Tests of significance using selected sample quantiles

Large sample tests of significance for the location parameter, the scale parameter, and quantiles for a location-scale family of distributions based on a few optimally chosen sample quantiles are considered.     

Effects of Testosterone Replacement on a Male Professional Singer

Testosterone has been known to play an important role in the development of the postpubertal male voice for many centuries. In fact, the prevention of pubertal development of the voice by castrating young male singers was a well-known practice, especially in Italy beginning in the sixteenth century. The “castrati” were well known for their clear, high-pitched voices. Because of the resulting small larynx and vocal folds, castrati apparently produced a distinctive resonance as well as the high pitch, which cannot be matched even by the counter tenors of today. Busy voice labs occasionally see males with sex hormone deficiencies secondary to chromosomal or gonadal problems. This is a presentation of an unusual patient who was a trained tenor singer and was found to have hypogonadism on a premarital health examination. Administration of replacement testosterone resulted in significant vocal register and voice quality changes.     

Femtosecond study of surface structure and composition and time-resolved spectroscopy in metals

Surface structuring and compositioning in aluminum alloy 2024-T3 were demonstrated using a femtosecond pulse laser. Surface nanostructuring was developed as a function of laser parameters and the surface micrographs of the scanning electron microscopy were characterized as a function of incident laser fluence. Surface compositioning was performed by selectively removing the elements on the surface of the sample. Femtosecond studies of highly excited electrons were performed by a pump–probe technique, and the thermalization time was found to be in a range of 1.5–3 ps, increasing with incident fluence. The time-resolved measurement is well matched to the numerical calculation. Received: 6 September 2001 / Accepted: 18 July 2002 / Published online: 25 October 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-405/744-6811, E-mail: dou@okstate.edu     

Unprecedented syndioselectivity and syndiotactic polyolefin melting temperature: polypropylene and poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) from a highly active, sterically expanded eta1-fluorenyl-eta1-amido zirconium complex

The structurally unique, sterically expanded eta1-fluorenyl-eta1-amido single-site precatalyst, Me2Si(eta1-N-tBu)(eta1-C29H36)ZrCl2.OEt2 (3), upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), is remarkably active and constitutes the most syndioselective alpha-olefin polymerization catalyst system yet reported. 3/MAO affords as-prepared syndiotactic polypropylene with [rrrr] > 99% and unprecedented melting temperatures for the unannealed (165 degrees C) and annealed (174 degrees C) polymers. The activity of this system is 4 times that of the prototypical syndioselective catalyst Me2C(eta5-C5H4)(eta5-C13H8)ZrCl2/MAO. The high activity and syndioselectivity of 3/MAO can be extended to the production of syndiotactic poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) with a record melting temperature of 215 degrees C and [rrrr] = 97%.     

Demonstration of a portable device for predicting vehicle tractive performance in snow

This workshop study program which was sponsored by the ISTVS Snow Mechanics Committee examined the problems of snow traction and methods of predicting vehicle mobility on snow. This study presents one aspect of the field prediction problem where a portable, hand-held instruments is used and prescribed by requirements for simplicity, portability and facility.     

Mode coupling theory of hydrodynamics and steady state systems

We construct a formal mode coupling theory for hydrodynamic systems which includes contributions from all powers of the hydrodynamic variables. This theory is applied to nonequilibrium steady state systems. A generalization of the local equilibrium distribution is used to describe the nonequilibrium state. This distribution independently constrains all moments of the hydrodynamic variables. The infinite hierarchy of equations for the moments of the hydrodynamic variables is truncated using an inverse system size expansion. Explicit results are obtained for the time correlation functions of fluids with a linear temperature gradient or a linear shear. These results agree with previous studies of these steady states.