cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anger and Aggression in Psychiatric Outpatients

Background This study sought to evaluate the degree of anger and aggression experienced by psychiatric outpatients and to determine whether anger is as prominent an emotional state in these patients as are depression and anxiety. We also sought to determine which Axis I and Axis II disorders were associated with increased rates of subjective anger and aggressive behavior. Method 1300 individuals presenting to a psychiatric outpatient practice underwent semistructured interviews to evaluate current DSM-IV Axis I (N = 1300) and Axis II disorders (N = 687). Levels of subjective anger and aggression during the preceding week were assessed in each patient, and the odds ratios were calculated for each disorder. A multiple regression analysis was performed to determine which psychiatric disorders independently contributed to the presence of subjective anger and aggressive behavior. Results Approximately one half of our sample reported currently experiencing moderate-to-severe levels of subjective anger, and about one quarter had demonstrated aggressive behavior in the preceding week. This level of anger was found to be comparable to the levels of depressed mood and psychic anxiety reported by our sample. Major depressive disorder, bipolar I disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, and cluster B personality disorders independently contributed to the presence of both anger and aggression. Conclusion Anger and aggression are prominent in psychiatric outpatients to a degree that may rival that of depression and anxiety; it is therefore important that clinicians routinely screen for these symptoms.
Squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma of the skin in relation to radiation therapy and potential modification of risk by sun exposure.

Background:Epidemiologic studies consistently find enhanced risk of basal cell carcinoma of the skin among individuals exposed to ionizing radiation, but it is unclear whether the radiation effect occurs for squamous cell carcinoma. It is also not known whether subgroups of individuals are at greate
Pyridinium-derived N-heterocyclic carbene ligands: syntheses, structures and reactivity of N-(2'-pyridyl)pyridin-2-ylidene complexes of nickel(II), palladium(II) and platinum(II)

Abstract Pyridinium-derived N-heterocyclic carbene complexes [(i-BIPY)M(acac)]+[OTf]− (M = Ni (2a), Pd (3a), Pt (4a)) (i-BIPY = N-(2′-pyridyl)-4-tert-butylpyridin-2′-ylidene) are obtained as insoluble microcrystalline powders by cyclometallation of the ligand precursor [i-BIPY-H]+[OTf]− (OTf = trifluormethylsulfonate) to M(acac)2 (acac = acetylacetonate) in chlorobenzene at 160 °C. Consumption of the starting materials in the synthesis of 3a and 4a is complete after 18 h, providing (4a) and (5a) in good yields as analytically pure material after recrystallization. The reaction with Ni(acac)2 is reversible and reaches equilibrium at approximately 75% completion. Removal by distillation of the acetylacetone produced in the cyclometallation drives the reaction to completion furnishing a good yield of pure 6a. Salt metathesis with sodium tetraphenylborate in methanol yields the tetraphenylborate salts (2b–4b) that were used to grow X-ray quality crystals. Analysis of the M–O bond lengths confirms the larger trans-influence of the carbene donor compared with the pyridine donor. Ratios of the M–O(1)/M–O(2) bond lengths suggest that the carbene–metal bond strength follows the order 4b ≈ 3b > 2b. Protonation of 2a–4a with three equivalents of pyridinium hydrochloride produces (i-BIPY)MCl2 in the case of palladium (5) and platinum (6), while in the case of nickel it regenerates the starting [i-BIPY-H]+ and paramagnetic nickel products.
Late Deliverables to Construction: How Understanding the Impacts Can Benefit Dispute Prevention and Resolution

AbstractGiven that a construction site is both temporary and unique, the outcome of every construction project is dependent upon having all of the proper resources delivered to the site at the appropriate time. However, the construction industry often considers late deliverables and the disputes and claims arising thereafter all but inevitable. In order to better understand late deliverables and their far-reaching impacts on project performance, the Construction Industry Institute, in collaboration with the Construction Users Roundtable, commissioned Research Team 300 to investigate how various types of late deliverables affect the cost, schedule, quality, safety, and organizational performance of industrial construction projects. This paper, as a part of the larger research project, reviews literature relevant to late deliverables and dispute resolution, investigates specifically how understanding late deliverables and their impacts can benefit the industry through improved dispute prevention, and provid...
Profiles of Heads of Departments of Agricultural Economics in the United States

In recent years, the Journal has enlightened its readers on such subjects as the spatial distribution of membership in the American Agricultural Economics Association, the institutional affiliation of authors contributing to the Journal, and its use as a reference in research (Finley and Barger, Holland and Redman, Redman). Information about persons who direct departments of agricultural economics in the major universities is one subject that has received little attention in the Journal. Although department heads hold positions of substantial responsibility, little information is available about their professional and academic achievements, their institutional affiliations, their areas of specialization, and the like. The purpose of this note is to provide a group profile of the persons who headed the fifty departments of agricultural economics in the fifty major U.S. universities as of August 1, 1975.1
Decision-making with the AHP: Why is the principal eigenvector necessary

