cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sphincteric Incontinence: The Primary Cause of Post-Prostatectomy Incontinence in Patients With Prostate Cancer

Post-prostatectomy incontinence in patients with cancer of the prostate is often the result of sphincteric injury. However, recent studies have emphasized the role of detrusor instability and decreased bladder compliance in the etiology of post-prostatectomy incontinence. To further clarify the primary cause of incontinence, we reviewed the urodynamic studies of 39 patients referred for evaluation of incontinence after prostatectomy (35 radical, 4 TURP and radiation) for prostate cancer. Multichannel videourodynamic studies were performed to characterize bladder function, and sphincteric incontinence was assessed by Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP). Flexible cystourethroscopy was used to evaluate the vesicourethral anastomosis. A pad scoring system was used to measure symptom severity. Sphincteric damage was found to be the sole cause of urinary incontinence in 23 patients (59%) and a major contributor in 14 others (36%). Twenty-seven patients (69%) had VLPP less than 103 cmH2O (mean = 55) with a urethral urodynamic catheter in place. An additional 10 (26%) had VLPP less than 150 cmH2O (mean = 63) upon removal of the catheter. VLPP is an indication of the severity of sphincteric damage. The importance of removing the urodynamic catheter during measurement of the VLPP is emphasized. Urethral fibrosis was confirmed by cystourethroscopy in 26 (67%) patients. Bladder dysfunction characterized by detrusor instability and/or decreased bladder compliance was seen in 15 patients (39%). In contrast to previous studies, our results indicate that sphincteric damage, and not bladder dysfunction, accounts for the vast majority of post-prostatectomy incontinence in patients with prostate cancer. However, it is essential to identify and treat bladder dysfunction in order to optimize the outcome of treatment for sphincteric incontinence.
THE TRANSIT LIGHT-CURVE PROJECT. XIV. CONFIRMATION OF ANOMALOUS RADII FOR THE EXOPLANETS TrES-4b, HAT-P-3b, AND WASP-12b

We present transit photometry of three exoplanets, TrES-4b, HAT-P-3b, and WASP-12b, allowing for refined estimates of the systems' parameters. TrES-4b and WASP-12b were confirmed to be 'bloated' planets, with radii of 1.706 {+-} 0.056R{sub Jup} and 1.736 {+-} 0.092R{sub Jup}, respectively. These planets are too large to be explained with standard models of gas giant planets. In contrast, HAT-P-3b has a radius of 0.827 {+-} 0.055R{sub Jup}, smaller than a pure hydrogen-helium planet and indicative of a highly metal-enriched composition. Analyses of the transit timings revealed no significant departures from strict periodicity. For TrES-4, our relatively recent observations allow for improvement in the orbital ephemerides, which is useful for planning future observations.
CHANGING PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN OUTCOME AFTER SURGERY OR RADIOTHERAPY FOR LOCALIZED PROSTATE CANCER DURING THE PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN ERA

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the change in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) outcome after radical prostatectomy (RP) or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), controlling for follow-up during the PSA era. Methods and Materials: The study cohort consisted of 1440 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer managed with RP ( n = 1059) or EBRT ( n = 381) between 1989 and 2000. A single genitourinary pathologist reviewed all pathology specimens. For patients with a 2-year minimal follow-up, the 2-year actual PSA outcome stratified by risk group (low vs. high) was calculated for three periods (January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1992; January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1996; and January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2000) and compared for each treatment modality. PSA failure was defined using the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition for all patients, and comparisons were made using a chi-square metric. Results: During the study period, the proportion of patients treated with RP and EBRT with low-risk disease increased significantly ( p p p = 0.0008). The 2-year actual PSA outcome was not significantly different in the low-risk patients but improved during the three periods in the high-risk patients treated with RP (from 20% to 39% to 75%, p = 0.0004) or EBRT (from 50% to 59% to 83%, p = 0.01). This improvement in PSA outcome could be explained by a shift toward a more favorable PSA level (RP: p = 0.0002; RT: p = 0.006) and clinical T stage (RP: p = 0.0008, RT: p Conclusion: Improved PSA outcome during the PSA era after RP or EBRT has resulted from a shift in presentation toward low-risk disease and earlier detection of high-grade disease.
Time delay estimation with unknown spatially correlated Gaussian noise

The problem of estimating the difference in arrival times of a non-Gaussian signal at two spatially separated sensors is considered. The signal is assumed to be corrupted by spatially correlated Gaussian noises of unknown cross-correlation. The author proposes and analyzes two new classes of methods for time delay estimation based on higher order statistics. The proposed methods are conceptually very similar to the traditional cross-correlation-based techniques in that the proposed criteria peak at a lag value equalizing true delay. Since the proposed methods are based upon higher order cumulant statistics of the data, they result in estimators that remain unbiased in the presence of Gaussian noise. >
External aid: help or hindrance to export orientation in Africa?

