cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lessons from Social Psychology for Complex Operations

This short essay looks at several social forces that powerfully affect human behavior; often trumping individual character, personality, knowledge, and even deeply held moral beliefs. Specifically, this essay looks briefly at issues of obedience, conformity, and group polarization; discussing the ways in which they can affect and distort individual behavior. Ultimately, this essay suggests that understanding these dynamics can have important implications for how we think about counter-insurgency and stability operations.
A description of structured waves in shock compressed particulate composites

Dynamic compression of composite materials is of scientific interest because the mechanical mismatch between internal phases challenges continuum theories. Typical assumptions about steady wave propagation and quasi-instantaneous state changes require reexamination along with the need for time-dependent models. To that end, data and models are presented for the shock compression of an idealized particulate composite. To serve as a generic representative of this material class, a polymer matrix was filled with tungsten particles, ranging from 1 to 50 vol. %. This creates a simple microstructure containing randomly scattered particles with an extreme impedance mismatch to the binding matrix. These materials were parallel plate impact loaded by Al flyers traveling at 1.8–5.0 km/s. Velocimetry provided records of the equilibrium state and the compression wave structure for each case with trends quantified by an empirical fit. The same quantities were also studied as a function of the wave's propagation distance. A homogenized viscoelastic model then made it possible to progress from cataloging trends to making predictions. Starting from a Mie–Gruneisen equation of state, additional time varying terms were added to capture the transient response. After calibration, accurate predictions of the steady wave structure were possible.
Color associations to emotion and emotion-laden words: A collection of norms for stimulus construction and selection

Color has the ability to influence a variety of human behaviors, such as object recognition, the identification of facial expressions, and the ability to categorize stimuli as positive or negative. Researchers have started to examine the relationship between emotional words and colors, and the findings have revealed that brightness is often associated with positive emotional words and darkness with negative emotional words (e.g., Meier, Robinson, & Clore, Psychological Science, 15, 82-87, 2004). In addition, words such as anger and failure seem to be inherently associated with the color red (e.g., Kuhbandner & Pekrun). The purpose of the present study was to construct norms for positive and negative emotion and emotion-laden words and their color associations. Participants were asked to provide the first color that came to mind for a set of 160 emotional items. The results revealed that the color RED was most commonly associated with negative emotion and emotion-laden words, whereas YELLOW and WHITE were associated with positive emotion and emotion-laden words, respectively. The present work provides researchers with a large database to aid in stimulus construction and selection.
Internal Reputation of the Firm: CEO Retention and Firm Market Performance

Previous studies have explored the effect of reputation on firm operations and firm outcomes such as employee retention, firm performance, the intensity of regulation, and customer loyalty. Using longitudinal data, this study investigates the effect of internal reputation of the firm on two understudied outcomes: (1) CEO retention and (2) firm market performance. We employed social identity theory to examine the relationship between firm internal reputation and CEO retention. In addition, we adopted the resource-based view of the firm to investigate the effect of internal reputation on firm market performance over time in three time frames (short-term, midterm, and long-term). The results show a high-quality internal reputation is positively related to CEO retention. In addition, a positive internal reputation is associated with higher firm market performance not only in the short-term but also in the midterm and long-term.
Temporary and Permanent Buyout Prices in Online Auctions