In this paper it is shown that the principal eigenvector is a necessary representation of the priorities derived from a positive reciprocal pairwise comparison judgment matrix A=(aij) when A is a small perturbation of a consistent matrix. When providing numerical judgments, an individual attempts to estimate sequentially an underlying ratio scale and its equivalent consistent matrix of ratios. Near consistent matrices are essential because when dealing with intangibles, human judgment is of necessity inconsistent, and if with new information one is able to improve inconsistency to near consistency, then that could improve the validity of the priorities of a decision. In addition, judgment is much more sensitive and responsive to large rather than to small perturbations, and hence once near consistency is attained, it becomes uncertain which coefficients should be perturbed by small amounts to transform a near consistent matrix to a consistent one. If such perturbations were forced, they could be arbitrary and thus distort the validity of the derived priority vector in representing the underlying decision.
Portable spirometry during acute exacerbations of asthma in children.

Background. Spirometry is the gold standard for assessment of asthma and is objective and non-invasive. This is a pilot study to evaluate whether portable spirometry can be successfully performed b...
Experimental histoplasmosis capsulati in athymic nude mice.

Granuloma formation in nude (nu/nu) mice and their heterozygous littermates (nu/+ mice) against Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum infection was studied.
Utility of amylase and lipase as predictors of grade of injury or outcomes in pediatric patients with pancreatic trauma

Abstract Introduction Grade of injury, serum amylase, and lipase are markers used to assess pancreatic injury. It is unclear how amylase and lipase relate to grade of injury or predict outcome. We hypothesize that serum amylase and lipase are good predictors of grade of injury and outcomes in patients with pancreatic trauma. Methods This study is a multicenter review from 9 pediatric trauma centers of all children admitted to their institution over 5 years with a pancreatic injury. Initial as well as peak amylase and lipase values were analyzed with relation to pancreatic grade, length of stay, and outcomes. Results One hundred thirty-one records were analyzed. There were 44 girls and 85 boys with an average age of 9.0 ± 0.4 years. The mean injury severity score (ISS) score was 15.5 ± 1.2 SE. The average length of stay (in days) was analyzed by grades 0 (3.93), 1 (7.73), 2 (13.4), 3 (18.4), 4 (31), and 5 (13.5). Neither initial nor peak amylase/lipase correlated with grade of injury. Neither amylase nor lipase predicted length of stay or mortality. Maximal amylase was highly predictive of developing a pseudocyst. Conclusion There seems to be limited value for repetitive routine amylase and lipase levels in the management of pediatric trauma patients with pancreatic injury.
A splice acceptor mutation in C. elegans daf-19/Rfx disrupts functional specialization of male-specific ciliated neurons but does not affect ciliogenesis

Abstract RFX transcription factors are master regulators of ciliogenesis in diverse animal species. The sole Caenorhabditis elegans RFX homolog, DAF-19, plays at least two roles in the formation of functional cilia. The DAF-19C isoform is required for ciliogenesis and the DAF-19M isoform is required for the functional specialization of a subset of male-specific ciliated neurons called PKD neurons. Here we report the identification of a novel mutation, daf-19(sm129), which disrupts the functional specification of PKD neurons and thus suggests that daf-19m activity is compromised. However, ciliogenesis is not disrupted in daf-19(sm129) mutants suggesting that daf-19c activity is retained. The sm129 mutation disrupts a splice acceptor site adjacent to an exon common to the daf-19c and daf-19m isoforms resulting in aberrant splicing in a proportion of transcripts. While aberrant splicing of daf-19c to upstream cryptic sites results in in-frame and functional products, a large proportion of daf-19m mRNAs include the entire upstream intron, which introduces a frameshift and stop codons. At least 15% of disease-causing mutations affect splicing of the gene bearing the mutation, thus it is important to understand the consequences of splice site mutations on gene function. However, predicting the effects of a splice site mutation remains difficult and experimental determination is still required. Using daf-19(sm129) as a model, our results suggest that this problem is exacerbated when a splice acceptor mutation is used by multiple isoforms of the same gene because the effects on each isoform can be dramatically different.
Electronic factors in chemisorption: NH3 adsorption

Abstract In this paper experimental verification of the importance of electronic factors in determining the structure of chemisorbed species on various metals is presented. Furthermore, the modification of a single surface so as to change its chemisorption characteristics is demonstrated. Infrared spectra of NH 3 chemisorbed on vanadium and iron films at room temperature indicate adsorption occurs largely without dissociation. The NH 3 surface species are electron-donating with respect to the CO surface species. NH 3 does not adsorb in an undissociated form on our films of nickel and palladium. However adsorption of CO on these latter surfaces conditions them so that a NH 3 surface complex is stable. The stability of NH 3 on particular surfaces and its modification are explicable in terms of the electronic structure of the metal surface and a molecular orbital model of the bonding of NH 3 and CO to the metal surface.
Explorations in immediacy: The nonverbal system and its relationship to affective and situational factors

