cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fintech, Payments Innovation, and the Acquisition of Worldpay

This case uses the Vantiv, a US credit-card-processing company, acquisition of Worldpay, Britain's largest payments processor, to discuss broader themes in the payment space. Payments are a crucial function of financial institutions because of their sheer volume and revenue potential. Fintech has enabled more ways for financial institutions and consumers to make payments and has the potential for significant disruption. The material in the case allows for an exploration of the payment ecosystem, including acquirers, issuers, aggregators, e-commerce, m-commerce, gateways, processors, point-of-sale providers, card networks, mobile payment processors, and mobile wallets. The ecosystem is complex and the competition seems to only be rising.Without doubt, the imperative of globalization has forced a focus on the importance of payments. In particular, growth in emerging markets—such as India, which in 2016 rendered some of its high-value currency banknotes useless in an effort to foster electronic payments—pointed to the need to capture the global shift away from cash and checks toward credit, debit, account-to-account online, and other means of digital payment. Yet there are risks to financial globalization and payments, including security, changing regulatory environments, and unpredictable technology shifts. The case begins in mid-2017 when Vantiv acquired Worldpay, for $10.4 billion, in a deal that valued the merged entity at $28.8 billion. The acquisition was expected to achieve several goals. One was to combine Vantiv's integrated payment technology with Worldpay's global merchant base. In particular, Vantiv would have access to Worldpay's non-US merchants to process payments, and Worldpay would increase its access to the US market. Combined as Worldpay, the two businesses would scale up in size and functionality to gain global market share, accelerate long-term growth by 3%, generate more than $200 million in synergy savings, and integrate technology to innovate. As an omnicommerce payments provider, Worldpay was expected to process more than $1.5 trillion through 40 billion transactions (assuming performance similar to that in fiscal year 2016). The deal appeared poised to be a payments powerhouse. At the same time, the business unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co. that handled card transactions backed out of bidding on Worldpay. Had it found the price tag too high, or was it something else? Excerpt UVA-F-1829 May 31, 2018 Fintech, Payments Innovation, and the Acquisition of Worldpay As a financial analyst working in a global hedge fund in London, Monica Pearson was busy with a recent acquisition. Pearson worked on due diligence specializing in the financial-services and fintech industries. Financial markets paid a few highly specialized folks like Pearson very well to stay on top of recent mergers. . . .
Chapter 5 – Nitrate Losses to Surface Water through Subsurface, Tile Drainage

This chapter deals with nitrate losses to surface water through subsurface, tile drainage. Crop production is improved due to better physical conditions for field operations and a deeper unrestricted root zone for greater crop rooting and yields. However, subsurface, tile drainage in agricultural production systems has been identified as a major source of nitrate entering surface waters. Field studies have been conducted in Europe since the mid-1800s and in North America for the last 40 years to assess the role of subsurface tile drainage on promoting nitrate losses from agricultural production areas to surface waters. Generally, factors influencing nitrate losses in subsurface drainage can be divided into two categories—uncontrollable and controllable. Uncontrollable factors consist of precipitation and soil mineralization, which can be manipulated to some degree. Controllable factors are those management practices used by crop producers to best fit the needs of their enterprise. Finally, long-term, subsurface drainage research, which integrates the effects of climatic variability, soil properties, and various cropping systems, is vital to our understanding of nitrate losses to subsurface drainage. Educators and policy makers must consider this research as they deal with the occurrence of nitrates from agricultural production systems in surface waters.
Studies of the Corrosion Behavior of Stainless Steels in Chloride Solutions in the Presence of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria

Experimental studies on the corrosion of Types 304 and 304L stainless steels (SS) in 0.5M chloride solutions with the presence of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) and a slime former were conducted. Coupled multielectrode sensors and electrochemical polarization techniques were employed in this study. No significant difference between the repassivation potentials was observed with and without the presence of SRB. The SS electrodes in both the SRB-containing and the SRB-free solutions were coupled to large SS cathodes in a separate aerated cell and their potentials were increased stepwise from –0.26 to –0.04 VSCE. No pitting was observed on the electrodes after three-month exposure. Anodic polarization measurements using a platinum electrode in the SRBcontaining solution suggest that the anodic peak observed on the SS electrode was probably due to the oxidation of reducing species and attached to the electrode surface by the SRB. It was concluded that use of the anodic current density to characterize microbially induced corrosion of metals might lead to wrong interpretation.
Role of adjuvant chemotherapy in the management of stage IC ovarian granulosa cell tumors

