cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Marketed Surplus of a Subsistence Crop: Paddy Rice in Taiwan

The price response of the marketed surplus of subsistence crops is a topic of major concern to agricultural planners in developing countries. Recent attempts to measure the relevant elasticities by Bardhan, Haessel, and Toquero et al. have significantly added to understanding the magnitudes involved but seem to possess potentially serious methodological limitations. First, they do not explicitly consider the "barter component" of marketed surplus. Haessel recognizes the existence of in-kind disposals but assumes them to be fixed by contractual arrangements and hence insensitive to changes in price. If the barter component is large, even a small response to a change in price may be important for policy purposes. A second limitation is the assumption that sales and on-farm consumption are strict complements, so that it is necessary to consider the price response of either marketing or consumption but not both. While this results in considerable simplification, it ignores the farmer's additional option of simply adding to (or subtracting from) existing stocks. The present paper considers the marketed surplus of paddy rice in Taiwan, a case in which the barter component is important. For a sample of farm households in the middle rice region of Taiwan, paddy rice used to pay in-kind household and farm expenses amounted to over 60% of cash rice sales for the period 1962-72. The simple approach adopted disaggregates total marketed surplus into cash sales and barter components and also allows for separate estimation of the price and output elasticities of on-farm consumption. A further departure from previous studies is that the estimation is based on time-series data. The approach generates what appear to be quite reasonable estimates of the price and output elasticities and suggests that the numerical results of studies that ignore the barter components of marketed surplus may require qualification. Following a brief discussion of the nature and limitations of the available data, the estimated s ructural equations are described, the elasticity estimates derived, and the conclusions summarized and qualified.
An Adaptive One-Factor-at-a-Time Method for Robust Parameter Design: Comparison With Crossed Arrays Via Case Studies

This paper presents a conceptually simple and resource efficient method for robust parameter design. The proposed method varies control factors according to an adaptive one-factor-at-a-time plan while varying noise factors using a two-level resolution III fractional factorial array. This method is compared with crossed arrays by analyzing a set of four case studies to which both approaches were applied. The proposed method improves system robustness effectively, attaining more than 80% of the potential improvement on average if experimental error is low. This figure improves to about 90% if prior knowledge of the system is used to define a promising starting point for the search. The results vary across the case studies, but, in general, both the average amount of improvement and the consistency of the results are better than those provided by crossed arrays if experimental error is low or if the system contains some large interactions involving two or more control factors. This is true despite the fact that the proposed method generally uses fewer experiments than crossed arrays. The case studies reveal that the proposed method provides these benefits by exploiting, with high probability, both control by noise interactions and also higher order effects involving two control factors and a noise factor. The overall conclusion is that adaptive one-factor-at-a-time, used in concert with factorial outer arrays, is demonstrated to be an effective approach to robust parameter design providing significant practical advantages as compared to commonly used alternatives.
Thermal properties, phase transitions, and morphology of a conjugated polymer

A highly conjugated polymer was synthesized from α,α′-dibromo-p-xylene, 1,4-bis(2-hydroxy-benzoyl)benzene, and benzyl bromide via a modified Williamson ether synthesis under phase transfer conditions. Based on thermal analysis, polarized light microscopy, electron diffraction, and wide angle X-ray diffraction experiments, the heat capacities in the solid and liquid states have been determined. The glass transition temperature is at 358 K with a heat capacity increase of 164 J/(K mol). Two different ordered crystal forms with different crystal unit cells were observed. The more ordered crystal shows a low transition temperature and the less ordered one a high transition temperature. This is mainly due to the effect of entropy change. These crystals exhibit various crystal morphologies with different birefringences. Transition kinetics are expressed by an Avrami equation. Two crystals show different Avrami exponents with crystallization temperature, which corrspond to the morphological change. Competition between crystal growths is also discussed.
Preschool children's response to peer crying☆

Episodes of children's crying and children's and teachers' responses to crying were observed in natural preschool settings using an event-sampling technique. Narrative descriptions of the episodes were coded as to cause of crying, teacher response, peer response, and context. The most common causes of crying were peer related. Peers responded to about 20% of the crying incidents. Children's responses to crying, in order of frequency, were approaches, comments, stares, mediates, consoles, and chastises. Girls were twice as likely to be consoled as boys. Older preschoolers responded more frequently than younger children, and children with more friends responded more often than those with fewer friends. Children who responded more frequently were also those who themselves cried more. The frequency of negative (chastising) responses was correlated with that of prosocial responses. It was concluded that an overriding factor in response to crying may be the degree of the child's social involvement with peers.
High‐Temperature Transitions in Rare‐Earth Niobates and TantaIates

