cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of the Factors Affecting Light Industrial Property Valuation

This paper uses statistical regression techniques to develop a model to explain both warehouse asking prices and warehouse quoted lease rates. In developing the statistical models, the paper provid...
Free-Market Approaches to Controlling Carbon Dioxide Emissions to the Atmosphere

Human activities are changing the Earth on a global scale affecting virtually every region and every ecosystem [1]. Not all changes have been intentional or for the better. A case in point is the emission of greenhouse gases. There is a growing consensus that the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere needs to be curtailed since it has the potential of substantially changing the climate [2]. The dominant greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (C02) generated in the combustion of fossil fuels [3].
CPT-Based Liquefaction Triggering Procedure

AbstractA probabilistic cone penetration test (CPT) based liquefaction triggering procedure for cohesionless soils is derived using a maximum likelihood method with an updated case history database. The liquefaction analysis framework includes revised relationships for the magnitude scaling factor (MSF) and for estimating fines contents from CPT data when laboratory test data are not available. The updated case history database and methodology for developing the liquefaction correlation are described. Measurement and estimation uncertainties, the potential effects of false positives and false negatives in the case history database, and the effects of the choice-based sampling bias in the case history database are accounted for. Sensitivity analyses showed that the position of the most likely triggering curve and the magnitude of the total error term are reasonably well constrained by the data. The sensitivity study provides reasonable bounds on the effects of different interpretations, from which probabil...
A nonplanimetric technique for measuring fluid volumes using MR imaging--phantom results.

A nonplanimetric algorithm for calculating the volume of homogeneous fluids, using data from a single slice MRI scan, is discussed. The algorithm uses the fact that the total MR signal from a homogeneous fluid placed inside an MR scanner is directly proportional to the volume of the fluid. A simple ratio of fluid volumes and signal strengths thus allows the determination of an unknown fluid volume from a known fluid volume and the measured signals from the known and unknown volumes. Signal strengths are obtained from a single image of the known and unknown volumes, by a simple summation of pixel intensities in the image. The volume algorithm was tested on a 0.5 T clinical imager using fluid-filled volume phantoms (85–500 ml) that ranged in complexity from simple bulk volumes (flasks) to a mock-brain phantom composed of two fluid-filled bottles (to represent ventricles) embedded in a tangle of small-diameter fluid-filled tubes (to represent sulci). The known volume was a 5 ml syringe filled with the same fluid as contained in the phantoms. Volumes were calculated using various single-slice spin-echo pulse sequences and were in all cases found to be within 3% of the known volumes. The phantom results imply that intracranial CSF volumes might be determined by comparing signals derived from intracranial CSF with those from known volumes of CSF. Such a procedure would require the use of a pulse sequence that returns a signal from the CSF only, such as a very long TE spin-echo sequence. Among the questions still to be addressed are the possible differences between intracranial and in vitro CSF and the effects of CSF flow. (AJNR 8: 267–270, 1987)
Power Gain in Feedback Amplifier

A linear three-terminal device Z is imbedded in a lossless passive network N and the properties of the complete system, as measured at two specified terminal pairs, are described by the open-circuit impedances Z_{11}, Z_{12}, Z_{21}, and Z_22 . A search for properties of Z which are invariant under the transformation N leads to the quantity U = \frac{|Z_{21}-Z_{12}|^2}{4(R_{11}R_{22}-R_{12}R_{21})} where R_{jk} is the real part of Z_{jk} . Quantity U is independent of the choice of N and is (consequently) invariant under permutations of the three terminals and also under replacement of the open-circuit impedances by short-circuit admittances. If U exceeds unity at a specified frequency, then N can always be chosen to make R_{11} and R_{22} positive and Z_{12} zero at that frequency. Quantity U is identifiable as the available power gain of the resulting unilateral structure. An arbitrary coupling network may be decomposed into a portion which accomplishes unilateralization and a remaining complementary portion which provides feedback around the unilateralized structure. Such decomposition brings some of the notions of elementary feedback theory to bear upon nonunilateral circuit analysis and offers a viewpoint from which signal flow and power flow are simply related.
Effects of dantrolene on adrenal cortical function.

Abstract Adverse effects of dantrolene include abnormal liver function tests, hepatic injury, and alteration of the hepatic mixed function oxidase cytochrome P-450 system. The following study conducted in rats indicates that the effective dose of dantrolene that has been shown to decrease hepatic cytochrome P-450 also causes adrenal enlargement with a marked reduction in serum glucocorticoids. The ratio of adrenal wet weight/body weight was significantly (P
Case report 712

Synovial cysts are a common complication of osteoarthritis in the lumbar spine, causing pain and neurological symptoms. However with early diagnosis a good clinical result can be expected. This report describes a documented case of hemorrhage into a synovial cyst demonstrated on both MR and CT imaging and summarizes the relevant diagnostic features. The sites of origin of such a synovial hemorrhagic cyst are described and its relationship to an arthritic facet joint is stressed.
Urea-glutaric acid (2∶1) structural aggregates as building blocks for crystal engineering