Abstract Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate the patterns of use and prognostic significance of adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) for patients with stage IC ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCTs). Methods We identified patients with stage IC GCTs diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 in the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Logistic regression was performed to identify variables independently associated with chemotherapy administration. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated for patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2014 following generation of Kaplan-Meier curves and compared with the log-rank test. A Cox model was constructed to control for known confounders. Results A total of 492 patients with stage IC GCTs were identified, of which 166 (33.7%) received CT. Tumor size > = 10 cm (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.82) was independently associated with the administration of CT. There was no difference in OS between patients who did (n = 145) and did not (n = 282) receive CT, p = 0.52; 5-yr OS rates were 93.7% and 91.6% respectively. After controlling for patient age ( Conclusions Approximately one in three patients with stage IC GCTs received CT in the NCDB, however CT was not associated with a survival benefit.
High-Fidelity Visible-Light Spectroscopy using Aluminum Plasmonic Grating Filter Array

We designed and fabricated narrow-band aluminum plasmonic grating filter array for on-chip visible-light spectroscopy. Using an array of only 20 filters, we successfully reconstructed high-fidelity visible-light spectra based on snapshot imaging and matrix inversion.
The Role of Media in Predicting Older Adults’ Own Age-Related Communication and Successful Aging

Maximizing experiences of successful aging is one important public policy goal given the large number of Baby Boomers aging into older adulthood. Using the communicative ecology model of successful...
National Trends in Daily Ambulatory Electronic Health Record Use by Otolaryngologists

OBJECTIVE Since their development in the 1970s electronic health records (EHRs) are now nearly ubiquitous. This study aims to characterize the daily interactions of otolaryngology providers with EHRs. METHODS This study was a cross-sectional review of provider efficiency profile (PEP) data, as collected by a major EHR vendor. Participating institutions had 6 months of de-identified PEP data reviewed starting January 1, 2019. PEP data is generated for providers with scheduled patients, both attendings and advanced practice providers (APPs). Time metrics are recorded when a provider is interacting with the EHR including a 5-second time-out for inactivity. RESULTS Data on 269 otolaryngologists and 29 APPs from 10 institutions were evaluated. On scheduled ambulatory clinic days attendings spent 70 ± 36 (mean ± standard deviation) min interacting in the EHR versus 108 ± 46 min for APPs. Of the daily EHR time, mean time in notes, clinical review, in basket, orders, and schedule were 30.1 ± 19.4, 9.6 ± 6.1, 7.3 ± 5.8, and 5.8 ± 7.6 min, respectively. Per patient visit, median (interquartile range) time in notes, clinical review, and orders were 3.19 (2.2-4.9), 1.14 (0.63-1.8), and 0.70 (0.47-1.05) min, respectively. Mean progress note length was 4638 ± 2143 characters. CONCLUSION Otolaryngology providers spend a meaningful portion of their clinic day interacting with the EHR. PEP data may provide means to target interventions and a metric to measure the impact of those interventions on provider EHR efficiency. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Laryngoscope, 131:975-981, 2021.
Two themes in Decolonizing Universalism

Serene Khader's recent book Decolonizing Universalism is an important contribution to a number of strands of thought, activism, and scholarship. It is also an ambitious one: the book sets out a tal...
The length and determinants of forestland ownerships in Mississippi from 1999 to 2019

Abstract More than half of the United States' forestland is owned by millions of private forest landowners with small parcels. The length of forestland ownerships and its determinants are examined using duration analysis on a sample of parcels in Mississippi from 1999 to 2019. Overall, forestland ownership duration is short. About 46% of all the sampled parcels were sold at least once over the 21 years, and on average, the ownership duration of these sold parcels is only 5.4 years. The median survival time of new ownership in this sample is 12.2 years only. The forested acreage of a parcel, the residence location of an owner, and several socioeconomic variables have influenced land ownership duration.
Review of Remote Usability Methods for Aging in Place Technologies

This paper reports on the study of best practices in evaluation methodologies for aging in place technologies, and analyses their feasibility in a pandemic environment. The pandemic situation, with various physical distancing restrictions in place, especially for vulnerable older adults, has increased the importance of deploying health monitoring and social interaction technologies for aging in place. The pandemic also made it more difficult for researchers and developers of technologies to evaluate the usability of home health monitoring technologies. Existing technology evaluation methods mostly involve laboratory and home technology usability evaluations that could be problematic during physical distancing restrictions, and are not well suited for rapid evaluation of health monitoring technologies. The increasing trend in virtual doctor and health professional visits puts additional pressure to speed up innovation for home health and wellness monitoring and communication technologies without increasing risks for vulnerable populations. Researchers observed challenges with performing HCI research with older adults in a pandemic situation, including challenges with participant recruitment, obtaining informed consent for the study, shipping technology to the willing participants, assessing the ability of older adults to set up both digital health technology and remote usability tools, and research data collection. The need for low cost, low risk, easy to use and privacy-preserving usability evaluation methods and tools for home health monitoring is growing rapidly, and new remote usability evaluation methods and tools will add to the growing arsenal of digital technologies used in the public health response to COVID-19 and beyond.
Antifungal Efficacy of Redox-Active Natamycin against Some Foodborne Fungi—Comparison with Aspergillus fumigatus