Buyout options allow bidders to instantly purchase at a specified price an item listed for sale through an online auction. A temporary buyout option disappears once a regular bid is submitted, whereas a permanent option remains available until it is exercised or the auction ends. Such buyout price may be static and remain constant throughout the auction, or dynamic and vary as the auction progresses. We formulate a game-theoretic model featuring time-sensitive bidders with independent private values and Poisson arrivals but endogenous bidding times to answer the following questions: How should a seller set the buyout price (if at all)? What are the implications of using a temporary buyout option relative to a permanent one? What is the potential benefit associated with using a dynamic buyout price? For all buyout option types we exhibit a Nash equilibrium in bidder strategies, argue that this equilibrium constitutes a plausible outcome prediction, and study the problem of maximizing the corresponding seller revenue. Our numerical experiments suggest that when any participant is time sensitive, the seller may significantly increase his utility by introducing a buyout option, but that dynamic buyout prices may not provide a substantial advantage over static ones. Furthermore, whereas permanent buyout options yield higher predicted revenue than temporary options, they also provide additional incentives for late bidding and may therefore not be always more desirable.
Laboratory, Clinical, and Survival Outcomes Associated With Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy in Patients With Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Importance Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is approved in the US for treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), but data on PRRT outcomes within US populations remain scarce. Objective To analyze the first 2 years of PRRT implementation at a US-based NET referral center. Design, setting, and participants This cohort study was conducted using medical records of patients with metastatic NET receiving PRRT from 2018 through 2020 in a NET program at a tertiary referral center. Included patients were those at the center with metastatic NETs who received at least 1 dose of PRRT over the study period. Laboratory toxic effects were assessed using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Tumor response was determined using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1. Survival analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival. Data were analyzed from August 2018 through August 2020. Exposures Receiving 4 cycles of lutetium-177-dotatate infusion, separated by 8-week intervals targeted to 7.4 GBq (200 mCi) per dose. Main outcomes and measures Data were compared from before and after PRRT to determine hematologic, liver, and kidney toxic effects and to assess tumor progression and patient survival. Results Among 78 patients receiving at least 1 dose of PRRT, median (interquartile range) age at PRRT initiation was 59.8 (53.5-69.2) years and 39 (50.0%) were men. The most common primary NET sites included small bowel, occurring in 34 patients (43.6%), and pancreas, occurring in 22 patients (28.2%). World Health Organization grade 1 or 2 tumors occurred in 62 patients (79.5%). Among all patients, 56 patients underwent pretreatment with tumor resection (71.8%), 49 patients received nonsomatostatin analogue systemic therapy (62.8%), and 49 patients received liver-directed therapy (62.8%). At least 1 grade 2 or greater toxic effect was found in 47 patients (60.3%). Median PFS was 21.6 months for the study group, was not reached by 22 months for patients with small bowel primary tumors, and was 13.3 months for patients with pancreatic primary tumors. Having a small bowel primary tumor was associated with a lower rate of progression compared with having a pancreatic primary tumor (hazard ratio, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.07-0.55; P = .01). Median overall survival was not reached. Conclusions and relevance This cohort study of patients with metastatic NETs found that PRRT was associated with laboratory-measured toxic effects during treatment for most patients and an overall median PFS of 21.6 months. Patients with small bowel NETs had longer PFS after PRRT compared with patients with pancreatic NETs.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is an independent risk factor for postoperative complications following operative treatment of distal radius fracture.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and postoperative complications for patients receiving distal radius fracture (DRF) open reduction internal fixation (ORIF). From 2007 to 2018, patients undergoing operative treatment for distal radius fracture were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients were separated into 2 cohorts: non-COPD and COPD patients. In this analysis, thirty-day postoperative complications evaluated included wound, cardiac, pulmonary, renal, thromboembolic, sepsis, mortality, urinary tract infections, postoperative transfusion, extended length of stay, reoperation, and readmission. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Of 12,424 total patients who underwent operative treatment for distal radius fracture, 11,957 patients (96.2%) did not have a diagnosis of COPD and 467 (3.8%) had COPD. Following adjustment, compared to patients who did not have COPD, those with COPD had an increased risk of any postoperative complications (OR 2.160; p = 0.010), postoperative transfusion requirement (OR 17.437; p = 0.001), extended length of hospital stay greater than 3 days (OR 1.564; p = 0.038), and readmission (OR 2.515; p < 0.001). COPD is an independent risk factor for any postoperative complication including transfusions, extended length of stay, and readmission for patients receiving DRF ORIF. Pulmonary evaluation would be a critical step in preoperative management and counseling of these patients before DRF ORIF.
Harnessing autocatalytic reactions in polymerization and depolymerization

Autocatalysis and its relevance to various polymeric systems are discussed by taking inspiration from biology. A number of research directions related to synthesis, characterization, and multi-scale modeling are discussed in order to harness autocatalytic reactions in a useful manner for different applications ranging from chemical upcycling of polymers (depolymerization and reconstruction after depolymerization), self-generating micelles and vesicles, and polymer membranes. Overall, a concerted effort involving in situ experiments, multi-scale modeling, and machine learning algorithms is proposed to understand the mechanisms of physical and chemical autocatalysis. It is argued that a control of the autocatalytic behavior in polymeric systems can revolutionize areas such as kinetic control of the self-assembly of polymeric materials, synthesis of self-healing and self-immolative polymers, as next generation of materials for a sustainable circular economy.
“A Dad Can Get the Money and the Mom Stays at Home”: Patriarchal Gender Role Attitudes, Intimate Partner Violence, Historical Oppression, and Resilience Among Indigenous Peoples

Research has shown that gender role attitudes influence a number of health-related outcomes, including intimate partner violence (IPV). Yet the gender role attitudes of Indigenous peoples – a population that experiences persistent health and violence disparities – have received scant scholarly attention. Using the Framework of Historical Oppression, Resilience, and Transcendence (FHORT), the purpose of this mixed methodology was to qualitatively explore U.S. Indigenous peoples’ gender role attitudes and quantitatively examine how key social determinants of health, including IPV perpetration, historical oppression, and resilience, relate to gender role attitudes. This research integrates qualitative and quantitative data from two Southeastern tribes with a total of 563 unique data sources. Regression analysis revealed male sex and IPV victimization were associated with higher patriarchal gender role attitudes, while historical oppression and resilience were associated with lower patriarchal gender role attitudes. Resilience was also associated with lower “victim blaming.” Ethnographic team-based data analysis methods revealed qualitative themes of patriarchal gender role attitudes and gendered socialization processes. This work highlights how key aspects of the FHORT might explain Indigenous peoples’ patriarchal gender role attitudes, suggesting the need to redress historical oppression and patriarchal roles through decolonization.
Deep K-TSVM: A Novel Profiled Power Side-Channel Attack on AES-128

