cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Truth About Stock Option Repricings

Catherine M. Daily is the David H. Jacobs Chair of Strategic Management, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Dan R. Dalton is Dean and Harold A. Poling Chair of Strategic Management, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Stock option repricings have become the stealth bomber of executive compensation. While executive compensa­ tion continues to be the subject of considerable contro­ versy, the practice of repricing executive stock options has flown just below the radar screens of most share­ holder activists and corporate governance reformers. Firms are typically able to reprice executive stock options with­ out strong opposition, even as repricing constitutes one of the more egregious examples of a failure to effectively align execu­ tive and shareholder interests. Stock options typically make up a significant portion of exec­ utives' overall compensation packages. Shareholder activists have, in general, wholeheartedly endorsed high levels of stock options as a component of executive compensation on the premise that they are an effective means for aligning execu­ tives' interests with those of shareholders. The greater the gain in the firm's stock price, the greater the value of the executives' stock options. This creates a win-win solution for executives and shareholders who both benefit from the improvement in stock price. A fundamental element of stock option compensation is that options holders also share in the downside risk associated with swings in firms' stock price. Should the stock price decline to a level below the exercise price of the stock options, the options become what's colloquially known as "underwater." Underwa­ ter options have limited current value to the option holder, at the extreme being perceived as valueless. Shareholder activists would suggest that this is exactly what should happen to the value of options in the face of a stock price decline. A little discussed practice, however, has become increasingly popular in recent years. At firms where executive stock options are underwater, boards of directors are approving stock option
Spontaneous aneurysm of a patent ductus arteriosus in an elderly patient

Spontaneous aneurysm of a patent ductus arteriosus has rarely been reported in an adult. Successful operation on such an aneurysm is reported.
Molecular stress distribution and creep of high-modulus polyethylene fibres

Abstract Raman spectroscopy has been used to measure the molecular stress distribution in high-modulus, high-strength polyethylene fibres (Allied Spectra 1000 and Spectra 900) at low temperature and as a function of time during creep at room temperature. Increase in band width or change of band shape is interpreted as due to a distribution of stress or strain in molecules in the all-trans configuration. Fibres loaded at 77 K show two peaks in the stress distribution, as was found by van Eijk et al. at 240 K. About one-sixth of the all-trans molecules in a Spectra 1000 fibre as produced carry little load. The rest carry from half to twice the mean load. Spectra 1000 fibres loaded at over 1 GPa for a few minutes at room temperature show two well defined peaks in each of the C-C stretching Raman bands at 1064 and 1130 cm−1 and thus a sharp bimodal distribution of stress. At long creep times, the higher stress peak increases in width while keeping the same area. Eventually, the stress distribution has a single peak with a broad tail on the high-stress side. This result unifies the previous two observations, one of which found only a single asymmetric peak and the other only two peaks in the stress distribution. As the tail broadens, the number of very highly strained molecules increases, and a significant number reach strains of 10%. It is not surprising that this leads to fracture of the fibre. After loading for less than a minute at room temperature or for a few minutes at 273 K, there is only a single peak in the stress distribution. The fibre structure is thus undergoing complex changes during creep, and the stress distribution seen at room temperature is not simply related to the original structure.
Self-recognition and the right hemisphere.

Although monkeys can perceive complex stimuli such as faces1, only the higher apes are capable of recognizing their own face in a mirror2. Here we show that in humans the right hemisphere of the brain seems to be preferentially involved in self-face recognition. Our findings indicate that neural substrates of the right hemisphere may selectively participate in processes linked to self-awareness.
Geography, GIS and Gaming: Learning Tools or Just for Fun?

The hot trend in library research of late has been gaming. So what exactly is the connection between games and libraries? you ask. As best I can see … not much. The library just happens to be the g...
Acylated kaempferol glycosides from Aconitum (ranunculaceae)

Abstract Four new acylated kaempferol glycosides were isolated and identified from the leaves of Aconitum noveboracense and A. columbianum .
Nicotine infusion in the wake-promoting basal forebrain enhances alcohol-induced activation of nucleus accumbens.

