cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanistic Studies of Palladium-Catalyzed Aminocarbonylation of Aryl Chlorides with Carbon Monoxide and Ammonia

Mechanistic information on a reliable, palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation of aryl chlorides with ammonia is reported. The reaction occurs with ethylene complex 1 as catalyst, and mechanistic information was gained by isolation of catalytic intermediates and kinetic measurements, including the first mechanistic data on the oxidative addition of aryl chloride to a palladium(0) complex in the presence of CO. Arylpalladium and phenacylpalladium halide intermediates were synthesized, and kinetic measurements of the formation and reactions of these intermediates were undertaken to determine the mechanism of the oxidative addition of aryl bromides and chlorides to a Pd(0) dicarbonyl compound in the presence of CO and the mechanism of the reaction of ammonia with a Pd(II) phenacyl complex to form benzamide. The oxidative addition of aryl chlorides and aryl bromides was determined to occur with rate-limiting reaction of the haloarene with a three-coordinate Pd(0) species bearing a bidentate phosphine and one C...
Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs): A Child Policy Strategy in Asia

A new social policy tool emerged a little more than a decade in Latin America and in Asia that brought immediate relief in the form of cash to poor families with children and conditioned the benefits on behavioral changes that would affect the long-term well-being of beneficiary households. By conditioning benefits on school attendance and obtaining health-care and social support services, many countries especially those in Latin America were able to reverse intergenerational and intractable poverty rates. These programs, conditional cash transfers (CCTs), spread quickly throughout Latin America but have also become popular in other parts of the world. This paper looks at how CCTs have been used as a child policy strategy in Asia, summarizing the forms it has taken and the effectiveness of the programs in six Asian countries, and ends with a discussion of lessons learned from these experiences.
Equilibrium and dynamic behavior of a system containing a mixture of anionic and nonionic surfactants

Mixtures of the pure nonionic surfactant C12E3 and an anionic surfactant of the alkyl ethoxy sulfate type were studied. NaCl brine was added to these mixtures and the phase behavior was determined at 30°C as a function of surfactant composition and salinity. A larger range of compositions was found where the lamellar liquid crystalline phase coexisted with a micellar solution in these oil-free systems. The Phase Inversion Temperature (PIT) was determined as a function of surfactant composition and concentration, salinity, and hardness with n-hexadecane as the hydrocarbon. A new contacting technique was developed to observe with videomicroscopy the dynamic behavior which occurred when aqueous solutions of these surfactants were brought into contact with small drops of n-hexadecane of about 100 μm in diameter. This method more closely simulates the situation during actual detergency processes than that employed previously, and enables the entire solubilization process to be observed, including the final stages. Solubilization of hydrocarbon into a middle-phase microemulsion and excellent hydrocarbon soil removal were observed near the PIT, as in our previous work with nonionic surfactants. Thus, our previous conclusions about the solubilization-emulsification mechanism of hydrocarbon detergency are confirmed for surfactant mixtures similar to those employed in many current products.
CROWN GALL – NATURE'S GENETIC ENGINEER

Publisher Summary The soil organism, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, is able to transform host plant cells into rapidly growing tissues that synthesize a number of unusual compounds called opines. The causative bacteria are able to utilize the tumor-produced opines as the sources of carbon and nitrogen. Thus, Agrobacterium converts the plant cells into a unique ecological niche that provides the organism with a competitive advantage. This transformation can be incited on most dicotyledenous plants including many species of great importance to world agriculture. This transformation has been studied since the discovery of the causative organism. The modern molecular basis of studies of the crown gall transformation was ushered in by the finding that the virulent strains of A. tumefaciens contain a large plasmid (Ti-plasmid) and that part of the plasmid, the T-DNA, is found in the transformed plant. The discovery of crown gall tissues can be grown in the absence of phytohormones, in contrast to normal tissues, which require phytohormones for growth in vitro, provided there is a good selective marker for transformed tissues.
Acute cannabis toxicity