The crystal structure of a 2∶1 urea-glutaric acid cocrystal has been determined. The crystal is monoclinic:C2lc,a=11.954(5),b=10.932(1),c=9.078(3) A, β=97.86(3)°, withZ=4. The formula unit is a hydrogen-bonded heterotrimeric aggregate consisting of one acid subunit locked between two identical urea subunits. The symmetric arrangement from both sides of the acid allows for retaining the twofold axis primary inherent for the glutaric acid. An additional symmetry element (inversion center) is introduced during the aggregate self-association into one-dimensional chains, which are further organized through glide operations into a well-defined three-dimensional, hydrogen-bonded crystal network.
Simulation of quantum melting of the vortex lattice and of fractional quantum Hall-like states of the quantum vortex liquid in 2D superconductors

Abstract We present results of quantum path-integral Monte Carlo studies of quantum melting of the Abrikosov vortex lattice in a two-dimensional (2D), undamped, Magnus-force model superconductor. The dependence of the melting field, Bm, on the vortex mass, is found to obey the simple scaling law proposed by Magro and Ceperley. In the quantum vortex liquid state for B > Bm, we find a series of maxima in the vortex-vortex correlation function, measured through the intensity of the first Bragg peak, as a function of the strength of the Magnus force in the underdamped limit. These provide the first evidence of the existence of fractional quantum Hall-like states for the 2D quantum vortex liquid.
The Paradoxes of Personhood: Banal Multiculturalism and Racial–Ethnic Identification among Latina and Armenian Girls at a Los Angeles High School

In the spring of 2005, numerous racially motivated, large-scale fights broke out in Los Angeles, California, high schools, from the San Fernando Valley to south Los Angeles. Most of the fighting occurred between youth who identify as ethnic–racial minorities, like Latinos, African-Americans, and Armenians. Just after one such fight involving several hundred students, which quickly became known as a ‘race riot’ at the school, I conducted a series of interviews with teenage girls asking them what they thought of this outburst of ethnic–racial violence, in their valley school's case between Latinos and Armenians. In the research, girls detailed to me their postracial attitudes (typified by such ideals as ‘race doesn't matter, we are all the same’), but their narratives evidenced extreme racial–ethnic segregation and their own racist sentiments. In this paper, I explore this contradiction and focus on how girls articulate multicultural and humanist ideals to situate themselves as antiracists. However, concurr...
Evolution of transfer RNA

Abstract Evolution by gene duplication and subsequent divergence is indicated by similarities common to 43 different transfer RNAs. Pairwise comparisons of these tRNAs reveal additional similarity, greatest for certain pairs of tRNAs for the same amino acid in the same organism, and also occurring in certain pairs of tRNAs for different amino acids in the same organism. Although tRNAs functionally interact with several other molecules, there have been surprisingly few restrictions on the divergence of their primary structures. This divergence has proceeded so far that clear phylogenetic separations are absent in most cases: it it impossible to construct a coherent phylogeny for most of the 43. Selection and stochastic processes have both been active in the evolution of tRNA. Selection has favored moderate change more than expected and has reduced radical change below that expected from stochastic processes alone. Two obvious effects of selection are nine invariant loci, another five that are always purines and five others that are always pyrimidines, in the tRNAs involved in protein synthesis. In addition to these constraints in the primary nucleotide sequence, the method of “identical site equivalents”, introduced here, demonstrates that further constraints exist equivalent to about 12 additional invariant loci. These “invisible” restraints reflect disperse chemical forces maintaining the tertiary structure and reducing evolutionary divergence to an extent quantitatively comparable to that of the nine observable invariant loci. The average divergence (49·4%) for pairs of tRNAs for different amino acids involved in protein synthesis represents an equilibrium between natural selection and stochastic processes. These tRNAs have had time to diverge nearly to the 75% maximum expected from stochastic process alone; this is shown by comparing the two glycine tRNAs involved in peptidoglycan synthesis with tRNAs for different amino acids participating in polypeptide synthesis. The rates of nucleotide replacements in genes coding for the tRNAs and the cytochromes c are about the same: 2 × 10 −10 replacements per nucleotide site per year.
DENITRIFICATION AND THE NITROGEN BUDGET OF A RESERVOIR IN AN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE

Denitrification is an important process in aquatic sediments, but its role has not been assessed in the N mass balance of upper-Midwestern (USA) reservoirs that receive large agricultural riverine N inputs. We used a 4400-ha reservoir to determine the role of denitrification in the N mass balance and effectiveness in reducing downstream transport of NO3-N. Sediment denitrification was (1) measured monthly (March 2002-March 2003) at eight sites in the Lake Shelbyville reservoir in central Illinois using the acetylene inhibition, chloramphenicol technique, (2) scaled to the overall reservoir and compared to N not accounted for in a mass balance, and (3) estimated indirectly using long-term (1981-2003) mass balances of N in the reservoir. Denitrification rates in the reservoir were high during spring and early summer of 2002, when maximum NO3-N concentrations were measured (10- 14 mg NO3-N/L). We estimated that denitrification for the year was between 2580 and 5150 Mg N. Missing N from the mass balance was 3004 Mg N, suggesting that sediment denitrification was the sink. Areal rates of sediment denitrification in the reservoir ranged from 62 to 225 g Nm � 2 � yr � 1 , with rates a function of both denitrification intensity (l gNg dry massh � 1 ) and the overall mass of sediment present. From 1981 to 2003 the average NO3-N inlet flux was 8900 Mg N/yr. About 58% of the total NO3-N input was removed, and annual NO3-N removed as a percentage of inputs was significantly related to reservoir retention time (average ¼ 0.36 yr for the 23 years, range ¼ 0.21-0.84 yr). By scaling denitrification in Lake Shelbyville to other reservoirs in Illinois, we estimated a sink of 48 900 Mg N/yr. When combined with estimated in-stream denitrification, 60 900 Mg N/yr was estimated to be removed by sediment denitrification. This reduces riverine export from Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico, where the flux during the 1990s was about 244 000 Mg N/yr, and illustrates the importance of reservoir denitrification as an N sink in Midwestern agricultural landscapes.
Selective inhibition of 4-S and 5-S RNA synthesis and nucleolar processing by the adenosine analogueformycin.