The fungal antioxidant system is one of the targets of the redox-active polyene antifungal drugs, including amphotericin B (AMB), nystatin (NYS), and natamycin (NAT). Besides medical applications, NAT has been used in industry for preserving foods and crops. In this study, we investigated two parameters (pH and food ingredients) affecting NAT efficacy. In the human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, NAT (2 to 16 μg mL-1) exerted higher activity at pH 5.6 than at pH 3.5 on a defined medium. In contrast, NAT exhibited higher activity at pH 3.5 than at pH 5.6 against foodborne fungal contaminants, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, and Penicillium expansum, with P. expansum being the most sensitive. In commercial food matrices (10 organic fruit juices), food ingredients differentially affected NAT antifungal efficacy. Noteworthily, NAT overcame tolerance of the A. fumigatus signaling mutants to the fungicide fludioxonil and exerted antifungal synergism with the secondary metabolite, kojic acid (KA). Altogether, NAT exhibited better antifungal activity at acidic pH against foodborne fungi; however, the ingredients from commercial food matrices presented greater impact on NAT efficacy compared to pH values. Comprehensive determination of parameters affecting NAT efficacy and improved food formulation will promote sustainable food/crop production, food safety, and public health.
Characterization of Early Embryonic Death and Prevention of Pregnancy Wastage

Reproductive management programs will be discussed that attempt to optimize these critical windows in a manner that increases pregnancy rates. With our understanding of the dialogue between the developing embryo and the maternal reproductive tract, pharmaceutical and nutritional strategies also have increased pregnancy rates. For example, injection of bovine somatotropin at the time of insemination increases pregnancy rates in lactating dairy cows. The lactational state in modern day dairy cows contributes to a sub-fertile condition that the practitioner needs to manage based upon a thorough understanding of the underlying physiological causes. These limitations are partially amenable to improvement as part of a production medicine program.
Coagulation Factor Concentrates

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates the principles of the administration of coagulation factor concentrates and its application for the treatment of bleeding disorders. Principles of administration states that the calculated and infused dose of factor concentrate should be verified by measuring the plasma factor level pre- and post-infusion. Continuous infusion of FVIII and purified FIX concentrates is permissible as these factor concentrates are stable for at least 12 hours at room temperature, and there is no evidence of significant risk of proteolytic inactivation, degradation, or bacterial contamination when the product is infused within this time frame. FVIII concentrates fall into three categories: recombinant products, monoclonal antibody purified products, and intermediate and “high-purity” FVIII products. Recombinant FVIII is a glycoprotein synthesized by a genetically engineered Chinese hamster ovary cell line or by a baby hamster kidney cell line. Recombinant products are the generally accepted and recommended treatment of choice for patients with hemophilia A whose inhibitor titers are less than 10 Bethesda units. In monoclonal antibody purified products, the B domain of the FVIII molecule is deleted. Monoclonal products are used for the prevention and control of hemorrhagic episodes in patients with hemophilia A. Intermediate and high-purity FVIII products are derived from human plasma and manufactured via specific steps into intermediate or low-grade concentrates. They are heat treated, solvent/detergent treated, and/or pasteurized to minimize the risk of viral transmission. Although these products are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment of hemophilia A, most experts recommend that they should not be used for this indication when a recombinant product is available and its use is feasible because of the remote possibility of transmission of human pathogens.
CHAPTER 19 – RT-PCR

The widespread implementation of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has fundamentally influenced all aspects of the basic research in the life sciences. Generally, PCR is divided into cycles, each cycle typically consisting of three components that involve drastic changes in temperature. The successive application of these functionally distinct components, typically in the form of 25 to 30 cycles, results in the exponential amplification of template molecules. The three distinct components of each cycle are “Denaturation,” the goal of which is high-temperature dissociation of double-stranded template molecules into their constituent single strands; “Primer annealing,” the goal of which is the hybridization of the primers to complementary sites on the template and, in so doing, to provide the 3′-OH group needed to support DNA synthesis in the next step; and “Primer extension,” the goal of which is synthesis of the desired PCR products by primer extension along the template molecule to which the primers are base paired. PCR is little more than the repeated application of these three steps. Although the PCR product yield is unimpressive for the first several cycles, the later cycles (cycle 20 and beyond) are responsible for generating the bulk of the usable product.
Mexican Law and Personal Injury Cases

Every year, close to twenty million Americans visit Mexico as tourists. During their stay in Mexico, many die or suffer personal injuries as a result of tortious acts. Rather than litigating these cases in Mexico, most of these victims (their heirs or relatives) file wrongful death and personal injury cases in American courts. This article discusses the application of Mexican law to these U.S. cases using six hypothesis: 1) Drowning in Acapulco Bay; 2) Hotel bus accident in Baja California Sur; 3) Dive in Cancun resulting in quadraplegic injuries; 4) Kitchen boiler explodes in a timeshare in Durango; 5) Helicopter crashed in Ensenada: and 6) Doctor in Mexico City performs bypass operation to wrong patient ending his life. From a Mexican law perspective, this article discusses contractual and extra-contractual liability aspects under the lex loci delicti principle that governs these cases under Mexican Civil Law. It also analyzes the application of Mexico's Federal Labor Law to these tortious acts with the injuries inflicted upon laborers in the working place, thus requiring the application of the specific labor incapacities established by the Federal Labor Act. The article provides six practical and common examples of wrongful death and personal injury cases hypothetically resolved under Mexican Law.
Rasch analysis of a new stroke-specific outcome scale: the Stroke Impact Scale.