Objective: We describe the clinical effects of, and products associated with, acute exposures to cannabis during the early legalization period of recreational cannabis in Oregon and Alaska. Methods: This was an observational study of Oregon/Alaska Poison Center data between 4 December 2015 and 15 April 2017. A standardized data collection instrument was created for this study that captured information about cannabis product description, route of exposure, intentional vs unintentional exposure, product dose, product manufacture source, product ownership source, initial vital signs, clinical signs and symptoms, and subject disposition. Subjects were included if the Poison Center received a call about an acute exposure to cannabis from the subject, subject's family member or friend, or healthcare worker participating in the subject's care. Subjects were excluded if there was no evident exposure, the exposure was chronic, there were co-ingestants, or the subject was non-human (e.g. pet). Results: Two hundred fifty three individuals were acutely exposed to cannabis (median age 20 years; range 8 months - 96 years; 54.2% males): 71 (28.1%) children (<12 years), 42 (16.6%) adolescents (12-17 years), and 140 (55.3%) adults (≥18 years). Children were most likely to unintentionally (98.6%) ingest (97.2%) homemade (35.2%) edibles (64.8%) belonging to a family member (73.2%) and experience sedation (52.1%). Adults were most likely to intentionally (88.6%) ingest (66.4%) retail (40.0%) edibles (48.6%) and experience neuroexcitation (47.1%). Adolescents' exposures had similarities to both adult and children; they were most likely to intentionally (81.0%) ingest (50.0%) homemade (23.8%) edibles (45.2%) belonging to a friend (47.3%) and to experience either neuroexcitation (42.9%) or sedation (40.5%). Among all ages, tachycardia and neuroexcitation were more likely following inhalation exposures compared to ingestions. Eight subjects were admitted to an intensive care unit, including three patients who were intubated; one subject died. Edibles were the most common products to cause symptoms in all age groups, while concentrated products were more likely to lead to intubation, especially when ingested. Children in particular had a higher likelihood of intensive care unit admission and intubation following exposure to concentrated products. Conclusions: Neurotoxicity is common after acute cannabis exposures. Children experienced unintentional exposures, particularly within the home and occasionally with major adverse outcomes. Concentrated products such as resins and liquid concentrates were associated with greater toxicity than other cannabis products. These findings may help guide other states during the early retail cannabis legalization period.
Propagation of structural uncertainty in watershed hydrologic models

Abstract Structural, parametric and measurement uncertainties are inherent in watershed hydrology models. Among these, structural uncertainty results from simplified representation of reality in models and has proven to be particularly challenging to characterize. Often, flow measurements are available at the outlet or a few other locations within a watershed, and distributed model parameters are calibrated to replicate observed streamflow values. Subsequently, one can quantify uncertainty in streamflow estimation at the measured locations. The objective of this study is the quantification of structural and parametric uncertainty at unmeasured locations using a calibrated watershed hydrologic model. While propagation of parametric uncertainty to unmeasured locations is a relatively simple task in a Bayesian framework, this study is focused on the problem of structural uncertainty propagation. We propose to treat the hydrologic model as a stochastic function by treating the parameters of the model as random quantities, even in the limit of infinite information through data, thus enabling us to accommodate the uncertainty due to structural errors. A mathematical formulation of the method and applications over two different watersheds, using hourly and daily flow data, are presented. The structural uncertainty band at ungauged locations enveloped all the streamflow observations at daily-scale and missed most of the observations at hourly-scale. Structural uncertainty varies spatially at unmeasured locations within the watershed. Consequently, streamflows estimated at unmeasured locations may be accompanied by wide uncertainty bands implying the need for caution when using them.
On the ambiguity of premixed flame thickness definition of highly pre-heated mixtures and its implication on turbulent combustion regimes

Freely propagating, one-dimensional, laminar, premixed flames of ethylene–air are analysed at standard temperature and pressure (STP) and at elevated temperature and pressure conditions to reveal t...
Interaction of Neighborhood and Genetic Risk on Waist Circumference in African-American Adults: A Longitudinal Study.

Background Understanding determinants of metabolic risk has become a national priority given the increasingly high prevalence rate of this condition among U.S. adults. Purpose This study's aim was to assess the impact of gene-by-neighborhood social environment interactions on waist circumference (WC) as a primary marker of metabolic risk in underserved African-American adults. Based on a dual-risk model, it was hypothesized that those with the highest genetic risk and who experienced negative neighborhood environment conditions would demonstrate higher WC than those with fewer risk factors. Methods This study utilized a subsample of participants from the Positive Action for Today's Health environmental intervention to improve access and safety for walking in higher-crime neighborhoods, who were willing to provide buccal swab samples for genotyping stress-related genetic pathways. Assessments were conducted with 228 African-American adults at baseline, 12, 18, and 24 months. Results Analyses indicated three significant gene-by-environment interactions on WC outcomes within the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) genetic pathway. Two interactions supported the dual-risk hypotheses, including the SNS genetic risk-by-neighborhood social life interaction (b = -0.11, t(618) = -2.02, p = .04), and SNS genetic risk-by-informal social control interaction (b = -0.51, t(618) = -1.95, p = .05) on WC outcomes. These interactions indicated that higher genetic risk and lower social-environmental supports were associated with higher WC. There was also one significant SNS genetic risk-by-neighborhood satisfaction interaction (b = 1.48, t(618) = 2.23, p = .02) on WC that was inconsistent with the dual-risk pattern. Conclusions Findings indicate that neighborhood and genetic factors dually influence metabolic risk and that these relations may be complex and warrant further study. Trial registration NCT01025726.
Revolution and war in Western Kurdistan’s Rojava

