cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating lateral variability and extent of paleosols into proxy uncertainty

Abstract Paleosols (fossil soils) are valuable records of terrestrial climate and environments, and paleosol-based proxies are commonly used to reconstruct past climates and ecosystems. Results from relatively small outcrops or transects or from single vertical sections are frequently scaled up to represent basin-scale processes and conditions, and reconstructions are relied on for temporal changes in those basins. However, uncertainty arising from limited outcrop extent is not currently considered in the standard application of paleosol-based proxies. To explore uncertainty arising from lateral paleosol heterogeneity, we performed a random subsampling analysis on a newly-collected 2.9 km paleosol transect from SW Wyoming, along with two previously-published paleosols. We demonstrate the importance of sampling multiple paleosol profiles, considering lateral geochemical variability, and focusing on relative rather than absolute changes when outcrop-based uncertainty may require it.
'New' diapers and vaginal discharge.

Twice during the past 2 years I have examined infants with what appeared to be a clear gelatinous vaginal discharge of unsure etiology. Recently I discovered the cause when I examined the contents of a swollen diaper lining after my child had spent some time in a pool. Since 1987 the newest generation of disposable diapers contain a substance called Absorbant Jelly Material that when dry is a granule similar in appearance to salt. It is a polyacrylate cross-linked polymer of acrylic acid and sodium acrylate and is widely found in the lining of diapers in the US, Japan, and Europe.
Personal Facts About Executive Officers: A Proposal for Tailored Disclosures to Encourage Reasonable Investor Behavior

Required disclosures under U.S. securities laws, whether mandated by line-item disclosure rules, gap-filling regulations, or antifraud provisions, tend to focus principally, although not exclusively, on corporate facts - information about an issuer of securities or a transaction involving an issuer of securities. Although there are line-item disclosure rules that require the public revelation of personal facts about executive officers (both by the issuer and by the executive himself or herself), these rules are limited in scope. However, public disclosure of executives' personal facts not covered by these line-item rules still may be required under applicable gap-filling regulations or antifraud provisions. The analysis of whether and, if so, when to disclose personal facts about an executive officer under these regulations and provisions may be difficult. The lynchpin in that analysis is a decision as to whether the personal facts are material under applicable formulations of the judge-made materiality standard. These materiality determinations may be complex and emotionally laden. This paper argues for an enhancement of federal disclosure rules as they relate to personal facts about executive officers of public companies. The paper first summarizes significant existing requirements for disclosure about executive officers. Then, the paper argues that the existing federal securities law regime applicable to public company executive disclosures of personal facts is deficient in three respects. Specifically, existing disclosure requirements place too much discretion in the hands of executives, cause pressure on important individual rights, and tend to cause investors and markets to overreact. As a response, the paper proposes limited federal securities rule changes designed to more effectively and efficiently manage the public release of personal facts about public company executives.
Contemporary Practice In Sustainable Design:Appraisal And Articulation Of Emerging Trend

Sustainable design is a phrase commonly used in the realms of design practice and yet the definition of the same remains quite fuzzy, thus providing the motivation for this research. The paper looks at contemporary sustainable design practices in the area of architecture design, building construction and landscape architecture. The objective is to understand what the term “sustainable design” really means as used in practice and what strategies are being employed towards the goal of sustainable development. The practices are assessed for their empathies as per the currently defined social, ecological, economical well-being goals of sustainable development. The paper concludes that out of the conventional triad of social, economic and ecological well-being, the socioecological well-being is emerging as the prevalent trend among the contemporary sustainable design practice. The trend needs to be continuously refined in this direction through intelligent employment of social and economic capital.
Comparison of centralized and decentralized linear-quadratic-Gaussian path control problems

The authors solve centralized and decentralized aerospace control problems explicitly accounting for sensor-to-sensor estimate cross-correlation due to the dynamics model and sensor-to-sensor measurement cross-correlation. A linear multinode network with a quadratic performance criterion was treated. The case of nonstationary measurement noise requires the parallel real-time calculation of intersensor estimate error and/or measurement cross-covariances. When steady-state Kalman filters can be used, the calculation and information requirements are significantly reduced. The control error variance for centralized and decentralized networks, with and without measurement cross-covariance, are compared, and the advantage of centralized fusion in all cases is shown. >
An Ocean Bottom Absolute Gravity Meter

We have completed the development of new absolute gravity meter that can be operated on the seafloor. The instrument is operated from a ship with a long cable and is capable of operation to 5000 meter depth. The design goal is an accuracy of 10 μGal, which, when achieved in repeat measurements during a period of many years, will provide information on variations in seafloor height with a precision of 3 to 5 cm.
Potato spindle tuber "virus". IV. A replicating, low molecular weight RNA.