Background Nicotine and alcohol co-abuse is highly prevalent. Recently, we have shown that nicotine infusion in the basal forebrain (BF) increases alcohol consumption. As nucleus accumbens (NAc) is the terminal brain region associated with drug addiction, we hypothesize that nicotine infusion in the BF may enhance alcohol-induced activation of NAc. Methods Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were surgically implanted with bilateral guide cannulas in the BF. Following postoperative recovery, rats were divided into 4 groups: (i) ACSF + W group received artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF; 500 nl/side) in the BF and systemic water (intragastric [ig]; 10 ml/kg; N = 5), (ii) ethanol (EtOH) group received ACSF in the BF (500 nl/side) and systemic alcohol (ig; 3 g/kg; N = 5), (iii) NiC group received nicotine in the BF (75 pmole/500 nl/side) and systemic water (ig; 10 ml/kg; N = 5), and (iv) NiC + EtOH group received nicotine in the BF (75 pmole/500 nl/side) and systemic alcohol (ig; 3 g/kg; N = 5). Rats were euthanized 2 hours after treatment to examine c-Fos expression in the NAc by immunohistochemistry. Results All injections sites were localized in the BF. Two-way analysis of variance (ig vs. infusion) revealed significant main effects of both treatments (ig and infusion, p < 0.001) on c-Fos expression in the NAc shell, but not in the core. Subsequent post hoc test (Bonferroni's) revealed that as compared to ACSF + W group, c-Fos expression was significantly increased in the shell of NAc of rats in all 3 (EtOH, NiC, and NiC + EtOH) groups with maximal increase observed in NiC + EtOH group. Conclusions The results suggest the following: (i) BF nicotine infusion induced c-Fos in both core and the shell region of NAc at levels comparable to those observed after systemic alcohol administration; (ii) BF nicotine infusion with systemic alcohol induced a significant additive increase in c-Fos expression only in the NAc shell region. These findings implicate the BF in alcohol and nicotine co-use.
Yolk sac tumors of the ovary.

Eighteen instances of ovarian tumor with microscopic pattern similar to that of the testicular tumors which we termed yolk sac or vitelline are presented. In the ovary, though not in the testis, this pattern has often been called “Schiller mesonephroma.” Reasons are given for our preference for the term yolk sac tumor to that of mesonephroma for these neoplasms. The ovarian tumors, though occurring in young individuals, unlike the testicular tumors are not concentrated in early infancy. Moreover, the ovarian tumors do not exhibit the striking age-prognosis relationship which characterized the testicular tumors. Two of the 18 subjects with ovarian tumors appear to have survived their neoplasms; one of these was 7 and the other 15 at the time of surgery. The remaining 16 subjects have died of their neoplasms.
Phospholipases as Structural and Functional Probes for Circulating Lipoproteins

In spite of extensive investigations by a variety of physical and chemical techniques, the structural organization of the protein and lipid constituents of the major classes of serum lipoproteins, very low- (VLDL), low- (LDL) and high-density (HDL), remains to be determined (1,2). In the case of phospholipids, their location in the outer polar surface region of the lipoproteins appears to be accepted; yet their mode of interaction with proteins and with the other lipid constituents is essentially unknown. Some theories propose that the polar head groups are involved in electrostatic interactions with particular regions of the polypeptide chains (3), others favor a predominance of hydrophobic interactions between the hydrocarbon chains of phospholipids and the non-polar face of the apolipoproteins (4–6). Even within the framework of current theories on serum lipoprotein structure the role played by the individual phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylethanolamine, etc.) is totally unexplored.
ASEM's Effort to Recognize Quality in Engineering Management Master's Programs

Abstract:This article chronicles the American Society for Engineering Management's efforts to improve the quality of graduate education in engineering management by establishing standards (or expectations) and certifying those engineering management programs that meet and/or exceed these standards. This article covers the period during which the certification standards were developed, the period of the pilot program to test the certification standards and the certification process, the establishment of the College of Engineering Management Certification, the ongoing activity of this body as well as the process for certification itself.
The utility of citation-based quality assessments

Abstract The article I wrote with Matthew J. Bronick for this journal in 1984 assessing the quality of doctoral programs in deviance, criminology, and criminal justice is criticized by Lawrence F. Travis in the present issue. The Travis critique focuses on two primary concerns. First, he raises a series of objections to the use of citation-based measures of the caliber of faculty, contending that assessments of quality ought to be qualitative in nature. Second, he criticizes our use of sociology-based doctoral programs as a standard of comparison for evaluating independent doctoral programs in criminology and criminal justice. Although Professor Travis makes some valid points regarding the limitations of all measures that social scientists have available to them currently, I remain convinced of the validity of my 1984 findings and am confident that citation-based measures remain a useful indicator of the quality of faculty research. I think that the comparison with sociology also remains valid; although criminology is developing rapidly as an independent field, the vast majority of active criminologists today were trained in sociology and retain ties to that discipline.
Enumerative Questions on Rooted Weighted Necklaces

We develop the language and the tools to create a new family of integer sequences. The concrete motivation for this article came from a combinatorial counting problem first posed by Cipra Math. Mag.65(1) (1992), 56] and still open in full generality. LetCkbe the cyclic group {q0,q1,?,qk?1} and letZCk] be the algebra of polynomials in the variablesq0,q1,q2,?,qk?1with coefficients fromZ. We introduce weighted rooted necklaces, which give a combinatorial interpretation ofZCk]. Actions onZCk] via a family of operators of the formR(fq])=qt(fq]+hq]), wheret?Zandhq],fq]?ZCk], are introduced. In particular we study the nonlinear, invertible operatorR(fq])=q?f0](fq]?f0]+?f0]i=1?(f0])qi), wherefq]=?k?1i=0niqi?ZCk] andf0]=n0. The operatorRcreates equivalence classes onZCk]. We determine a recursive function to count the equivalence class containingGq]=?ki=0qi?ZCk] which solves a special case of the aforementioned counting problem posed by Cipra. We give a closed form for such recursive formula in some instances. We also develop a series of related questions.
"Mirror-image" errors without mirror-image stimuli.