The central proposition of this paper is that African countries should start thinking through undertaking an orderly transition from the current high dependence on foreign aid for financing economic and social development. Aid dependency should be reduced not because the international development community believes it will eventually happen, but because such dependence on foreign aid could substantially impair Africa's export competitiveness and therefore derail the Continent export-oriented development strategies. A combination of further debt relief, reforms of the current aid regime and enhanced policy environment should allow a managed transition to a mixed menu of official development assistance (ODA) and private capital flows. However, the attempt by Africa to increase its share of investments from international private capital markets should be firmly anchored to the basic tenets of an export-based development strategy. To provide the basis for these policy conclusions, I estimate the relationship between ODA, real exchange rates (RER) and non-traditional exports for a panel of 62 developing countries, including 28 from Africa. Unsustainable ODA flows were shown to have caused substantial partial RER overvaluation in many African and non-African countries. Moreover, exceptionally high aid-dependent African countries have either experienced, or are likely to experience, overall RER overvaluation. Conditional on absence of RER overvaluation--a proxy for good policy environment of relevance to export performance--a robust Laffer curve-type relationship exists between aid and non-traditional exports through the misalignment of RER relative to its equilibrium. The Laffer curve relationship justifies a "precise" concept of aid dependency, based on the extent to which excessive ODA flows exceeded the threshold beyond which more ODA actually hinders rather than helps export expansion. According to this concept, several African countries were characterised as being "aid dependent". Copyright 1999 by Oxford University Press.
Two-stage neural network for volume segmentation of medical images

Abstract A new system to segment and label CT/MRI brain slices using feature extraction and unsupervised clustering is presented. Each volume element (voxel) is assigned a feature pattern consisting of a scaled family of differential geometrical invariant features. The invariant feature pattern is then assigned to a specific region using a two-stage neural network system. The first stage is a self-organizing principal components analysis (SOPCA) network that is used to project the feature vector onto its leading principal axes found by using principal components analysis. This step provides an effective basis for feature extraction. The second stage consists of a self-organizing feature map (SOFM) which automatically clusters the input vector into different regions. A 3D connected component labeling algorithm is then applied to ensure region connectivity. We demonstrate the power of this approach to volume segmentation of medical images.
Strategic Entrepreneurship: Creating Value for Individuals, Organizations, and Society

Executive Overview The foci of strategic entrepreneurship (SE) are broad and rich, building on research from multiple disciplines such as economics, psychology, and sociology, along with other subdisciplines in management including organizational behavior and organization theory. Herein, we examine the contributions of strategic management and entrepreneurship to SE. Building on a previous model of SE, we develop an input-process-output model to extend our understanding of the SE construct. We examine the resource inputs into SE, such as individual knowledge and skills. In addition, we explore the resource orchestration processes that are important for SE and the outcomes, including creating value for customers, building wealth for stockholders, and creating benefits for other stakeholders, especially for society at large. Individual entrepreneurs also benefit through financial wealth, but other outcomes such as personal satisfaction and fulfillment of personal needs (e.g., self-actualization) may be of e...
Pt-Catalyzed Cyclization/1,2-Migration for the Synthesis of Indolizines, Pyrrolones, and Indolizinones

Indolizine, pyrrolone, and indolizinone heterocycles are easily accessed via the Pt(II)-catalyzed cycloisomerization or a tandem cyclization/1,2-migration of pyridine propargylic alcohols and derivatives. This method provides an efficient synthesis of highly functionalized heterocycles from readily available substrates.
The near-surface information gap for time and depth imaging

The shallowest few hundred metres of the earth cannot be adequately imaged by conventional seismic when tuned for deeper targets. Adding independent measurements (such as uphole or shallow refraction surveys) reduces this information gap, but in some arid areas (such as Saudi Arabia) the near-surface complexities are not well resolved, even in this way. The joint tomographic inversion of different wave types can contribute to reducing these ambiguities further, by complementing the different penetration ranges and propagation directions of reflected, refracted and diving waves. Here, we demonstrate the weakness of diving waves when used alone, and the value of complementing them by available reflected and refracted arrivals.
Analysis of Interference Drag for Strut-Strut Interaction in Transonic Flow

Computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed to predict the interference drag produced by two streamlined struts intersecting at various angles in transonic flow because no relevant experimental data are available for use in design studies. The one-equation Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model was employed in a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes formulation assuming fully turbulent flow. Selected cases were run using the two-equation k-ω shear stress transport turbulence model for comparison. NACA 64A series airfoils with thickness ratios of 5 and 7.5% were studied at Mach 0.8 and 0.85 for intersection angles between 45 and 90 deg at an altitude of 12.2 km (chord-based Reynolds numbers of approximately 5 million). The commercial computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT was used for the analysis. To better understand the flow behavior, contours of surface pressure and velocity near the interaction region were examined. It is observed that the flowfield is disturbed due to shock-induced separation only near the interaction region. There is little effect on viscous drag due to the strut-strut interaction, but changes in the pressure drag result in net interference drag. It is noted that there is an unexpected rise in the interference drag when the struts intersects at 90 deg due to significant shock-induced flow separation on both sides of the intersecting strut, whereas smaller intersection angles show flow separation only on the side with the acute angle. A response surface for the interference drag coefficient as a function of Mach number, thickness ratio, and intersection angle was generated using the numerical simulations for use in the Multidisciplinary Design Optimization studies where efficient means of estimating the interference drag are needed.
Information Theory of DNA Shotgun Sequencing