Abstract Earlier results had indicated that the spindle tuber disease of potato is incited by free RNA, and that neither conventional virions nor proteins that could be construed as viral coat proteins are synthesized in infected plants. By a combination of density-gradient centrifugation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, using internal marker RNAs, it is now shown that the infectious RNA occurs in the form of several species with molecular weights ranging from 2.5 × 10 4 to 1.1 × 10 5 daltons. No evidence for the presence in uninoculated plants of a latent helper virus was found. Thus, potato spindle tuber “virus” RNA, which is too small to contain the genetic information necessary for self-replication, must rely for its replication mainly on biosynthetic systems already operative in the uninoculated plant. Several possible mechanisms are discussed. The term “viroid” is proposed to designate potato spindle tuber “virus” RNA and other RNAs with similar properties.
'True Economic Liberalism': The Accomodationist Impulse and the Maturation of Catholic Social Thought, 1920-1929

This paper traces the development of American Catholic social thought as it found voice with the tradition of democratic liberalism during the early twentieth century.
Evaluation of isoflurane and sevoflurane vaporizers over a wide range of oxygen flow rates.

Objective—To examine the accuracy and precision of isoflurane and sevoflurane anesthetic vaporizers. Sample Population—5 identcal isoflurane and 5 identical sevoflurane vaporizers. Procedures—Oxygen flow rates from 0.02 to 10 L/min were used with different vaporizer dial settings. Agent concentrations were measured at the common gas outlet by use of a refractometer. Accuracy was defined as the difference between measured agent concentrations, and dial settings were expressed as a percentage of the applied dial settings. Precision was defined as SD of the measured agent concentrations for each combination of dial setting and flow. Results—Isoflurane values were generally greater than the dial settings. Accuracy of the isoflurane vaporizer was > 20% when 0.6% and 1% was dialed. Accuracy of the sevoflurane vaporizer was always within ± 20% but decreased at 0.02 L/min flow and at combinations of high flow and high dial settings. Overall precision of the isoflurane vaporizer was better than that of the sevoflu...
Sildenafil-induced cardioprotection in rabbits

In the August issue of this journal, Reffelmann and Kloner [1] reported the effects of sildenafil (Viagra) on myocardial infarct size following ischemia–reperfusion (I–R). These authors showed that pretreatment with 0.7 or 1.45 mg/kg of sildenafil prior to ischemia resulted in no protection against myocardial infarction. These findings are in contrast with a previous study from our laboratory [2] that demonstrated a significant reduction of infarct size in the rabbits pretreated with 0.7 mg/kg sildenafil. The reason for this disagreement is not clear, as stated by Reffelmann and Kloner [1] that “…the contradictory results largely remain unexplained, but emphasize that additional factors, due to subtle differences in the experimental model, might be able to modify the cardiovascular response to sildenafil…”. We are certainly puzzled by these negative findings, since the sildenafil-induced cardioprotection has been observed independently by a number of …
Mad Hatters, Jackbooted Managers, and the Massification of Higher Education.

In this review of three recent books on higher education, Alexander Sidorkin shows how the disinterested discourse that appears to be anticapitalist and anticommercial is actually a way of obtaining income from state subsidies. What links the books under review—Cary Nelson's No University Is an Island: Saving Academic Freedom, Frank Donoghue's The Last Professors: The Corporate University and the Fate of the Humanities, and Jennifer Washburn's University, Inc.: The Corporate Corruption of Higher Education—is their critical evaluation of the corporatization and commercialization of higher education. In his analysis of this common theme, Sidorkin considers discourse as a means of production, and he maintains that the semiotic fields produced by discourse may create inflationary bubbles unless they engage in innovative discursive practices. Higher education is shaped by the trend toward massification, which makes the innovative discourse essential. Sidorkin concludes that the discursive energy of proponents of higher education should be focused on solving the numerous problems that arise from the massification of higher education rather than trying to reverse the trend and return to some golden age of academia.
Subsurface-Applied Tailored Water: Combining Nutrient Benefits with Efficient Turfgrass Irrigation

Irrigating turfgrass with treated effluent water has become a common practice in response to shrinking supplies of potable water. Newly developed decentralized water treatment sys- tems produce recycled water containing vary- ing quantities of N on short notice. Using such tailored water to irrigate turf areas would reduce or eliminate the need for additional mineral fer- tilizers if concentrations of nitrate in the water were raised during the growing season to meet the annual N requirement. On the basis of our estimates, in order for turfgrasses to receive their entire annual N requirements (20 to 25 g N m -2 yr -1 ) solely from effluent irrigation, nitrogen concentrations in irrigation water would need to range from as low as 11 mg L -1 for arid regions with a 12-mo growing season to more than 50 mg L -1 in areas with only a 6-mo growing sea- son. Furthermore, tailored water should be applied with advanced irrigation systems with high distribution uniformity to minimize nitrate leaching. Subsurface irrigation systems dis- tribute water more efficiently and uniformly and minimize human exposure to treated effluent, which would help dispel negative public per- ceptions regarding the use of effluent to irrigate public turf areas. As the use of treated effluent for turfgrass irrigation continues to increase, the idea of adjustable nutrient content in irrigation water combined with a subsurface irrigation delivery system could become an important means to sustainably maintain much-needed urban green spaces.
The Funeral Casino: Meditation, Massacre, and Exchange with the Dead in Thailand.