Abstract Recent work has indicated that discrimination between upright and inverted stimuli is difficult when stimuli are one above the other, and discrimination between stimuli turned left and right is difficult when stimuli are side by side. That is, errors are frequent under conditions in which mirror-image confusions can be made. Young children were given a task requiring the matching of orientation of (a) identical realistic figures that could form mirror images of each other or (b) nonidentical realistic figures that could not form mirror images. The same pattern of errors appeared for the identical and nonidentical figures, indicating that the errors are not mirror-image confusions. It is argued that the errors are due to a strategy of matching analogous parts of the two figures.
Sex Differences in a Hypoxia Model of Preterm Brain Damage

Male sex is a well-established risk factor for poor neurodevelopmental outcome after premature birth. The mechanisms behind this sex-related difference are unknown. The damage associated with prematurity can be mimicked in rodents by prolonged exposure to sublethal postnatal hypoxia. This chronic hypoxia leads to anatomical changes in mice that strongly resemble the loss of volume, decreased myelination, and ventriculomegaly seen in preterm newborns. However, no sex differences have been previously noted in this rodent model. We hypothesized that sex comparisons in hypoxic mice would show sex-related differences in brain volume and white matter loss in response to the same degree of hypoxic insult. Mice were placed in chronic sublethal hypoxia from postnatal day 3-11. Cortical, hippocampal, and cerebellar volumes and myelination indices were measured. We found that the male hippocampus, normally larger than the female, undergoes a greater volume loss compared with females (p < 0.05). Myelination, generally greater in males, was significantly disrupted by hypoxia in neonatal male forebrain. These results support the use of this rodent model to investigate the basis of sex-related susceptibility to brain damage and develop new sex-based neuroprotective strategies.
When Framing Fails: Ideas, Influence, and Resources in San Francisco's Homeless Policy Field

Literature examining political framing generally focuses on the way that shared framing leads to cohesive actions and policy outcomes. Using a case study of San Francisco's homeless policy field, this article shows that shared framings among the majority of actors in the policy field did not lead to cooperative alliance among those actors nor to coherent policy based on their shared framing. To understand why shared framing failed, I examine the complex interaction between frames, influence, and material resources. While the center and the left of the policy field shared common diagnostic framings and solution-oriented prognostic framings of homelessness, the right possessed far superior material resources and political influence compared to the left. The center and left divided over different tactical prognostic framings about how to politically relate to the resources and influence of the right. These internal dynamics of the field were further amplified by the field's local institutional and national policy-making contexts. This article adds to understandings of how to map political fields, how ideas shape policy outcomes, and how meaning and materiality interact in the process of politics.
Intensity Enhancements in Hollow Cathode Lamps Due-to the Addition of Nitrogen to the Fill Gas

The hollow cathode lamp (HCL) has been used for decades as a stable, intense source of narrow-line radiation. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in HCLs, or other glow discharge lamps, since they have been shown to be useful emission sources. Although the intensity produced by conventional HCLs is sufficient for many applications, there have been a number of efforts to design lamps with increased intensity spectra. Enhanced performance has been achieved with microwave or radio-frequency-boosted discharges, pulsed operation, furnace atomization, etc. Developments in glow discharge properties and applications have recently been reviewed and have been the subject of two special issues of Spectrochimica Acta.
Changes in subcellular distribution of pituitary receptors for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) after treatment with the LH-RH antagonist cetrorelix.

Treatment with antagonists of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) leads to down-regulation of pituitary LH-RH receptors. Thus, the effect of LH-RH antagonists is similar to that of the LH-RH agonists, but the mode of action of antagonists is not completely understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of LH-RH antagonist cetrorelix on the binding characteristics and subcellular localization of receptors for LH-RH in rat pituitaries. Radioligand binding studies, performed after in vitro desaturation, revealed that a single s.c. injection of cetrorelix at a dose of 100 microg per rat significantly decreased the number of pituitary membrane receptors for LH-RH in a time-dependent manner with the nadir occurring at 6 h. In contrast, 2-6 h after cetrorelix treatment, the concentration of binding sites for LH-RH in the nuclei of rat pituitaries was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in controls. Chronic administration of cetrorelix also decreased the level of membrane receptors for LH-RH by 83% (P < 0.01) after 7 days, and 86% (P < 0.01) after 14 days. The number of LH-RH binding sites in the nuclear pellet was increased 3-fold (P < 0.01) by days 7 and 14 after the initiation of treatment with cetrorelix. A single injection or prolonged treatment with LH-RH antagonist also decreased the mRNA expression of pituitary receptors for LH-RH. Our results demonstrate that the down-regulation of LH-RH receptors on the cell membranes of rat pituitaries after therapy with antagonist cetrorelix is associated with an increase in receptor concentration in the nuclei. These phenomena could be related to the internalization and subcellular translocation of LH-RH receptors.
An industrial process for 650V rated GaN-on-Si power devices using in-situ SiN as a gate dielectric