Abstract Objectives: To assess multiple psychometric characteristics of a new stroke outcome measure, the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), using Rasch analysis, and to identify and remove misfitting items from the 8 domains that comprise the SIS. Design: Secondary analysis of 3-month outcomes for the Glycine Antagonist in Neuroprotection (GAIN) Americas randomized stroke trial. Setting: A multicenter randomized trial performed in 132 centers in the United States and Canada. Participants: A total of 696 individuals with stroke who were community-dwelling and independent prior to acute stroke. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Rasch analysis was performed using WINSTEPS, version 3.31, to evaluate 4 psychometric characteristics of the SIS: (1) unidimensionality or fit (the extent to which items measure a single construct), (2) targeting (the extent to which the items are of appropriate difficulty for the sample), (3) item difficulty (the ordering of items from least to most difficult to perform), and (4) separation (the extent to which the items distinguish distinct levels of functioning within the sample). Results: (1) Within each domain, most of the items measured a single construct. Only 3 items misfit the constructs and were deleted ("add and subtract numbers," "get up from a chair," "feel emotionally connected") and 2 items ("handle money," "manage money") misfit the combined physical domain. These items were deleted to create SIS, version 3.0. (2) Overall, the items are well targeted to the sample. The physical and participation domains have a wide range of items that capture difficulties that most individuals with stroke experience in physical and role functions, while the memory, emotion, and communication domains include items that capture limitations in the most impaired patients. (3) The order of items from less to more difficult was clinically meaningful. (4) The individual physical domains differentiated at least 3 (high, average, low) levels of functioning and the composite physical domain differentiated more than 4 levels of functioning. However, because difficulties with communication, memory, and emotion were not as frequently reported and difficulties with hand function were more frequently reported, these domains only differentiated 2 (high, low) to 3 (high, average, low) strata of patients. Time from stroke onset to administration of the SIS had little effect on item functioning. Conclusion: Rasch analysis further established the validity of the SIS. The domains are unidimensional, the items have an excellent range of difficulty, and the domain scores differentiated patients into multiple strata. The activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living, mobility, strength, composite physical, and participation domains have the most robust psychometric characteristics. The composite physical domain is most able to discriminate difficulty in function in individuals after stroke, while the communication, memory, and emotion domain items only capture limitations in function in the more impaired groups of patients.
Transparency in Private Collection of Federal Taxes

Most federal taxes are collected from taxpayers by business entities, held in a public trust for the United States and then paid over to the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). While the vast majority of business entities pay over the taxes held in trust in a timely and appropriate manner, a sizeable amount, in dollar terms, does not get paid. The amount of unpaid “collected” taxes in 2008 created a $58 billion tax gap item. Disclosure law governing federal taxes defaults to non-disclosure for most tax returns. This general rule of non-disclosure governs the returns reporting the taxes collected by business entities even though the information on these returns is information concerning a public trust. This Article analyzes the federal tax disclosure laws and concludes that the amount of taxes collected on behalf of the United States and the amount of these collected taxes paid over to the IRS should be disclosed. Rather than coming under the general rule of non-disclosure which applies to income tax returns and other returns reporting the liability of an individual or entity for the payment of taxes, these returns should be treated like the returns of pension plans which are open for the public to see.In addition to approaching the issue from the perspective of disclosure policy, the Article also looks at the collection policy issues presented by the disclosure of this information. For the same policy reasons that Congress has decided compliance is enhanced by the disclosure of pension plans and the returns of exempt organizations, the Article concludes that compliance would be enhanced by this proposal and the tax gap reduced.
Overview of the radiation response of anion-based memristive devices

In this paper, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of radiation effects in anion-based memristive devices. We will specifically look at the impact of high dose rate ionizing radiation, total ionizing dose (TID), and heavy ions on the electrical characteristics of tantalum oxide (TaOx), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), and hafnium oxide (HfO x ) memristors. The primary emphasis, however, will be placed on TaO x memristors. While there are several other anion-based memristive devices being fabricated by the semiconductor community for possible use in valence change memories, most of the present radiation work has focused on one of these types of devices. There have also been numerous studies on radiation effects in cation-based chalcogenides such as germanium sulfides and selenides. However, that will not be discussed in this paper.
Approximate Query Processing with Summary Tables in Statistical Databases