The Funeral Casino: Meditation, Massacre, and Exchange with the Dead in Thailand. Alan Klima. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002. vii. 317 pp., figures, notes, bibliography, index.
Transglutaminase 1 expression in a patient with features of harlequin ichthyosis: case report.

Abstract Harlequin ichthyosis (HI) is a life-threatening disorder characterized clinically by massive generalized hyperkeratosis and ultrastructurally by an absence of lamellar bodies. However, infants who survive the perinatal period develop a phenotype resembling the nonbullous ichthyosiform erythrodermic (CIE) form of autosomal recessive ichthyosis. We studied a child with a severe hyperkeratotic skin disorder present at birth that developed into a CIE-like phenotype. Electron microscopy demonstrated an absence of lamellar bodies consistent with HI. Abnormalities of filaggrin and involucrin expression by immunostaining were evident. However, transglutaminase 1 (TGase1) was expressed in the epidermis in a pattern consistent with other diseases that involve epidermal acanthosis. Analysis of patient keratinocytes grown in vitro demonstrated expression of normal amounts of TGase1 mRNA and full length TGase1 protein, as well as normal levels of transglutaminase enzymatic activity. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;38:325-9.)
The crossveinless gene encodes a new member of the Twisted gastrulation family of BMP-binding proteins which, with Short gastrulation, promotes BMP signaling in the crossveins of the Drosophila wing

In the early Drosophila embryo, Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) activity is positively and negatively regulated by the BMP-binding proteins Short gastrulation (Sog) and Twisted gastrulation (Tsg). We show here that a similar mechanism operates during crossvein formation, utilizing Sog and a new member of the tsg gene family, encoded by the crossveinless (cv) locus. The initial specification of crossvein fate in the Drosophila wing requires signaling mediated by Dpp and Gbb, two members of the BMP family. cv is required for the promotion of BMP signaling in the crossveins. Large sog clones disrupt posterior crossvein formation, suggesting that Sog and Cv act together in this context. We demonstrate that sog and cv can have both positive and negative effects on BMP signaling in the wing. Moreover, Cv is functionally equivalent to Tsg, since Tsg and Cv can substitute for each other's activity. We also confirm that Tsg and Cv have similar biochemical activities: Sog/Cv complex binds a Dpp/Gbb heterodimer with high affinity. Taken together, these studies suggest that Sog and Cv promote BMP signaling by transporting a BMP heterodimer from the longitudinal veins into the crossvein regions.
ZERO-BIAS ANOMALY IN ASYMMETRIC CONTACTS

The Coulomb electron-electron interaction effect on the tunneling conductance of an asymmetric contact consisting of two nonequivalent two-dimensional electron systems, one clean and the other disordered, is considered. It is shown that the zero-bias anomalies typical for symmetric disordered and clean contacts are strongly modified in the asymmetric clean-disordered contact due to more complicated screening effects and appearance of a new collective mode. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Web accessibility at university libraries and library schools

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that library programs and services must be accessible to people with disabilities. In an era in which much information resides in digitalized form on the WWW, the ADA’s mandate must be interpreted as applying not only to physical space but also to cyberspace. Just as in the physical world, proper design is a crucial issue. Only accessibly designed Web pages ensure that all people, including those with print disabilities, have access to Web‐based information. Previous studies indicate that a large proportion of campus and university library Web pages are not accessible. This study looks at the universities that, according to US News & World Report, have the nation’s 24 most highly ranked schools of library and information science (SLIS). The findings give cause for concern. It is reasonable to assume that low Web page accessibility at the nation’s leading library schools reflects a lack of awareness about this issue among the leaders and trainers in the library profession.
Cross sections for single-tagged two-photon production of resonances

Simple formulas are given for the production cross section of narrow resonances in single-tagged photon-photon collisions. Production of spin-zero and spin-one states is considered.
Abnormal decay kinetics of the excited state of ruthenium trisbipyridyl ions in surfactant solutions

Abstract The characteristics of the steady-state quenching of the emission from Ru(bipy)2+3 in solutions containing sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) at concentrations below the critical micelle concentration indicates that Ru(bipy)2+3 forms complexes with SDS which contain several Ru(bipy)2+3. The abnormally fast decay of the emission seen on laser excitation of these systems is consistent with the self-quenching of excited states produced in the same cluster of Ru(bipy)2+3.
Studies on the specification of accessory biochemical characters, as exemplified by the fatty acid patterns of various strains of Escherichia coli.