Male college students interacted with a male confederate while the context of the interaction, gaze behaviors of the confederate and the perceived source of the subject's arousal were manipulated. The dependent variables included nonverbal behaviors, affective reactions and perceptions of and liking for the confederate. The study was conducted to provide more information about the relationship among the nonverbal immediacy behaviors and the relevance of several situational variables to each of these behaviors. In addition, there was an examination of Patterson's 1976 contention that the evaluation of the individual's state of arousal determines the reciprocation or compensation of nonverbal intimacy. The data analysis revealed a system of weakly related immediacy behaviors strongly related to the subjects' affective states. A general dominance factor emerged that was related to several nonverbal behaviors and it was confirmed that arousal was related to both nonverbal behavior and interpersonal attraction. It seemed doubtful, however, that this relationship was as straightforward as Patterson's model predicted. The results are discussed in light of problems specific to this area of research.
Atmospheric Parameter Climatologies from AIRS: Monitoring Short-, and Longer-Term Climate Variabilities and 'Trends'

The AIRS instrument is currently the best space-based tool to simultaneously monitor the vertical distribution of key climatically important atmospheric parameters as well as surface properties, and has provided high quality data for more than 5 years. AIRS analysis results produced at the GODDARD/DAAC, based on Versions 4 & 5 of the AIRS retrieval algorithm, are currently available for public use. Here, first we present an assessment of interrelationships of anomalies (proxies of climate variability based on 5 full years, since Sept. 2002) of various climate parameters at different spatial scales. We also present AIRS-retrievals-based global, regional and 1x1 degree grid-scale "trend"-analyses of important atmospheric parameters for this 5-year period. Note that here "trend" simply means the linear fit to the anomaly (relative the mean seasonal cycle) time series of various parameters at the above-mentioned spatial scales, and we present these to illustrate the usefulness of continuing AIRS-based climate observations. Preliminary validation efforts, in terms of intercomparisons of interannual variabilities with other available satellite data analysis results, will also be addressed. For example, we show that the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) interannual spatial variabilities from the available state-of-the-art CERES measurements and from the AIRS computations are in remarkably good agreement. Version 6 of the AIRS retrieval scheme (currently under development) promises to further improve bias agreements for the absolute values by implementing a more accurate radiative transfer model for the OLR computations and by improving surface emissivity retrievals.
Shallow boron-doped junctions in silicon

Shallow boron‐doped junctions in silicon have been investigated by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, spreading resistance profiling, and four‐point probe techniques. The junctions were formed by implanting BF+2 ions into n‐type Si at the dose range of 1–5×1015 ions/cm2, through a thin (25‐nm) screen layer of silicon dioxide. We have emphasized the higher dose range (3–5×1015 ions/cm2) as it is more relevant to processes in the current level of device integration. The use of BF+2 species and the screen oxide layer is necessary in order to form junctions whose depths xj≤0.4 μm, when conventional annealing techniques are employed. We have also examined junctions that were activated in a rapid thermal annealing system that utilizes an incoherent light source. One of the main objectives of this study is to compare conventional and rapid thermal annealing techniques. We thus evaluate the results obtained by these two methods of annealing fo...
Compton polarimetry at a 1 TeV Linear Collider

An electron beam polarization of 80% or greater will be a key feature of a 1 TeV Linear Collider. Accurate measurements of the beam polarization will therefore be needed. We discuss design considerations and capabilities for a Compton-scattering polarimeter located in the extraction line from the Interaction Point. Polarization measurements with 1% accuracy taken parasitic to collision data look feasible, but detailed simulations are needed. Polarimeter design issues are similar for both electron-positron and electron-electron collider modes, though beam disruption creates more difficulties for the electron-electron mode.
An Experimental Approach to the Prediction of Complete Millimeter and Submillimeter Spectra at Astrophysical Temperatures: Applications to Confusion-limited Astrophysical Observations

Unidentified features in interstellar spectra (U lines) have persisted almost from the beginning of the field. In recent years, the number of such lines has rapidly increased in parallel with the sensitivity and frequency range of new observational facilities. Initially, the U lines often were from species considered exotic at the time, such as HCO+, but now the origins of these unidentified weeds are overwhelmingly from previously observed large molecules with dense spectra. The origin of the weeds problem lies in the nature of the spectroscopic approach that has typically been used in the millimeter and submillimeter spectral region: the bootstrap narrowband-observation, assignment, and theoretical prediction cycle. Unfortunately, the weeds arise from complex spectra involving many low-lying and often interacting vibrational states that are not typically part of the bootstrap process. This paper describes a purely experimental approach to this problem that does not require spectra assignment, but rather relies on the observation of complete spectra over a range of temperatures. It also discusses the potential for the use of these complete spectra in conjunction with the multiplex capabilities of modern radio telescopes for the detection of large species whose spectra consist of many relatively weak and ordinarily unobservable lines. This latter application will be made particularly challenging by the inhomogeneities and nonequilibrium characteristics of the interstellar medium. This approach is enabled by the FASSST (fast scan submillimeter spectroscopy technique) spectroscopic system and the use of collisional cooling cells to provide reference spectra at low temperature. Experimental and theoretical results are presented.
Converter refractories from Satkinsk dolomitic magnesite