The two books under review describe the contemporary Syrian civil war and the related social revolution in the region of Western Kurdistan known as Rojava. The complex history of the modern Middle ...
Comparing global motor characteristics in children and adults with childhood apraxia of speech to a cerebellar stroke patient: evidence for the cerebellar hypothesis in a developmental motor speech disorder

Individuals with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) have motor deficits in systems beyond speech and also global deficits in sequential processing, consistent with cerebellar dysfunction. We investigated the cerebellar hypothesis of CAS in 18 children and adolescents with CAS, 11 typical controls, an adult with a probable CAS history, and an adult with a history of a cerebellar stroke. Compared to the controls, children and adolescents with CAS had the greatest difficulty with rapid syllable repetition when alternating between two different syllables types, less difficulty when switching among three different syllables, and no difficulty when repeating the same syllable. They also showed difficulty with alternating but not repetitive key tapping. Motor speeds during the syllable repetition and key tapping tasks where correlated, consistent with a central motor delimiter that governs both systems. Participants with CAS obtained low scores in a test of fine motor ability, where the tasks required rapid integration of complex hand movement sequences. The adult with the probable CAS history obtained motor performance scores that generally resembled those in the children and adolescents with CAS, consistent with motor deficits that persist into adulthood. The participant with the cerebellar stroke history showed deficits in tests of fine and gross motor ability as well as balance. His repetitive and alternating key tapping was slow in the ipsilateral hand relative to the stroke lesion. The shared deficits in sequential motor functions among all participants with CAS and the cerebellar stroke patient are consistent with persisting cerebellar dysfunctions in CAS.
Multiple Objective Analytics for Criminal Justice Systems

Criminal justice systems are complex and difficult to design and operate. This is due to their many interacting parts, and their dynamic and probabilistic nature, as well as their interfaces with other systems. This book reviews the use of analytics to address issues in criminal justice system and discusses the various sources of data associated with the systems. This book is meant to be used by those who would like 1) an introduction to criminal justice systems and 2) an illustration of how some of the various methodologies of analytics can be used to address specific issues in criminal justice systems. This book will be of interest to faculty, students, and researchers in schools/departments of criminal justice, law, public affairs, political science, industrial engineering, and management. In addition, the book should be of use to government analysts who study the effects of criminal programs and laws.
Considering the whole paradigm: Preschoolers’ comprehension of agreement is not uniformly late

Many languages encode phi-features via overt morphology, yet children’s use of this morphology in comprehension tasks varies widely. Here, we use a picture-selection task to test comprehension of S...
The U.S. Workforce of Foreign H-1B Specialty Workers: En Bloc Matching Estimate of Petitioners Microdata

We address the fundamental yet long overdue question that U.S. immigration policies hinge on: “How big is the H-1B specialty workforce?” During the past decade, the H-1B specialty visa annually admitted between 125,000 and 155,000 skilled foreign workers for a stay of up to six years, suggesting a workforce of say 840,000 if all stayed. Survey-based and government estimates of the stock do not uniquely identify H-1Bs; and indirect estimates must assume (unobserved) rates of attrition such as emigration. We provide estimates using government “petitions” microdata from 2000 to 2010, which contains over more than two million records, matching individual characteristics en bloc between years and from new-to-renewed visas; summing up blocks of matched H-1Bs from 2005 to 2010. This generates a median estimate of 540,000 H-1Bs mid-decade and 476,000 by the end of the decade in the wake of the 2008 recession. The size of this estimate is smaller, and the attrition rates between new and visa continuations, of between one- and two-thirds, are greater than casual expectations. The H-1B earns roughly 8 percent more after renewing their visa. We found that there are fewer H-1B workers than previously presumed, and that these workers have a high attrition. We are the first to examine the matching rates from new to continuing H-1B cohorts, and the somewhat low matching rates give invaluable insight to the mobility among this workforce. We concluded that the H-1B workforce is fairly mobile, quickly responding to economic cycles and the nature of the visa marketplace.
Influence of COVID-19 in Selection of Route of Hysterectomy in Benign Disease

Study Objective The objective of this study is to show how prioritizing minimally invasive surgical routes during the COVID 19 allowed our gynecology department to continue performing surgery during operational shutdowns during the pandemic. Design This is a retrospective chart review study of all patients who underwent hysterectomy for a benign indication between July 1, 2020, and Feb 28, 2021. Setting NA. Patients or Participants Charts of all patient's undergoing hysterectomy for benign disease between July 1, 2020, and Feb 28, 2021, were reviewed. Patients were excluded if they underwent hysterectomy for malignancy. Interventions Between July 2020 and Feb 2021 out institution experienced two operational shutdowns. The first operational shutdown was July through August 2020 and the second was January through February 2021. During both shutdowns our department had limited operating room availability. During the second shutdown we moved the majority of our minor cases to outpatient ambulatory surgery centers and prioritized cases than could be performed laparoscopically and vaginally. Measurements and Main Results During our chart review we collected information including age, race, BMI, route of hysterectomy, comorbidities (including need for transfusion due to abnormal uterine bleeding), length of surgery, estimated blood loss, weight of uterus reported by pathology, length of hospital stay, and complications for all patient undergoing hysterectomy in the between July 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021, at University Hospital. Conclusion In conclusion utilization of ambulatory surgery centers for our minor cases and prioritizing vaginal and laparoscopic approach to benign hysterectomy allowed our department to double the number of hysterectomies we were able to perform during our 2nd COVID-19 shutdown.
Developments of a warm dense matter experiment using a pulsed power driver

