely and cost-efficient manner is critical if USPS is to meet its service and financial goals. The Highway Corridor Analytic Program (HCAP) is a tool that aids USPS transportation analysts in identifying cost-savings opportunities in the surface-transportation network. By using HCAP, USPS has saved millions of dollars annually.
How Improved Forecasts Can Degrade Decentralized Supply Chains
Authors: Miyaoka Julia , Hausman Warren H.
Published: December 2007

This research studies the impact of improved forecasts on the members of a two-stage supply chain. The supplier builds capacity based on original forecast information, and the manufacturer places its order after observing improved (but imperfect) demand information. We study three types of wholesale price purchasing arrangements: (1) when the wholesale price is determined to be exogenous to the supply chain; (2) when the supplier sets the wholesale price; and (3) when the manufacturer sets the wholesale price. Although improved demand information reduces the demand uncertainty that the manufacturer faces, the manufacturer is constrained by the supplier's capacity decision. In all three cases, we show that improved information can decrease the supply chain's expected profit, even as the supplier's capacity increases with improved information. Because improved demand information always increases the centralized supply chain's expected profit, we present a contract that coordinates the channel and provides flexibility in dividing systemwide profit.
Buildings, elliptic curves, and the K (2)-local sphere
Authors: Behrens Mark
Published: December 2007

We investigate a dense subgroup Γ of the second Morava stabilizer group given by a certain group of quasi-isogenies of a supersingular elliptic curve in characteristic p. The group Γ acts on the Bruhat-Tits building for GL2(ℚ) through its action on the -adic Tate module. This action has finite stabilizers, giving a small resolution for the homotopy fixed point spectrum (EhΓ 2)hGal by spectra of topological modular forms. Here, E2 is a version of Morava E-theory and Gal = Gal().
Volume inequalities for isotropic measures
Authors: Lutwak Erwin , Yang Deane , Zhang Gaoyong
Published: December 2007

A direct approach to Ball's simplex inequality is presented. This approach, which does not use the Brascamp-Lieb inequality, also gives Barthe's characterization of the simplex for Ball's inequality and extends it from discrete to arbitrary measures. It also yields the dual inequality, along with equality conditions, and it does both for arbitrary measures.
Strichartz estimates for long range perturbations
Authors: Bouclet Jean-Marc , Tzvetkov Nikolay
Published: December 2007

We study local in time Strichartz estimates for the Schrödinger equation associated to long range perturbations of the flat Laplacian on the Euclidean space. We prove that in such a geometric situation, outside a large ball centered at the origin, the solutions of the Schrödinger equation enjoy the same Strichartz estimates as in the nonperturbed situation. The proof is based on the Isozaki-Kitada parametrix construction. If in addition the metric is nontrapping, we prove that the Strichartz estimates hold in the whole space.
Bounds of the number of rational maps between varieties of general type
Authors: Naranjo J. C , Pirola Gian Pietro
Published: December 2007

We give a bound for the number of rational maps between algebraic varieties of general type under mild hypothesis on the canonical map. We use an idea inspired by Tanabe's work. Instead of attaching a morphism of Hodge structures to a rational map we simply associate to it a piece of the integral Hodge lattice. This procedure does not give an injective map, but by means of a geometric argument, we can estimate the number of maps with the same image.