Statistical Databases usually allow only statistical queries. In order to answer a query some kind of summarization must be performed on the raw data. If the size of the original data is too large, e.g. as in Census data and the Current Population Survey, obtaining accurate answers is extremely time consuming. Thus, if the application allows for some precision loss in the answer, the mechanism for query answering could take advantage of previously computed summaries to answer other summary queries. In this paper we describe the necessary notions to maintain a database of previously computed summary information to allow fast query answering of new summary queries with a qualified accuracy and without having to go back to the original data. We use the concept of summary tables, study the potential of sets of summary tables for answering queries, and organize these sets in a lattice structure.
Rayleigh Scattering Elastic Photon Scattering By Bound Electrons

By the term “Rayleigh scattering” we shall understand the elastic scattering of photons from atomic electrons, leaving the target atom unchanged after scattering. Except in the forward direction, this scattering (for any given angle) is increasingly dominated by scattering from the inner atomic shells as one proceeds from X-ray toward γ-ray photon energies. Depending therefore on the choice of energy and scattering angle, the process can be used as a sensitive probe of either inner-shell or outer-shell (and atomic environment) structure.
Preschoolers' vicarious emotional responding and their situational and dispositional prosocial behavior.

Different modes of preschoolers' vicarious emotional responding were exam ined in relation to their prosocial behavior. Preschoolers (n = 53) viewed empa thy-eliciting videotapes and had an opportunity to assist the distressed children in one tape; their naturally occurring prosocial and defensive behaviors in their classrooms also were assessed. Vicarious emotional responding was assessed with self-report, facial, and heart rate (HR) indexes. HR deceleration while view ing the tape of distressed children was positively related to helping the individu als in the tape; HR acceleration was associated with not helping. In addition, boys' facial sadness was positively correlated with helping whereas their facial personal distress was negatively related. Defensive behavior in the classroom was positively related to sympathetic facial reactions and self-reported sympa thetic or sad reactions, and negatively correlated with facial personal distress. Compliant prosocial behaviors were associated with low facial concern, particu larly for boys.
Abstract 261: Insights into Hospital Readmission Patterns of Atrial Fibrillation Patients

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with morbidity, mortality, and rising costs. There is a paucity of data to inform best practices for care transition following AF hospitalization. We sought to characterize unplanned readmissions of AF patients. Methods: Retrospective data of patients discharged after AF hospitalization and referred to the NP-led transitional care program, BRIDGE, were abstracted from 2008-2012. Unplanned readmissions were dichotomized as early (<30 days) or late (31-180 days) readmits and classified as either AF-related; CV/non-AF; or non-AF/non-CV. Cases were adjudicated by a senior cardiologist. Demographics and readmission variables were compared. Results: Of 255 patients, 97 (38.0%) had unplanned readmissions within 180 days of discharge; 45 (46.4%) were early and 52 (53.6%) were late. AF and CV causes only accounted for 48.9% (n=31) of early readmissions and 65.4% (n=34) of late. Late readmits were more likely to have diabetes (32.7% v 17.7%, p=.022) and higher CHADS2VASc scores (3.63 v 2.98, p=.026) than those not readmitted. No other differences in baseline characteristics were seen between groups. The 30-day AF readmission rate in this sample was 17.6% (n=45). Conclusions: Readmissions following hospital discharge for AF are common and often for reasons that are neither AF nor CV-related. In order to reduce AF-related readmissions further research is needed to characterize readmission predictors and effective transitional care interventions. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
The Benefits of an Advanced Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle For Plutonium Management

The United State has no program to investigate advanced nuclear fuel cycles for the largescale consumption of plutonium from military and civilian sources. The official U.S. position has been to focus on means to bury spent nuclear fuel from civilian reactors and to achieve the spent fuel standard for excess separated plutonium, which is considered by policy makers to be an urgent international priority. Recently, the National Research Council published a long-awaited report on its study of potential separation and transmutation technologies (STATS), which concluded that in the nuclear energy phase-out scenario that they evaluated, transmutation of plutonium and long-lived radioisotopes would not be worth the cost. However, at the American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting in June, 1996, the STATS panelists endorsed further study of partitioning to achieve superior waste forms for burial, and suggested that any further consideration of transmutation should be in the context of energy production, not of waste management.
The Great Depression and the New Deal

The New Deal era was the principal watershed in twentieth-century American constitutional development. The profound economic crisis that gripped the nation during the Great Depression inspired a period of extraordinary legislative ferment, generating a series of strikingly wide-ranging and far-reaching changes in the American legal and constitutional order. On the eve of World War II, Congress would wield an unprecedented degree of authority over the nation’s peacetime economy. The national legislature underwrote a voluminous array of spending programs to relieve distress and to stimulate economic growth, while at the same time it enacted a remarkable succession of regulatory programs designed to restore health to the economy. The administration of these new programs called for the creation of new federal agencies and the significant expansion of existing ones, resulting in an explosive growth in the size and power of the federal bureaucracy and the full flowering of the administrative state. At the apex of this burgeoning fiscal and administrative apparatus stood the office of the presidency, supported by a significantly expanded staff and invested with enhanced authority over agencies within the executive branch. Just as the chief executive emerged from the Depression with greater authority over the administration of domestic affairs, so the commander-in-chief would enter World War II with greater discretion over the conduct of American foreign policy. Meanwhile, the federal judiciary receded from its traditional role as the umpire of the federal system and the guardian of vested rights, but would become increasingly assertive in the vindication of civil rights and civil liberties, such as freedom of speech and rights of the accused.
Adrenal metastasis in renal cell carcinoma.