The appearance of deep neural networks for Side-Channel leads to strong power analysis techniques for detecting secret information of physical cryptography implementations. Generally, deep learning techniques do not suffer the difficulties of template attacks such as trace misalignment. However, the generalization of a trained deep neural network that can accurately predict Side-Channel leakages largely depends on its adjustable variables (parameters of a neural network). Although pre-training is no longer mandatory, it is needed for parameter selection of a deep neural network to improve the success rate and provide a better insight into the network’s inner functionality. In this paper, we propose a novel model via Twin support vector with a deep kernel approach when targeting a hardware implementation of AES-128. The proposed model is pre-trained with the Restricted Boltzmann Machine method in a layer-wise manner and then fine-tuned via gradient descent. Further, we used the grid search technique for the selection of each hyperparameter which is used to compute class probabilities of every test trace in our deep model based side-channel attack. Based on our analysis and experiments, this model empirically shows its effectiveness by outperforming some of its competitors in profiling attack methods such as convolutional neural networks and multilayer perceptron models. We also evaluate our model on both masked and unmasked AES implementation. The results indicate that the proposed approach has achieved a success rate of greater than 99% even with a single trace using Keras library with Tensorflow. We investigate the correct “key rank” according to the number of traces; our model reaches the key $ rank\leq 10 $ when attacking the third AES SBox.
Public Knowledge and Perceptions About Unsubmitted and Untested Sexual Assault Kits

Large numbers of unsubmitted and untested sexual assault kits have been uncovered across the country. Although increased criminal justice, empirical, and legislative attention have been given to be...
Correspondence and American literature, 1770-1865

Preface: universal letter writers 1. National letters 2. Emerson and Fuller's phenomenal letters 3. Melville's dead letters 4. Jacobs's letters from nowhere 5. Dickinson's lyrical letters Conclusion: Whitman's universal letters.
DELETION MAPPING OF zwf, THE GENE FOR A CONSTITUTIVE ENZYME, GLUCOSE 6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE IN ESCHERICHIA COLI

Genes for three enzymes of intermediary sugar metabolism in E. coli, zwf (glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, constitutive), edd (gluconate 6-phosphate dehydrase, inducible), and eda (2-keto-3-deoxygluconate 6-phosphate aldolase, differently inducible) are closely linked on the E. coli genetic map, the overall gene order being man... old... eda. edd. zwf... cheB... uvrC... his. One class of apparent revertants of an eda mutant strain contains a secondary mutation in edd, and some of these mutations are deletions extending into zwf. We have used a series of spontaneous edd-zwf deletions to map a series of point mutants in zwf and thus report the first fine structure map of a gene for a constitutive enzyme (zwf).
Neutron Yields from Stopping-Length Targets for 256-MeV Protons

In this paper absolute neutron yields from stopping-length targets at angles of 7.5, 30, 60, and 150 deg for the 256-MeV proton bombardment of elemental beryllium, carbon, aluminum, and iron are measured. Time-of-flight techniques are used to identify and discriminate against backgrounds and to determine the neutron energy spectrum. Comparison of the experimental data with intranuclear-cascade evaporation-model calculations using the HETC code showed good agreement, indicating that transport probably dominates production effects in the calculations.
Relating downlink products to uplink commands in Mars rover operations

Downlink data products in Mars rover missions need to be associated with their uplink commanded target locations and the uplink commands that produced them. A system for automatically associating downlink data products with uplink commands and targets has been developed and used in a terrestrial rover field test. HTML reports viewable in a browser are automatically generated to relate downlink data products with the uplink sequence elements that produced them. The approach assumes that there is only one sequence thread being executed on the rover. This assumption is not true for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover mission, so the approach cannot be used directly in the MER mission.
Relationship between fatness and hemoglobin levels in the national health and nutrition examinations of the U.S.A.

As shown in a total of 3114 obese individuals and 3027 lean individuals in the National Health and Nutrition Examinations of the U.S.A. (NHANES 1), obese individuals tend to systematically higher hemoglobin levels exceeding those for lean individuals by 0.20gm/dl and by 0.2 Z scores (standard deviation units) at all ages. This fatness related difference in hemoglobin level is increased when the super‐obese (S‐obs) and the super‐lean (S‐lean) are compared instead of the obese (≥p85) and the lean (=Sp 15). Exclusion of individuals with low percent transferrin saturations (≤16 percent) decreases the sample size, especially in childhood, elevates the mean and median hemoglobin levels of both the obese and the lean, but is without major effect on the hemoglobin difference between the obese and the lean (0.24 gm/dl). A nutritional explanation for this fatness effect is consistent with data from NHANES 1 and other nutrition surveys.
A split-face evaluation of a novel pigment-lightening agent compared with no treatment and hydroquinone.