Abstract 1. 1. In an attempt to gain some insight into the manner in which the genome of microbial cell may be concerned with the specification of accessory biochemical characters, the quantitative distribution of the principal fatty acids in various strains and mutants of Escherichia coli was investigated by means of gas-liquid chromatography of the methyl esters. 2. 2. The wild types of strains B, K12, and 15 differed distinctly in their fatty acid patterns, both in minimal and in complete medium and after different periods of growth. 3. 3. Several of the mutants examined, including a series of streptomycin-resistant variants, did not differ in this respect appreciably from the parent strains. 4. 4. Nine methionine auxotrophs exhibited, however, characteristically different patterns when compared with the corresponding wild-type strains. The addition of various concentrations of methionine to the minimal medium, though permitting the normal rate of growth of the auxotrophs, did not abolish the differences in the fatty acid profiles. 5. 5. When the DNA of a thymine-requiring mutant of E. coli 15 was made to incorporate the thymine-analogue 5-bromouracil, a characteristic change in the fatty acid pattern resulted which was more expressed after the replication of the cells containing the halopyramidine. 6. 6. The paper concludes with a discussion, in more general terms, of the problem of the rigid control, in certain instances, of quantitative and substituent patterns.
Selected properties of beryllium clusters in ab initio model approximations

Results of ab initio self-consistent field calculations are reported for electronic states of beryllium clusters comprised of 13, 19, 21, 33, 39, 51, 57, and 63 atoms. The clusters correspond to the second through ninth coordination shells of a central Be atom with internuclear separations taken from the lattice constants of the bulk hcp metal. Effective core potentials have been employed to replace the 1s core electrons, thereby reducing the complexity of the calculations. In addition, the use of the full D/sub 3h/ point group symmetry of each cluster results in substantial reductions of the number of two-electron integrals that must be computed and processed. Properties are calculated for selected electronic states and include binding energy, orbital energies, electric field gradient, nuclear-electron potential, diamagnetic shielding constant, second moments, and Mulliken populations. Overall net charges, second moments, and nuclear potentials become approximately constant in the larger clusters, indicating bulk behavior.
Optimization of active control systems to suppress flutter and minimize turbulence response

A method for optimizing an active control system which will suppress flutter and minimize the response of a lifting surface to atmospheric turbulence is presented. A mathematical search method is developed which will find a control law which will cause an active control system to flutter at a specified freestream velocity, air density, and Mach number. With the flutter velocity of the system held constant, the control law is then modified in such a way that the peak output power spectral density function of the angular response of a lifting surface (as a result of atmospheric turbulence) is minimized for a specified flight velocity which is less than the flutter velocity. The von Karman generalized power spectrum for the transverse components of turbulence is used in an example problem to increase the flutter velocity and minimize the turbulence response of a simplified delta-wing model which has leading and trailing edge control surfaces.
DOMINANCE TESTING IN RHESUS MONKEYS: COMPARISON OF COMPETITIVE FOOD-GETTING, COMPETITIVE AVOIDANCE, AND COMPETITIVE DRINKING PROCEDURES

Three general laboratory methods of dominance testing in rhesus monkeys (competitive food-getting, competitive avoidance, and competitive drinking) were compared to determine their respective reliabilities and their equivalence in terms of measuring the same attribute. The basic competitive food-getting procedure was modified into three additional procedures: (1) experimenter out of view; (2) experimenter out of view and 48-hr. deprivation; and (3) experimenter out of view, 48-hr. deprivation, and automated delivery of food items. All procedures, with the exception of the competitive shock avoidance, were reliable as reflected by significant intratest rank correlations and intratest mean variance measures. All procedures, with the exception of the competitive shock avoidance, were essentially equivalent in measuring the same attribute as reflected by interrank correlations. The competitive water drinking method, a group testing procedure, offered a practical advantage in reduced testing time, and the domi...
Effects of nitrogen fertilizer and irrigation on sugar beet at Broom's Barn 1973–8