The high-temperature transition monoclinic tetragonal in the rare-earth tantalates and niobates with the formula AB04 was investigated using a high-temperature X-ray diffractometer. The transition was reversible and proceeded by a gradual change in symmetry. The temperature of the first appearance of the tetragonal phase increased as the ionic size of the rare-earth ions decreased and was considerably higher for the rare-earth tantalates than for the rare-earth niobates. The mechanism of the change is discussed.
Blood testing at the single cell level using quantitative phase and amplitude microscopy

It has recently been shown that quantitative phase imaging methods can provide clinically relevant parameters for red blood cell analysis with unprecedented detail and sensitivity. Since the quantitative phase information is dependent on both the thickness and refractive index, a major limitation to clinical translation has been a simple and practical approach to measure both simultaneously. Here we demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally that, by combining quantitative phase with a single absorption measurement, it is possible to measure both quantities at the single cell level. We validate this approach by comparing our results to those acquired using a clinical blood analyzer. This approach to decouple the thickness and refractive index for red blood cells may be used with any quantitative phase imaging method that can operate in tandem with bright field microscopy at the Soret-band wavelength.
Grammar Acquisition and Processing Instruction: Secondary and Cumulative Effects by BENATI, ALESSANDRO G., & JAMES F. LEE

The article reviews the book "Grammar Acquisition and Processing Instruction: Secondary and Cumulative Effects," by Alessandro G. Benati and James F. Lee.
The discriminative stimulus and subjective effects of d-amphetamine, phenmetrazine and fenfluramine in humans.

The discriminative stimulus (DS) and subjective effects of d-amphetamine (AMP), phenmetrazine (PMT) and fenfluramine (FFL) were studied in a group of normal healthy adults. Subjects (N=27) were trained to discriminate between placebo and 10 mg AMP (PO). Fourteen of the subjects (discriminators) reliably learned the discrimination, whereas the other 13 did not. Nearly all discriminators labelled AMP as a stimulant, and AMP, relative to placebo, increased ratings of drug liking and general activity level, and produced typical stimulant-like subjective effects, as measured by the Profile of Mood States, the Addiction Research Center Inventory, and a series of visual analog scales. The discrimination accuracy of discriminators increased as a function of hour after drug ingestion, as did analog ratings of how certain subjects were that their discrimination responses were correct. Discriminators were tested with doses of PMT (25 and 50 mg) and FFL (20 and 40 mg) to determine whether the DS properties of these drugs would substitute for those of AMP. Both doses of PMT consistently substituted for AMP, and PMT produced subjective effects very similar to those of AMP. Conversely, neither dose of FFL consistently substituted for AMP, and FFL produced essentially no subjective effects. These findings are consistent with results from discrimination studies with other species, and provide further evidence of the validity of this procedure for studying the DS properties of drugs in humans.
Characterization and phosphate stabilization of dusts from the vitrification of MSW combustion residues

Abstract The use of soluble PO 4 3− as a heavy metal chemical stabilization agent was evaluated for a dust generated from melting or vitrification of municipal solid waste combustion residues. Vitrification dusts contain high concentrations of volatile elements such as Cl, Na, K, S, Pb, and Zn. These elements are present in the dusts largely as simple salts (e.g. PbCl 2 , ZnSO 4 ) which are highly leachable. At an experimental dose of 0.4 moles of soluble PO 4 3− per kg of residue, the pH-dependent leaching (pH 5,7,9) showed that the treatment was able to reduce equilibrium concentrations by factors of 3 to 100 for many metals; particularly Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. Bulk and surface spectroscopies showed that the insoluble reaction products are tertiary metal phosphate [e.g. Zn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ] and apatite [e.g. Pb 5 (PO 4 ) 3 Cl] family minerals. Geochemical thermodynamic equilibrium modeling showed that apatite family and tertiary metal phosphate phases act as controlling solids for the equilibrium concentrations of Ca 2+ , Zn 2+ , Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Cd 2+ in the leachates during pH-dependent leaching. Both end members and ideal solid solutions were seen to be controlling solids. Soluble phosphate effectively converted soluble metal salts into insoluble metal phosphate phases despite the relatively low doses and dry mixing conditions that were used. Soluble phosphate is an effective stabilization agent for divalent heavy metals in melting dusts where leachable metals are present in high concentrations.
iPlace: An Intelligent and Tunable Power- and Performance-Aware Virtual Machine Placement Technique for Cloud-Based Real-Time Applications