Background Lignin peroxidase is a cosmetic skin-lightening alternative that breaks down plant cell walls and melanin. Objective This research examined the topical efficacy of lignin peroxidase in pigment lightening. Methods Sixty women aged 18 to 65 years with mild to moderate facial dyspigmentation were enrolled for 12 weeks in 2 cohorts. Cohort 1 applied lignin peroxidase to 1 randomized side of the face and nothing to the opposite side. Cohort 2 applied lignin peroxidase to 1 facial side and generic hydroquinone to the other. Investigator, subject, and dermospectrophotometer measurements were obtained. Results In cohort 1, improved skin texture (P Limitations The sample size was limited. Conclusions Lignin peroxidase might be an over-the-counter skin-lightening preparation with efficacy parity to hydroquinone.
A STATISTICAL SEDIMENT YIELD PREDICTION MODEL INCORPORATING THE EFFECT OF FIRES AND SUBSEQUENT STORM EVENTS

: Alluvial fans are continuously being developed for residential, industrial, commercial, and agricultural uses in southern California. Development and alteration of alluvial fans need to consider the possibility of mud and debris flows from upstream mountain watersheds affected by fires. Accurate prediction of sediment yield (or hyper-concentrated sediment yield) is essential for the design, operation, and maintenance of debris basins to safeguard properly the general populace. This paper presents a model for the prediction of sediment yields that result from a combination of fire and subsequent storm events. The watersheds used in this analysis are located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California. A multiple regression analysis is first utilized to establish a fundamental statistical relationship for sediment yield as a function of relief ratio, drainage area, maximum 1-h rainfall intensity and fire factor using 45 years of data (1938-1983). In addition, a method for multi-sequence sediment yield prediction under fire conditions was developed and calibrated using 17 years of sediment yield, fire, and precipitation data for the period 1984-2000. After calibration, this model was verified by applying it to provide a prediction of the sediment yields for the 2001-2002 fire events in southern California. The findings indicate a strong correlation between the estimated and measured sediment yields. The proposed method for sequence sediment yield prediction following fire events can be a useful tool to schedule cleanout operations for debris basins and to develop an emergency response strategy for the southern California region where plentiful sediment supplies exist and frequent fires occur.
Surgical Biopsy of Suspected Interstitial Lung Disease Is Superior to Radiographic Diagnosis

Background Different modalities are used to diagnose interstitial lung disease. We compared the effectiveness of minimally invasive surgical biopsy versus high-resolution computed tomography for the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease and report the mortality of the procedure. Methods We reviewed 194 patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsies for the suspicion of interstitial lung disease from January 2003 to February 2012 at Emory University. Demographics and patient characteristics were analyzed in addition to final diagnoses and clinical outcomes. Results Concordance of radiographic diagnosis with final diagnosis was poor, matching pathologic diagnosis in 15% of cases, and specific diagnoses were included in the radiographic differential in only 34% of cases. A specific diagnosis was made after surgical biopsy in 88% of cases. Overall mortality of surgical biopsy was 6.7% (13/194). Major risk factors for death were preoperative supplemental oxygen, ventilator dependence, and age ( p p p = 0.03, respectively). Among patients with ventilator dependence preoperatively, the mortality rate was 100% versus 4.8% in patients not ventilator dependent. All biopsy specimens were concordant 91% of the time, and the first two biopsy specimens were concordant 96% of the time. Conclusions Surgical biopsy should remain the gold standard for diagnosis of interstitial lung disease. The mortality is low with proper patient selection. More than two surgical biopsy specimens may not be needed because the concordance rates among pathologic specimens are very high.
Child Psychiatric Patients' Interactions with Their Mothers

This study investigated whether child psychiatric patients' and their mothers interacted differently as a function of whether the children were diagnosed as having internalizing or externalizing disorders. Twenty children and their mothers were rated on eight behavior dimensions as they engaged in a ten-minute play session. Maternal depression was found to interact with their children's diagnoses and behavioral ratings.
Conformational analysis of hepatitis B surface antigen fusions in an Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression system

Summary Vaccine antigens have been successfully produced in transgenic plants for oral immunization. Recently, a fusion strategy has been adopted to produce multicomponent vaccines and to target antigens to mucosal sites for enhanced oral immunogenicity. However, antigen fusions may not be folded correctly due to steric hindrance and may thus lose their potency. Here, we describe an Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay that provides enough antigen-expressing material at 2 days post-transfection to evaluate antigen conformation. Using the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as a model antigen and the green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a model fusion partner, we showed that transiently expressed HBsAg and an HBsAg fusion with GFP at the N-terminus (GFP:HBsAg), but not the HBsAg fusion with GFP at the C-terminus (HBsAg:GFP), formed the ‘a’ determinant and virus-like particles (VLPs), similar to yeast-derived vaccine HBsAg. Thus, it is feasible to modify the HBsAg with an N-terminal fusion of up to 239 amino acids without altering its major antigenic properties. Our results also demonstrate that the Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression system can be used to evaluate the conformation of plant-based vaccines or other pharmaceutical proteins in a high-throughput manner.
The visual connections of the adult flatfish, Achirus lineatus.