Satkinsk dolomitic magnesite fired in a rotary kiln using a cycle employed for Styl'sk dolomite can be used to obtain sintered powder with an apparent density 3.15 g/cm3.
Morphine suppresses DNA synthesis in cultured murine astrocytes from cortex, hippocampus and striatum

To determine whether there are regional differences in the ability of opiates to affect astrocyte proliferation, the effects of morphine were examined in astrocyte-enriched cultures from striatum, hippocampus and cerebral cortex derived from newborn mouse brains. Cultures from each region were continuously incubated in media alone (controls), or in media treated with 1 microM morphine, 1 microM morphine plus 3 microM naloxone, or 3 microM naloxone alone. Before harvesting at 6 days in vitro, cultures were exposed to [3H]thymidine (0.24 mu CI/ml for 16 h). Thymidine-labeling index was determined autoradiographically in flat, polyhedral (type 1) glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-immunoreactive astrocytes. Morphine significantly inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation in astrocytes from all three brain regions, although regional differences in labeling indices were noted. The results show that opiates can intrinsically affect the proliferative rate of astrocytes from diverse brain regions.
Male menopause and men of African descent

INTRODUCTION To the chagrin of some and the delight of others, we experience various changes as we age. Some of the changes, such as a shift in values, are psychological in nature. Many of the changes, however, are physiological. For example, our skin becomes less elastic, our height decreases, and our nails grow more slowly. Furthermore, our stamina becomes weaker and reflexes are not as fast as they once were. The changes that occur are often associated with the term midlife crisis. However, for men a new descriptor is being used to explain the changes they exper ience-male menopause. The term menopause is commonly associated with a woman's cessation of menstruation. Symptoms generally associated with menopausal women include hot flashes, mood swings, headaches, and anxiety. Women, in other words, experience many physiological changes during menopause. The term, however, is no longer only relegated to women. It is also being used to delineate the changes--psychological and physiological--men may experience at midlife. While there is voluminous literature on African American men relative to social issues (Gadsden & Smith, 1994; Gordon, 1994; White & Cones, 1999), manhood (Hine & Clark, 1999; Hunter & Davis, 1994), education (Cross & Slater, 2000; Hrabowski, The term midlife crisis is commonly used to describe changes adults experience as they age. Menopause, more often than not, is associated with women who
Casting a “Sideways Glance” at the Crusades: The Voice of the Other in Joinville's Vie de Saint Louis

AbstractThis article finds in Joinville's late crusading narrative, the Vie de Saint Louis, evidence of past and continuing dialogues and a community of understanding between putative enemies in a theater of war. I argue that the text's mutually derived, Franco-Islamic references and syncretic customs attest to the everyday cross-fertilization and dialogue that took place in the medieval contact zone of Outre-mer irrespective of official crusading ideology emerging from Europe. I then turn to examining closely some of the Vie's many inter-confessional dialogues, showing how the cited Muslim voices of these dialogues reorient meaning within their linguistic environment, casting what Bakhtin called an unofficial “sideways glance” upon what would otherwise be monologic, Latin-Christian discourse. These unofficial, textual sideways glances both open up alternative perspectives within the Vie, and effectively cast an alternative image of the crusading endeavor itself, one in which Muslim and Christian values a...
Colorectal schistosomiasis: report of three cases.

The facility for mass movement of segments of our world populations creates the need for physicians to recognize and manage diseases not seen in native patients. Such a need has occurred in New York City, where schistosomiasis, with its protean manifestations has been seen with increasing frequency. The cases of three patients who had different clinical manifestations of infestation byS. mansoni are presented. Clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features are discussed. To avoid delay in treatment, physicians must consider the possibility of this disorder in cases of patients from areas of endemic schistosomiasis.
Preliminary evaluation of an H2SO4-wood saccharification lignin for use in phenolic resins☆