This paper reports on an industrial DHEMT process for 650V rated GaN-on-Si power devices. The MISHEMT transistors use an in-situ MOCVD grown SiN as surface passivation and gate dielectric. Excellent off-state leakage, on-state conduction and low device capacitance and dynamic Ron is obtained. Initial assessment of the intrinsic reliability data on the in-situ SiN is provided.
Modeling of Intrinsic Base Majority Carrier Thermal Noise for SiGe HBTs Including Fringe BE Junction Effect

This paper investigates the impact of fringe BE junction on base majority carrier RF noise in SiGe HBTs. Due to fringe effect, the base hole noise should be modeled by correlated noise voltage source and noise current source in hybrid representation. The noise voltage source can be modeled by a weakly bias dependent noise resistance that is different from the intrinsic base resistance. The correlation between the two noise sources is important for biases around peak fT.
Continuous-flow nitrous oxide: searching for the ideal procedural anxiolytic for toddlers.

Abstract [Krauss B. Continuous-flow nitrous oxide: searching for the ideal procedural anxiolytic for toddlers. Ann Emerg Med. January 2001;37:61-62.]
Prenatal diagnosis by enzymatic amplification and restriction endonuclease digestion for detection of haemoglobins A, S and C.

Abstract The detection of the single base pair mutations at codon 6 of the β-globin gene is important for the prenatal diagnosis of sickle-cell anaemia and SC disease. A novel procedure has been designed to create a restriction site at both the βAand βC alleles to facilitate the discrimination of haemoglobins A, S and C. The general principle of this procedure is to enzymatically amplify genomic DNA using a modified primer containing an altered 3′-terminal nucleotide to create these restriction sites. After this modified primer has been efficiently incorporated into amplified DNA, the PCR products are digested with the restriction enzymes Ava I and Sty I. Ava I recognizes a site in amplified DNA containing a βA allele, and Sty I recognizes a site in DNA containing a βC allele. Since the βA and βC alleles can be distinguished directly by the presence of a restriction site, the βS allele can be identified indirectly. All three β-globin alleles are easily distinguished by size and pattern of electrophoresed fragments on agarose gels. This procedure is specific and sensitive, thus permitting rapid, economical diagnosis of sickle-cell anaemia and SC disease.
“Smart” Glasses: Molecular Programming of Rapid Dynamic Responses in Organosilica Sol–Gels

The stimuli-responsive behavior of a new class of sol-gel—derived materials prepared from organically-modified alkoxysilane precursors is reported. Starting from judiciously selected molecular precursors, the sol-gel reaction yields a solid state glass—a mechanically robust yet elastic material—that is capable of generating dynamic responses when subjected to different physicochemical stimuli. These materials represent an initial example of stimuli-responsive silica-based sol-gels that exhibit bulk volume changes and active mechanical responses with respect to several environmental variables including temperature, pH, salt, and solvents. These glasses incorporate an optimum balance of hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and ionic moieties in the silica-based structure and are therefore capable of showing bulk volume changes with respect to applied physicochemical stimuli.
Writing for Whom? Cognition, Motivation, and a Writer's Audience

When writers write, how do they decide to whom they are speaking? How does this decision affect writers’ cognition about writing? Their motivation to write? In this article, I review literature on cognitive and social processes of writing, conceptualizations of audience, writing across distinct learning environments, and writers’ motivations. I then show how understandings of audience can be linked to those of motivation and interest—and how this combination may bridge a traditional divide between research traditions. Finally, I examine the implications of bringing these areas of literature together; the necessity of re-examining the role of audience in light of new media-infused learning environments; and the opening of possible areas for future research in writing, audience, and motivation.
Shotgun analysis of integral membrane proteins facilitated by elevated temperature.

The beneficial effects on peak selectivity and resolution of conducting liquid chromatography (LC) at elevated temperature (e.g., 30−80 °C) are generally well-known; however, its importance for peptide recovery is not nearly as well recognized. This report demonstrates that μLC analysis of membrane proteomic samples significantly benefits from the application of heat. Enriched membrane and membrane-embedded peptides (the latter obtained by membrane shaving) were analyzed by μLC-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) from 20 to 60 °C using a standard reversed-phase material. Maximal protein and hydrophobic peptide recovery was obtained at 60 °C. The membrane-shaving method employed, a recently optimized version of the high pH/proteinase K protocol, provided significant integral membrane protein enrichment: 98% of identified proteins were predicted to have at least one transmembrane domain (87% to have at least three), and 68% of peptides were predicted to contain transmembrane segments. Analysis of this highly ...
Annular pancreas in an adult managed by laparobotic surgery: a case report