DNA sequencing is the basic workhorse of modern day biology and medicine. Shotgun sequencing is the dominant technique used: many randomly located short fragments called reads are extracted from the DNA sequence, and these reads are assembled to reconstruct the original sequence. A basic question is: given a sequencing technology and the statistics of the DNA sequence, what is the minimum number of reads required for reliable reconstruction? This number provides a fundamental limit to the performance of any assembly algorithm. For a simple statistical model of the DNA sequence and the read process, we show that the answer admits a critical phenomenon in the asymptotic limit of long DNA sequences: if the read length is below a threshold, reconstruction is impossible no matter how many reads are observed, and if the read length is above the threshold, having enough reads to cover the DNA sequence is sufficient to reconstruct. The threshold is computed in terms of the Renyi entropy rate of the DNA sequence. We also study the impact of noise in the read process on the performance.
Adaptive simulated annealing: A near-optimal connection between sampling and counting

We present a near-optimal reduction from approximately counting the cardinality of a discrete set to approximately sampling elements of the set. An important application of our work is to approximating the partition function Z of a discrete system, such as the Ising model, matchings or colorings of a graph. The typical approach to estimating the partition function Z(βa) at some desired inverse temperature βa is to define a sequence, which we call a cooling schedule, β0 = 0
FREE-RIDING AND COOPERATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL GAMES

The dissertation examines free-riding behavior and externality problems using game theory and mechanism design. Specifically, I study free-riding behavior in the negotiation process of International Environmental Agreements. I analyze how countries' noncompliance in an environmental agreement affects the results of the bargaining stage. This study explains why countries fulfill non-enforceable treaties and why some countries want to specify high commitment levels to other countries if there is no international organization that perfectly enforces the contents of the environmental agreement.The second part of the thesis studies governments' conservation programs. I assume that the production of biodiversity from these programs can generate negative or positive externalities on those nonparticipating landholders. I identify what the government's optimal transfer is when externalities are considered. Finally, the third chapter analyses an alternative definition of kindness. Specifically, we consider that a player (follower) is concerned about those actions that the other player (leader) does not choose. We show that, without relying on interpersonal payoff comparisons (i.e., with strictly individualistic preferences), our model predicts higher cooperation among the players than standard game-theoretic models.
Reducing the “wait” in waiting-line systems: Waiting line segmentation

The problem of long wait in queue in apparent wherever there is a waiting-line system, but the cost of waiting is not the same for all customers. The authors propose a new model of waiting, called Waiting Line Segmentation. Waiting lines are segmented into customers who are willing to pay a premium for faster service and those who are not. Analytic results show that this approach results in increased customer satisfaction for both segments, increased profits, and increased efficiency.
Anchor for one step release of 3′-aminooligonucleotides from a solid support

Abstract A linker is described that permits covalently bound aminooligonucleotides to be liberated from a solid support by one step treatment with ammonium hydroxide.
Frame dragging with optical vortices

General Relativistic calculations in the linear regime have been made for electromagnetic beams of radiation known as optical vortices. These exotic beams of light carry a physical quantity known as optical orbital angular momentum. It is found that when a massive spinning neutral particle is placed along the optical axis, a phenomenon known as inertial frame dragging occurs. Our results are compared with those found previously for a ring laser and an order of magnitude estimate of the laser intensity needed for a precession frequency of 1 Hz is given for these “steady” beams of light.
Synthesis of 1,3-diketones through ring-opening of ketoketene dimer β-lactones

The reaction of ketoketene dimers with organolithium reagents afforded 1,3-diketones in good to excellent yields, and with good diastereoselectivity in some cases.
International involuntary lending and contingent default threat

Abstract A simple model of international debt is formulated in strategic form game, where a country in financial crisis and on the verge of default is requesting a new loan. On the other hand, a bank, with exposure to the foreign country's debt, contemplates whether it should issue the new loan. We show that “issue a new loan” and “not default,” a Pareto optimum pair of strategies, is stable. Interestingly, we get this result by using a noncooperative negotiation process, offered by “individual contingent threat situation.”
Second order bias of quasi-MLE for covariance structure models

