Fortran Package for Least Squares Curve Fitting and the Solution of Simultaneous Equations

Fortran subroutines for least squares curve fitting and solution of simultaneous equation

Computer programs for thermodynamic and transport properties of hydrogen

Computer program subroutines provide the thermodynamic and transport properties of hydrogen in tabular form. The programs provide 18 combinations of input and output variables. This program is written in FORTRAN 4 for use on the IBM 7044 or CDC 3600 computers

Uniform data system standardizes technical computations and the purchasing of commercially important gases

Integrated tables of pressure, volume, and temperature for the saturated liquid, from the triple point to the critical point of the gases, have been developed. Tables include definition of saturated liquid curve. Values are presented in metric and practical units. Advantages of the new tables are discussed

Thermodynamic properties of argon from the triple point to 300 K at pressures to 1000 atmospheres

Thermodynamic property data for argo

Thermodynamic properties of saturated liquid parahydrogen charted for important temperature range

Six entropy diagrams for parahydrogen in or near the saturated liquid state cover the temperature range from 29.16 degrees to 42.48 degrees R with pressures to 100 psia and mixtures of the liquid and vapor phases to 0.003 quality. The diagrams are printed in color, are 19 by 30 inches in size, and are suitable for wall mounting

Strategic alliances in emerging markets: an investigation of the effects of culture and emerging market characteristics on the performance of acquisitions in Eastern Europe

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of culture - national, organisational, and regional - on the performance of strategic alliances (mergers, acquisitions, or joint ventures) in Eastern Europe. From a research perspective Eastern Europe is very much `virgin territory', in which the effect of Western European management techniques and processes should be uniquely detectable as few have previously existed. There are schools of thought that suggest that because of the years of Soviet domination there may be homogeneity of organisational cultures in the region, which will make the effect of national cultural differences easy to detect. Further, freedom from communism will result in the newly liberated economies exhibiting similar `emerging market' characteristics as the economies evolve, hence pointing towards some homogeneity of regional influences. Alternatively, many observers suggest that Eastern Europe, having been freed from Soviet domination, is re-establishing latent forms of free market systems that have been dormant during the Soviet era, and consequently the markets' development can be thought of as 'reemergence'. These issues of cultural differences and emerging market characteristics have not been previously researched at the organisational level in this environment. Hitherto international strategic alliances have largely been unsuccessful from the viewpoints of either management or investors. The reasons for this are thought to lie in the implementation phase of the management of the alliance, as it is now recognised that value can only be added after the deal or agreement has been signed. Within the implementation phase, cultural integration is thought to be the major challenge. Cultural integration may have different challenges in Eastern Europe because of the issues outlined above. An exploratory study based on inductive methods has established that there is nohomogeneity of organisational cultures in the region. The findings are in accordance with the small group of researchers who suggest that is the manner in which different cultures are managed, rather than the cultural differences themselves, which creates a basis for successful integration. Additionally, two factors, the effects of experience and reputation, not prominent in the management literature, are identified as important in the integration process. It is postulated that success in managing the integration process is a function of organisational capability as much as the adoption of a formulaic process based on best practice or theoretical considerations, and a model for assessing such capability is proposed. The findings suggest that the markets of Eastern Europe are following patterns of `reemergence' rather than `emergence', and the study questions whether in fact emerging markets display common characteristics which are observable at the level of the firm

Effects of Sertraline Exposure on Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) Steroidogenesis

Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that is widely used for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Due to the abundant therapeutic use of sertraline, low levels have been detected in municipal wastewater effluents suggesting that aquatic organisms may be exposed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the steroidogenic effects of sertraline on larval (FHM) and adult female fathead minnows (FFHM), Pimephales promelas. Larval FHM were exposed to 0.1, 1, and 10 µg/L sertraline for 28 days and analyzed via RT-qPCR for differential expression of 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD), 20β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20β-HSD), aromatase (CYP19), and nuclear thyroid receptor alpha (TRα). FFHM were exposed to 3 or 10 µg/L sertraline for 7 days with the brain and ovary excised at exposure termination. Juvenile FHM exposed to 0.1 μg/L sertraline had a significant upregulation of both 20β-HSD and TRα. FFHM exposed to 10 µg/L sertraline had a significant upregulation of 11β-HSD expression in brain tissue, while no steroidogenic changes were observed in the FFHM ovary. Similarly, in FFHM brain tissue, CYP19 and 20β-HSD expression levels were significantly higher in fish exposed to 10µg/L sertraline compared to control. The significance of these findings with respect to survival, growth and reproduction are currently unknown, but represent future research needs

Coal-derived promoters for the liquefaction of Illinois coal

The objective of this program is to investigate the use of liquids derived from coal either by mild gasification or supercritical extraction (SCE) to promote direct liquefaction of Illinois coal. Some organic sulfur-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-containing compounds have been found to enhance liquefaction reactions. The use of Illinois coal to produce liquid fractions rich in these types of compounds could increase the rates of liquefaction reactions, thus improving the process economics. An integrated process combining direct liquefaction with mild gasification or SCE of coal is being developed by IGT. The approach taken in this two-year program is to use recently developed molecular probe techniques to assess the reactivity of three coal-derived liquids with respect to (A) hydrogen transfer rate, (B) carbon-carbon bond cleavage rate, (C) free radical flux, and (D) hydrocracking activity. Sample liquids from Illinois Basin Coal IBC-106 are prepared by three methods: mild gasification in an isothermal free-fall reactor (IFFR), steam treatment followed by mild gasification in a fixed-bed reactor (ST/FBR), and SCE using toluene in a batch autoclave. During the first year of the program, the IFFR and ST/FBR coal liquids were produced and characterized, and the IFFR liquid was assessed by the four molecular-probe methods. During the first quarter of the second year, reactivity testing and data analysis on the ST/FBR coal liquid was completed. For the ST/FBR liquid, hydrogen transfer rate showed a mean increase of 7%, C-C bond cleavage selectivity increased by 27%, free radical flux increased 101%, and data indicated a 227% increase in hydrocracking activity. 12 refs., 5 figs., 7 tabs

Approach to record linkage of primary care data from Clinical Practice Research Datalink to other health-related patient data: overview and implications

Record linkage is increasingly used to expand the information available for public health research. An understanding of record linkage methods and the relevant strengths and limitations is important for robust analysis and interpretation of linked data. Here, we describe the approach used by Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) to link primary care data to other patient level datasets, and the potential implications of this approach for CPRD data analysis. General practice electronic health record software providers separately submit de-identified data to CPRD and patient identifiers to NHS Digital, excluding patients who have opted-out from contributing data. Data custodians for external datasets also send patient identifiers to NHS Digital. NHS Digital uses identifiers to link the datasets using an 8-stage deterministic methodology. CPRD subsequently receives a de-identified linked cohort file and provides researchers with anonymised linked data and metadata detailing the linkage process. This methodology has been used to generate routine primary care linked datasets, including data from Hospital Episode Statistics, Office for National Statistics and National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service. 10.6 million (M) patients from 411 English general practices were included in record linkage in June 2018. 9.1M (86%) patients were of research quality, of which 8.0M (88%) had a valid NHS number and were eligible for linkage in the CPRD standard linked dataset release. Linking CPRD data to other sources improves the range and validity of research studies. This manuscript, together with metadata generated on match strength and linkage eligibility, can be used to inform study design and explore potential linkage-related selection and misclassification biases