Annular pancreas in an adult is an uncommon and infrequently reported anomaly which is characterized by the presence of ectopic pancreatic tissue surrounding the descending part of the duodenum. It is one of the few congenital anomalies of the gastrointestinal tract, which can manifest with symptoms late in life (Ravitch and Woods in Ann Surg 132:1116–1127, 1950). In adults, the factors initiating symptoms are recurrent pancreatitis, duodenal stenosis at the site of the annulus, or duodenal or gastric ulceration (Morrell and Keynes in Br J Surg 57:814–816, 1970). Operative management of these cases involves bypassing the obstructed duodenum. Duodenoduodenostomy is routinely performed in neonates and children. We report a case of annular pancreas in a 55-year-old male that was successfully treated with robotic duodenoduodenostomy.
Role of nova-1 in regulating α2N, a novel glycine receptor splice variant, in developing spinal cord neurons

Inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) subunits undergo developmental regulation, but the molecular mechanisms of GlyR regulation in developing neurons are little understood. Using RT-PCR, we investigated the regulation of GlyR α-subunit splice forms during the development of the spinal cord of the rat. Experiments to compare the amounts of mRNA for two known splice variants of the GlyR α2 subunit, α2A and α2B, in the developing rat spinal cord revealed the presence of an additional, novel variant that lacked any exon 3, herein named “α2N.” Examination of the RNA from spinal cords of different-aged rats showed a dramatic down-regulation of α2N during prenatal development: α2N mRNA formed a significant portion of the α2 subunit pool at E14, but its relative level was reduced by 85% by birth and was undetectable in adults. Two proteins previously implicated in regulating the splicing of GlyR α2 pre-mRNA, the neurooncological ventral antigen-1 (Nova-1) and the brain isoform of the polypyrimidine tract binding protein (brPTB), underwent small changes over the same period that did not correlate directly with the changes in the level of α2N, calling into question their involvement in the developmental regulation of α2N. However, treatment of spinal cord neurons in culture with antisense oligonucleotides designed selectively to knock down one of three Nova-1 variants significantly altered the relative level of GlyR α2N, showing that Nova-1 isoforms can regulate GlyR α2 pre-mRNA splicing in developing neurons. These results provide evidence for a novel splice variant of the GlyR α2 subunit that undergoes dramatic developmental regulation, reveal the expression profiles of Nova-1 and brPTB in the developing spinal cord, and suggest that Nova-1 plays a role in regulating GlyR α2N in developing neurons. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 52: 156–165, 2002
Measuring the electron density of the magnetosphere

Researchers have demonstrated the potential use of a new way to measure properties of Earth's magnetosphere, the magnetic bubble that surrounds the planet.Zhai et al. used a property known as Faraday rotation for radio tomographic imaging of the magnetosphere. Faraday rotation occurs when a linearly polarized light wave travels through a magnetized medium such as the magnetosphere. The magnetic field causes the plane of polarization to rotate, and the amount of rotation is directly proportional to the electron density in the medium and to the magnetic field. Because Earth's magnetic field is known, researchers therefore can use measurements of Faraday rotation to reconstruct electron density in the magnetosphere.
TROPICAL DETERMINANT ON TRANSPORTATION POLYTOPES

Abstract Let D k , l ( m , n ) be the set of all the integer points in the transportation polytope of k n × l n matrices with row sums lm and column sums km. In this paper we find the sharp lower bound on the tropical determinant over the set D k , l ( m , n ) . This integer piecewise linear programming problem in arbitrary dimension turns out to be equivalent to an integer non-linear (in fact, quadratic) optimization problem in dimension two. We also compute the sharp upper bound on a modification of the tropical determinant, where the maximum over all the transversals in a matrix is replaced with the minimum.
TRPC channel modulation in podocytes—inching toward novel treatments for glomerular disease

Glomerular kidney disease is a major healthcare burden and considered to represent a sum of disorders that evade a refined and effective treatment. Excellent biological and genetic studies have defined pathways that go awry in podocytes, which are the regulatory cells of the glomerular filter. The question now is how to define targets for novel improved therapies. In this review, we summarize critical points around targeting the TRPC6 channel in podocytes.
Development of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) was developed experimentally in canines in the late 1960s. It was one of the early interventional radiologic techniques. Although there was some science, serendipity played a major role in the creation of TIPS. It was a natural process, and here is the story. I was a diagnostic radiologist in the Central Military Hospital in Prague, Czechoslovakia, for 16 years, beginning in 1951. I performed my first angiographic procedure, splenoportography, in 1954. After performing more than 1,000 procedures, writing many papers and one book, and creating a teaching movie on splenoportography, I became quite familiar with the portal circulation. After our hospital in Prague opened a new angiographic room in 1957, I started doing visceral angiography and gained additional knowledge about the liver, pancreas, and spleen. Although I performed clinical research and published many papers when I was in Prague, I had not been exposed to any basic animal research. This situation abruptly changed when I came to the United States in 1967 at the invitation of Charles Dotter. Coming to the University of Oregon Medical School for a 1-year research fellowship was a fortuitous move for me. Charles had an angiographic room for animal research, where I worked on some of his research ideas. But mainly, through his ingenuity and creativity, he became my persuasive teacher. He always emphasized that I should think about potential interventional treatment during diagnostic procedures. Also, he stressed that I should always consider improving existing or developing new interventional tools. After 1 year with Charles, I was ready to become an active interventionalist.
Robustness of choice of number of doses for maximum likelihood estimation of the ED50 in bioassay