Abstract For covariance structure models, the QMLE second-order bias is derived and compared with EL and GMM. Surprisingly, QMLE and EL have the same second-order bias if QMLE and GMM(EL) are equally first-order efficient. Other examples favoring QMLE are given.
Crystallization of Pseudo‐orthorhombic Anorthite on Basal Sapphire

Anorthite-glass films were grown on basal Al2O3 substrates using pulsed-laser deposition. The substrates were cleaned and annealed in air at 1400°C to produce crystallographically flat (0001) terraces. The films were deposited in an oxidizing environment. X-ray microanalysis confirmed the composition of the glass films to be close to that of anorthite (CaO·Al2O3·2SiO2). Although anorthite usually has triclinic symmetry, subsequent crystallization of these films in air at 1200°C resulted in the formation of pseudo-orthorhombic CaAl2Si2O8 (o-anorthite), a known metastable form of the mineral. Microstructural characterization was performed using visible-light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The films dewetted the substrate either before or after crystallization to form o-anorthite islands which had strong orientation relationships to the Al2O3 substrate. The epitaxy of the o-anorthite islands was accompanied by a small lattice mismatch parallel to the substrate plane. The formation of three orientational variants is consistent with the symmetry of the basal Al2O3 surface. The dislocation network observed at the o-anorthite/Al2O3 interface indicates that nucleation and growth of the anorthite occurs directly on the substrate surface without an intervening interfacial amorphous layer. The study of anorthite-glass films is important because they are present in liquid-phase-sintered Al2O3, and may be devitrified by postsintering heat treatments.
A design approach to user customized information systems

Complex information systems such as plant or corporation manufacturing information systems, serve a wide range of users and manufacturing areas. These systems are often characterized by the requirement to provide user options in order to maintain the integrity of local procedures. Although there may be a strong effort at standardization throughout the system, the fact remains that the system must serve different levels of manufacturing, from components to end product, and must interface with a variety of personnel, from manufacturing line operator to management. Although a system such as this is normally required to fulfill a general set of needs, the system design cannot ignore local requirements. The end result can be a system consisting of numerous programs, many serving similar functions but each containing some distinctive feature.
Filtered mass density function for large-eddy simulation of turbulent reacting flows

A methodology termed the ‘filtered mass density function’ (FMDF) is developed and implemented for large-eddy simulation (LES) of variable-density chemically reacting turbulent flows at low Mach numbers. This methodology is based on the extension of the ‘filtered density function’ (FDF) scheme recently proposed by Colucci et al. (1998) for LES of constant-density reacting flows. The FMDF represents the joint probability density function of the subgrid-scale (SGS) scalar quantities and is obtained by solution of its modelled transport equation. In this equation, the effect of chemical reactions appears in a closed form and the influences of SGS mixing and convection are modelled. The stochastic differential equations (SDEs) which yield statistically equivalent results to those of the FMDF transport equation are derived and are solved via a Lagrangian Monte Carlo scheme. The consistency, convergence, and accuracy of the FMDF and the Monte Carlo solution of its equivalent SDEs are assessed. In non-reacting flows, it is shown that the filtered results via the FMDF agree well with those obtained by the ‘conventional’ LES in which the finite difference solution of the transport equations of these filtered quantities is obtained. The advantage of the FMDF is demonstrated in LES of reacting shear flows with non-premixed reactants. The FMDF results are appraised by comparisons with data generated by direct numerical simulation (DNS) and with experimental measurements. In the absence of a closure for the SGS scalar correlations, the results based on the conventional LES are significantly different from those obtained by DNS. The FMDF results show a closer agreement with DNS. These results also agree favourably with laboratory data of exothermic reacting turbulent shear flows, and portray several of the features observed experimentally.
How Close is the Sample Covariance Matrix to the Actual Covariance Matrix

Given a probability distribution in ℝ n with general (nonwhite) covariance, a classical estimator of the covariance matrix is the sample covariance matrix obtained from a sample of N independent points. What is the optimal sample size N=N(n) that guarantees estimation with a fixed accuracy in the operator norm? Suppose that the distribution is supported in a centered Euclidean ball of radius $O(\sqrt{n})$ . We conjecture that the optimal sample size is N=O(n) for all distributions with finite fourth moment, and we prove this up to an iterated logarithmic factor. This problem is motivated by the optimal theorem of Rudelson (J. Funct. Anal. 164:60–72, 1999), which states that N=O(nlog n) for distributions with finite second moment, and a recent result of Adamczak et al. (J. Am. Math. Soc. 234:535–561, 2010), which guarantees that N=O(n) for subexponential distributions.
Testing and Modeling Dependencies Between a Network and Nodal Attributes.