During 1973–8 six field experiments examined the effect of 0, 41, 82, 124, 166 and 207 kg N/ha with and without irrigation on the growth, yield and quality of sugar beet. The culture of the crops was planned to produce a large yield in order to determine the optimal nitrogen application for the above-average crops which many growers are now seeking to produce. Ammonium nitrate was used as the nitrogen source, broadcast in one dose before sowing as was recommended practice in the early 1970s. The growth of the crop was monitored from the seedling stage to harvest in December, as was nitrogen uptake by the crop, and water removal from the soil using a neutron probe.In 3 years when the weather was dry after drilling, the fertilizer significantly depressed the number of plants which established but plant weights showed that some nitrogen fertilizer was needed early for rapid seedling growth. Changes in the method of applying fertilizer for sugar beet are therefore suggested and are being tested. Soil analyses in the plough layer during establishment (May–June) indicated an optimum concentration of mineral nitrogen of about 40 mg N/kg soil at this stage.Nitrogen fertilizer was very important for a high yield; throughout the growth of the crop it greatly increased total dry-matter yield and at final harvest this was reflected in sugar yield. Considering the six years together, sugar yield was linearly related to both dry-matter yield and total nitrogen uptake. However, within a year, increasing nitrogen uptake above 200 kg N/ha with nitrogen fertilizer did not increase sugar yield; maximum yields of sugar each year were normally obtained with 125 kg N/ha fertilizer or less, and irrigation had little effect on the optimum amount. Explanations for the lack of responsiveness of sugar beet to greater applications of nitrogen fertilizer are being sought in further more detailed analyses of the crop and its environment.
Below-ground biomass in healthy and impaired salt marshes

Twelve salt marshes in south Louisiana (USA) were classified as either ‘impaired’ or ‘healthy’ before a summer sample collection of above- and below-ground biomass and determination of sediment accretion rates. The above-ground biomass of plant tissues was the same at both impaired and healthy salt marshes and was not a good predictor of marsh health. However, below-ground root biomass in the upper 30 cm was much lower in the impaired marshes compared to the healthy marshes. Compromises to root production apparently occur before there is an obvious consequence to the above-ground biomass, which may quickly collapse before remedial action can be taken. The subsequent change in vertical position of the marsh surface may be equivalent to many years of accretion, and be irreversible within decades without considerable effort. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that it is the plant’s below-ground accumulation of organic matter, not inorganic matter that governs the maintenance of salt marsh ecosystem in the vertical plane. Reversing the precursor conditions leading to marsh stress before the collapse of the above-ground biomass occurs is therefore a prudent management objective and could be easier than restoration.
Security-related behavior of PC users in organizations

Abstract This paper discusses the problems involved in controlling the security-related behavior of personal computer users in organizations. It presents a framework for analyzing these issues and discusses how it was applied to a field study of PC users' behavior and attitudes towards backup, documentation, data storage, and file access practices. Seventy PC users from 12 organizations in the Boston area were interviewed. The variables with the most significant relationship to security-related behavior were PC user knowledge and informal department norms . The existence of formal policies regarding PC security did not appear to be associated with security-related behavior. Interesting interactions were also revealed among formal policies, informal norms , and PC user knowledge ; policies and norms are more influential when the users' level of knowledge is low; and knowledge was found to be more influential when there are no policies and when norms are weak.
Concentration on the discrete torus using transportation

The sub-Gaussian constant of a graph arises naturally in bounding the moment-generating function of Lipschitz functions on the graph, with a given probability measure on the set of vertices. The closely related spread constant of a graph measures the maximal variance over all Lipschitz functions on the graph. As such they are both useful (as demonstrated in the works of Bobkov, Houdre and Tetali and Alon, Boppana and Spencer) for describing the concentration of measure phenomenon in product graphs. An equivalent formulation of the sub-Gaussian constant using a transportation inequality, introduced by Bobkov and Gotze, is investigated here in depth, leading to a new way of bounding the sub-Gaussian constant. A tight concentration result for the discrete torus is given as a concrete application. An infinite family of graphs is also provided here to demonstrate that, typically, the spread and the sub-Gaussian constants differ by an order of magnitude.
Allowable Bearing Pressures of Bridge Sills on GRS Abutments with Flexible Facing

Compared to geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) retaining walls, GRS abutment walls are generally subjected to much greater intensity surface loads that are fairly close to the wall face. A major issue with the design of GRS abutments is the allowable bearing pressure of the bridge sill on the abutments. The allowable bearing pressure of a bridge sill over reinforced soil retaining walls has been limited to 200 kPa in the current NHI and Demo 82 design guidelines. A study was undertaken to investigate the allowable bearing pressures of bridge sills over GRS abutments with flexible facing. The study was conducted by the finite element method of analysis. The capability of the finite element computer code for analyzing the performance of GRS bridge abutments with modular block facing has been evaluated extensively prior to this study. A series of finite element analyses were carried out to examine the effect of sill type, sill width, soil stiffness/strength, reinforcement spacing, and foundation stiffness on the load-carrying capacity of GRS abutment sills. Based on the results of the analytical study, allowable bearing pressures of GRS abutments were determined based on two performance criteria: A limiting displacement criterion and a limiting shear strain criterion, as well as the writers' experiences with GRS walls and abutments. In addition, a recommended design procedure for determining the allowable bearing pressure is provided.
The politics of collective identity 1

Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. Ethnicity and Nationalism: Anthropological Perspectives. Boulder, CO: Pluto Press, 1993. ix + 179 pp. including bibliography. $47.50 cloth $18.95 paper. Gillis, John R., ed. Commemorations: The Politics of National Identity. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1994. xii + 290 pp. including index. $35.00 cloth, paper.
VARIABLES AFFECTING NATIVE MEXICAN CHILDREN'S LEARNING SPANISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE1