Warm dense matter (WDM) is typically produce for experimental studies by high power lasers or intense heavy ions beams. Both techniques produce WDM that is confined only by material inertia. However, the study of bulk material properties (i.e. viscosity) benefits from experiments conducted on longer time scales. Pulsed-power drivers use magnetic fields to compress matter into WDM regimes. The magnetic field also provides the confinement time necessary to relax into this state at the mesoscale. Predictions made by numerical simulations (PERSEUS) have shown that a dielectric layer reduces initial instabilities in cylindrical samples.1 A mega-ampere pulsed power generator can confine WDM up to 10 Mbars. This research studies the impact of the dielectric layer on initial instabilities using MAIZE, a pulsed power generator located at the University of Michigan, with 1 MA peak current and 100 ns rise time into an impedance-matched load. We investigate the impact of an insulating polyurethane layer between coated and uncoated Al (1 mm OD) rods to determine how well the insulating layer dampens early-time expansion. A 12 frame laser backlighter is used to capture the expansion of the Al rod at 20 ns frame intervals. Peak currents of 300–400 kA were observed. Evaluation of the rod's expansion between uncoated and coated is presented.
Inter-annual, seasonal and spatial variability in nutrient limitation of phytoplankton production in a river impoundment

We characterize seasonal and spatial patterns in phytoplankton abundance, production and nutrient limitation in a mesotrophic river impoundment located in the southeastern United States to assess variation arising from inter-annual differences in watershed inputs. Short-term (48 h) in situ nutrient addition experiments were conducted between May and October at three sites located along the longitudinal axis of the lake. Nutrient limitation was detected in 12 of the 18 experiments conducted over 2 years. Phytoplankton responded to additions of phosphorus alone although highest chlorophyll concentrations were observed in enclosures receiving combined (P and N) additions. Growth responses were greatest at downstream sites and in late summer suggesting that those populations experience more severe nutrient limitation. Interannual variation in nutrient limitation and primary production corresponded to differences in the timing of hydrologic inputs. Above average rainfall and discharge in late-summer (July–October) of 1996 coincided with higher in-lake nutrient concentrations, increased production, and minimal nutrient limitation. During the same period in 1995, discharge was lower, nutrient concentrations were lower, and nutrient limitation of phytoplankton production was more pronounced. Our results suggest that nutrient limitation is common in this river impoundment but that modest inter-annual variability in the timing of hydrologic inputs can substantially influence seasonal and spatial patterns.
Interaction of Rhizobium sp. with Toxin-Producing Fungus in Culture Medium and in a Tropical Soil

Experiments were conducted to determine the influence of a toxin-producing fungus on a rhizobial population in yeast-mannitol medium and in a tropical soil. The fungus, which was isolated from a highly weathered soil (Tropeptic Eutrustox), was identified as a Metarhizum sp. The density of rhizobial populations established in yeast-mannitol medium in the absence of the fungus was 105 times higher than that established in its presence. However, the fungus did not exert similar antagonistic influence on the rhizobial population incubated with it in the sterilized test soil. Rhizobial growth activity in yeast-mannitol medium was also insensitive to the presence of the fungus when the medium was amended with 1% (wt/vol) kaolinite or montmorillonite. The results suggest that clay minerals may be responsible for protecting rhizobia against toxin-producing fungi in soil.
EFFECT OF HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE (hGH) ON ACETAMINOPHEN (APAP) ELIMINATION

Previous work has indicated that hGH has quantitatively significant effects on drug elimination in human children. For many substrates, such as amobarbital, which are metabolized by the hepatic MFO system, elimination is slowed (G.P. Redmond, et al. Clin Pharmacol Ther 24:213, 1978). We wished to determine whether hepatic conjugation reactions are also altered by hGH treatment. 5 children were given APAP orally in a dose of 10 to 15 mg/kg before and again 6 weeks after hGH replacement therapy. HGH was generously supplied by the National Hormone and Pituitary Program (NHPP); all children met NHPP criteria for hGH deficiency. Preliminary results on 3 children are as follows: These results indicate that elimination of APAP by hGH deficient children is similar to the 1.74 hr t½ observed in normal febrile children (J.T. Wilson, et al. Ther Drug Monitoring 4:147, 1982). HGH replacement did not affect t½, Td or Cl. Studies of urinary metabolites are in progress to determine whether the ratio of sulfate to glucuronide is altered.
Behavioral Just-So Stories, Recast