Network analysis is often focused on characterizing the dependencies between network relations and node-level attributes. Potential relationships are typically explored by modeling the network as a function of the nodal attributes or by modeling the attributes as a function of the network. These methods require specification of the exact nature of the association between the network and attributes, reduce the network data to a small number of summary statistics, and are unable to provide predictions simultaneously for missing attribute and network information. Existing methods that model the attributes and network jointly also assume the data are fully observed. In this article, we introduce a unified approach to analysis that addresses these shortcomings. We use a previously developed latent variable model to obtain a low-dimensional representation of the network in terms of node-specific network factors. We introduce a novel testing procedure to determine if dependencies exist between the network factor...
Morphological representation of 2-D binary shapes using rectangular components

Abstract The morphological skeleton transform is a shape representation scheme that decomposes a shape into a union of all maximal homothetics of a structuring element contained in the shape. In this paper, we develop an algorithm that generalizes the skeleton transform by allowing many different rectangles of different sizes and aspect ratios to be used as shape components. The shape components in our representations still have simple and well-defined mathematical characterizations. The representation is uniquely defined and the algorithm still is simple and efficient to implement. Experiments show that our representations use significantly less shape components than those produced by the skeleton transform. We also describe different ways to derive a new set of rectangular shape components with less overlapping from the original set of rectangles from our representation algorithm.
MID-INFRARED GALAXY MORPHOLOGY ALONG THE HUBBLE SEQUENCE

The mid-infrared emission from 18 nearby galaxies were imaged with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope, sampling the spatial distributions of the reddening-free stellar photospheric emission and the warm dust in the interstellar medium. These two components provide a new framework for galaxy morphology classification in which the presence of spiral arms and their emission strength relative to the starlight can be measured directly and with high contrast. Four mid-infrared classification methods are explored, three of which are based on quantitative global parameters (colors and bulge-to-disk ratio) that are similar to those used in the past for optical studies; in this limited sample, all correlate well with traditional B-band classification. We suggest reasons why infrared classification may be superior to optical classification.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND TRUCKING MANAGERS' USE OF AUTOMATED ROUTING AND SCHEDULING

Using data from a 2001 survey of managers of 700 trucking companies operating in California, we tested competing hypotheses about the relationship between managers’ perceptions of the impact of traffic congestion on their operations and their companies’ adoption of routing and scheduling software. Demand for automated routing and scheduling was found to be influenced directly by the need to re -route drivers, and indirectly by the need, generated by customers’ schedules, to operate during congested periods. We were also able to identify which types of trucking companies are most affected by congestion and which types are more likely to adopt such software.
Securing the Border from Invasives: Robust Inspections under Severe Uncertainty

Two important features of agricultural quarantine inspections of shipping containers for invasive species at U.S. ports of entry are the general absence of economic considerations and the severe uncertainty that surrounds invasive species introductions. In this article, we propose and illustrate a method for determining an inspection monitoring protocol that addresses both issues. An inspection monitoring protocol is developed that is robust in maximizing the set of uncertain outcomes over which an economic performance criterion is achieved. The framework is applied to derive an alternative to Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) for shipments of fruits and vegetables as currently practiced at ports of entry in the United States.
Expected Returns and Habit Persistence

Using a consumption-based asset pricing model with infinite-horizon nonlinear habit formation, Campbell and Cochrane (1999) show that low consumption in surplus of habit should forecast high expected returns. This article argues that the finite-horizon linear habit model also implies an inverse relation between expected returns and surplus consumption. This article also presents empirical evidence, which indicates that expected returns on stocks and bonds vary with surplus consumption implied by the habit models. The volatility of returns and the reward to volatility are also related to surplus consumption. However, less than 30% of the predictable variation of expected returns, using standard lagged information variables, is attributed to surplus consumption.
Total laryngectomy: national and regional case volume trends 1998-2008.

ObjectiveThe management of advanced laryngeal cancer is evolving, with increasing use of chemoradiation as initial treatment. Recent reports confirm a decline in total laryngectomies (TLs) in the U...
Molecular gas and star formation in galaxies.

Using the 14m millimeter telescope of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (HPBW=45″), we have observed the CO J=l-0 emission at 1412 positions in 300 galaxies. These observations, which comprise the FCRAO Extragalactic CO Survey, are the most extensive and uniform database on the content and large-scale distribution of molecular gas content in galaxies (Young et al. 1995). Since stars form in molecular clouds, these observations enable us to investigate galaxy evolution through a determination of the star formation efficiency and the molecular-to-atomic-gas ratio within and among galaxies.
Interval Neutrosophic Sets

A neutrosophic set is a part of neutrosophy that studies the origin, nature, and scope of neutralities, as well as their interactions with different ideational spectra. The neutrosophic set is a powerful general formal framework that has been recently proposed. However, the neutrosophic set needs to be specified from a technical point of view. Now we define the set-theoretic operators on an instance of a neutrosophic set, and call it an Interval Neutrosophic Set (INS). We prove various properties of INS, which are connected to operations and relations over INS. Finally, we introduce the convexity of interval neutrosophic sets.
Recent bright gully deposits on Mars: Wet or dry flow?