Metamorphosis in the flatfish is characterized by the migration of one eye around the dorsal surface of the head to a position adjacent to the other eye on the new top side of the animal. The visual connections of the adult flatfish, Achirus lineatus, were examined. Either the migrating or non-migrating eye was removed and the animal allowed to survive for one to three weeks. Alternate sections of the brain were stained by a modification of the Fink-Heimer technique, or with cresyl violet. The diencephalc visual connections of the flatfish were similar to those of other teleosts with contralateral projections to the nuclei corticalis, dorsomedialis thalmi, pretectalis, and the corpus geniculatum laterale. The distribution of the retinal efferents to the optic tectum is unique in the flatfish. In the medial one-third of the tectum, terminal degeneration was found in three bands in the stratum opticum (SO) and the stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale (sgfs). In the middle part of the tectum, two bands of degeneration remained over the sgfs. The lateral part of the tectum has only a very small amount of degeneration distributed randomly in scattered clusters over the deep SO and superficial sgfs. The Nissl preparations also reflected the differences between the medial and lateral parts of the tectum. Distinct layer was lacking in the medial tectum with a conspicuously absent large cell layer in the stratum griseum centrale (sgc), In contrast, the lateral tectum had a typical tectal stratification. Most notable were the large neurons of the sgc.
Repolarization abnormalities after catheter ablation of accessory atrioventricular connections with radiofrequency current

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serial changes in T wave configuration in patients undergoing successful radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory atrioventricular (AV) connections. Twenty-nine consecutive patients with overt preexcitation and 16 patients with a concealed accessory atrioventricular (AV) connection were included. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded before ablation and 15 min, 1 or 2 days and 1 and 3 months after ablation. Postablation T wave abnormalities occurred in 22 (76%) of the 29 patients who had overt pre-excitation but in none of the 16 patients with a concealed accessory AV connection. The T wave abnormalities were not related to myocardial necrosis or echocardiographic abnormalities. The ECG location and severity of T wave changes were dependent on the accessory AV connection location and degree of baseline pre-excitation, respectively. Fourteen of 19 patients with a posteriorly located AV connection (left, right or septal) had T wave inversion or flattening in the inferior leads and 3 patients had precordial T wave peaking. Two patients with an anteroseptal AV accessory connection had both inferior T wave inversion or flattening and precordial T wave peaking. Among seven patients with a manifest left lateral accessory AV connection, two had lateral T wave inversion or flattening and two had precordial T wave peaking. There was 95% concordance between the directional change of the T wave after ablation and the direction of the delta wave on the baseline ECG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The effect of ultrasound exposure in utero on the development of the fetal mouse testis: adult consequences.

Abstract The effects of exposure in utero to 1 MHz, continuous-wave ultrasound on adult growth and testicular development in the mouse was investigated. The spatial peak temporal average intensity ( I spta ) employed ranged from 1 to 10 W/cm 2 , with exposure durations ( t ) of 200 s to 20 s. Exposures were made on days 9, 12 or 15 of gestation. Results showed an increase in postpartum deaths, an increase in the number of stillbirths, and a decrease in litter size when I 2 t ≥ 1125 W 2 s/cm 4 , such that there was significant loss of pups. Birthweights of pups from nearly all dosage groups was significantly lower than that of the sham or cage control groups. Results also showed that males exposed to ultrasound in utero had decreased testis size and decreased daily sperm production ranging from 9% to 30%. This study showed that ultrasound exposure in utero is capable of disrupting fetal development and having potential subsequent effects on fertility in the adult male.
Decomposable negation normal form