Power and performance tradeoffs are critical and challenging issues faced by cloud service providers (CSPs) while managing their data centers. On the one hand, CSPs strive to reduce power consumption of their data centers to not only decrease their energy costs but to also reduce adverse impact on the environment. On the other hand, CSPs must deliver performance expected by the applications hosted in their cloud in accordance with predefined Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Not doing so will lead to loss of customers and thereby major revenue losses for the CSPs. Addressing these dual set of challenges is hard for the CSPs because power management and performance assurance are conflicting objectives, particularly in the context of multi-tenant cloud systems where multiple virtual machines (VMs) may be hosted on a single physical server. The problem becomes even harder when real-time applications are hosted in these VMs. To address these challenges and make appropriate tradeoffs, we present iPlace, which is an intelligent and tunable power- and performance-aware VM placement middleware. The placement strategy is based on a two-level artificial neural network which predicts (1) CPU usage at the first level, and (2) power consumption and performance of a host machine at the second level that uses the predicted CPU usage. The efficacy of iPlace is evaluated in the context of a VM consolidation algorithm that is applied to running virtual machines and host machines in a private cloud.
Evolution of an mcm complex in flies that promotes meiotic crossovers by blocking blm helicase

Generation of meiotic crossovers in many eukaryotes requires the elimination of anti-crossover activities by using the Msh4-Msh5 heterodimer to block helicases. Msh4 and Msh5 have been lost from the flies Drosophila and Glossina, but we identified a complex of minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins that functionally replace Msh4-Msh5. We found that REC, an ortholog of MCM8 that evolved under strong positive selection in flies, interacts with MEI-217 and MEI-218, which arose from a previously undescribed metazoan-specific MCM protein. Meiotic crossovers were reduced in Drosophila rec, mei-217, and mei-218 mutants; however, removal of the Bloom syndrome helicase (BLM) ortholog restored crossovers. Thus, MCMs were co-opted into a novel complex that replaced the meiotic pro-crossover function of Msh4-Msh5 in flies.
Encoding of the cough reflex in anesthetized guinea pigs

We have previously described the physiological and morphological properties of the cough receptors and their sites of termination in the airways and centrally in the nucleus tractus solitarius (nTS...
Geochemistry of ohia and soil lichen, Puhimau thermal area, Hawaii

Mercury in leaves of the ohia tree (Metrosideros collina (Gaud.) Rock) downwind from the Puhimau thermal area (Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) exhibits a standard exponential decay-type curve, suggesting that the thermal area is acting as a point source of mercury. The impact of this probable source is detectable for about 3 km downwind. Manganese in the leaves also shows a strong decrease in concentration outward from the thermal area; and weaker, but nevertheless statistically significant, decreases were observed for barium, nickel, copper, zinc and sulfur. These last elements may be accumulating as sulfate from the thermal emissions. Accumulations of all these elements strongly suggest that the steaming ground in the thermal area is a natural source of atmospheric contamination. Selenium in the leaves is distinctly low in trees growing at the edge of the thermal area. Samples of soil lichen (Cladonia skottsbergii Magn.) from within and without the thermal area confirm the changes seen in mercury and selenium.
The Effect of Various Soil Hydraulic Property Estimates on Soil Moisture Simulations

Models of water movement in unsaturated soils require accurate representaƟ ons of the soil moisture retenƟ on and hydraulic conducƟ vity curves; however, commonly used laboratory methods and pedotransfer funcƟ ons (PTFs) are rarely verifi ed against fi eld condiƟ ons. In this study, we invesƟ gated the eff ects of using soil hydraulic property informaƟ on obtained from diff erent measurement and esƟ maƟ on techniques on one-dimensional model predicƟ ons of soil moisture content. Pairs of Ɵ me domain refl ectometry waveguides and tensiometers were installed at two depths in the side of a soil pit face to obtain in situ measurements. Undisturbed soil samples were taken near the instruments and subjected to parƟ cle size analysis, mulƟ step ouƞ low (MSO), and falling-head permeability tests to obtain esƟ mates of the soil moisture retenƟ on curves. Three scaling methods were then applied to improve the fi t of the various esƟ mates to the fi eld data. We found that soil hydraulic property esƟ mates obtained from inverse methods lead to the best simulaƟ ons of soil moisture dynamics, and that laboratory MSO tests or commonly used PTFs perform poorly. These laboratory and PTF esƟ mates can be dramaƟ cally improved, however, by simply constraining the range of possible moisture contents to the minimum and maximum measured in the fi eld. It appears that this method of scaling PTF results can be used to obtain soil hydraulic property inputs of suffi cient accuracy for plot-scale modeling eff orts without requiring expensive laboratory or in situ tests.
Suicide Prevention for LGBT Students.