Bright gully sediments attributed to liquid water flow have been deposited on Mars within the past several years. To test the liquid water flow hypothesis, we constructed a high-resolution (1 m/pixel) photogrammetric digital elevation model of a crater in the Centauri Montes region, where a bright gully deposit formed between 2001 and 2005. We conducted one-dimensional (1-D) and 2-D numerical flow modeling to test whether the deposit morphology is most consistent with liquid water or dry granular flow. Liquid water flow models that incorporate freezing can match the runout distance of the flow for certain freezing rates but fail to reconstruct the distributary lobe morphology of the distal end of the deposit. Dry granular flow models can match both the observed runout distance and the distal morphology. Wet debris flows with high sediment concentrations are also consistent with the observed morphology because their rheologies are often similar to that of dry granular flows. As such, the presence of liquid water in this flow event cannot be ruled out, but the available evidence is consistent with dry landsliding.
Bubble Nucleation in Theories with Symmetry Breaking by Radiative Corrections

In any first order phase transition a quantity of fundamental importance is the rate at which bubbles of the equilibrium (“true vacuum”) phase nucleate within the metastable (“false vacuum”) phase. The bubble nucleation rate per unit volume, Γ, can be calculated by a method, due to Coleman,1 which is based on finding a “bounce” solution to the classical Euclidean field equations. Thus, for a theory with a single scalar field, one seeks a solution of $${\partial _\mu }{\partial _\mu }\varphi \equiv \square \varphi = \frac{{\partial V}}{{\partial \varphi }}$$ (1) for which the φ is near its true vacuum value near the origin, but approaches its false vacuum value as any of the x μ tend to ±∞.
Ruthenium-Catalyzed Polycyclization Reactions

The application of ruthenium alkylidenes such as 1 to the catalysis of polycyclization reactions is reported. Several acyclic precursors have been synthesized and reacted with 1. These precursors vary in topology and contain acetylenic and/or cycloolefinic metathesis relays. The cyclization reactions proceed in moderate to good yields to produce polycyclic polyenes when the precursors are subjected to catalytic amounts of 1. In general, precursors bearing n relay units generate polycycles containing (n + 1) rings.
One-Pot Asymmetric Synthesis of Acyclic Chiral Epoxy Alcohols via Tandem Vinylation−Epoxidation with Dioxygen

We have developed a one-pot procedure for the asymmetric synthesis of a synthetically challenging class of acylic secondary epoxy alcohols with three contiguous stereocenters from simple achiral starting materials. The epoxy alcohols are synthesized via a tandem catalytic asymmetric vinylation of an aldehyde coupled with a diastereoselective epoxidation reaction. A vinylzinc reagent generated in situ undergoes enantioselective addition to an aldehyde in the presence of a zinc catalyst to provide an allylic zinc alkoxide. This species is then epoxidized by addition of dioxygen and a titanium tartrate catalyst to give epoxy alcohols with excellent enantioselectivities, in most cases, and with diastereoselectivities up to 4.5:1 in favor of the threo-diastereomer. The system described herein represents a significant advance in terms of synthetic efficiency and selectivity.
Minimum degree conditions for H-linked graphs

For a fixed multigraph H with vertices w"1,...,w"m, a graph G is H-linked if for every choice of vertices v"1,...,v"m in G, there exists a subdivision of H in G such that v"i is the branch vertex representing w"i (for all i). This generalizes the notions of k-linked, k-connected, and k-ordered graphs. Given a connected multigraph H with k edges and minimum degree at least two and n>=7.5k, we determine the least integer d such that every n-vertex simple graph with minimum degree at least d is H-linked. This value D(H,n) appears to equal the least integer d^' such that every n-vertex graph with minimum degree at least d^' is b(H)-connected, where b(H) is the maximum number of edges in a bipartite subgraph of H.
Reaction chemistry of gossypol and its derivatives

Gossypol, a complex polyphenolic compound, is a naturally occurring highly colored yellow pigment found in the small intercellular pigment glands in the leaves, stems, roots, and seed of cotton plants. In cottonseed, gossypol contributes to its toxicity and therefore it is regarded as an unwanted processing component. It was not until its antitumor and male infertility activities were discovered that gossypol was considered as a valueadded natural product from cottonseed with useful physiological and chemical properties. These serendipitous discoveries created much excitement, and an enormous amount of research on gossypol has ensued. Since then, much research has focused on the preparation of suitable gossypol derivatives for medicinal applications. This review summarizes current knowledge about gossypol, its stereochemistry, tautomerism, and the many varied reactions the gossypol molecule can undergo.
The medium or the message? Communication relevance and richness in trust games

Subjects communicated prior to playing trust games; the richness of the communication media and the topics of conversation were manipulated. Communication richness failed to produce significant differences in first-mover investments. However, the topics of conversation made a significant difference: the amounts sent were considerably higher in the unrestricted communication conditions than in the restricted communication and no-communication conditions. Most importantly, we find that first-movers’ expectations of second-movers’ reciprocation are influenced by communication and strongly predict their levels of investment.
Implicit and explicit communication in decentralized control