Abstract Formycin, an analogue of adenosine, inhibits synthesis of 5-S RNA and 4-S RNA and nucleolar processing, while not affecting the synthesis, of either heterogeneous nuclear RNA or 45-S pre-ribosomal RNA. This is apparently the first inhibitor reported to be selective for the synthesis of low molecular weight RNA.
Ontogenetic differences in the expression of olfactory-conditioned aversions resulting from a state of acute alcohol intoxication in the rat

Three experiments examined the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on olfactory conditioning in infant (16 days old) and adult rats (60-65 days old). In both age groups, alcohol administration (2 g/kg, IG) prior to conditioning procedures failed to affect subsequent expression of methyl-conditioned aversions in a two-way odor locational test. Nevertheless, whenever this same alcohol dose was administered prior to testing procedures, the expression of the olfactory conditioning was substantially impaired in infants but unaffected in adults. The factorial design allowed rejection of the possibility that ontogenetic differences in alcohol-induced state-dependent retention might explain this developmental difference (Experiment 1). A subsequent experiment (Exp. 2a) revealed major age related differences in terms of peak blood alcohol levels (BALs) that resulted from the 2 g/kg alcohol dose previously employed. As revealed by gas chromatography, infants exhibited significantly higher BALs than adults at time of conditioning and/or testing. Therefore in Experiment 2b, the alcohol dose administered in adults was increased until BALs were comparable to those attained in infants given 2 g/kg. This was accomplished with a 2.5 g/kg alcohol dose, employed in Experiment 2c to evaluate responsiveness of adults in conditioning circumstances identical to those of Experiment 1. Yet even with this dose the adults' expression of the conditioned olfactory aversion was unaffected by the alcohol at the time of testing. Experiment 3 analyzed the effects of alcohol intoxication on infantile and adult motor responses elicited by methyl and a novel odor (lemon), which might conceivably have affected performance in the two-way odor locational tests used to assess olfactory conditioning. The results failed to support the possibility that the previously observed ontogenetic differences in the expression of olfactory-conditioned aversions were due to alcohol's effect on sensorimotor responsiveness. In accordance with prior studies, the present results seem to indicate age-related sensitivity to alcohol's effects on cognitive processes.
Experimental investigation of hydrogen jet fire mitigation by barrier walls

Abstract Hydrogen jet flames resulting from ignition of unintended releases can be extensive in length and pose significant radiation and impingement hazards. One possible mitigation strategy to reduce exposure to jet flames is to incorporate barriers around hydrogen storage and delivery equipment. While reducing the extent of unacceptable consequences, the walls may introduce other hazards if not properly configured. This paper describes experiments carried out to characterize the effectiveness of different barrier wall configurations at reducing the hazards created by jet fires. The hazards that are evaluated are the generation of overpressure during ignition, the thermal radiation produced by the jet flame, and the effectiveness of the wall at deflecting the flame. The tests were conducted against a vertical wall (1-wall configuration), and two “3-wall” configurations that consisted of the same vertical wall with two side walls of the same dimensions angled at 135° and 90°. The hydrogen jet impinged on the center of the central wall in all cases. In terms of reducing the radiation heat flux behind the wall, the 1-wall configuration performed best followed by the 3-wall 135° configuration and the 3-wall 90°. The reduced shielding efficiency of the three-wall configurations was probably due to the additional confinement created by the side walls that limited the escape of hot gases to the sides of the wall and forced the hot gases to travel over the top of the wall. The 3-wall barrier with 135° side walls exhibited the best overall performance. Overpressures produced on the release side of the wall were similar to those produced in the 1-wall configuration. The attenuation of overpressure and impulse behind the wall was comparable to that of the three-wall configuration with 90° side walls. The 3-wall 135° configuration’s ability to shield the back side of the wall from the heat flux emitted from the jet flame was comparable to the 1-wall and better than the 3-wall 90° configuration. The ratio of peak overpressure (from in front of the wall and from behind the wall) showed that the 3-wall 135° configuration and the 3-wall 90° configuration had a similar effectiveness. In terms of the pressure mitigation, the 3-wall configurations performed significantly better than the 1-wall configuration.
Regional Variations in Sulfate and Nitrate on Annual, Seasonal, and Synoptic Time Scales