This chapter explores the intersection of mental health concerns and suicide of LGBT college students on campus, including bullying and cyberbullying. One campus's approach to providing support for these students is discussed.
The preparation and characterization of titanium boride films

Abstract Metal boride films have been shown to be useful in many applications where refractory properties are required. Potential microelectronics applications include use as a diffusion barrier and as a boron diffusion source. In this study, the boron outdiffusion behavior of several compositions of titanium boride films was investigated. TiB 2.1 films did not react with the silicon substrate upon annealing up to 1092°C, but TiB films reacted with silicon at elevated temperatures, apparently to form a titanium silicide. The surface concentration of boron in the silicon substrate increased as the boron-to-titanium ratio in the boride film increased. The boron diffusivities obtained from TiB 2.1 and TiB 2.9 sources are greater than values observed for other types of boron diffusion source when analyzed with the vacancy model. Resistivity studies showed that thicker titanium diboride films had lower resistivities than thinner films when annealed above 1000°C. Post-anneal film stress was independent of anneal temperature above 900°C. The resistivity and film stress values obtained for titanium diboride films were similar to the values observed for refractory metal silicides.
Mutualist-mediated effects on species' range limits across large geographic scales

Understanding the processes determining species range limits is central to predicting species distributions under climate change. Projected future ranges are extrapolated from distribution models based on climate layers, and few models incorporate the effects of biotic interactions on species' distributions. Here, we show that a positive species interaction ameliorates abiotic stress, and has a profound effect on a species' range limits. Combining field surveys of 92 populations, 10 common garden experiments throughout the range, species distribution models and greenhouse experiments, we show that mutualistic fungal endophytes ameliorate drought stress and broaden the geographic range of their native grass host Bromus laevipes by thousands of square kilometres (~ 20% larger) into drier habitats. Range differentiation between fungal-associated and fungal-free grasses was comparable to species-level range divergence of congeners, indicating large impacts on range limits. Positive biotic interactions may be underappreciated in determining species' ranges and species' responses to future climates across large geographic scales.
Estimating Prion Adsorption Capacity of Soil by BioAssay of Subtracted Infectivity from Complex Solutions (BASICS)

Prions, the infectious agent of scrapie, chronic wasting disease and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, are misfolded proteins that are highly stable and resistant to degradation. Prions are known to associate with clay and other soil components, enhancing their persistence and surprisingly, transmissibility. Currently, few detection and quantification methods exist for prions in soil, hindering an understanding of prion persistence and infectivity in the environment. Variability in apparent infectious titers of prions when bound to soil has complicated attempts to quantify the binding capacity of soil for prion infectivity. Here, we quantify the prion adsorption capacity of whole, sandy loam soil (SLS) typically found in CWD endemic areas in Colorado; and purified montmorillonite clay (Mte), previously shown to bind prions, by BioAssay of Subtracted Infectivity in Complex Solutions (BASICS). We incubated prion positive 10% brain homogenate from terminally sick mice infected with the Rocky Mountain Lab strain of mouse-adapted prions (RML) with 10% SLS or Mte. After 24 hours samples were centrifuged five minutes at 200×g and soil-free supernatant was intracerebrally inoculated into prion susceptible indicator mice. We used the number of days post inoculation to clinical disease to calculate the infectious titer remaining in the supernatant, which we subtracted from the starting titer to determine the infectious prion binding capacity of SLS and Mte. BASICS indicated SLS bound and removed ≥ 95% of infectivity. Mte bound and removed lethal doses (99.98%) of prions from inocula, effectively preventing disease in the mice. Our data reveal significant prion-binding capacity of soil and the utility of BASICS to estimate prion loads and investigate persistence and decomposition in the environment. Additionally, since Mte successfully rescued the mice from prion disease, Mte might be used for remediation and decontamination protocols.
Peripheral-central chemoreceptor interaction and the significance of a critical period in the development of respiratory control.

Respiratory control entails coordinated activities of peripheral chemoreceptors (mainly the carotid bodies) and central chemosensors within the brain stem respiratory network. Candidates for central chemoreceptors include Phox2b-containing neurons of the retrotrapezoid nucleus, serotonergic neurons of the medullary raphe, and/or multiple sites within the brain stem. Extensive interconnections among respiratory-related nuclei enable central chemosensitive relay. Both peripheral and central respiratory centers are not mature at birth, but undergo considerable development during the first two postnatal weeks in rats. A critical period of respiratory development (∼P12-P13 in the rat) exists when abrupt neurochemical, metabolic, ventilatory, and electrophysiological changes occur. Environmental perturbations, including hypoxia, intermittent hypoxia, hypercapnia, and hyperoxia alter the development of the respiratory system. Carotid body denervation during the first two postnatal weeks in the rat profoundly affects the development and functions of central respiratory-related nuclei. Such denervation delays and prolongs the critical period, but does not eliminate it, suggesting that the critical period may be intrinsically and genetically determined.
Multiple common bond credit unions and the allocation of benefits

Credit unions are cooperatively owned financial institutions, where input suppliers (savers) are also the consumers of the outputs (borrowers). A key issue is the allocation of benefits between savers and borrowers. Additionally, credit unions can add unrelated groups to their membership. If the orientation of unrelated groups differs from the core group, the allocation of benefits could be altered. Empirical evidence suggests that both single and multiple bond federal credit unions are saver oriented. Single bond credit unions have a stronger saver orientation than multiple bond credit unions. The study provides mixed evidence on the existence of a clientele effect.
The generation of cortical interneurons