Abstract Adrenal metastases in renal cell carcinoma are not uncommon in autopsy series. An incidence of 19 per cent has been reported. The diagnosis of adrenal metastases clinically is rare. Two cases, one of an ipsilateral metastasis and one of a contralateral metastasis, are presented, and the literature is reviewed.
Titanium(IV) complexes with N,N'-dialkyl-2,3-dihydroxyterephthalamides and 1-hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridinone as siderophore and tunichrome analogues.

The aqueous chemistry of Ti(IV) with biological ligands siderophores and tunichromes is modeled by using N,N′-dialkyl-2,3-dihydroxyterephthalamides (alTAMs), analogues of catecholamide-containing biomolecules, and 1-hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridinone (1,2-HOPO), an analogue of hydroxamate-containing biomolecules. Both types of ligands stabilize Ti(IV) with respect to hydrolytic precipitation, and afford tractable complexes. Complexes with the methyl derivative of alTAM, meTAM, are characterized by using mass spectrometry and UV/vis spectroscopy. Complexes with etTAM are characterized by the same techniques as well as X-ray crystallography, cyclic voltammetry, and spectropotentiomeric titration. The ESI mass spectra of these complexes in water show both 1:2 and 1:3 metal/ligand species. The X-ray crystal structure of a 1:2 complex, K2[Ti(etTAM)2(OCH3)2]·2CH3OH (1), is reported. The midpoint potential for reduction of 1 dissolved in solution is −0.98 V. A structure for a 1:3 Ti/etTAM species, Na2[Ti(etTAM)3] demonstr...
Medicine and the Market: A Research Agenda

One of the most important developments in international medicine over the past two decades has been a turn to the market as a way of coping with rising costs and responding to calls for more freedom from government control. A full moral evaluation of the relationship of medicine and the market requires asking a wide range of questions bearing on the meaning and impact of market strategies on the economics of health care and on the clinical and public health outcomes of those strategies. A number of the leading questions are presented and some provisional answers offered.
Liberation of ammonia by soybean leaf pieces induced with herbicides which inhibit photosystem II

Abstract Soybean ( Glycine max L. cultivar Clark or Williams) leaf pieces liberated ammonia when treated with photosystem II herbicides. The ammonia was either that which accumulated internally on preincubation with methionine sulfoximine, or could be from previously assimilated ammonia measured with [ 14 C]-methylammonium as an ammonia analog. Maximum ammonia liberation occurred under anaerobic condition, and was enhanced by herbicides which inhibit photosystem II, even in the dark. Uptake of [ 14 C]-methylammonium ion was inhibited by these herbicides. Liberation of ammonia and inhibition of photosynthetic fixation of 14 CO 2 by Diuron occurred at identical concentrations. These results support a role for photosystem II in ammonia uptake and/or retention in photosynthetic cells of a green plant system, as was proposed earlier from studies with cyanobacteria.
Base-Output Correspondence in Korean Nominal Inflection

This paper discusses various puzzles concerning the phonology of Korean nominal inflection. In particular, I investigate a range of vowel hiatus resolution phenomena that differ between nouns and verbs, the overapplication of consonant cluster simplification and laryngeal feature neutralization in nominal stems, and certain asymmetries between derived nouns and nonderived nouns. After presenting some problems with previous approaches, I offer an analysis of the phonology of Korean nominal inflection in terms of base-output correspondence (BOC) theory, along the lines of Kager (1999). I argue that a variety of unexpected properties of noun phonology in Korean can receive a unified account under the BOC approach. I also show that noun-specific alignment and noun-specific faithfulness constraints are inadequate to capture noun phonology in Korean. My arguments support the view that the fact that nouns have a Base (isolation form) is the key factor in explaining the unique properties of noun phonology (see Kenstowicz’s (1996) base identity, in particular). It is shown, however, that the BOC approach overcomes shortcomings with the Base Identity approach by making a necessary distinction between minor and fatal divergence from the Base.
A Framework for Analyzing Emergency Management with an Application to Federal Budgeting

Emergency management is a complex policy subsystem that involves an intergovernmental, multiphased effort to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. This article develops a framework for analyzing the fiscal and functional aspects of disaster policy. It uses established theories of intergovernmental relations to offer a rationale for examining the capabilities required to implement disaster policy and the behavioral incentives that drive policy formulation. In particular, the article identifies the extent to which the capabilities and political objectives characteristic of each level of government are aligned, and illustrates the interplay between incentives and competencies by reviewing the federal disaster funding process. The current rules for federal budgeting may inappropriately promote spending on disaster response and recovery, while de-emphasizing mitigation and preparedness. Various proposals for reform could establish more coherent incentives, making disaster spending more consistent with the relative functional capabilities of the various levels of government.
Use of stable isotopes to examine how dietary restriction extends Drosophila lifespan.