To assess the effect of the different variables of theoretical and practical interest to second language research, 920 Native Mexican children, aged five through twelve, learning Spanish as a second language were tested on a Spanish language achievement test. The variables measured for investigation were: order of presentation of the different parts of the test; age, sex and native languages of the children; whether the father, mother and siblings speak Spanish; proximity of the domicile to a Spanish speaking community; amount of attendance at school; and whether the parents needed to speak Spanish to travel for work. The variables which had a statistically significant effect on test scores were: order of presentation of the parts of the test; native language of the children; father speaks Spanish; attendance at school; and need for the parents to speak Spanish to travel for work. All other variables in this study were not statistically significant. Discussion of the results includes possible reasons for the findings.
Intramolecular hydrogen-bond participation in phosphonylammonium salt formation.

A series of phosphonochloridates and phosphonyl dichlorides were prepared, and their reactivity with triethylamine has been investigated using 31P NMR spectroscopy. Taken together these studies provide evidence that an intramolecular hydrogen-bond is required for phosphonylammonium salt formation to render the phosphorus more electron-deficient.
Optimization of R&D project portfolios under endogenous uncertainty

Project portfolio management deals with the dynamic selection of research and development (R&D) projects and determination of resource allocations to these projects over a planning period. Given the uncertainties and resource limitations over the planning period, the objective is to maximize the expected total discounted return or the expectation of some other function for all projects over a long time horizon. We develop a detailed formal description of this problem and the corresponding decision process, and then model it as a multistage stochastic integer program with endogenous uncertainty. Accounting for this endogeneity, we propose an efficient solution approach for the resulting model, which involves the development of a formulation technique that is amenable to scenario decomposition. The proposed solution algorithm also includes an application of the sample average approximation method, where the sample problems are solved through Lagrangian relaxation and a new lower bounding heuristic. The performance of the overall solution procedure is demonstrated using several implementations of the proposed approach.
Microdetermination of rabbit immunoglobulin allotypes by ELISA using specific antibodies conjugated with peroxidase or with biotin

Abstract Enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assays (ELISA) specific for the allotypes of rabbit heavy chain variable region (group a) and light chain constant region (group b) have been developed. These assays utilize affinity-purified allogenic anti-allotype antibodies to coat polyvinyl microtiter plates. After test samples are added to the plates, the same affinity-purified antibody, coupled to the enzyme peroxidase, is used to detect binding of allotype-positive IgG samples to the coated plate. These assays can detect as little as 40 ng/ml of IgG of the appropriate allotype; the assays are highly specific and allow quantitative determination of allotype-defined IgG samples. In addition, the procedure can be modified by coupling of the antibody with biotin followed by development with avidin-peroxidase; this adaptation avoids the difficulties encountered in antibody-peroxidase conjugations. The ELISA assay is not influenced by the presence of anti-allotype antibody in the test sample, giving a distinct advantage over solid-phase radioimmunoassay procedures conventionally used for the quantitative determination of rabbit allotypes.
Quantification of cis-trans Isomers of Provitamin A Carotenoids in Fresh and Processed Fruits and Vegetables

A polymeric 5 μm C30 stationary phase for reversed phase HPLC was used to separate and quantitate geometric isomers of provitamin A carotenoids in fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. β-Carotene isomers (all-trans, 9-cis, 13-cis, and 15-cis), α-carotene isomers (all-trans, 9-cis, 13-cis, and 13‘-cis), and β-cryptoxanthin isomers (all-trans, 13 and 13‘-cis, and 15-cis) were resolved isocratically using the C30 stationary phase with 89:11 methanol/methyl tert-butyl ether as mobile phase. The percent of cis isomers increased 10−39% with canning. The total provitamin A carotenoid content (in micrograms per gram of dry weight of tissue) ranged from 3.5 to 907 in fresh samples and from 1.8 to 1055 in canned samples. In several fruits and vegetables, processing produced an increase of 16−50% of total measured provitamin A carotenoids relative to the fresh samples. These increases were most likely a result of increased extraction efficiency, inactivation of enzymes capable of degrading carotenoids, and/or l...
Computer‐assisted general medicine clerkship evaluation

Summary. This report describes the development and analysis of a computer-assisted evaluation system designed to standardize and simplify student evaluations on a general medicine clerkship. Three standard clinical evaluation components were employed: written examination; oral examination; and clinical performance evaluation. Computer spread sheet technology was used to weight each component separately and calculate a final numerical grade for the clerkship. The system provides a consistent, well-documented and well-defined method for justifying individual grades of honours, pass or fail. It has been very helpful in identifying evaluation problems occurring in particular hospital sites or with particular evaluators.
Treatment options for multiple myeloma patients with high-risk disease