Abstract The solid residue from a two-stage, sulfuric acid-based wood hydrolysis process was tested for its utility in phenol-formaldehyde resins. It yielded between 5 and 60 weight % of the residue in the form of a homogeneous fraction when extracted with different organic solvents or alkali, and thus varied in relation to molecular weight. A 40% fraction soluble in aqueous ethanol was structurally more condensed than comparable hardwood lignin isolated by a kraft or organosolv process. This fraction proved to be relatively unreactive with formaldehyde and phenol, and this was attributed to its hardwood and chemically condensed nature. Phenolic resins were formulated at a 45% solids content in a two-stage resin cook procedure with >50% replacement of phenol by lignin. These resins were evaluated by thermal analysis with regard to cure, and by shear testing of laminated blocks with regard to dry strength. Results with the best resins revealed minor differences as compared to control phenol-formaldehyde resins in terms of viscosity, cure rate, activation energy of the curing reaction, and dry shear strength performance. Dry strength characteristics were found to be more variable than those obtained using phenol-formaldehyde resins, and network formation characteristics were inferior to other lignin products. The significance of these differences needs to be evaluated under commercially realistic conditions usually employed in plywood manufacturing, and in larger scale tests.
The Hamilton-cartan Formalism for Rth Order Lagrangians and the Integrability of the {KdV} and Modified {KdV} Equations

The Hamilton Cartan formalism for rth order Lagrangians is presented in a form suited to dealing with higher-order conserved currents. Noether's Theorem and its converse are stated and Poisson brackets are defined for conserved charges. An isomorphism between the Lie algebra of conserved currents and a Lie algebra of infinitesimal symmetries of the Cartan form is established. This isomorphism, together with the commutativity of the Backlund transformations for the KdV and modified KdV equations, allows a simple geometric proof that the infinite collections of conserved charges for these equations are in involution with respect to the Poisson bracket determined by their Lagrangians. Thus, the formal complete integrability of these equations appears as a consequence of the properties of their Backlund transformations.
Efficacy of interdisciplinary assessment and treatment for infants and preschoolers with congenital and acquired brain injury

The complexities of assessment and treatment for brain-injured youngsters demand interdisciplinary effort. A multiprofessional approach can provide both varied and congruent information to guide treatment. While the team approach has been extolled, few research studies have attempted to document its efficiency or efficacy. The present study employed an interdisciplinary model to assess the progress of brain-injured children during their course of treatment. Specifically, the study attempted to document the effectiveness of a team approach over a 3.5 month period of intensive treatment for two etiologically distinct groups of children (acquired injury, n = 7; congenital injury, n = 10). Analysis of developmental and behavioral progress over the period of team intervention ( -x = 3.5 months) revealed significant pre-post gains for the congenital as well as the acquired groups of brain-injured children. Significant team therapy effects beyond gains expected due to maturation were evident across four developmental domains (i.e., cognitive, socio-emotional, self-care, perceptual/fine motor) and five behavioral processes (i.e., social orientation, attention, receptive communication, object orientation, and self-regulation) on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Early Intervention Developmental Profile, and Carolina Record of Individual Behavior. Progress was less evident in various neuromotor, self-regulatory, and neurophysiological areas (i.e., gross motor, expressive communication, activity, reactivity, frustration, and consolability) despite intervention in these areas. Suggested guidelines for team diagnosis, intervention, and program evaluation for young brain-injured children are detailed.
Achievement motivation and ordinal position of birth.

To investigate the relationship between birth order, sex, and achievement motivation, two studies were conducted using Costello's (1967) non-projective instrument which purports to measure two aspects of the achievement motivation construct (Scale I, the need to achieve on a task and Scale II, the need to be a success). Neither study revealed a significant relationship between birth order and achievement motivation, nor were there any significant interactions involving the birth order factor. There was, however, a significant sex main effect found in both studies, but in one study only was there a significant difference on Scale II between males and females, with females scoring higher, while in the other study females scored significantly higher than males on both Scales I and II. Interpretations were offered.
Universal ultrahigh vacuum facility for the measurement of the optical properties of solids

An apparatus is described in which the reflectance and transmittance of a hot sample and a cold sample may be measured simultaneously and differentially in the wavelength region from the infrared to the vacuum ultraviolet. These measurements may be carried out under an ultrahigh vacuum or a gaseous ambience, and the surfaces may be temperature treated (e.g., flashed atomically clean) before the measurement. The hot–cold differential capability of the apparatus is convenient when considering the temperature dependence of optical parameters.
An automatic rapid scanning spectrophotometer to study thermoluminescence spectra

The construction of a rapid scanning spectrophotometer for studying thermoluminescence spectra is reported. Sample luminescence spectra recorded for the KCl:Tl system are given.
On the freedom of decryption

Some formal methods for cryptographic protocol analysis represent message fields using a free term algebra, which does not permit an explicit symmetric decryption operator. Although the ability of principals and intruders to decrypt encrypted messages is represented implicitly, such models can fail to recognize some attacks. However, with an additional restriction on the protocol--EV-freedom, in which encrypted message fields must have a known structure the extension of the free algebra with decryption is unnecessary because it does not enable any new attacks. The analogous question for public key encryption is open.
The pegmatites of the Spruce Pine District, North Carolina