Summary The ability of dietary restriction to increase animal life span is often thought to arise from differential allocation of resources between somatic investment and reproduction [1–4]. In this theory, reproduction is repressed upon dietary restriction to make scarce nutrients available to somatic functions that increase survival. Here, we label nitrogen and carbon in the dietary yeast of Drosophila melanogaster with stable isotopes to determine whether resources are invested to somatic tissues at the expense of reproduction. We find that females on a full diet acquire and allocate more dietary carbon, nitrogen and essential amino acids (EAA) to eggs than females on a restricted diet. Full-diet females also invest more carbon, nitrogen and EAA into somatic tissue than those on a restricted diet. Thus, the longer lifespan of flies on a restricted diet relative to those on a full diet cannot be explained by greater absolute somatic investment, and high somatic investment does not ensure longevity. We find, however, that resource allocation to somatic tissue relative to investment to eggs is greatest in females on a restricted diet. To account for these patterns we propose that dietary restriction in Drosophila may extend lifespan through somatic investment relative to damage incurred from reproduction [5].
Location of a distribution center for a perishable product

A model that combines an inventory and location decision is presented, analyzed and solved. In particular, we consider a single distribution center location that serves a finite number of sales outlets for a perishable product. The total cost to be minimized, consists of the transportation costs from the distribution center to the sales outlets as well as the inventory related costs at the sales outlets. The location of the distribution center affects the inventory policy. Very efficient solution approaches for the location problem in a planar environment are developed. Computational experiments demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed solution approaches.
Molecular Diagnostics for Dairy-Borne Pathogens

Advances in diagnostic assays based on nucleic acids will revolutionize the ability of the industry to maintain the safety of dairy foods. Two complementary assay formats are explored, one of which permits the rapid detection of bacterial pathogens and the other the identification of reservoirs of these pathogens. The first format is an assay based on the polymerase chain reaction that employs homogeneous detection (TaqMan polymerase chain reaction detection; Perkin Elmer, Applied Biosystems Division, Foster City, CA) of the target sequence. This assay has been applied to the detection of Listeria monocytogenes. A primary problem with current assays that are based on polymerase chain reaction is the complexity of sample handling and the quantification of the initial target number. This fluorogenic assay takes advantage of the endogenous 5',3'-endonuclease activity in Taq DNA polymerase. Approximately 100 samples can be analyzed in 2 to 3 h with a sensitivity of 1000-fold. The TaqMan polymerase chain reaction detection assay is a robust format that is readily applicable to a wide array of other pathogens found in foods and in the environment. The second format is an instrument for automated ribosomal RNA analysis (Riboprinter; DuPont, Wilmington, DE) that can be used to locate the reservoirs harboring the bacterial pathogen. Use of this typing method it has been shown that, although a number of different ribotypes can be isolated from a single environmental sample, only a selected number of these strains apparently have the ability to cause disease. The future of food microbiology lies in the development and integration of molecular methods that can be automated into a testing regimen that extends from the farm to finished products.
Factitious Elevation of Thyrotropin in a New Ultrasensitive Assay: Implications for the Use of Monoclonal Antibodies in “Sandwich” Immunoassay

Three patients who had falsely elevated serum TSH concentrations (initial values, 30.5, 74, and >50 mU/L) in a mouse monoclonal immunoradiometric assay are reported. Two patients were treated for hypothyroidism inappropriately, and one underwent unnecessary diagnostic testing. Immunoaffinity chromatography of serum from one patient indicated that the serum TSH level was truly low. Addition of mouse serum or immunoglobulin G (IgG) or absorption of patient serum with solid phase-bound mouse IgG-1 reduced the TSH content in the serum of the three patients to undetectable levels. Blocking studies revealed that all patients had antibodies directed at mouse IgG-1, the subclass of mouse antibody present in the assay kit. The serum of one patient who had autoimmune disease with elevated serum Igs had much broader species cross-reactivity than that of another patient who had known exposure to rats and mice. We hypothesize that such antimouse antibodies can arise either from endogenous autoimmunity or exogenous ani...
Residence time of particles in urban air.