Multiple myeloma is a heterogeneous malignant disorder with a variable clinical course suggestive of diverse biological factors that have important prognostic implications. Despite development of several new therapeutic agents and substantially effective novel combination regimens, myeloma remains an incurable disease. There is an emphasis to define new biologic parameters to accurately identify patients with aggressive disease biology. This will allow more informed treatment decisions based on the biology of the disease, resulting in further optimization of management strategies in specific patient subgroups. Among biological parameters of risk stratification, cytogenetics has emerged as arguably the most important dependable and clinically convenient. These are being increasingly utilized to develop therapeutic stratification in newer clinical trials. Appraisal of current data suggests that patients with high-risk cytogenetics have a worse prognosis. However, treatment with novel agents has changed this variable. There is emerging evidence that patients with aggressive disease biology are fairing better with innovative treatment regimens utilizing a combination of conventional and novel agents. This review focuses on current and emerging data about defining high-risk disease in multiple myeloma and the various therapeutic options for this group of patients.
Modeling the influence of polls on elections: a population dynamics approach

We propose a population dynamics model for quantifying the effects of polling data on the outcome of multi-party elections decided by a majority-rule voting process. We divide the population into two groups: committed voters impervious to polling data, and susceptible voters whose decision to vote is influenced by data, depending on its reliability. This population-based approach to modeling the process sidesteps the problem of upscaling models based upon the choices made by individuals. We find releasing poll data is not advan- tageous to leading candidates, but it can be exploited by those closely trailing. The analysis identifies the particular type of voting impetus at play in different stages of an election and could help strategists optimize their influence on susceptible voters.
Parallel block tridiagonalization of real symmetric matrices

Two parallel block tridiagonalization algorithms and implementations for dense real symmetric matrices are presented. Block tridiagonalization is a critical pre-processing step for the block tridiagonal divide-and-conquer algorithm for computing eigensystems and is useful for many algorithms desiring the efficiencies of block structure in matrices. For an ''effectively'' sparse matrix, which frequently results from applications with strong locality properties, a heuristic parallel algorithm is used to transform it into a block tridiagonal matrix such that the eigenvalue errors remain bounded by some prescribed accuracy tolerance. For a dense matrix without any usable structure, orthogonal transformations are used to reduce it to block tridiagonal form using mostly level 3 BLAS operations. Numerical experiments show that block tridiagonal structure obtained from this algorithm directly affects the computational complexity of the parallel block tridiagonal divide-and-conquer eigensolver. Reduction to block tridiagonal form provides significantly lower execution times, as well as memory traffic and communication cost, over the traditional reduction to tridiagonal form for eigensystem computations.
Sexual dysfunction and dual psychiatric diagnoses

Abstract Controversy continues to exist about whether a sexual dysfunction is a discrete problem or it is symptomatic of more elaborate psychiatric disorder. To date no study of this question has been reported on patients evaluated using DSM-III criteria. To meet such a need, 592 patients with various sex-related complaints and their partners were evaluated at the Sexual Behaviors Consultation Unit of the Johns Hopkins Hospital over a 2-year period. Two hundred and eighty-eight patients (males = 223; females=65) fulfilled DSM-III criteria for psychosexual dysfunction. Of these 30.5% (N = 68) of the males and 30.8% (N = 20) of the females were assigned concurrent Axis III diagnoses. Patients who had dual diagnoses reported more ( P = .026) problems with alcohol. Despite equivalent psychosocial stressors on Axis IV they were rated less ( P
Quantum-mechanical solution to fundamental problems of classical theory of water vapor nucleation

The inconsistent temperature dependence of nucleation rates, disagreement of theoretical critical or onset supersaturations with experimental data, and insufficiently accurate predictions of nucleation rates are fundamental problems of the classical nucleation theory (CNT) of water vapors, which is a foundation of various multicomponent nucleation models widely used in the aerosol microphysics, physical chemistry, and chemical technology. In the present study, a correction to the CNT obtained from "first principles" has been derived and significant progress has been made in solving the fundamental problem of predicting nucleation rates of water vapors. The modified model with the quantum-mechanical correction incorporated is in very good agreement with experiments over the full range of temperatures (T=210-290K) , saturation ratios (S=2-100) , and nucleation rates (J= approximately 10{1}-10{17} cm-3).
Tropical Forest Protection: An Empirical Analysis of the Costs Borne by Local People

Abstract Contingent valuation is used to value tropical forest resources for a rural population in Africa. Welfare losses from land-use restrictions associated with a newly established national park in Madagascar are estimated with a willingness-to-accept format. Because of a limited local cash economy, the contingent valuation question is denominated in baskets of rice. The analysis indicates that contingent valuation can be successfully applied to rural households within the developing country context. The econometric analysis undertaken reveals a systematic association between various socioeconomic variables of interest and the expressed willingness-to-accept compensation for foregone land use.
Evaluation of the absorbed dose to the breast using radiochromic film in a dedicated CT mammotomography system employing a quasi-monochromatic x-ray beam.