Several types of pegmatites are distributed in zones, thought to reflect differences in temperature of formation. In general, plagioclase predominates over microcline, and crystallized first; the amount of microcline varies with the composition of the plagioclase.Abundant structures suggesting replacement of microcline by plagioclase are the result of metamorphism of the pegmatitic-magmatic constituents; very minor amounts of albite are meta-somatic replacements; much of the commercial mica is primary. Accessory minerals include compounds of columbium, uranium, and rare-earths, allanite, beryl, and others.180 pegmatites were investigated in the field and the plagioclase was determined for more than 100 of these. The paragenesis is shown by banded structures, filter pressing, textures, and other field and microscopic evidence.A survey of recent literature suggests that the conclusions for the Spruce Pine district\---|the largest producer of muscovite and feldspar in North America\---|may be applied to other districts, and shows that economic deposits of feldspar and mica that contain plagioclase predominating over microcline are found elsewhere.
Maize Nodal Root Response to Soil Ridging and Three Tillage Systems

A greater understanding of maize (Zea mays L.) nodal root response to soil ridging and tillage systems is needed to maximize the benefits of ridge-till and other conservation tillage systems. Field (1992 and 1993 near Marshalltown, IA) and greenhouse (two studies with two trials each) experiments were conducted to examine the effect of soil ridging, height of ridging, and three tillage systems (no-till, ridge-till, and chisel-plow) on the number and stem node position of maize nodal roots and on internode length. Field plants were ridged during cultivation. In the greenhouse, ridging was simulated by using polyvinyl chloride rings to hold soil around the base of plants. Numbers of nodal roots, numbers of nodes developing functional roots, internode lengths, shoot dry weights, and grain yields (field study) were determined. In one greenhouse experiment, unridged plants developed an average of 38.4 functional nodal roots, while ridged plants developed 50.0, an increase of 30%. In the same greenhouse experiment, ridging significantly increased lengths of Internodes 6 and 7, which were covered with soil during ridging. Average length of Internode 7 increased from 64 mm to 101 mm with ridging. Increasing ridge height increased internode length and number of nodal roots in the controlled greenhouse experiments, but not in the field. In field experiments, ridge-till caused development of significantly more functional nodal roots as compared with no-till (1992 and 1993) and chisel-plow (1992). Plants from no-till developed 53.1 and 46.0 functional nodal roots in 1992 and 1993, respectively, while plants from ridge-till developed 58.7 and 49.1 roots. Shoot dry weight and grain yield were not affected by ridging or tillage treatments in the greenhouse or field.
A simple technique for predicting the biomass of a prosobranch snail

The 36 snails utilized in this study were collected in October of 1973 from a small freshwater stream in Livingston County, MI. Sex was determined and wet and dry weight was measured. Observations of the presence or absence of a penis indicated there were 19 females and 17 males. Superficial moisture was removed from the live snails utilizing absorbent paper toweling. Each snail was subsequently weighted to the nearest 0.01 g on a Mettler balance to determine wet weight. Dry weights were determined by piacing each snail in a tared aluminum cup and drying in an oven at 60°C until constant weight was achieved. Dry weight as determined by this procedure is considered synonymous with biomass.
Extended global routing with RLC crosstalk constraints

In this paper, we study an extended global routing problem with RLC crosstalk constraints. Considering simultaneous shield insertion and net ordering, we propose a multiphase algorithm to synthesize a global routing solution with track assignment to satisfy the RLC crosstalk constraint at each sink. The key algorithm phase is global routing synthesis with shield reservation and minimization based on prerouting shield estimation. Experiments using large industrial benchmarks show that compared to the best alternative with postrouting shield insertion and net ordering, the proposed algorithm with shield reservation and minimization reduces the congestion by 18.4% with a smaller runtime. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in-depth study on global routing synthesis with RLC crosstalk constraints.
The Catastrophe of Scientism in Social/Behavioral Science

that do report effects (such as correlations) suggest an ongoing fraud. In the attitude/ behavior research discussed here, the effects appear to have been near zero for years (are not increasing) and the main reason may be that the measurement instruments are not valid. In attitude research, however, the most common explanation for this situation is to blame the subjects for the "inconsist ency" between their attitude and their behavior, rather than questioning the mea surement instruments themselves. Yet the
Variable Importance and Prediction Methods for Longitudinal Problems with Missing Variables