The developmental origins of cortical and hippocampal interneurons in the rodent are discussed, in addition to a description of the transcriptional mechanisms that control their specification and differentiation. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper's Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado-Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Millimeter Wave Spectrum of Chlorine Nitrate

Abstract New measurements of the millimeter wave spectra of the 35 Cl and 37 Cl isotopic forms of chlorine nitrate in the ground and lowest vibrational states have been made in the region 80–228 GHz. These measurements allow accurate frequency predictions of all strong transitions up to 300 GHz. A comparison of rotational line intensities with those of ClO, which has already been observed in the stratosphere, is provided. The measured and calculated frequencies of ClNO 3 are available on magnetic tape.
Lifting maps from a vector space of Jacobi cusp forms to a subspace of elliptic modular forms

In this paper we construct a lifting map from a vector space of generalized Jacobi cusp forms to a certain subspace of elliptic cusp forms and vice versa such that both mappings are adjoint with respect to the Petersson scalar products.
The effect of a negative capacitance circuit on the out-of-plane dissipation and stiffness of a piezoelectric membrane

This paper investigates the out-of-plane dynamics of a piezoelectric membrane with a negative capacitance circuit connected in parallel. The theoretically possible large changes in stiffness and dissipation could, at full implementation, enable the design of selectively electroded piezoelectric skins that are spatially and temporally highly adaptive. A tunable negative capacitance circuit is here connected in parallel with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane (Date et al 2000 J. Appl. Phys. 87 863–8). The goal of this paper is to investigate the extent to which such a circuit may influence the out-of-plane stiffness and dissipation characteristics and the associated vibration response of a PVDF membrane strip. We consider strips with a non-vanishing thickness and under a constant boundary-applied tension. As our analytical and experimental results for harmonic loading show, successful application of the method on out-of-plane dynamics is possible with a correct choice of the circuit parameters, and the out-of-plane stiffness and dissipation and the associated vibration response near the first resonance can be altered noticeably by adjusting the circuit settings.
Miscibility studies of poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide/polyamide molecular composites

Abstract Miscibility characteristics of poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide (PPTA) with nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 11, and nylon 12 have been examined by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Mixtures of PPTA/nylon 6, 66, 11, and 12 and amorphous nylon were prepared by coagulation in water from isotropic sulfuric acid solutions. The WAXD investigation shows the presence of small amounts of disordered crystals in the regenerated pure PPTA and to a lesser amount in the blends of PPTA/amorphous nylon or PPTA/aliphatic crystalline nylons. DSC studies show the melting point depression of nylon crystals. At low PPTA contents, a small melting point elevation occurs in nylon 6, presumably due to nucleation. The Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χ) was subsequently calculated from the melting point depression of the nylons.
A deep sub-wavelength process for the formation of highly uniform arrays of nanoholes and nanopillars

We report a low-cost and high-throughput process for the realization of two-dimensional arrays of deep sub-wavelength features using silica and polystyrene spheres. The pattern size in this method is a weak function of sphere size, and hence excellent size uniformity is achievable. Also, the period and diameter of the holes and pillars formed with this technique can be controlled precisely and independently. Moreover, the patterns can be formed in conventional negative and positive photoresists, and hence this approach is compatible with a wide range of existing processing methods. Although we achieved hole sizes of ~250 nm with a broadband UV source centered at 400 nm, our simulation results show that patterns as small as 180 nm should be achievable at a wavelength of 365 nm.
Causation and the flow of energy

Causation has traditionally been analyzed either as a relation of nomic dependence or as a relation of counterfactual dependence. I argue for a third program, a physicalistic reduction of the causal relation to one of energy-momentum transference in the technical sense of physics. This physicalistic analysis is argued to have the virtues of easily handling the standard counterexamples to the nomic and counterfactual analyses, offering a plausible epistemology for our knowledge of causes, and elucidating the nature of the relation between causation and physical science.
Measuring the performance of transit systems

This paper reviews the need for the development of transit performance measures, in the light of recent legislation and public subsidy issues for public transportation in the United States. An evaluation framework is presented, which defines and distinguishes between the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of public transit efforts. The application of this framework in evaluating public transit investments, and the use of the performance measures obtained through the application of this framework, in the allocation of funds among systems is then discussed. Research needs with respect to data collection requirements, cross‐jurisdictional comparability, and the utility of the proposed performance measures for decision‐making are finally addressed.
Diffusional effects on the reversible excited-state proton transfer. From experiments to Brownian dynamics simulations.