Ambient data from Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) monitors are analyzed to evaluate the spatial structure of SO4 and NO3 aerosols in the mid-Atlantic region. Sub-weekly, seasonal, and annual data values are compared between the IMPROVE Washington, DC, site and three rural sites. Synoptic perturbations are compared between sites to quantify similarities in short-term temporal perturbations of SO4 and NO3. Based on these comparisons between the rural and urban IMPROVE monitors, the spatial structure of SO4 shows broad regional homogeneity that is recognizable from both the long-term average values and the short-term variations. NO3 data on a seasonal and annual basis show much larger spatial gradients between the urban Washington monitor and the three rural monitors than do SO4 data. Short-term NO3 perturbations at the three rural monitors also differ significantly from those at the Washington site. These dissimilarities in NO3 levels between the rural and urban IMPROVE monitors on both short-term and longer-term time scales indicate little homogeneity of NO3 aerosols in the mid-Atlantic region considered here. The volatility of NO3 aerosols and the removal rate of HNO3 via dry deposition could contribute to the spatial variability differences shown here between SO4 and NO3.
Calcium exchange in the resting and electrically stimulated canine myocardium.

45Ca2+ exchange was studied in small pieces of canine left ventricular free wall. The loss of45Ca2+ from45Ca2+ equilibrated tissue into ice-cold (4°C) “wash” medium could be best fitted with a model containing a minimum of 3 compartments.45Ca2+ uptake into and45Ca2+ efflux from the most slowly exchanging compartment (compartment 3) at 37°C allowed it to be subdivided into two fractions; a rapidly exchanging fraction (t1/2∼1.25 min) and a slowly exchanging fraction (t1/2∼50 min). The total Ca2+ content of compartment 3 was enhanced by isoproterenol but little affected by caffeine. The slowt1/2 for exchange of the Ca2+ in compartment 3 at 4°C and its increased Ca2+ content following isoproterenol treatment suggest that this compartment contains some Ca2+ of intracellular origin. In addition, the finding that the rapidly exchanging part of compartment 3 could be preserved by cooling the tissue to 4°C shows that rapidly exchanging Ca2+ compartments can be studied in superfused cardiac preparations using this technique. Action potentials, elicited by electrical stimulation of the tissue, caused large changes in the Ca2+ content of compartment 3 (up to 170 μM/kg) indicating that this postulated intracellular compartment may play a significant role in the normal contraction-relaxation cycle.
The regulation of p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinases in the injured rat carotid artery

Abstract Arterial smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is an important factor in the development of atherosclerotic plaques and restenotic lesions following arterial reconstruction. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and thrombin are known to induce SMC proliferation and migration in vitro and in vivo. In cultured cells, the proliferative responses to these mitogens depend on the activation of the p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), whereas the role of these kinases in vivo has yet to be established. We tested whether MAPK activity is induced following vessel injury and whether activity is dependent on the release of bFGF, PDGF, and thrombin. Following balloon injury of the left carotid of male Sprague–Dawley rats, arteries were removed and analyzed with respect to MAPK activity, BrdU-labeled nuclei, and/or luminal, medial, and intimal areas. MAPK activity is induced in the rat carotid artery following balloon-catheter injury with a maximum activation at 30 min with a return to just above baseline at 11 hr after injury. Intravenous administration of heparin or neutralizing antibodies to bFGF or PDGF prior to injury reduced SMC proliferation and neointimal lesional formation but did not affect the early induction of MAPK activity. Administration of a tissue factor inhibitor or thrombin inhibitor also did not affect MAPK activity, although it impaired the initiation of the coagulation cascade. In conclusion: (1) MAPK is activated in a time-dependent manner in response to injury; (2) the antiproliferative effect of heparin in vivo is not mediated through the inhibition of MAPK activity induced 30 min after injury; (3) the activation of MAPK after 30 min is not dependent on PDGF, bFGF, or thrombin following vessel injury in the rat.
Relaxing the cash-in-advance constraint at a fixed cost: Are simple trigger-target portfolio rules optimal?

This paper studies the microeconomic foundations of trigger-target rules of portfolio demand such as the demand for money. It allows an agent to relax her cash-in-advance constraint by paying a fixed transactions cost to move between money and the interest bearing asset. An example is generated where the potential of being liquidity-constrained, in order to avoid incurring the transactions cost, can cause excessive nonconcavities of the value function in a dynamic program such that simple trigger-target rules of money demand are suboptimal.
Processed pseudogene insertions in somatic cells

Processed pseudogenes are copies of messenger RNAs that have been reverse transcribed into DNA and inserted into the genome using the enzymatic activities of active L1 elements. Processed pseudogenes generally lack introns, end in a 3’ poly A, and are flanked by target site duplications. Until recently, very few polymorphic processed pseudogenes had been discovered in mammalian genomes. Now several studies have found a number of polymorphic processed pseudogenes in humans. Moreover, processed pseudogenes can occur in somatic cells, including in various cancers and in early fetal development. One recent somatic insertion of a processed pseudogene has caused a Mendelian X-linked disease, chronic granulomatous disease.
Control of Th2-Mediated Inflammation by Regulatory T Cells