Purpose: A dual modality SPECT-CT prototype system dedicated to uncompressed breast imaging (mammotomography) has been developed. The computed tomography subsystem incorporates an ultrathick K-edge filtration technique producing a quasi-monochromatic x-ray cone beam that optimizes the dose efficiency of the system for lesion imaging in an uncompressed breast. Here, the absorbed dose in various geometric phantoms and in an uncompressed and pendant cadaveric breast using a normal tomographic cone beam imaging protocol is characterized using both thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) measurements and ionization chamber-calibrated radiochromic film. Methods: Initially, two geometric phantoms and an anthropomorphic breast phantom are filled in turn with oil and water to simulate the dose to objects that mimic various breast shapes having effective density bounds of 100% fatty and glandular breast compositions, respectively. Ultimately, an excised human cadaver breast is tomographically scanned using the normal tomographic imaging protocol, and the dose to the breast tissue is evaluated and compared to the earlier phantom-based measurements. Results: Measured trends in dose distribution across all breast geometric and anthropomorphic phantom volumes indicate lower doses in the medial breast and more proximal to the chest wall, with consequently higher doses near the lateral peripheries and nipple regions. Measured doses to the oil-filled phantoms are consistently lower across all volume shapes due to the reduced mass energy-absorption coefficient of oil relative to water. The mean measured dose to the breast cadaver, composed of adipose and glandular tissues, was measured to be 4.2 mGy compared to a mean whole-breast dose of 3.8 and 4.5 mGy for the oil- and water-filled anthropomorphic breast phantoms, respectively. Conclusions: Assuming rotational symmetry due to the tomographic acquisition exposures, these results characterize the 3D dose distributions in an uncompressed human breast tissue volume for this dedicated breast imaging device and illustrate advantages of using the novel ultrathick K-edge filtered beam to minimize the dose to the breast during fully-3D imaging.
Drug interactions involving psychotropic drugs

Abstract As polypharmacy becomes more common for psychiatric patients, the clinician's ability to evaluate the potential for drug-drug interactions becomes more important. Psychiatrists must be aware of interactions not only among psychotropic drugs, but also between these and drugs given for accompanying or incidental medical conditions. A classification of the sites and mechanisms of drug interactions is given as an aid to conceptualizing the problems involved.
Management of Malunions of the Distal Radius

Despite encouraging results from small case series, correction of distal radius malunion remains a challenging procedure with uncertain outcomes. The most appropriate treatment for a distal radius malunion is prevention. If a symptomatic malunion is discovered, correction should be undertaken as early as possible. It is recommended that action be taken within six months of the primary injury to decrease the negative impact of soft-tissue contracture on the eventual reconstruction. Although some patients complain about residual problems after malunion surgery, corrective surgery has been shown to improve both radiographic and functional outcomes, and may prevent future secondary problems.
The Association Between Different Types of Intimate Partner Violence Experienced by Women

Those who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) are often subjected to multiple types of victimization such as physical violence, sexual violence, psychological aggression, and stalking. However, relatively few studies have used a national population-based sample and multivariate methods to analyze the associations between these different types of violence. This study uses multivariate methods to analyze a national population-based sample of women in order to document empirically the extent to which different types of IPV overlap, while controlling for personal and behavioral characteristics. Results indicated significant levels of overlap, with victims often experiencing more than one type of victimization by an intimate partner. Findings also indicated that women who had experienced violence by non-intimate partners were often more likely to experience violence by intimates. Finally, women who had experienced stalking by an intimate were more likely to experience more forms of IPV on average than those who had experienced physical violence, sexual violence, or emotional aggression.
Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) Scores with a Collegiate Sample: Long-Term Stability and Self-Other Agreement

This study examined (a) the stability of the personality and symptom scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) for a sample of university undergraduates and (b) the correspondence between MCMI scores from self-report versus scores obtained from knowledgeable others who responded by describing the subject rather than themselves. The MCMI was administered to subjects during their freshman year and then again during their senior year. As in clinical populations, stability estimates in this collegiate sample were greater for the basic personality scales than for the symptom scales. Comparison of the results with those from previous studies further showed that the stability coefficients for the collegiate sample were somewhat lower overall than those from treatment follow-up studies with clinical populations. The results also showed that reasonable agreement between self- and others' ratings was obtained on most MCMI scales. The greatest agreement was found for scales that reflect more observable behaviors and relate to an introversion-extroversion dimension, whereas the least agreement was found for scales related to a psychoticism dimension. Lower levels of agreement were also found for scales having a lower mean proportion of items endorsed.