Abstract A preliminary set of experiments to determine particle residence time in the dry atmosphere was conducted. Using a membrane filter exposed in the horizontal plane and another membrane filter for sampling the ground level concentration of suspended particulate matter, ground level concentration, and flux of atmospheric aerosol were measured. Assuming a ceiling height of 2 km the mean residence time of atmospheric aerosol was calculated. The preliminary results indicate that the mean residence time of submicron particles in the absence of precipitation is on the order of 10 2 –10 3 h. Particles in the range of 1–10 μm have residence times on the order of 10–100 h.
Voltammaetric characterization of small platinum-iridium-based mercury film electrodes

Abstract A 25-μm diameter microelectrode is constructed from 80% platinum-20% iridium alloy. Mercury films and hemispheres are readily deposited by cathodic reduction of mercury(I) onto the electrode surface and are completely removed by anodic oxidation. The platinum-iridium surface, in contrast with a platinum surface, is not scarred by interaction with mercury. Steady-state reduction currents and sharp oxidation peaks are obtained for the determination of cadmium at the PtIr-based mercury film electrode. The voltammetric signals depend on the age of the film, and hence routine analytical applications will require further development.
Nmp4/CIZ: Road block at the intersection of PTH and load

Teriparatide (parathyroid hormone, [PTH]) is the only FDA-approved drug that replaces bone lost to osteoporosis. Enhancing PTH efficacy will improve cost-effectiveness and ameliorate contraindications. Combining this hormone with load-bearing exercise may enhance therapeutic potential consistent with a growing body of evidence that these agonists are synergistic and share common signaling pathways. Additionally, neutralizing molecules that naturally suppress the anabolic response to PTH may also improve the efficacy of treatment with this hormone. Nmp4/CIZ (nuclear matrix protein 4/cas interacting zinc finger)-null mice have enhanced responses to intermittent PTH with respect to increasing trabecular bone mass and are also immune to disuse-induced bone loss likely by the removal of Nmp4/CIZ suppressive action on osteoblast function. Nmp4/CIZ activity may be sensitive to changes in the mechanical environment of the bone cell brought about by hormone- or mechanical load-induced changes in cell shape and adhesion. Nmp4 was identified in a screen for PTH-responsive nuclear matrix architectural transcription factors (ATFs) that we proposed translate hormone-induced changes in cell shape and adhesion into changes in target gene DNA conformation. CIZ was independently identified as a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling transcription factor associating with the mechano-sensitive focal adhesion proteins p130Cas and zxyin. The p130Cas/zyxin/Nmp4/CIZ pathway resembles the β-catenin/TCF/LEF1 mechanotransduction response limb and both share features with the HMGB1 (high mobility group box 1)/RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) signaling axis. Here we describe Nmp4/CIZ within the context of the PTH-induced anabolic response and consider the place of this molecule in the hierarchy of the PTH-load response network.
Characterization of bismuth tri-iodide single crystals for wide band-gap semiconductor radiation detectors

Abstract Bismuth tri-iodide is a wide band-gap semiconductor material that may be able to operate as a radiation detector without any cooling mechanism. This material has a higher effective atomic number than germanium and CdZnTe, and thus should have a higher gamma-ray detection efficiency, particularly for moderate and high energy gamma-rays. Unfortunately, not much is known about bismuth tri-iodide, and the general properties of the material need to be investigated. Bismuth tri-iodide does not suffer from some of the material issues, such as a solid state phase transition and dissociation in air, that mercuric iodide (another high-Z, wide band-gap semiconductor) does. Thus, bismuth tri-iodide is both easier to grow and handle than mercuric iodide. A modified vertical Bridgman growth technique is being used to grow large, single bismuth tri-iodide crystals. Zone refining is being performed to purify the starting material and increase the resistivity of the crystals. The single crystals being grown are typically several hundred mm 3 . The larger crystals grown are approximately 2 cm 3 . Initial detectors are being fabricated using both gold and palladium electrodes and palladium wire. The electron mobility measured using an alpha source was determined to be 260±50 cm 2 /Vs. An alpha spectrum was recorded with one of the devices; however the detector appears to suffer from polarization.
Ramachandran revisited. DFT energy surfaces of diastereomeric trialanine peptides in the gas phase and aqueous solution.

We report DFT calculations at the B3LYP/D95(d,p) level on the gas phase, aqueous solvation and solvated energies as functions of the central ψ and ϕ dihedral angles (in steps of 5° each) of acetyl-LAla-LAla-LAla-NH2 (3AL) and its diastereomer, acetyl-LAla-DAla-LAla-NH2 (3AD). In addition to structures without internal H-bonds (C5 interactions are neglected), many (95) structures containing internal H-bonds were completely optimized. The only minima for non-H-bonding structures in the gas phase correspond to extended β-strands for both diastereomers. Some (but not all) structures with internal H-bonds are more stable than those without them. The energy landscapes for the solvated species show multiple minima for the non-H-bonding species and a single minimum for the H-bonding species (310-helix), suggesting that the equilibrium conformational mixture in water be composed of the extended β-strand, polyproline II, 310-helix, and α-helix-like (with no H-bonds) conformations which are all within about 1 kcal/m...