Allergic diseases and asthma are caused by dysregulated Th2-type immune responses, which drive disease development in susceptible individuals. Immune tolerance to allergens prevents inflammatory symptoms in the respiratory mucosa and provides protection against inflammation in the airways. Increasing evidence indicates that Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in immune tolerance and control Th2-biased responses. Tregs develop in the thymus from CD4 + T cells (natural Tregs) and also in the periphery by the conversion of naive CD4 + T cells (induced Tregs). Increased susceptibility to allergy and airway inflammation is hypothesized to result from impaired development and function of Tregs. Thus, strategies to induce allergen-specific Tregs hold great promise for treatment and prevention of asthma.
Stieltjes Integral Equations in Partially Ordered Sets

Abstract Stieltjes integral equations are considered in partially ordered sets of real valued functions, and connections are made using integral inequalities to the existence and uniqueness problems of hereditary systems which are not Lipschitz.
Gastrinoma in vitro: Morphological and physiological studies of primary cell cultures☆

Abstract Functional gastrin-containing tumor cells were maintained for up to 8 wk without fibroblastoid cell overgrowth. Short-term cultures consisted mainly of colonies composed of small polygonal cells, 70%–90% of which stained positive for immunoreactive gastrin. Cultures exhibited limited growth but viability remained high for 2–3 wk. Culture medium contained component I, and gastrin 34, 17, and 14. With time the major C-terminal gastrin species in medium changed from gastrin 17 at 3 days to gastrin 34 at 5 wk. Extracts of cultured cells contained gastrin 34, 17, and 14; gastrin 17 was the major form detected at all times. Ultrastructurally, cultured tumor cells retained morphological integrity for several weeks; however, with time changes in the appearance of the secretory granules accompanied by evidence of cellular retrodifferentiation were gradually observed. Secretin, gastrin-releasing peptide, 8-bromoadenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate, and phorbol, 12-myristate, 13-acetate stimulated the release of gastrin from cultured cells in a time-dependent fashion. Secretin, bombesin, gastrin-releasing peptide, l-tryptophan, and ethylamine stimulated gastrin release in a dose-dependent fashion. Somatostatin 14 inhibited secretin, bombesin, and gastrin-releasing peptide stimulated gastrin release but did not alter basal release. Cultured cells demonstrated de novo gastrin synthesis, evidenced by their ability to incorporate radiolabeled amino acids into immunoadsorbable gastrinlike material. Primary cultures of gastrin-containing tumor cells free from stromal contamination offer unique advantages for studies of factors that regulate the synthesis and secretion of gastrin and may prove of potential value for studies on cell differentiation and growth.
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A New Serological Test in the Diagnosis of the Disease

In patients suspected of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) high levels of measles antibody in the serum and CSF have been taken as a supporting diagnostic criterion for the disease. In the present study 14 sera from patients with SSPE, 3 early-measles-con-valescent sera and 100 late-measles-convalescent sera were used for indirect immunofluorescent examination of tissue culture cells infected with wild measles virus and SSPE viruses. All 14 SSPE sera reacted with an antigen in the nuclei and cytoplasm of these infected cells, as did the 3 convalescent sera obtained 3 weeks after the onset of measles. However, no intranuclear fluorescence was detected when the 100 sera obtained 5 months or later after measles infection were used. Thus, SSPE sera derived from patients who had measles many months, or years, prior to the onset of their neurological disorder, behaved like early convalescent sera. Thus unusual characteristic can be applied as a diagnostic test for SSPE. (Supported by USPHS grant NS-6859; Grant MS 596-A-2 from the Nat. Multiple Sclerosis Soc.; DG grants Me270/4 and 270/6; and USPHS grant AI-1475.)
Platform and off-platform carbonates of the Upper Cambrian of western Maryland, U.S.A.

Upper Cambrian carbonates in western Maryland are comprised of platform facies (Conococheague Limestone) west of South Mountain and basin facies (Frederick Limestone) east of South Mountain. Conocheague platform carbonates contain interbedded non-cyclic and cyclic facies. Non-cyclic facies consist of cross-stratified grainstones, thrombolitic bioherms, and graded, thin-bedded dolostones. These were deposited in shallow, subtidal shelf lagoons. Cyclic facies are composed of repeated sequences of cross-stratified grainstone; ribbon-rock; wavy, prism-cracked laminite; and planar laminated dolostone. The cyclic facies are shallowing-upward cycles produced by lateral progradation of tidal flats over shallow, nearshore subtidal environments. Cyclic and non-cyclic facies are interbedded in the Conococheague in a layer cake fashion, but no higher-order cyclicity can be found. The Frederick Limestone is dominated by monotonously thick sequences of graded, thin-bedded limestones, interbedded with massive peloidal grainstones and beds of breccia up to 10 m thick in the lower Frederick. The breccias contain transported megaclasts of Epiphyton-Girvanella boundstones. The basal Frederick was deposited in a slope-to-basinal setting east of a rimmed shelf. An Epiphyton-Girvanella marginal reef along the shelf edge was the source of the blocks in the breccias. The upper Frederick Limestone formed on a carbonate ramp.
Communication and superior cooperation in two-player normal form games

Abstract In many games, players may be able to cooperate for their collective benefit without jeopardizing individual rationality However, attaining such superior cooperation requires that players conform to a specific axiom of behavior. In this paper, I demonstrate that pre-play communication also stimulates superior cooperation.
Simultaneous determination of highly precise Debye-Waller factors and structure factors for chemically ordered NiAl.