Animal Traditions Behavioural Inheritance in Evolution. Eytan Avital and Eva Jablonka. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2000. 446 pp. $80, £50. ISBN 0-521-66273-7. The authors argue for the evolutionary importance of the transfer of information between generations via culture and learning.
Graduate Programs in Forest Engineering and Forest Operations: Working Towards Extinction

The availability and employment potential of doctoral graduates in forest engineering and forest operations across North America is explored in this paper. Past graduation rates, along with current and future employer needs for these graduates were examined through a survey of University-based programs, private companies, and public agencies. The survey suggests that graduation rates for doctoral students are low across North America. Currently, academic openings exist at several Universities and suitable candidates for these positions are not currently available. The survey showed that only half of the students who graduated in the past ten years pursued an academic career after graduation. Based on noted graduation rates, the need for qualified doctoral graduates will steadily increase at many University-based programs. Survey results of companies and public agencies suggest that the predominant public employer for graduates over the last ten years was the USDA Forest Service, although current attitudes within this agency may limit future employment opportunities. Private companies provide some opportunity for additional employment, although only the largest forest product companies seem willing to hire doctoral graduates. In this survey, only three of the surveyed companies had employees with a doctorate in forest operations or forest engineering.
Case Based Reasoning, Fuzzy Systems Modeling and Solution Composition

Fuzzy systems modeling technique and the case based reasoning methodology are briefly described. It is then shown that these two approaches can be viewed as essentially involving the same process, a matching step and a solution composition step. It is noted that in the typical case based reasoning application the solution composition step is more difficult. Two techniques are suggested to help in the solution composition task in case based reasoning. The first, the weighted median, is useful in domains in which the action space consists of an ordered collection of alternatives. The second, a variation of reinforcement learning, is useful in domains in which the resulting actions involve a sequence of steps.
Hierarchical Production Planning: SCHEDULING IN THE APPAREL INDUSTRY

Describes a model of a hierarchical planning system to provide a comprehensive approach to the complex production planning and scheduling problem. The model supplies a link between long‐term and short‐term planning; the three tiers of the hierarchy implement: long‐term inventory planning on a cost minimization basis; shorter‐term production planning; and daily sequencing. Emphasizes efficient processing and transmission of information.
Glycosyl-Phosphatidylinositol Reanchoring Unmasks Distinct Antigen-Presenting Pathways for CD1b and CD1c

Human CD1 proteins present lipid and glycolipid Ags to T cells. Cellular trafficking patterns of CD1 proteins may determine the ability of differing isoforms of CD1 to acquire, bind, and present these Ags to T cells. To test this hypothesis, glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-modified variants of CD1b and CD1c were engineered by chimerization with a GPI modification signal sequence derived from decay-accelerating factor (DAF). GPI reanchoring was confirmed by demonstrating the phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C sensitivity of the CD1b · DAF and CD1c · DAF fusion proteins expressed on transfectant cell surfaces. Using cytotoxicity and cytokine release assays as functional readouts, we demonstrated that CD1c · DAF is as efficient as native CD1c in presenting mycobacterial Ags to the human CD1c-restricted T cell line CD8-1. In contrast, CD1b · DAF, although also capable of presenting Ag (in this case to the CD1b-restricted T cell line LDN5), was less efficient than its native CD1b counterpart. The data support the idea that CD1c · DAF maintains the capacity to access CD1c Ag-loading compartment(s), whereas CD1b · DAF is diverted by its GPI anchor away from the optimal CD1b Ag-loading compartment(s). This constitutes the first GPI reanchoring of CD1 proteins and provides evidence that CD1b and CD1c have nonoverlapping Ag-presenting pathways, suggesting that these two Ag-presenting molecules may have distinct roles in lipid Ag presentation.
Scientific Productivity with X-ray All-Sky Monitors

We outline scientific objectives for monitoring X-ray sources and transients with wide-angle, coded mask cameras. It is now possible to instantaneously view half of the sky over long time intervals, gaining access to events of extraordinary interest. Solid state detectors can raise the quality of data products for bright sources to levels associated with pointed instruments. There are diverse ways to advance high energy astrophysics and quantitative applications for general relativity.
Intellectual Development After Severe Malnutrition in Infancy