A number of studies have looked at the choice of number of doses for estimating the median effective dose (ED50) when the form of a dose–response curve is correctly assumed (see, for example, Muller and Schmitt, 1990). Here we address the question of the robustness of number of doses chosen using Muller and Schmitt's method when a logistic dose–response curve is incorrectly assumed. The underlying true dose–response curves considered include the probit, cubic-logistic and Aranda-Ordaz asymmetric models. The simulation results show that, for the above true dose–response curves and the uniform design density with doses spaced symmetrically or slightly asymmetrically around the assumed ED50, choosing as many doses as possible either minimizes the mean squared error (MSE) or produces a MSE chosen to the minimum. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Brief consultation with headache sufferers

Abstract This paper describes the author's efforts at involving chronic headache sufferers in brief consultations with individual, family, and group therapy programs in an inpatient medical treatment facility. A variety of difficult issues facing chronic headache sufferers are presented, including the rationale for utilizing each therapeutic modality and the role and strategies that the therapist undertakes in each program. The author provides some case vignettes and discusses the importance of communication between the therapist, the primary physician, and the medical staff members.
Work in Boccaccio's Decameron: Politics, Theology, and the Images of the Countryside

This article investigates the value of work in the Decameron, bringing an economic perspective to Boccaccio studies and highlighting the shift to humanistic values in the economic setting of the Decameron. In the literature of humanism, the concept of work is strongly connected to the effort of constructing a just and pious society. It is also a determinant for evaluating the change of mentality that occurred in the fourteenth century. In Boccaccio, more than in any other author of the trecento, the representation of work, as presented in many novelle, reveals the accomplished passage toward a positive vision of human beings and their creative capacities. Writing itself emerges as an intellectual profession related to moral education. Barsella's analysis of work in the Decameron illustrates the political and moral decadence not only of the aristocracy, but also of the mercantile class, and shows the emerging role of new civic professions, including the artist and the writer. The Decameron is less an epic ...
Expression and mutational analysis of tyrosine kinase receptors c-kit, PDGFRα, and PDGFRβ in ovarian cancers

Summary Most women with epithelial ovarian cancer are diagnosed with advanced disease. Despite surgery and initial tumor reduction by standard chemotherapy, the tumors frequently recur and the patients eventually die of their disease. New drugs that inhibit tyrosine kinase receptors (TKRs) are being investigated for treatment and this study was undertaken to determine the expression and mutational state for 3 TKRs (c-kit, platelet-derived growth factor receptor [PDGFR] α , and PDGFR β ) in ovarian cancer. Tissue arrays containing 84 epithelial ovarian tumors were studied by immunohistochemistry with antibodies specific for c-kit, PDGFR α , and PDGFR β . Immunoreactivity was detected in 78% of the tumor to at least one TKR. PDGFR α was expressed in the largest percentage of ovarian tumors (58%) whereas 29% expressed PDGFR β . Two commercial antibodies against c-kit were studied and 33% of the tumors stained with one but only 6% were interpreted as positive with the second antibody. Activation of TKRs may occur through mutations but, by sequence analysis, no mutations were detected in 6 ovarian tumors with elevated immunoreactivity for each of the TKRs (c-kit, PDGFR α , and PDGFR β ). Tyrosine kinase receptors could also be activated through autocrine or paracrine stimulation of receptor by its ligand. Of 43 (35%) tumors tested for both c-kit receptor and its ligand (stem cell factor), 15 expressed both proteins indicating the possibility that this autocrine stimulation feedback loop is a factor in the growth of some ovarian cancers. This study demonstrates that PDGFR α , PDGFR β , and c-kit are expressed in a high percentage of epithelial ovarian cancers suggesting that tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of these tumors.
Bifurcation Type Buckling of Generally Orthotropic Clamped Plates

The objective of this investigation was to determine analytically the buckling loads for generally orthotropic, rectangular, flat, thin plates. The generalized Ritz method using a complete Fourier series with the Lagrange multiplier technique of minimization is used to compute upper and lower bounds of the bifurcation type buckling load. It is demonstrated that the generalized Ritz method is limited in a direct approach to clamped generally orthotropic plates. However, by utilizing an extended plate technique this method can be used to obtain solutions for generally orthotropic plates with three clamped edges. Several curves are generated that demonstrate the importance of the mechanical properties on uniaxial compression and shear buckling of clamped generally orthotropic plates.
Ocular surface rehabilitation: Application of human amniotic membrane in high-risk penetrating keratoplasties.