Accurate Debye–Waller (DW) factors and several low-index structure factors of chemically ordered β-NiAl at different temperatures have been measured using an off-zone-axis multi-beam convergent-beam electron diffraction method. The temperature dependences of DW factors of Ni and Al atoms are compared with previous experimental measurements and theoretical calculations. The temperature below which the DW factor of Ni becomes smaller than that of Al was found to be lower than previously reported. Structure factors are determined with an accuracy of 0.05% and compared with prior reports.
A Las Vegas RNC algorithm for maximum matching

Recently two randomized algorithms were discovered that find a maximum matching in an arbitrary graph in polylog time, when run on a parallel random access machine. Both are Monte Carlo algorithms — they have the drawback that with non-zero probability the output is a non-maximum matching. We use the min-max formula for the size of a maximum matching to convert any Monte Carlo maximum matching algorithm into a Las Vegas (error-free) one. The resulting algorithm returns (with high probability) a maximum matching and a certificate proving that the matching is indeed maximum.
Evolving trends in 2000 cases of multifetal pregnancy reduction: a single-center experience

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine changes in multifetal pregnancy reduction (MPR) procedures in 2000 cases and to evaluate evolving trends within the last 1000 MPRs. Study Design Two thousand patients who underwent MPR were identified. Data were collected from a computerized database. Comparisons were made between the first 1000 patients (group 1) and the second 1000 patients (group 2). In addition, changing trends within group 2 were also analyzed. Differences in proportions were evaluated by chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate. Results There was a significant difference in the starting and finishing number of fetuses and a significant increase in the use of chorionic villus sampling before MPR in group 2 vs group 1 (43.7% vs 1.5%; P Conclusion Recent trends in MPR demonstrates significant increases in overall reductions to a singleton fetus, the use of chorionic villus sampling, and the presence of monochorionicity.
Evaluation of the Impact on Patient Safety Resulting from Use of Silver-Coated Foley Catheters in a Community Hospital

Abstract BACKGROUND: Research into prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTIs) with the use of silver-coated Foley catheters (SCFCs) has been documented in several large university medical centers. Little is known about the impact of SCFCs in smaller community hospitals. Olean General Hospital (OGH) is a 103-year-old, 186-bed community medical center located in Olean, New York. The Hospital has a primary service area of 60,000 people. OBJECTIVES: Determine the impact on patient safety resulting from use of SCFCs to reduce the incidence of CA-UTI in a community medical center. Quantify the economic impact of this intervention for the hospital. METHODS: House-wide surveillance of nosocomial CA-UTIs was completed using CDC definitions. A comprehensive chart review was conducted for all patients with Foley catheters who presented with positive urine cultures at >48 hours after admission. The baseline period employing regular Foley catheters (RFCs) was February, March, and April 2001. These results were then compared to the same months using SCFCs in 2002. RESULTS: The following incidence of CA-UTI was observed in the baseline period: February, 6 per 2402 patient days; March, 9 per 2853 patient days; April, 13 per 2607 patient days. This represents an average rate of CA-UTI of 3.6 infections per 1000 patient days. The following incidence of CA-UTI was observed in the evaluation period: February, 2 per 2852 patient days, March, 3 per 2485 patient days, April, 5 per 2828 patient days. This represents an average rate of CA-UTI of 1.2 infections per 1000 patient days. The relative risk of CA-UTI per 1000 patient days with the SCFC compared to the RFC was 0.35 (95% confidence interval, 0.17–0.71; p=0.003). Using an average cost for CA-UTI of $3803, a net annual cost avoidance of $221,359 was computed. CONCLUSION: SCFCs can reduce the incidence of CA-UTI in a community medical center by 65%. These catheters also offer a significant cost savings to the facility. Based on these patient safety and economic benefits, SCFCs are the standard of care at OGH.
Luminosity functions of normal, deuteranomalous, and deuteranopic subjects as determined by absolute threshold and CFF measurements.

Zegers’ colorimeter, appropriately modified, was employed to determine the spectral sensitivity of one deuteranopic, two deuteranomalous, and two normal subjects. Absolute threshold data were collected using a 25-min field and CFF curves were determined for both 50-min and 100-min fields. The sensitivity relationships among the subjects differed markedly depending upon technique, flicker rate, and field size. The results seem to indicate that the flicker situation provides a kind of information different from that obtained when absolute thresholds or visual acuities are studied. Research directed toward the relationship between flicker and absolute threshold measures of spectral sensitivity may provide important new data bearing on theories of color vision and color defect.
Social Stratification and Attitude Toward Change in Job Content

Although we live in an era of rapid industrial change, little is understood of the phenomenology of change in job content. This paper reports a study in which attitudes toward work-related change were found to vary with social class background, social class identification, and position in the status structure of the work organization.
An analytical model of eddy current ferrite-core probes