There has been substantial progress recently in understanding toy problems of purely implicit signaling. These are problems where the source and the channel are implicit — the message is generated endogenously by the system, and the plant itself is used as a channel. In this paper, we explore how implicit and explicit communication can be used synergistically to reduce control costs.
Spinel compounds as multivalent battery cathodes: A systematic evaluation based on ab initio calculations

Batteries that shuttle multivalent ions such as Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions are promising candidates for achieving higher energy density than available with current Li-ion technology. Finding electrode materials that reversibly store and release these multivalent cations is considered a major challenge for enabling such multivalent battery technology. In this paper, we use recent advances in high-throughput first-principles calculations to systematically evaluate the performance of compounds with the spinel structure as multivalent intercalation cathode materials, spanning a matrix of five different intercalating ions and seven transition metal redox active cations. We estimate the insertion voltage, capacity, thermodynamic stability of charged and discharged states, as well as the intercalating ion mobility and use these properties to evaluate promising directions. Our calculations indicate that the Mn2O4 spinel phase based on Mg and Ca are feasible cathode materials. In general, we find that multivalent cathodes exhibit lower voltages compared to Li cathodes; the voltages of Ca spinels are ∼0.2 V higher than those of Mg compounds (versus their corresponding metals), and the voltages of Mg compounds are ∼1.4 V higher than Zn compounds; consequently, Ca and Mg spinels exhibit the highest energy densities amongst all the multivalent cation species. The activation barrier for the Al3+ ion migration in the Mn2O4 spinel is very high (∼1400 meV for Al3+ in the dilute limit); thus, the use of an Al based Mn spinel intercalation cathode is unlikely. Amongst the choice of transition metals, Mn-based spinel structures rank highest when balancing all the considered properties.
ABIOTIC OXYGEN-DOMINATED ATMOSPHERES ON TERRESTRIAL HABITABLE ZONE PLANETS

Detection of life on other planets requires identification of biosignatures, i.e., observable planetary properties that robustly indicate the presence of a biosphere. One of the most widely accepted biosignatures for an Earth-like planet is an atmosphere where oxygen is a major constituent. Here we show that lifeless habitable zone terrestrial planets around any star type may develop oxygen-dominated atmospheres as a result of water photolysis, because the cold trap mechanism that protects H2O on Earth is ineffective when the atmospheric inventory of non-condensing gases (e.g., N2, Ar) is low. Hence the spectral features of O2 and O3 alone cannot be regarded as robust signs of extraterrestrial life.
3D QSAR methods : Phase and catalyst compared

The programs Phase and Catalyst HypoGen are compared for their performance in determining three-dimensional quantitative structure−activity relationships. Eight sets of compounds with measured activity were collected from the public literature and partitioned into suitable training and test sets by an automated procedure. A range of models is built with each program, and suggested parameter variations are investigated. The models are assessed by their ability to predict the activity of compounds in the test set, and it is demonstrated that the performance of Phase is better than or equal to that of Catalyst HypoGen, with the data sets and parameters used here. Additionally, compounds in two of the data sets are overlaid on crystallographic structures of similar ligands in complex with the target receptor, in order to guide pharmacophore generation by the two programs, but the resulting models do not perform better.
Objective Motion Cueing Criteria Investigation Based on Three Flight Tasks

This paper adds data to help establish fidelity criteria to accompany the simulator motion system diagnostic test specified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Twelve airline transport pilots flew three tasks in the NASA Vertical Motion Simulator under four different motion conditions. The experiment used three different hexapod motion configurations, each with a different trade-off between motion filter gain and break frequency, and one large motion configuration that utilised as much of the simulator's motion space as possible. The motion condition significantly affected (1) pilot motion fidelity ratings, and sink rate and lateral deviation at touchdown for the approach and landing task, (2) pilot motion fidelity ratings, roll deviations, maximum pitch rate, and number of stick shaker activations in the stall task, and (3) heading deviation after an engine failure in the take-off task. Significant differences in pilot-vehicle performance were used to define initial objective motion cueing criteria boundaries. These initial fidelity boundaries show promise but need refinement.
Cultural Psychology: A Once and Future Discipline

Foreword by Sheldon H. White Introduction Enduring Questions and Disputes Cross-Cultural Investigations Cognitive Development, Culture, and Schooling From Cross-Cultural Psychology to the Second Psychology Putting Culture in the Middle Phylogeny and Cultural History A Cultural Approach to Ontogeny The Cognitive Analysis of Behavior in Context Creating Model Activity Systems A Multilevel Methodology for Cultural Psychology The Work in Context Notes References Acknowledgments Index
Teaching and learning physics: A model for coordinating physics instruction, outreach, and research