Knowledge compilation has been emerging recently as a new direction of research for dealing with the computational intractability of general propositional reasoning. According to this approach, the reasoning process is split into two phases: an off-line compilation phase and an on-line query-answering phase. In the off-line phase, the propositional theory is compiled into some target language, which is typically a tractable one. In the on-line phase, the compiled target is used to efficiently answer a (potentially) exponential number of queries. The main motivation behind knowledge compilation is to push as much of the computational overhead as possible into the off-line phase, in order to amortize that overhead over all on-line queries. Another motivation behind compilation is to produce very simple on-line reasoning systems, which can be embedded cost-effectively into primitive computational platforms, such as those found in consumer electronics.One of the key aspects of any compilation approach is the target language into which the propositional theory is compiled. Previous target languages included Horn theories, prime implicates/implicants and ordered binary decision diagrams (OBDDs). We propose in this paper a new target compilation language, known as decomposable negation normal form (DNNF), and present a number of its properties that make it of interest to the broad community. Specifically, we show that DNNF is universal; supports a rich set of polynomial--time logical operations; is more space-efficient than OBDDs; and is very simple as far as its structure and algorithms are concerned. Moreover, we present an algorithm for converting any propositional theory in clausal form into a DNNF and show that if the clausal form has a bounded treewidth, then its DNNF compilation has a linear size and can be computed in linear time (treewidth is a graph-theoretic parameter that measures the connectivity of the clausal form). We also propose two techniques for approximating the DNNF compilation of a theory when the size of such compilation is too large to be practical. One of the techniques generates a sound but incomplete compilation, while the other generates a complete but unsound compilation. Together, these approximations bound the exact compilation from below and above in terms of their ability to answer clausal entailment queries. Finally, we show that the class of polynomial--time DNNF operations is rich enough to support relatively complex AI applications, by proposing a specific framework for compiling model-based diagnosis systems.
Outcomes of sinus surgery in ambulatory patients with immune dysfunction.

BACKGROUND Previous outcomes studies of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have mostly excluded subjects with immunodeficiency or autoimmune disease. Although expert opinion suggests these patients are often refractory to therapy, outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) are not well delineated. We evaluated improvement in objective and quality of life (QoL) measures after ESS in adult patients treated in the ambulatory setting with immune dysfunction including immunodeficiency and autoimmune diseases. METHODS Patients with CRS associated with immune dysfunction (n = 22) were evaluated and matched 1:1 with control subjects from a prospective cohort in a nested case-control design. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) and pre-/postoperative endoscopic findings were recorded. Disease-specific QoL instruments (the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index [RSDI] and Chronic Sinusitis Survey [CSS]) were administered pre- and postoperatively. RESULTS Mean postoperative follow-up was similar for both cases (18.6 +/- 6.6 months) and controls (18.4 +/- 8.7 months). Preoperative CT and endoscopy scores (i.e., disease severity) were similar in both cases and controls. Postoperative endoscopy scores were significantly improved for both cases (p < 0.001) and controls (p = 0.012). Both groups had similar preoperative and postoperative scores on the CSS; however, control subjects reported significantly worse RSDI baseline scores. Immunodeficiency and autoimmune cases and CRS controls experienced significant improvement in QoL after surgery (p < or = 0.041). CONCLUSION Immunodeficiency and autoimmune cases, in the ambulatory setting, present with similar severity of disease when compared with controls with CRS. We found similar improvements in both objective and QoL outcomes for case subjects and control subjects, suggesting that patients with immune dysfunction may experience similar benefit from ESS.
Hg(II) bacterial biouptake: The role of anthropogenic and biogenic ligands present in solution and spectroscopic evidence of ligand exchange reactions at the cell surface

We have used a whole cell biosensor to investigate how the chemical speciation of aqueous Hg(ii) affects its biouptake. The reporter system consists of a model gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli) with a chromosomally inserted merR::luxCDABE fusion. Synthetic aminopolycarboxylate organic ligands (EDTA, DTPA, EDDS, and NTA) as well as naturally-occurring thiol-containing ligands (cysteine, penicillamine, and glutathione) were used to control Hg(ii) speciation in solution. We observed that all aminopolycarboxylate ligands promote the biouptake of Hg(ii), following trends unexplained by Hg(ii) speciation. Hg(ii) biouptake was greatly enhanced in the presence of cysteine whereas it was inhibited in the presence of penicillamine and glutathione. Bioreporter exposure to increasing concentrations of Hg(ii) quantitatively complexed by EDTA, DTPA, EDDS and cysteine showed that the extent of uptake is dose-dependent until a plateau is reached. Additionally, Hg LIII-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra of Hg(ii) associated with the bioreporter membrane under the conditions used to perform the biouptake experiments suggest that a ligand exchange reaction occurs between the Hg(ii)-aminopolycarboxylate complex and thiol moieties at the cell membrane. We conclude that ligand-exchange reactions at the cell surface play a critical role in the bacterial biouptake of Hg(ii).
Measurement of Charge Transfer Rate Coefficient Between Ground-State N(2+) Ion and He at Electron-Volt Energies

The charge transfer rate coefficient for the reaction N(2+)(2p(sup 2)P(sup 0)) + He yields products is measured by recording the time dependence of the N(2+) ions stored in an ion trap. A cylindrical radio-frequency ion trap was used to store N(2+) ions produced by laser ablation of a solid titanium nitride target. The decay of the ion signals was analyzed by single exponential least-squares fits to the data. The measured rate coefficient is 8.67(0.76) x 10(exp -11)sq cm/s. The N(2+) ions were at a mean energy of 2.7 eV while He gas was at room temperature, corresponding to an equivalent temperature of 3.9 x 10(exp 3) K. The measured value is in good agreement with a recent calculation.
Creating Designer Laccases