We present prediction and variable importance (VIM) methods for longitudinal data sets containing continuous and binary exposures subject to missingness. We demonstrate the use of these methods for prognosis of medical outcomes of severe trauma patients, a field in which current medical practice involves rules of thumb and scoring methods that only use a few variables and ignore the dynamic and high-dimensional nature of trauma recovery. Well-principled prediction and VIM methods can provide a tool to make care decisions informed by the high-dimensional patient's physiological and clinical history. Our VIM parameters are analogous to slope coefficients in adjusted regressions, but are not dependent on a specific statistical model, nor require a certain functional form of the prediction regression to be estimated. In addition, they can be causally interpreted under causal and statistical assumptions as the expected outcome under time-specific clinical interventions, related to changes in the mean of the outcome if each individual experiences a specified change in the variable (keeping other variables in the model fixed). Better yet, the targeted MLE used is doubly robust and locally efficient. Because the proposed VIM does not constrain the prediction model fit, we use a very flexible ensemble learner (the SuperLearner), which returns a linear combination of a list of user-given algorithms. Not only is such a prediction algorithm intuitive appealing, it has theoretical justification as being asymptotically equivalent to the oracle selector. The results of the analysis show effects whose size and significance would have been not been found using a parametric approach (such as stepwise regression or LASSO). In addition, the procedure is even more compelling as the predictor on which it is based showed significant improvements in cross-validated fit, for instance area under the curve (AUC) for a receiver-operator curve (ROC). Thus, given that 1) our VIM applies to any model fitting procedure, 2) under assumptions has meaningful clinical (causal) interpretations and 3) has asymptotic (influence-curve) based robust inference, it provides a compelling alternative to existing methods for estimating variable importance in high-dimensional clinical (or other) data.
Effect of carbon dioxide on cerebral blood flow velocity in preterm infants during postnatal transition

Aim High arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and cerebral reperfusion are associated with peri/intraventricular haemorrhage. Our aim was to study the relationship between PaCO2 and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in preterm infants during postnatal transition. Methods We prospectively studied ≤30 weeks' gestation haemodynamically stable preterm infants during the first three postnatal days (n = 21; gestational age 25.8 ± 1.4 weeks). We measured middle cerebral artery mean flow velocity (MCA-MV) as a surrogate for CBF at the time of blood gas analysis. Results We obtained 78 PaCO2–MCA-MV data pairs. The expected positive linear relationship between PaCO2 and MCA-MV was absent on the first postnatal day, equivocal on the second and present on the third. Using piecewise bilinear regression models, we identified PaCO2 breakpoints at 52.7 and 51.0 mmHg for postnatal days two and three, respectively. Conclusion In haemodynamically stable preterm neonates, the expected positive linear relationship between PaCO2 and CBF may be absent on postnatal day one. On postnatal day three, and possibly day two, a PaCO2 threshold exists for this relationship, above which CBF becomes reactive to PaCO2. We speculate that the enhanced CBF response to PaCO2 above the threshold contributes to the reperfusion injury and partly explains the association between hypercapnia and peri/intraventricular haemorrhage.
Morphology of NISI Film on Si(100): Role of the Interface Strain

The role of strain on the thermal stability of NiSi has been studied by deposition and annealing of Ni on strained and relaxed Si(100) n-type substrates. Strained Si substrates have been produced by depositing a pseudomorphic silicon film on top of a 3000 A thick relaxed Si0.8Ge0.2 film. Raman spectroscopy has proved the top silicon film to be strained. The presence of the characteristic hatch-cross pattern has been confirmed by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM) show that the islanding of the NiSi film appears at lower temperature on the bulk silicon substrate (600°C) than on the strained silicon substrate (700°C). The improved thermal stability of NiSi on strained Si can be explained by the difference in relative interface energy of NiSi on strained and relaxed silicon. The thermal expansion coefficient of Ni being 3 times larger than that of Si, NiSi is in compression on Si at 500°C already. The correlation of this compression state with the lattice parameters of bulk and strained Si (100) produces an increased NiSi islanding probability on bulk Si (100) with respect to strained Si.
Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) application and vacuum cleaning, a combined strategy to control house dust mites

Background: The effectiveness of acaricides in homes is controversial. Objective: To determine whether disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) combined with vacuuming lowers dust mite numbers and their allergens in carpets and sofas. Methods: A 6-month study was carried out with 93 homes, which were randomized into three groups: (i) active, received DOT; (ii) placebo, received water; and (iii) control, received no application. Active and placebo homes were vacuumed weekly. Dust was collected from carpets and sofas at the start of the study and every 2 months thereafter and quantified for live, total mites, and mite allergen levels. Results: At 2 months, live mite numbers in active carpets were 3 ± 1, in placebo carpets 129 ± 48, and in control carpets 177 ± 39 mites/g. The corresponding numbers in sofas were 3 ± 2, 81 ± 31, and 134 ± 45 mites/g, respectively (P < 0.001 active vs placebo and vs. control). Live mites in carpets and sofas remained lower in the active group at 6 months (P < 0.001). Total mites in active carpets decreased from 555 ± 69 at baseline to 223 ± 32 mites/g at 6 months (P < 0.001) and mite allergen levels from 1.36 ± 0.13 to 0.85 ± 0.16 μg/g (P < 0.001). Total mites in active sofas remained unchanged, but mite allergen levels decreased from 1.48 ± 0.25 at baseline to 0.7 ± 0.15 μg/g at month 6 (P < 0.05). Conclusion: DOT kills mites in carpets and sofas, and, combined with vacuuming, effectively reduces total mites in carpets and mite allergen levels in carpets and sofas.
Regulation of guinea pig myometrial beta-adrenoreceptors by guanosine triphosphate and magnesium ion.