An analytical model of an axisymmetric eddy current probe with a cylindrical ferrite core above a layered conductive half-space is developed. Initially we consider the magnetic vector potential of a circular filament coaxial with a ferrite core over a layered conducting half-space. The principle of superposition is then used to derive close-form expressions for both the electromagnetic field and the impedance of a coil from the filament field. Rather than locating the probe in infinite space, it is confined coaxially within a circularly cylindrical boundary on which the vector potential field is zero. The radius of this artificial boundary is large in order to ensure that does not interfere substantially with the field near the probe. By using a truncated region in this way, the vector potential in the probe region can be expanded as a series rather than an integral form. Thus the solution of the problem amounts to finding the expansion coeefficients in the series. The numerical predictions of probe impedance have been compared with experimental data showing good agreement.
Gay Stepfamilies: A Triple-Stigmatized Group:

Gay parents in stepfamilies are stigmatized by the general public for their sexual orientations and by the gay community and society at large for being gay parents and for being in a stepfamily. This experience of triple stigmatization is discussed and illustrated, and measures to change the situation are offered.
Effects of invasive forb litter on seed germination, seedling growth and survival

Summary Two Eurasian forbs, Euphorbia esula L. and Centaurea maculosa Lam., continue to spread in the northwestern United States despite extensive and expensive control efforts. We investigated whether litter from these forbs and associated soils suppress germination and growth of two native perennial grasses (Pseudoroegneria spicata [Scribn. & Smith A. Love], Pascopyrum smithii [Rydb.] A. Love), which may partly explain the success of these invasive forbs. Seed germination was unaffected, but roots were shorter at higher leachate concentrations. The physical presence of litter (Euphorbia, Centaurea, none) did not affect seed germination or number of leaves of seedlings of the four species, but it affected seedling heights; the tallest seedlings were those covered with Centaurea litter; the shortest were those without litter. As a mechanical barrier, litter type did not affect survival or number of leaves of pregerminated seeds, but litter inhibited shoot growth. Seed germination of the four species on soils from infested or noninfested areas differed; Euphorbia germination, albeit low ( Die Ausbreitung zweier Unkrauter eurasiatischer Herkunft (Euphorbia esula L. und Centaurea maculosa Lam.) in den nordwestlichen USA konnte trotz umfangreicher Gegenmasnahmen bisher nicht aufgehalten werden. Wir untersuchten, ob diese Krauter durch Streuproduktion oder andere Bodenveranderungen eine negative Wirkung auf Keimfahigkeit und Wachstum zweier heimischer mehrjahriger Graser (Pseudoroegneria spicata [Scribn. & Smith A. Love], Pascopyrum smithii [Rydb.] A. Love) ausuben, was zum Teil den Erfolg dieser Unkrauter erklaren konnte. Saataufgang war nicht beeintrachtigt, aber Wurzeln waren kurzer und wiesen hohere Exsudatkonzentrationen auf. Die pure Anwesenheit von Euphorbia- oder Centaurea streu hatte keinen Effekt auf Auflauf oder Blattanzahl der Samlinge aller vier Arten, sowohl auf Boden aus verunkrauteten Arealen als auch auf vorher unkrautfreien Boden. Streu beeinflusste aber die Samlingshohe: die hochsten Samlinge traten in Verbindung mit Centaurea Streu auf, die niedrigsten unter streulosen Bedingungen. Die Streuart hatten keinen Einfluss auf Uberlebensfahigkeit oder Blattzahl vorgekeimter Samen, jedoch beeintrachtigte das Vorhandensein von Streu die Sprosslange. Die Keimfahigkeit der vier Arten hing davon ab, ob die Boden aus verunkrauteten oder unkrautfreien Gebieten stammten. Die Euphorbia-Keimrate, obwohl generell niedrig (
Anatomical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament in goats.

A surgical procedure was developed for the implantation of an anatomical, two-banded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) prosthesis. Prostheses were fabricated of braided long-chain polyethylene fibers. The left ACL of adult male goats was surgically excised and replaced with either an anatomical reconstruction (5 goats) or a conventional reconstruction (5 goats). The anatomical reconstruction required drilling four bone tunnels, two each in the femur and tibia. Each band of the prosthesis was placed through one tunnel in the femur and the corresponding tunnel in the tibia, recreating the anteromedial and posterolateral bands. The two bands were tensioned independently and stapled in place. In the conventional procedure, the prosthesis was doubled and placed through two larger tunnels, one in the femur and one in the tibia, tensioned and stapled together. All animals were terminated 3 months after surgery. Clinical evaluation of passive range of motion, anlero-poslerior laxity and the appearance of the joint...
Controlling a Structural Branch Point in Ergot Alkaloid Biosynthesis