This paper describes the development of a new university physics course designed to integrate physics, education, research, and community partnerships. The coordinated system of activities links the new course to local community efforts in pre-college education, university education, university outreach, and research on teaching and learning. As documented both by gains on conceptual surveys and by qualitative analyses of field-notes and audiotapes of class, the course facilitates student learning of physics, as well as student mastery of theories and practices of teaching and learning physics. Simultaneously, the course supports university efforts in community outreach and creates a rich environment for education research. The following narrative describes the motivation, structure, implementation, effectiveness, and potential for extending and sustaining this alternative model for university level science education.
Dopants adsorbed as single atoms prevent degradation of catalysts

The design of catalysts with desired chemical and thermal properties is viewed as a grand challenge for scientists and engineers. For operation at high temperatures, stability against structural transformations is a key requirement. Although doping has been found to impede degradation, the lack of atomistic understanding of the pertinent mechanism has hindered optimization. For example, porous gamma-Al(2)O(3), a widely used catalyst and catalytic support, transforms to non-porous alpha-Al(2)O(3) at approximately 1,100 degrees C (refs 7-10). Doping with La raises the transformation temperature to approximately 1,250 degrees C, but it has not been possible to establish if La atoms enter the bulk, adsorb on surfaces as single atoms or clusters, or form surface compounds. Here, we use direct imaging by aberration-corrected Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled with extended X-ray absorption fine structure and first-principles calculations to demonstrate that, contrary to expectations, stabilization is achieved by isolated La atoms adsorbed on the surface. Strong binding and mutual repulsion of La atoms effectively pin the surface and inhibit both sintering and the transformation to alpha-Al(2)O(3). The results provide the first guidelines for the choice of dopants to prevent thermal degradation of catalysts and other porous materials.
Low-rank matrix completion with noisy observations: A quantitative comparison

We consider a problem of significant practical importance, namely, the reconstruction of a low-rank data matrix from a small subset of its entries. This problem appears in many areas such as collaborative filtering, computer vision and wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we focus on the matrix completion problem in the case when the observed samples are corrupted by noise. We compare the performance of three state-of-the-art matrix completion algorithms (OptSpace, ADMiRA and FPCA) on a single simulation platform and present numerical results. We show that in practice these efficient algorithms can be used to reconstruct real data matrices, as well as randomly generated matrices, accurately.
Creep Performance of Candidate SiC and Si3N4 Materials for Land-Based, Gas Turbine Engine Components

Tensile creep-rupture of a commercial gas pressure sintered Si3N4 and a sintered SiC is examined at 1038, 1150, and 1350 C. These 2 ceramics are candidates for nozzles and combustor tiles that are to be retrofitted in land-based gas turbine engines, and there is interest in their high temperature performance over service times {ge} 10,000 h (14 months). For this long lifetime, a static tensile stress of 300 MPa at 1038/1150 C and 125 Mpa at 1350 C cannot be exceeded for Si3N4; for SiC, the corresponding numbers are 300 Mpa at 1038 C, 250 MPa at 1150 C, and 180 MPa at 1350 C. Creep-stress exponents for Si3N4 are 33, 17, and 8 for 1038, 1150, 1350 C; fatigue- stress exponents are equivalent to creep exponents, suggesting that the fatigue mechanism causing fracture is related to the creep mechanism. Little success was obtained in producing failure in SiC after several decades of time through exposure to appropriate tensile stress; if failure did not occur on loading, then the SiC specimens most often did not creep-rupture. Creep-stress exponents for the SiC were determined to be 57, 27, and 11 for 1038, 1150, and 1350 C. For SiC, the fatigue-stress exponentsmore » did not correlate as well with creep-stress exponents. Failures that occurred in the SiC were a result of slow crack growth that initiated from the surface.« less
Should We Measure Body Temperature for Patients Who Have Recently Undergone Surgery

Vermeulen et al. [1] have conducted a study of postoperative temperature measurements, and once again it has been found that such measurements are of very little use for detecting postoperative infections or treating patients who have had recent surgery. Although this topic has been examined at least 30 times previously in the literature [1, 2], the authors have added prospective data collection and a unique blinding technique to their study. In this study, the clinical team caring for the patients was not informed of patient body temperatures and was forced to make clinical decisions without consulting temperature data. In addition, the nurses and patients were not informed of patient temperatures. Patients underwent regular temperature measurement until the time of hospital discharge or for 14 days after surgery and were observed for any indication of infection, as defined according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria.
Total synthesis of propolisbenzofuran B

The first total synthesis of propolisbenzofuran B, a bioactive natural product isolated from honeybee propolis resin, is reported. The convergent synthesis makes use of a silicon-tether controlled oxidative ketone–ketone cross-coupling and a novel benzofuran-generating cascade reaction to deliver the core structure of the natural product from readily prepared precursors.