We have studied an excited state proton transfer (ESPT) from the cationic “super” photoacid N-methyl 6-hydroxyquinolinium perfluorobutane sulfonate to non-aqueous solvents using picosecond and nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Upon the photoinduced adiabatic deprotonation from the hydroxyl moiety, a quinolinium zwitterion with a highly anisotropic charge distribution is formed. Due to the complexity of the resultant photodissociated system, the typical description of the reversible ESPT within the framework of the Spherically Symmetric Diffusion Problem (SSDP) is not possible. Additional complications are caused by the presence of a counteranion particle which affects the proton mobility. To better understand the ESPT process, we have performed extensive Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations of this three-body system as a tool to reveal the nature of the nonstationary interaction potentials and to elucidate the role of a counterion in the diffusion and reactive properties of the proton. Moreover, our results demonstrated that the anisotropy of the potential force can be taken into account after adapting this force for use in the SSDP. The results of both BD simulations and SSDP calculation with the adapted force field were used to fit the experimental kinetics of this three-body problem adequately.
Adaptive extensions of a two‐stage group sequential procedure for testing primary and secondary endpoints (II): sample size re‐estimation

In this Part II of the paper on adaptive extensions of a two-stage group sequential procedure (GSP) proposed by Tamhane, Mehta and Liu [1] (referred to as TML hereafter) for testing a primary and a secondary endpoint, we focus on the second stage sample size re-estimation based on thefirst stage data. First we show that if we use the Cui, Huang and Wang [2] (referred to as CHW hereafter) statistics at the second stage then we can use the same primary and the secondary boundaries as for the original procedure (without sample size re-estimation) and still control the type I familywise error rate (FWER). This extends their result for the single endpoint case. We further show that the secondary boundary can be sharpened in this case by taking the unknown correlation coefficient ρ between the primary and secondary endpoints into account through the use of the confidence limit method proposed in Part I of this paper [3]. If we use the sufficient statistics instead of the CHW statistics then we need to modify both the primary and secondary boundaries; otherwise the error rate can get inflated. We show how to modify the boundaries of the original GSP to control the FWER. Power comparisons between competing procedures are provided. The procedures are illustrated with a clinical trial example. Copyright c ⃝ 0000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nature of a rapidly labeled RNA fraction described in higher plant systems.

When seedling tissues are exposed to 82PO4 for short periods a rapidly labeled RNA fraction is frequently observed which is eluted from MAK columns as peak I between the 2 components of the so-called soluble RNA, e.g. in peanut cotyledons (5), in soybean hypocotyls (11), and in different parts of pea and bean seedlings (9). This 32P-labeled fraction is characterized by a high GMP-CMP content. The radioactivity peak of the DNA-RNA fraction which preceeds the optical density profile is also rich in GMP-CMP (4,9,17) whereas the overall base composition of the DNA-RNA fraction has a low GMP-CMP content. Several authors have been aware of the possibility that bacterial contamination could influence the results. By actual bacterial counts (19) and by the use of inhibitors (9, 11) it has been deduced that the microorganisms do not play a major role in producing the observed labeling pattern. It is, however, striking that in experiments with ase-ptic higher plant systems (13,15,) there is a perfect matching of the radioactivity and the OD of the DNA-RNA peak. In watermelon seedlings ( Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.) we find only 4 species of Pseudomonas (kindly identified by Dr. Neidhardt's group) as bacterial contaminants. To check the effect of bacterial contamination upon the 32PO4 incorporation into nucleic acids by the cotyledons, a bacteria-free system of watermelon seedlings was first obtained. During the exposure to 32po4, a culture of the bacteria mentioned above was added back to the incubation medium. The labeling of the nucleic acids in the washed cotyledons was then compared to that in the bacteria-free control. It is shown that both the labeled fractions mentioned above appeared only in the contaminated samples.
The Road to Excellence for JPCW: A Note to Subscribers and Contributors

The Journal of Public Child Welfare (JPCW) was originally published by Haworth Press. Subsequently, Haworth Press was purchased by Taylor and Francis and the JPCW has been published by Taylor and F...
Targowiska: Polish street markets today

Poles do much of their shopping outdoors. In any city with urban bus or tram service, and in many towns without, there are kiosks on important street corners that sell bus or tram tickets, magazines and newspapers, basic stationery items, cigarettes and candy, bottled water and soft drinks, and an amazing number of other small items. More important than the kiosks are the targowiska or “free and open markets” where Poles can buy clothing, stationery, food, small electronics, cosmetics, and a large variety of other goods. The targowiska are the descendents of the weekly market days that occurred in almost every Polish town and village up to World War II. These free and open markets appeared quickly with the liberalisation of the economy in the late 1980s, popping up at traditional market places and on other open spaces convenient for shoppers. While these markets appear to be unorganised and informal, in the past fifteen or twenty years their operations have become regulated and more formal. While these markets are less informal than they may first appear, they do still perform many of the functions of informal markets. These markets also have become an important source of revenue for local governments.
Comparison of modeling approaches to quantify residue architecture effects on soil temperature and water