High redox potential laccases from white-rot fungi are recalcitrant to engineering. Mate et al. (2010) employed directed evolution to improve the activity and expression level of the fungal laccase from basidiomycete PM1, followed by rational design to restore thermostability lost during evolution, resulting in a highly active and stable enzyme.
BUSINESS CYCLE EFFECTS ON CONCERN ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE: THE CHILLING EFFECT OF RECESSION

This paper uses two different sources of data to investigate the association between the business cycle — measured with unemployment rates — and public concern about climate change. Building on recent research that finds internet search terms to be useful predictors of health epidemics and economic activity, we find that an increase in a state's unemployment rate decreases Google searches for "global warming" and increases searches for "unemployment," and that the effect differs according to a state's political ideology. From national surveys, we find that an increase in a state's unemployment rate is associated with a decrease in the probability that residents think global warming is happening and reduced support for the U.S. to target policies intended to mitigate climate change. We also examine how socio-demographic characteristics affect opinions about whether climate change is happening and whether government should take action. Beyond providing the first empirical estimates of macroeconomic effects on concern about climate change, we discuss the results in terms of the potential impact on environmental policy and understanding the full cost of recessions.
Neuro–ophthalmic complications in pregnancy

Neuro–ophthalmic conditions associated with pregnancy challenge the ophthalmologist to make the correct diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment. Pregnancy is a dynamic vascular state, making it likely that vascular disorders can occur. There are also conditions that occur more frequently in this age group (e.g., idiopathic intracranial hypertension), and the ophthalmologist will be instrumental in the evaluation of the condition. Other pregnancy-specific conditions, such as preeclampsia and eclampsia, present with neuro–ophthalmic findings. Diagnosis is crucial before appropriate treatment can be initiated. Treatment must consider the effect on both the woman and the fetus. This article explores the diagnosis and treatment of neuro–ophthalmic conditions in pregnancy.
Dexter: A guide to selecting the best design for an industrial screening experiment

As a means of increasing the quality and productivity of R&D efforts, we provide an integrated collection of experimental design tools for use by researchers at the Becton Dickinson Research Center. The bases for these tools are a set of well-accepted guidelines for experimental procedures and a tabulation of practical experimental designs. The designs themselves are provided to researchers in an easy-to-use personal computer (PC) spreadsheet format. The data can then be easily exported to a commercial PC statistics package. A PC based expert system, called Dexter, assists researchers in following the guidelines for selecting which of the tabulated designs should be used for a given experiment.
Outsourcing: Think more expansively

Abstract Outsourcing refers to the practice of a firm entrusting to an external entity the performance of an activity that was performed erstwhile in-house. Although off-shoring and offshore outsourcing to suppliers have dominated much of the recent discussion and debate on outsourcing in scholarly journals and the business press, the nature and scope of outsourcing that does not transcend national boundaries, and outsourcing to entities other than to suppliers is quite substantial. Against this backdrop, a five sources outsourcing framework delineating a broad array of outsourcing avenues available to firms is proposed. For the most part, lowering costs as a motive underlying off-shoring and offshore outsourcing have dominated recent discussion. Furthermore, in the aftermath of the rapid growth in offshore outsourcing in the services sector, the technological forces underlying these developments have been extensively written about. Against this backdrop, the relevance of considerations other than cost in the outsourcing decisions of firms, and the role of technology in automating and thereby either making redundant an erstwhile outsourced activity or performing the activity in-house are discussed.
The Effect of Transverse Shear in a Cracked Plate Under Skew-Symmetric Loading

The problem of an elastic plate containing a through crack and subjected to twisting moments or transverse shear loads is considered. By using a bending theory which allows the satisfaction of the boundary conditions on the crack surface regarding the normal and the twisting moments and the transverse shear load separately, it is found that the resulting asymptotic stress field around the crack tip becomes identical to that given by the elasticity solutions of the plane strain and antiplane shear problems. The problem is solved for uniformly distributed or concentrated twisting moment or transverse shear load and the normalized Mode II and Mode III stress-intensity factors are tabulated. The results also include the effect of the Poisson's ratio and material orthotropy for specially orthotropic materials on the stress-intensity factors.
A Cost Effective Tracking System for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems

In this work we address the problem of object tracking in a largely unknown dynamic environment under the additional constraint of real-time operation and limited computational power. The main design directives remain that of real time execution and low price, high availability components. It is in a sense an investigation for the minimum required hardware and algorithmic complexity to accomplish the desired tasks. We present a system that is based on simple techniques such as template matching adapted for use in a dynamically changing environment. After development, the system was evaluated as to its suitability in a traffic monitoring application where it demonstrated adequate performance.
catena-Poly[[penta-μ-benzoato-μ-chlorido-dioxanedineodymium(III)] dioxane 2.5-solvate].