Intellectual performance, sensory motor abilities and social adaptation were studied in 41 subjects (2 to 21 years of age) who had severe malnutrition in infancy. A control group consisted of 41 siblings. The mean IQ of 31 parents was 108 (S.D. $$Word$$ 11.3). Socioeconomic deprivation was not present. The results of the Merrill-Palmer test for the malnourished group and the controls revealed significant differences in favor of the controls. No differences were found in the older population for whom the WISC and WAIS were used. The Lincoln-Oseretsky test of motor development and the Vineland scale of social maturity showed no significant differences. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that malnutrition in infancy can affect intellectual development in the first five years of life. Beyond this age, given adequate socioeconomic support, no significant differencces were observed.
Galactic propagation of cosmic ray nuclei in a model with an increasing diffusion coefficient at low rigidities: A comparison of the new interstellar spectra with Voyager data in the outer heliosphere

[1] Using both a Monte Carlo Diffusion Model and a Leaky Box Model for propagation in the galaxy, we have determined the interstellar spectra of H, He, and heavier nuclei with emphasis on energies below ∼1–2 GeV nucleon−1. This calculation uses diffusion coefficients that are increasing at rigidities below ∼2–3 GV and which are based on those used to fit the interstellar electron spectrum to the galactic nonthermal radio synchrotron spectrum by Webber and Higbie (2008). The resulting interstellar spectra of the cosmic ray nuclei are thus reduced at low energies in a charge-dependent way from those derived using a diffusion coefficient = constant as was the case in some earlier calculations. The resulting interstellar intensities at ∼200 MeV nucleon−1 near the peak in the differential spectrum have been reduced by factors of 2.00 and 1.46 for H and He nuclei, respectively. These new interstellar intensities are then compared with recent Voyager measurements beyond the heliospheric termination shock. Solar modulation effects, corresponding to values of ϕ between 60 and 80 MV in simple force field models, are still evident in the 2008.5 Voyager 1 H and He spectra at 107 AU. In 2009, when the 11-year solar modulation effects are expected to be a minimum in the outer heliosphere, a comparison of future Voyager measurements at ∼110 AU and beyond and these new interstellar spectra along with the corresponding electron spectrum measured by Voyager 1 will provide an important test of both modulation and interstellar propagation models.
Support and negativity in interpersonal relationships impact caregivers' quality of life in pediatric food allergy.

This study examined interpersonal relationship processes as they relate to health-related quality of life (HRQL) in caregivers of food-allergic children. Research questions explored the relative contributions of social support and social negativity to caregivers’ adaptation as well as mechanisms of moderation, mediation, and moderated mediation through which these influences affect the association of time since children’s food allergy diagnosis to caregivers’ HRQL. Caregivers (N = 299) of food-allergic children were recruited from parent groups associated with a food allergy nonprofit organization. Participants completed web-based questionnaires assessing demographics and child allergy characteristics, the extent of support and negativity experienced in their social relationships related caregiving, and their HRQL. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine relations among time since diagnosis, interpersonal relationship processes, and caregiver HRQL. Social negativity was directly related to diminished caregiver HRQL and was a stronger predictor of caregiver HRQL than social support. The effect of time since diagnosis on caregiver HRQL was indirect through social support, and this mediating effect did not depend on caregivers’ experience of social negativity. Interpersonal relationship processes appear influential in the adaptation of caregivers in the context of pediatric food allergy. Psychosocial interventions targeting support and negativity in caregivers’ social relationships may help improve their HRQL.
New media environments’ comparative effects upon intercultural sensitivity: A five-dimensional analysis

Abstract An experimental 2 (channel) × 2 (gender) × 3 (time) mixed factorial design (N = 159) was applied to test and compare how individual dimensions of intercultural sensitivity might be affected by two channels: a virtual environment (i.e., Second Life®) versus a Web environment. Using a modified version of Chen and Starosta's Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS), the study sought to identify which of the five ISS dimensions played the most influential role in intercultural sensitivity outcomes: interaction enjoyment, interaction engagement, interaction confidence, interaction attentiveness, or respect for cultural differences. Results showed that one's willingness and effort toward understanding an intercultural interaction – interaction attentiveness – played the greatest and most statistically significant role in intercultural sensitivity outcomes, and that this effect was greatest within the virtual environment channel. Gender effects were also found, in which men experienced greater enjoyment but women expressed more attentiveness.
Land Allocation Under Uncertainty for Alternative Specifications of Return Distributions: Comment