RZ-SHAW is a hybrid model, comprised of modules from the Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) model integrated into the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) that allows more detailed simulation of different residue types and architectures that affect heat and water transfer at the soil surface. RZ-SHAWallows different methods of surface energy flux evaluation to be used: (1) the SHAW module, where evapotranspiration (ET) and soil heat flux are computed in concert with a detailed surface energy balance; (2) the Shuttleworth‐Wallace (S‐W) module for ET in which soil surface temperature is assumed equal air temperature; and (3) the PENFLUX module, which uses a Penman transformation for a soil slabunder incomplete residue cover. The objective of this study was to compare the predictive accuracy of the three RZ-SHAW modules to simulate effects of residue architecture on net radiation, soil temperature, and water dynamics near the soil surface. The model was tested in Akron, Colorado in a wheat residuecovered (both standing and flat) no-till (NT) plot, and a reduced till (RT) plot where wheat residue was incorporated into the soil. Temperature difference between the soil surface and ambient air frequently exceeded 17 8C under RT and NT conditions, invalidating the isothermal assumption employed in the S‐W module. The S‐W module overestimated net radiation (Rn )b y an average of 69 Wm � 2 and underestimated the 3-cm soil temperature (Ts3) by 2.7 8C for the RT plot, attributedto consequences of the isothermal assumption. Both SHAWand PENFLUX modules overestimated midday Ts3 for RT conditions but underestimated Ts3 for NT conditions. Better performances of the SHAW and PENFLUX surface energy evaluations are to be expected as both approaches are more detailed and consider a more discretized domain than the S‐W module. PENFLUX simulated net radiation slightly better than the SHAW module for both plots, while Ts3 was simulated the best by SHAW, with a mean bias error of +0.1 8C for NTand +2.7 8C for RT. Simulation results for soil water content in the surface 30 cm (uv30) were mixed. The NT conditions were simulated best by SHAW, with mean bias error for uv30 within 0.006 m 3 m � 3 ; RT conditions were simulated best by the PENFLUX module, which was within 0.010 m 3 m � 3 .
Organizational economics and institutions as missing elements in economic development analysis

Abstract The main objective of this paper is to apply X-efficiency theory to the analysis of organizations and state enterprises with special reference to developing countries. In particular, the black box relating to the internal operation of organizations is opened up to understand better the decision mechanisms operating within firms and institutions. Intrafirm conventions are explored as they relate to the impact of external and internal pressures on the decision-making process. Implications are drawn to improve the internal efficiency of institutions in developing countries.
The Role of Mucus in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic bronchitis is characterized by mucociliary dysfunction resulting from structural and functional defects of cilia and the secretory apparatus. The combination of hypersecretion and ciliary impairment leads to disruption of mucociliary interaction and hence the accumulation of secretions in the lower airways. Cigarette smoke appears to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis-associated mucociliary dysfunction. While the excessive lower airway secretions may have only minor effects on the natural course of airflow obstruction, they could transiently compromise airway function during acute exacerbations. In addition, altered aerosol deposition in the airways resulting from excessive airway secretions could influence the airway responses to inhaled irritants and pharmacologic agents. There are currently no direct, noninvasive methods available to assess the quantity and distribution of airway secretions in vivo . Indirect indices such as cough frequency, sputum volume, respiratory function, and mucociliary clearance are nonspecific and subject to misinterpretation. The clinical utility of mucotropic pharmacologic agents and of physical maneuvers directed at removing excessive lower airway secretions is therefore difficult to evaluate objectively.
Understanding the Special Olympics Debate From Lifeworld and System Perspectives: Moving Beyond the Liberal Egalitarian View Toward Empowered Recreational Living

Keith Storey outlined a comprehensive overview examining the pros and cons of Special Olympics and the unintended negative consequences for participants. In conclusion, he briefly summarized three ...
Bone mineral measurement: Skylab experiment M-078.

Experimental observations of loss of bone mineral due to prolonged bedrest or weightlessness are reported. A new, precise method was employed that featured an essentially monoergetic photon source (125I) and a scintillation detector operating in a rectilinear scanning mode to measure bone mineral in the radius, ulna, and os calcis by the absorptiometric technique. Variable but small losses were found during 4-6 weeks of bedrest; losses of up to 40% were noted in the os calcis after 9 months. When the technique was used during the Apollo 14, 15, and 16 missions, only one crewmen showed significant losses in the os calcis and none in the radius or ulna. The variability recorded during bedrest was connected with the initial 24-hr urinary hydroxyproline excretion and the initial os calcis mineral content. The relevance of prediction terms based on bedrest data to Skylab and longer missions is discussed.
The circular dichroism of poly d(AAT):d(ATT) and poly r(AAU):r(AUU). A test of the first-neighbor hypothesis.