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Nd2(C6H5COO)5Cl(C4H8O2)]·2.5C4H8O2, consists of two NdIII ions bridged by one Cl− ion, five benzoate ions and one coordinating 1,4-dioxane mol­ecule. One NdIII ion is nine-coordinate, with a very distorted monocapped square-anti­prismatic geometry. It is coordinated by two chelating carboxyl­ate groups, three monodentate carboxyl­ate groups, one chloride ion and one dioxane mol­ecule. A second independent NdIII ion is eight-coordinated in a distorted square-anti­prismatic geometry by one chelating carboxyl­ate group, five monodentate carboxyl­ate groups and one chloride ion. The chains of the extended structure are parallel to the crystallographic b axis. There is a small amount of void space which is filled with five disordered dioxane solvent mol­ecules per unit cell. The intensity contribution of the disordered solvent molecules was removed by applying the SQUEEZE procedure in PLATON [Spek (2009). Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155].
The effects of drilling force on cortical temperatures and their duration: an in vitro study

Bone loss due to thermonecrosis may weaken the purchase of surgically placed screws and pins, causing them to loosen post-operatively. The goal of this study was to determine how differences in applied drilling forces affect the temperature of cortical tissue near the drilling site. Results from thermocouples placed into fresh cortical bone indicate that increasing the applied drilling force resulted in a significant decrease (P=0.001) of maximum cortical temperatures. Furthermore, increasing the drilling force resulted in a significant decrease (P=0.001) in the average duration of temperature elevations above 50 degrees C. The results of the current study demonstrate that by the application of a larger force to the drill, both maximum cortical temperatures and their duration above 50 degrees C may be effectively reduced, decreasing the potential for thermal necrosis in the neighboring cortical bone.
Indian consumers’ mall patronage intentions: impacts of shopping motivations, subjective norms, materialism, and self-efficacy

While Indian malls are proliferating, 80% are ailing. Why is this? There are a number of possible explanations, including the inability to compete with unorganized retailers and an inadequate understanding of the evolving influences that impact Indian consumer behavior. Using a mall intercept technique, this study investigated antecedents to Indian consumers’ mall patronage intention. SEM analysis suggests that the impacts of motivation, subjective norms, materialism and self-efficacy on mall patronage intention reflect evolving Indian consumer behavior.
Prolonged exposure of castrated male hamsters to a nonstimulatory photoperiod: spontaneous change in sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis to testosterone feedback.

ABSTRACT. Maintenance of male golden hamsters on nonstimulatory short days for 8-10 weeks induces testicular atrophy, while prolonged exposure (18-30 weeks) results in a refractoriness to the inhibitory effects of short days, and a spontaneous recrudescence of the testes. In view of recent reports that photicinduced changes in the reproductive axis involve an alteration in sensitivity of the gonadotropin control center to steroid feedback, the present investigation was designed to determine if spontaneous changes in the reproductive axis may also involve a change in the responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary system to steroid feedback. Hamsters were castrated and exposed to short days [6 h of light/(LD 6:18)] for 8 weeks. Castrates were then implanted with either empty or testosterone-filled Silastic capsules which were 2, 4, 8, or 20 mm long, and maintained on LD 6:18 for another 18 weeks. Blood samples were obtained by cardiac puncture before capsule implantation and after 11, 14, 18, 22, and 26 w...
Designs for optical components related to the Los Alamos free-electron laser

Several optomechanical tasks for the Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL) Free- Electron Laser (FEL) were set by the envisioned project goals as early as 1988. Unfortunately, the FEL project has been set aside due to funding constraints. The tasks reported on here required extensive modeling for final adaptability into the FEL environment. The systems to be described are best identified as (1) a Brewster attenuation device, (2) an optical mode relay lens system, (3) a spectral harmonics band-filtering system, (4) a 25-nm micropulse spectrometer system, (5) a 12.5-nm micropulse spectrometer system, (6) a 0.6-nm micropulse spectrometer system, and (7) a reflective mode profile rotator. The Brewster attenuation device was successfully used inside the FEL resonator. The optical mode relay lens system, spectral harmonics band filtering system, and reflective mode profile rotator were completed but never used. The 25-nm micropulse spectrometer was optically and mechanically completed, but the detector electronics were never finished. The 12.5- and 0.6-nm micropulse spectrometers were never assembled, due to hardware that was common to the 25-nm system.
Another set of conditions for average optimality in Markov control processes

Abstract The existence of an average cost optimal stationary policy in a countable state Markov decision chain is shown under assumptions weaker than those given by Sennott (1989). This treatment is a modification of that given by Hu (1992), and is related to conditions of Hordijk (1977). An example is given for which the new axiom set holds whereas the axiom set of Sennott (1989) fails to hold.
Antiferromagnets in a field and ferromagnets in a random field

Abstract A new mean field approach for antiferromagnets in a field is shown to be equivalent to a mean field treatment of ferromagnets in a random field. Phase diagrams of the two systems are analogous.