During recent years the financial and agricultural economics literature has contained several articles concerning the relative merits of alternative criteria in analyzing risky decisions. More specifically, research has focused on the ability of the expected value-variance (E-V) criterion to approximate solutions which maximize expected utility. Levy and Markowitz; Pulley (1981, 1983); Kroll, Levy, and Markowitz; Tew and Reid; and Reid and Tew show that the E-V criterion performs well in selecting risk efficient portfolios. The article by Collender and Zilberman (CZ) in this Journal is another implicit test of the ability of the E-V paradigm to approximate expected utility solutions. The empirical setting used by CZ contains two crops, cotton and corn, with approximate per acre returns of $244 and $53 and approximate standard deviation of returns of $107 and $24, respectively. The authors demonstrate the empirical value of the exponential utility moment generating function (EUMGF) method by showing the difference in land allocation and valuation decisions based on gamma distributed yields versus normally distributed yields (the condition used to reflect E-V assumptions). The results indicate for farmers with negative exponential utility preferences that "when used with empirical data, the decision rule based on the normality assumption was found to be less realistic and less desirable (to the farmer) than is the one based on the gamma distribution" (p. 786). This comment critically examines the "empirical" situation used to assess the desirability of the EUMGF method. The theoretical validity of the method is not questioned because it is consistent with expected utility maximization. The question addressed herein is whether or not the situation analyzed actually supports the importance CZ attribute to the EUMGF method.
One-electron ionization of multielectron systems in strong nonresonant laser fields

We present an approach to calculating strong field ionization dynamics of multielectron molecular targets. Adopting a multielectron wave function ansatz based on field-free ab initio neutral and ionic multielectron states, a set of coupled time-dependent single-particle Schr\"odinger equations describing the neutral amplitude and continuum electron are constructed. These equations, amenable to direct numerical solution or further analytical treatment, allow one to study multielectron effects during strong field ionization, recollision, and high-harmonic generation. We apply the method to strong field ionization of ${\text{CO}}_{2}$ and suggest the importance of intermediate core excitation to explain the previous failure of analytical models to reproduce experimental ionization yields for this molecule.
Knowledge Management Using Information Technology: Determinants of Short‐Term Impact on Firm Value*

The importance of knowledge management (KM) processes for organizational performance is now well recognized. Seeking to better understand the short-term impact of KM on firm value, this article focuses on public announcements of information technology (IT)-based KM efforts, and uses cumulative abnormal return (CAR) associated with an announcement as the dependent variable. This article employs a contingency approach, arguing that the KM announcement would have a positive short-term impact on firm value in some conditions but not in others. Thus, it pursues the following research question: What are the effects of contextual factors on the CAR associated with the announcement of an IT-based KM effort? Specific hypotheses are proposed based on information-processing theory, organizational learning theory, the knowledge-based theory of the firm, and the theory of knowledge creation. These hypotheses link CARs to alignment between industry innovativeness and the KM process, alignment between firm efficiency and the KM process, firm-specific instability, and firm diversification. The empirical study utilizes secondary data on 89 KM announcements from 1995 to 2002. The results largely support the hypotheses. Overall, this article provides empirical support for the theory-based arguments, and helps develop a contingency framework of the effectiveness of KM efforts.
Structural analysis of the H166G site-directed mutant of galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase complexed with either UDP-glucose or UDP-galactose: detailed description of the nucleotide sugar binding site.

Galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase plays a key role in galactose metabolism by catalyzing the transfer of a uridine 5'-phosphoryl group from UDP-glucose to galactose 1-phosphate. The enzyme from Escherichia coli is composed of two identical subunits. The structures of the enzyme/UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose complexes, in which the catalytic nucleophile His 166 has been replaced with a glycine residue, have been determined and refined to 1.8 A resolution by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystals employed in the investigation belonged to the space group P21 with unit cell dimensions of a ) 68 A,b ) 58 A,c ) 189 A, and‚ ) 100° and two dimers in the asymmetric unit. The models for these enzyme/substrate complexes have demonstrated that the active site of the uridylyltransferase is formed by amino acid residues contributed from both subunits in the dimer. Those amino acid residues critically involved in sugar binding include Asn 153 and Gly 159 from the first subunit and Lys 311, Phe 312, Val 314, Tyr 316, Glu 317, and Gln 323 from the second subunit. The uridylyltransferase is able to accommodate both UDP-galactose and UDP-glucose substrates by simple movements of the side chains of Glu 317 and Gln 323 and by a change in the backbone dihedral angles of Val 314. The removal of the imidazole group at position 166 results in little structural perturbation of the polypeptide chain backbone when compared to the previously determined structure for the wild-type enzyme. Instead, the cavity created by the mutation is partially compensated for by the presence of a potassium ion and its accompanying coordination sphere. As such, the mutant protein structures presented here represent valid models for understanding substrate recognition and binding in the native galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase.
Transverse beam reshaping and beam encoding by two-beam coupling in ruby

Abstract We have observed ring structure formation on a dye laser beam (5850 A) propagating through ruby. We also present, to our knowledge, the first observation of transverse beam encoding by two-beam coupling where spatial rings form on a probe beam copropagating with an argon laser beam in ruby.
Anomalous behaviour of n-channel MOS transistor characteristics in the temperature range 4.2–14 K