Background Human amniotic membrane is a versatile tool for management of ocular surface disorders. This study evaluates the effect of cryopreserved human amniotic membrane (hAM) on one-year survival of penetrating keratoplasties (PKP) in high-risk recipients.
A Study of Abundances of Four Giants in the Low-Mass Globular Cluster Palomar 5*

The low-mass globular cluster Pal 5 is found to contain a population of red giants that exhibits chemical abundance inhomogeneities similar to those seen in more massive globular clusters of comparable overall metallicity, such as M5. Previous observations had shown that CN and CH inhomogeneities exist among the brighter giants in this cluster. High-resolution spectra have been obtained of four giants of known CN-band strength in Pal 5 using the HIRES instrument on the Keck I telescope. The data have been analyzed to derive the abundances of the elements Fe, O, Na, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Mn, Ni, Ba, La, and Eu. The [Fe/H] abundance is found to be -1.3 dex, similar to that of the globular cluster M5 ([Fe/H] = -1.2.) Among the proton-capture elements Na and Al, the Pal 5 stars show a very significant range of 0.6 dex in [Na/Fe], with a mean [Na/Fe] of +0.08, very similar to that of M5. The mean Al abundance of the Pal 5 sample is 0.2 dex lower than the mean for M5, and the Pal 5 giants show less spread in [Al/Fe] (~0.4 dex) than the M5 giants, although, with only four giants, our Pal 5 sample is unlikely to reflect the extremes in the Al abundance distribution of the cluster. The CN-band strengths of Pal 5 giants show correlations with [Na/Fe] and [Al/Fe], and an anticorrelation with [O/Fe]. Such abundance relations suggest that material has been brought to the surface of some Pal 5 giants in which Na and Al has been synthesised and oxygen depleted by proton-addition reactions. Within the observational uncertainties the Fe-peak and neutron-capture elements have similar [X/Fe] ratios as M5 giants and field subdwarfs. In the case of the α-capture elements the observed Pal 5 giants have [α/Fe] lower by 0.12 dex than field subdwarfs and M5 giants. This measured difference is only a 2 σ result, however, and, given the smallness of our Pal 5 sample, it warrants confirmation by further observations. In terms of its element abundance ratios and abundance inhomogeneities Pal 5 appears to be quite typical of other higher mass globular clusters. Whatever process causes abundance inhomogeneities in globular clusters appears not to be sensitive either to the current mass of these objects or to disruptive processes, such as tidal shocking, that can lead to the loss of a significant fraction of the initial stellar content of a cluster.
Pressurized Continuous Chromatography

Abstract A pressurized continuous annular chromatograph has been developed for preparative separations. This device utilizes a slowly rotating annular bed of sorbent material, fixed multiple feed points, and fixed withdrawal locations. Most of our investigations have been performed with a 28-cm-diam column, but a larger model is being designed and constructed. The separation of copper, nickel, and cobalt components from a carbonate solution has been studied in detail. This solution simulates the leach liquor from the Caron process for recovering nickel and cobalt from laterite ores. Use of continuous gradient elution has been demonstrated. Recent studies have investigated several separations, including that of zirconium and hafnium (necessary for the production of zirconium for use in nuclear reactors), on a preparative scale. This system, because of its continuous feed and product withdrawal, its adaptability to large-scale operations, and its ability to separate many components, is expected to make chro...
Brief report: A comparison of the diagnostic criteria for Asperger syndrome

Asperger syndrome (AS) was first described under the title of autistic psychopathy by the Austrian physician Hans Asperger (1944). Despite the growing interest in it, its nosological status remains uncertain. It is not clear to what extent it differs from autism, although some authorities have proposed that it is part of the "autistic continuum" (Wing, 1981). The DSMIII-R (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1987) has no separate category for this disorder, and the DSM-IV has not yet decided whether or not to include it (APA, DSM-IV Options Book, 1991). However, the ICD-10 (World Health Organization [WHO], 1988) has included it as a distinct category within the pervasive developmental disorders, because it does not "fulfill the usual criteria for autism and because it remains uncertain whether or not the syndrome is truly synonymous with autism" (Rutter, 1989, p. 504). According to the ICD-10, AS is characterized by a qualitative impairment of reciprocal social interaction; a lack of clinically significant general delay in language or cognitive development; and restricted patterns of behavior and interests. In addition, the disorder is not attributable to the other varieties of pervasive developmental disorder (WHO, 1988). Most publications have not used any operational criteria for the diagnosis of AS while others have introduced substantial changes to the clinical features described by Asperger. For example, Asperger believed that the patients he described were of normal intelligence. However, some authors have since described patients of Asperger syndrome with mental
Dynamic imaging of ictal oscillations using non-invasive high-resolution EEG

Scalp electroencephalography (EEG) has been established as a major component of the pre-surgical evaluation for epilepsy surgery. However, its ability to localize seizure onset zones (SOZ) has been significantly restricted by its low spatial resolution and indirect correlation with underlying brain activities. Here we report a novel non-invasive dynamic seizure imaging (DSI) approach based upon high-density EEG recordings. This novel approach was particularly designed to image the dynamic changes of ictal rhythmic discharges that evolve through time, space and frequency. This method was evaluated in a group of 8 epilepsy patients and results were rigorously validated using intracranial EEG (iEEG) (n = 3) and surgical outcome (n = 7). The DSI localized the ictal activity in concordance with surgically resected zones and ictal iEEG recordings in the cohort of patients. The present promising results support the ability to precisely and accurately image dynamic seizure activity from non-invasive measurements. The successful establishment of such a non-invasive seizure imaging modality for surgical evaluation will have a significant impact in the management of medically intractable epilepsy.
Time reversal tests with polarized nuclei—A review