The ergot alkaloids are a diverse class of fungal-derived indole alkaloid natural products with potent pharmacological activities. The biosynthetic intermediate chanoclavine-I aldehyde 1 represents a branch point in ergot biosynthesis. Ergot alkaloids festuclavine 2 and agroclavine 3 derive from alternate enzymatic pathways originating from the common biosynthetic precursor chanoclavine-I aldehyde 1. Here we show that while the Old Yellow Enzyme homologue EasA from the ergot biosynthetic gene cluster of Aspergillus fumigatus acts on chanoclavine-I aldehyde 1 to yield festuclavine 2, EasA from Neotyphodium lolii, in contrast, produces agroclavine 3. Mutational analysis suggests a mechanistic rationale for the switch in activity that controls this critical branch point of ergot alkaloid biosynthesis.
Effect of rubber particle size on deformation mechanisms in glassy epoxy

When tested in tension, a cross-linked epoxy resin can be made to exhibit shear yielding. A modified von Mises criterion, τ = τ0 − μP describes the yielding behavior of the same resin under a biaxial stress system, indicating that the flow of the material is pressure sensitive. Butadien-acrylonitrile elastomer particles suspended in the cross-linked epoxy matrix induce large local deformations when the composite material is stressed. Particles a few hundred Angstroms in diameter cause the glassy matrix to exhibit shear banding, and the macroscopic failure envelope of such a system follows a modified von Mises criterion similar to that of the matrix resin. It was found that the coefficient of internal friction, τ, and the activation energy for yielding are approximately the same for the two cases. With larger particles (5-15,000 A diam) the failure mode changes as shown by the macroscopic yield envelope and the associated activation energy. Electron micrographs of the fracture surfaces show microcavitation, similar to crazing around each particle; the deformed glassy polymer around each particle retracts upon heating the matrix above its Tg. The fracture surface work value of the unmodified matrix is 1.75 × 105 ergs/cm2. With 10 pph small particles, the value increases to 3.32 × 105 and with 10 pph of large particles, to 15.48 × 105 ergs/cm2.
A convergence theorem for chaotic asynchronous relaxation

Abstract We present a convergence result for chaotic asynchronous relaxation that is a modification of the result of Chazan and Miranker. The modification is a restriction to the case of global memory or fast communication. The extra restriction is that each update is based on a prior state of the system, rather than on prior substates.
Optical design and in situ fabrication of large telescopes on the Moon

We present a novel concept for the optical design and construction of large aperture astronomical telescopes on the Moon. 1. A beam combiner that optically shuffles the 2D non-redundant aperture locations into a 1D non-redundant array and brings them to focus on a spectrometer slit thereby encoding all the spatial frequencies of an image at a given wavelength into a 1D image, but in such a manner that they are separable and hence allowing for construction of a 2D image at each wavelength. 2. A process to fabricate optical and mechanical components of large telescopes in-situ using regolith material. The optical elements can be of any size. The shapes can be flat or curved. The fabrication process employs simple apparatus that can be robotic in nature. No special high temperature or high pressure equipment is required.
On the robustness of a one-period look-ahead policy in multi-armed bandit problems

Abstract We analyze the robustness of a knowledge gradient (KG) policy for the multi-armed bandit problem. The KG policy is based on a one-period look-ahead, which is known to underperform in other learning problems when the marginal value of information is non-concave. We present an adjustment that corrects for non-concavity and approximates a multi-step look-ahead, and compare its performance to the unadjusted KG policy and other heuristics. We provide guidance for determining when adjustment will improve performance, and when it is unnecessary. We present evidence suggesting that KG is generally robust in the multi-armed bandit setting, which argues in favour of KG as an alternative to index policies.
Experimental and observational studies of radiolarian physiological ecology: 4. Factors determining the distribution and survival ofDidymocyrtis tetrathalamus tetrathalamus with implications for paleoecological interpretations

Abstract The mean growth, longevity and vitality (based on axopodial morphology and cytoplasmic flow) of Didymocyrtis tetrathalamus tetrathalamus were assessed in laboratory culture in relation to variations in temperature, salinity and light. Maximum longevity and vitality occurred in a temperature range of 21°C to 27°C. However, some individuals survived for extended periods (up to 18 days) with normal axopodia and cytoplasmic flow at temperatures as low as 10°C. Though abundant in tropical and subtropical locations and often thought to be exclusively warmer-water species, these data suggest D. tetrathalamus may have a lower temperature tolerance than indicated by it geographical location. This is in contrast to Spongaster tetras (a species found in the same locale) that is decidedly disabled by temperatures below approximately 20°C. Moreover, abundance of D. tetrathalamus in the natural environment near Barbados increased substantially during periods of cooler surface water temperatures associated with changes in temperature stratification of the upper water column. These data suggests that although D. tetrathalamus is typically found in low to mid latitude tropical and subtropical locations, they may not be restricted to warmer water masses assuming other environmental and trophic factors are favorable. Food vacuole contents, based on transmission electron microscopic evidence, include large proportions of diatoms, other algae and small masses of cytoplasm that lack plastids and appear to be microheterotrophs. Microflagellates (Kinetoplastida) are observed within the peripheral cytoplasm and may be consumed as prey. Eubacteria are only occasionally observed in digestive vacuoles. Partially dissolved fragments of diatom frustules are incorporated into the skeleton of D. tetrathalamus and may be used as a source of skeletal material in low silicate environments. The composite data from this research suggests that D. tetrathalamus is highly adaptive and may be capable of surviving in a broader range of trophic and physical environmental conditions than previously assumed.