Abstract The static characteristics of n-channel enhancement mode MOS transistors have been studied in the temperature range 4.2–14 K. The “kink effect” observed previously at higher temperatures has been confirmed. In addition a more anomalous behaviour consisting of hysteresis and memory effects, which last several tens of seconds, has been observed.
No correlation between Anderson Reservoir stage level and underlying Calaveras fault seismicity despite calculated differential stress increases

Concerns have been raised that stresses from reservoir impoundment may trigger damaging earthquakes because rate changes have been associated with reservoir impoundment or stage-level changes globally. Here, the idea is tested blindly using Anderson Reservoir, which lies atop the seismically active Calaveras fault. The only knowledge held by the author going into the study was the expectation that reservoir levels change cyclically because of seasonal rainfall. Examination of seismicity rates near the reservoir reveals variability, but no correlation with stage-level changes. Three-dimensional finite-element modeling shows stress changes sufficient for earthquake triggering along the Calaveras fault zone. Since many of the reported cases of induced triggering come from low-strain settings, it is speculated that gradual stressing from stage-level changes in high-strain settings may not be significant. From this study, it can be concluded that reservoirs are not necessarily risky in active tectonic settings.
Specially Designed Assessment and Instruction for Children Who Have Not Responded Adequately to Reading Intervention

Dimensions of instruction and assessment were manipulated within a tertiary prevention to examine their effects on word and text reading development. In this article case studies of two children who demonstrated significant and sustained lack of adequate response to treatment are profiled. Results indicated that reducing group size, using formative assessment, and implementing mastery learning criteria produced positive trends on indicators of oral reading fluency. Students' reading outcomes provide evidence of the importance of timely data-based instructional adjustments.
Cholinergic antagonism of β-adrenergic stimulated action potentials and adenylate cyclase activity in rabbit ventricular cardiomyocytes

Abstract The cholinergic antagonism of β-adrenergic stimulation was examined by measuring adenylate cyclase activity and calcium-mediated action potentials in isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes of adult rabbits. The β-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol and the direct adenylate cyclase activator forskolin increased adenylate cyclase activity in homogenates of the myocytes. The cholinergic agonist carbachol (10 nM-100 μM) inhibited in a concentration dependent manner basal, isoproterenol-stimulated and forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. The carbachol effect on basal adenylate cyclase activity was antagonized by atropine (10 μM). In parallel experiments using intact cardiomyocytes, calcium action potentials were elicited by intracellular depolarizing current pulses in partially depolarized preparations. These action potentials were prolonged by isoproterenol, forskolin and dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Acetylcholine reversibly inhibited the prolongation of the action potential induced by isoproterenol and forskolin but not dibutyryl cyclic AMP. These results suggest that cholinergic agonists modulate the increase in the calcium current elicited by isoproterenol and forskolin in isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes by inhibiting adenylate cyclase activity.
Excellence in Evidence-Based Practice: Organizational and Unit Exemplars

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is a recognized leader in evidence-based practice. Creating organizational excellence in evidence-based practice takes leadership and a committed effort at all levels. Building the capacity, culture, and vision at the organizational and unit levels is needed to promote use of evidence in practice. Practical approaches that have been effective in promoting development of an evidence-based practice program and project are outlined. An exemplar describing development and adoption of an evidence-based project to improve sedation management led to improvements in patient care processes and outcomes.
Multivariate statistical process control with artificial contrasts

A multivariate control region can be considered to be a pattern that represents the normal operating conditions of a process. Reference data can then be generated and used to learn the difference between this region and random noise. Then multivariate statistical process control can be converted to a supervised learning task. This can dramatically reshape the control region and open the control problem to a rich collection of supervised learning tools. Such tools provide generalization error estimates that can be used to specify error rates. The effectiveness of such an approach is shown here. Such a computational approach is now easily accomplished with modern computing resources. Examples use random forests and a regularized least squares classifier as the learners.
Growth of small single crystal spheres for x-ray studies

Abstract Many materials are difficult to obtain as small single crystal spheres suitable for use in x-ray studies. Soft materials are easily strained while being prepared for use and require etching for final surface preparation. Some materials, such as AuGa2, exhibit preferential etching of the surface leaving the sample unuseable. This work describes a method of preparing small single crystal spheres of these materials that are suitable for use in x-ray studies.
Engineering meter-scale laser resistant coatings for the near IR

Laser resistant coatings are needed for beam steering (mirrors), pulse switching (polarizers), and high transport efficiency on environmental barriers (windows / lenses) on large laser systems. A range of defects limit the exposure fluence of these coatings. By understanding the origin and damage mechanisms for these defects, the deposition process can be optimized to realize coatings with greater laser resistance. Electric field modeling can provide insight into which defects are most problematic. Laser damage growth studies are useful for determining a functional laser damage criteria. Mitigation techniques such as micro-machining with a single-crystal diamond cutting tool or short pulse laser ablation using the burst technique can be used to arrest growth in damage sites to extend optic lifetime.