The concepts of time reversal tests with polarized nuclei and the present status of the data are reviewed. Terms odd inT orPT can be explored by studying the symmetry of the spatial correlations between the nuclear polarization vector, the momentum vectors of the electrons, neutrinos, or gamma rays, together with the polarization vectors of the electrons or gamma rays. At the present time, upper limits of about 10−3 for the amplitudes of these terms have been established.
DIFFERENCES IN THE UTILIZATION OF TRITIATED LEUCINE BY SINGLE NEURONES IN NORMAL AND EXERCISED RATS: AN AUTORADIOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION WITH MICRODENSITOMETRY.

Differences in the Utilization of Tritiated Leucine by Single Neurones in Normal and Exercised Rats : An Autoradiographic Investigation with Microdensitometry
KSO 4 − , NaSO 4 − , and MgCl + ion pairs in aqueous solutions up to 2000 atm

Electrical conductance data at 25°C for K2SO4, Na2SO4, and MgCl2 solutions are reported at concentrations up to 0.01 eq-liter−1 and as a function of pressure up to 2000 atm. The molal dissociation constants are as follows: $$\begin{gathered} {\text{ }}KSO_4^ - :log K_m = ( - 1.02{\text{ }} + 1.6 \times 10^{ - 4} P - {\text{ }}2.5 \times 10^{ - 8p2} ) \pm 0.03 \hfill \\ NaSO_4^ - :log K_m = ( - 1.02 + 9.6 \times 10^{ - 5} P - {\text{ }}4.3 \times 10^{ - 9p2} ) \pm 0.03 \hfill \\ MgCl^ + :log K_m = ( - 0.64 + 1.1 \times 10^{ - 4} P - {\text{ }}1.7 \times 10^{ - 8p2} ) \pm 0.04 \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ withP in atmospheres. These values cannot be chosen solely on the basis of minimizing errors in fitting conductance data to theoretical equations. For the values cited above, the Bjerrum distances for 1–2 (or 2-1) and 1-1 salts were used. However, the conductance fits for KSO 4 − and NaSO 4 − were equally good for half-Bjerrum distances and resulted in higher dissociation constants. Ultrasonic data are used to argue in favor of the lower dissociation values derived by using Bjerrum distances. Our results for MgCl+ disagree with those of Havel and Hogfeldt.
Investigation of stationary phase formation for RP-18 using various organic modifiers

Additional support for a model of the stationary phase consisting of solvent molecules absorbed to both the bonded organic moiety and residual silanols on the silica surface is presented. The enrichment of the stationary phase by the bonded organic moiety in solvents having a large solvent strength for C18 was observed. Stationary phase formation for RP-18 is seen to be dependent on two mechanisms, whereas for RP-8 stationary phase formation is under the control of the residual silanols present on the surface. A relationship between ln 0 (phase ratio) and stationary phase formation was derived and evaluated for the solvents methanol, acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran (THF). Acetonitrile is shown to have anomalous behavior when compared with methanol and THF. A qualitative relationship between α and solvent strength is also developed and discussed.
Systematic evaluation of a time-domain Monte Carlo fitting routine to estimate the adult brain optical properties

Time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy (TD-NIRS) offers the ability to measure the absolute baseline optical properties of a tissue. Specifically, for brain imaging, the robust assessment of cerebral blood volume and oxygenation based on measurement of cerebral hemoglobin concentrations is essential for reliable cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. In adult heads, these baseline measurements are complicated by the presence of thick extra-cerebral tissue (scalp, skull, CSF). A simple semi-infinite homogeneous model of the head has proven to have limited use because of the large errors it introduces in the recovered brain absorption. Analytical solutions for layered media have shown improved performance on Monte-Carlo simulated data and layered phantom experiments, but their validity on real adult head data has never been demonstrated. With the advance of fast Monte Carlo approaches based on GPU computation, numerical methods to solve the radiative transfer equation become viable alternatives to analytical solutions of the diffusion equation. Monte Carlo approaches provide the additional advantage to be adaptable to any geometry, in particular more realistic head models. The goals of the present study were twofold: (1) to implement a fast and flexible Monte Carlo-based fitting routine to retrieve the brain optical properties; (2) to characterize the performances of this fitting method on realistic adult head data. We generated time-resolved data at various locations over the head, and fitted them with different models of light propagation: the homogeneous analytical model, and Monte Carlo simulations for three head models: a two-layer slab, the true subject’s anatomy, and that of a generic atlas head. We found that the homogeneous model introduced a median 20 to 25% error on the recovered brain absorption, with large variations over the range of true optical properties. The two-layer slab model only improved moderately the results over the homogeneous one. On the other hand, using a generic atlas head registered to the subject’s head surface decreased the error by a factor of 2. When the information is available, using the true subject anatomy offers the best performance.