We present absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra for the synthetic polymers poly d(AAT):d(AAT) and poly r(AAU):r(AAU), in both native and heat-denatured forms. As a means of evaluating the first-neighbor hypothesis, the CD spectra are compared with approximations derived from spectra of other synthetic polymers containing the same first-neighbor sequences. This is the first instance where such a comparison has been possible using spectra of double-stranded RNA sequences, and the agreement between the measured and approximated spectra for poly r(AAU):r(AUU) is surprisingly good. We have also subjected the CD spectrum of poly d(AAT):d(AAT) to a previously published analytical procedure for obtaining estimates of first-neighbor frequencies. In this first independent test of the procedure, we find that the analysis does infer the existence of a majority (86%) of AA, TT, AT, and TA first neighbors but does not precisely indicate their relative proportions.
Acceptance, Resistance, and the Value System of Young Adults

Summary,-This discussion concerns criterion-referenced interpretation of value scales. To improve the process, borrowing from social judgment theory is suggested to expand the conventional taxonomy of affective goals. Testing that approach with a group of 145 predominantly black college freshmen, the study illuminates the patterns of adherence and resistance in their value system. Spirituality was the most salient dimension for a majority (55%) of participants. One out of four relegated concerns for financial success and power to the periphery of their value system. Test scores, to be meaningful, are often interpreted within a normative frame of reference. While that approach is standard for tests in the cognitive domain, it seems less appropriate for the affective domain. That issue becomes crucial when the measure is a value scale. Because value is primarily a matter of personal judgment aimed at minimizing emotional strain and maximizing self-enhancement, imposing a normative interpretation on the scores seems to contradict the very purpose of the scale. One alternative, of course, is to work within a criterion-referenced model such as the one developed by Krathwohl, Bloom, and Masia (1964). This weII-known taxonomy delineates five levels of affective involvement from the initial point of "receiving" to the ultimate stage of "characterization." Despite its richness, however, that model presents one weakness, as it concerns only the acceptance of values and not at all the rejection of values. Social judgment theory, formulated by Sherif, Sherif, and Nebergall (1965), has long established that there exists for any object of attitude a latitude of acceptance and a latitude of rejection. The latitude of acceptance encompasses a range of favorable positions on an issue, while the latitude of rejection defines the riltigc. of objectionable positions. One supplements rather than suppresses the other. Under the best circumstances, both the specific scale and the general model should make room for such a comprehensive intepretation. The present study uses one particular instrument, the Current Life Orientation Scale (Madhere, 1993), to demonstrate how the two perspectives can be fruitfully integrated. The Current Life Orientation Scale is an instrument developed to measure the scope of a person's value system. It comprises two complementary parts. The first part is a set of 40 multiple-choice items which can be answered with one of five value options of faith and spirituality, freedom and
Home Again: Environmental Predictors of Place Attachment and Self‐esteem for New Retirement Community Residents

This study examined the relative contribution of two dimensions of interior features functional and personal meaning—as predictors of place attachment and self-esteem for ninety-two new retirement community residents housed in independent living apartments or cottages of a recently opened continuing care retirement community (CCRC). Residents were interviewed and facilities observed as part of a multi-disciplinary, collaborative study. Stepwise regression determined which subsets of function and meaning variables respectively operated as the most important, independent predictors for place attachment and self-esteem. Hierarchical regression equations then examined the relationship between function and meaning variables in predicting place attachment and self-esteem, asking: exceeding the effects of function, does meaning add to a feeling of place attachment and self-esteem? For both place attachment and self-esteem, significantly more variance is accounted for when meaning variables are added to function variables. Once functional needs are met, both place attachment and self-esteem are elevated by interior features that have personal meaning. These findings expand the concept of hominess widely used in the design of residential caregiving settings.
Excitation and de-excitation processes in lanthanide chelates bearing aromatic sidechains.

— Chelating agents comprised of an ethylenediaminetetraacetate group covalently attached to an aromatic sidechain (indole, benzyl, p-methoxybenzyl, or p-cyanobenzyl) have been used to investigate interactions between each sidechain and a lanthanide ion chelated by the ethylenediaminetetraacetate group. Lanthanum, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, and ytterbium were studied. Results from measurements of fluorescence, phosphorescence, and lanthanide luminescence indicate the importance of electron transfer, as well as energy transfer, processes in these chelates. Because of the structure of the chelates studied, the sidechains and bound metals do not interact strongly enough to perturb their energy levels; however, large effects on quantum yields, including quenching or enhancement of aromatic phosphorescence, quenching or enhancement of lanthanide luminescence, and quenching of aromatic fluorescence are observed. Applications to studies of proteins are discussed.
Excitatory Actions of Dopamine Via D1-Like Receptors in the Rat Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

The excitability of relay neurons in the dorsal geniculate nucleus (dLGN) can be altered by a variety of neuromodulators. The dLGN receives substantial dopaminergic input from the brain stem, and t...