The effects of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and magnesium on the interaction of 1-isoproterenol with beta-adrenoreceptors were studied in myometrial membranes from nonpregnant and late-pregnant (0.9 gestation, term 65 days) guinea pigs. The affinity of the beta-adrenoreceptor for 1-isoproterenol, as measured by inhibition of (-)/sup 125/I-cyanopindolol binding, was increased by 10 mM MgCl/sub 2/. The addition of 250 microM GTP reversed this process. In the presence of MgCl/sub 2/, the competition curves could be resolved into two affinity states of the beta-adrenoreceptor, high and low, respectively. The ratio of the dissociation constant of the high-affinity state to that of the low-affinity state was significantly higher in late-pregnant than in the nonpregnant animals. In the presence of GTP, there was only one (low-affinity) state of the receptor detectable. In both groups of animals, the interaction between beta-adrenoreceptor agonists and myometrial beta-adrenoreceptors was positively modulated by MgCl/sub 2/. This process was reversed by GTP. However, there appeared to be a differential regulation of the ability of the myometrial beta-adrenoreceptor to form a high-affinity state, depending on the reproductive state of the animal.
A site-specific endonuclease essential for mating-type switching in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have detected two site-specific endonucleases in strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One endonuclease, which we call YZ endo, is present only in yeast strains that are undergoing mating-type interconversion. The site at which YZ endo cleaves corresponds to the in vivo double-strand break occurring at the mating-type locus in yeast undergoing mating-type interconversion. YZ endo generates a site-specific double-strand break having 4-base 3' extensions terminating in 3' hydroxyl groups. The site of cleavage occurs in the Z1 region near the YZ junction of the mating-type locus. Mutant mating-type loci known to decrease the frequency of mating-type interconversion are correspondingly poor substrates for YZ endo in vitro. In vitro analysis of a number of such altered recognition sites has delimited the sequences required for cleavage. The molecular genetics of mating-type interconversion is discussed in the context of this endonucleolytic activity. The second endonuclease, which we refer to as Sce II, is present in all strains of S. cerevisiae we have examined. The cleavage site of Sce II has been determined and proves to be unrelated to the cleavage site of YZ endo.
Special Problems Arising in the Study of Economies with Infinitely Many Commodities

In recent years, researchers in economics and related fields have become increasingly interested in social structures in which the natural choice sets for individual agents are infinite dimensional. Examples include: (i) The use of L∞ and l∞ to model economies with continuous time with either finite and infinite horizon, infinite horizon discrete time, and uncertainty with an infinite state space (see Bewley [8] and Brown and Lewis [11]). (ii) The use of ca(T) where T is a compact metric space to model economies in which goods with a continuum of characteristics or qualities are available (see Mas-Colell [35] and Jones [29] and [30]). (iii) The use of L2 and Martingale theory to model certain economies with financial instruments under uncertainty (see Harrison and Kreps [27] and Duffie and Huang [21]).
Piecing Together the Past: The Notion of Recovery in Fiction and Film from Taiwan

Writers and filmmakers in Taiwan have sought to use the narrative techniques of classic detective fiction to recover events of the Nationalist government–imposed White Terror of the early 1950s to ...
The Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program An Exploratory Study

On January 3, 2006, the Rhode Island General Assembly enacted legislation that mandated the Department of Health (DOH) to implement a program to register qualified patients and their caregivers to allow possession and cultivation of limited amounts of marijuana for personal use for statutorily defined illnesses and debilitating conditions. This study was designed to describe the formulation and implementation of the program; identify stakeholder expectations and perceptions of the program; identify patient’s expectations prior to enrollment; and identify patient’s perceived experience of the enrollment process. The study findings indicated that 309 different practitioners had certified 980 patients was an indication of a level of program effectiveness meeting patient needs; that there was no indication that patients had been arrested or prosecuted for participating in the program; and that despite ongoing concerns with consistent access to marijuana, patients were pleased that the program existed.
Comparison of high voltage rectifier structures

A comparative analysis of the p-i-n, SSD (static shielding diode), SFD (soft and fast recovery diode), SPEED (self-adapting P-emitter efficiency diode), and MPS (merged P-N Schottky) rectifiers is performed using the two-dimensional numerical simulator MEDICI. Identical drift region properties are used to obtain the forward I-V, reverse I-V, and reverse recovery characteristics. The MPS, SSD, and SFD rectifiers are found to exhibit a much smaller stored charge and a shorter reverse recovery time than the other rectifiers. As the dose and depth of the shallow P-region implant is increased, the SSD rectifier characteristics are found to shift from those of the MOS rectifier to those of the p-i-n rectifier. It is concluded that the tradeoff between stored charge, leakage current, reverse recovery time, and forward voltage drop is best for the MPS and SSD rectifiers. These rectifiers also exhibit improved soft recovery during switching. >