cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review of the Relationships in the Montmorillonite Group of Clay Minerals1

Since the publication of the paper on the minerals of the montmorillonite group by Ross and Hendricks (1945) some species have been added to the group, and minor changes in the acceptable species have become advisable. No radical changes are proposed, but a review of the members and their grouping will be presented. The acceptable dioctahedral members of the group appear to be montmorillonite, nontronite and volchonskoite. Beidellite should be discontinued. The acceptable trioetahedral members of the group appear to include saponite, hectorite, sauconite, stevensite and medmontite. Griffithite is probably a useful term for an iron-rich saponite. Representative chemical analyses and formulas have been assembled to illustrate relationships.
Birch Reductive Alkylation of Methyl m-(Hydroxymethyl)benzoate Derivatives and the Behavior of o- and p-(Hydroxymethyl)benzoates under Reductive Alkylation Conditions

Birch reductive alkylation of methyl m-(hydroxymethyl)benzoate derivatives, using lithium in ammonia–tetrahydrofuran in the presence of tert-butyl alcohol, can be achieved without significant loss of benzylic oxygen substituents. Similar treatment of o- and p-(hydroxymethyl)benzoate derivatives results largely in loss of benzylic oxygen substituents. The results are rationalized by computations describing electron density patterns in the putative radical anion intermediate involved in these reactions.
The Mason Test: A Defense Against Sybil Attacks in Wireless Networks Without Trusted Authorities

Wireless networks are vulnerable to Sybil attacks, in which a malicious node poses as many identities in order to gain disproportionate influence. Many defenses based on spatial variability of wireless channels exist, but depend either on detailed, multi-tap channel estimation—something not exposed on commodity 802.11 devices—or valid RSSI observations from multiple trusted sources, e.g., corporate access points—something not directly available in ad hoc and delay-tolerant networks with potentially malicious neighbors. We extend these techniques to be practical for wireless ad hoc networks of commodity 802.11 devices. Specifically, we propose two efficient methods for separating the valid RSSI observations of behaving nodes from those falsified by malicious participants. Further, we note that prior signalprint methods are easily defeated by mobile attackers and develop an appropriate challenge-response defense. Finally, we present the Mason test, the first implementation of these techniques for ad hoc and delay-tolerant networks of commodity 802.11 devices. We illustrate its performance in several real-world scenarios.
Statistically based reflection model for rough surfaces

Modeling light reflection from rough surfaces is an essential problem in computer graphics, computational vision, and multispectral imaging. Existing methods commonly separate the total reflection into diffuse and specular components, but this leads to the nonphysical arbitrariness in choosing the relative weights for the two components. There also lacks a sufficient model for the self-shadowing effect, which is important for rough surfaces. To eliminate these drawbacks, we propose a new reflection model entirely using physical parameters. The surfaces are assumed homogeneous, isotropic, and microscopically smooth, and their height probability densities are assumed Gaussian. Thus we derive the one-bounce reflection through Fresnel coefficient, self-shadowing factor, and probability function for surface orientation. The shadowing factor is calculated analytically from the statistical properties of a rough surface, including the height probability density and correlation function, and it agrees well with numerical simulation. Since all involved parameters in this model are physical, it can be easily verified with measurement. Besides, as a single term, this model generates a sharp specular highlight when a surface is smooth and shows diffuse behavior when the surface is rough. This advantage will be shown through rendered images.
A hybrid computer method for the analysis of time dependent river pollution problems

This paper is devoted to the description of work done in the hybrid computer simulation of polluted rivers and estuaries. Our attention in this paper is restricted to the solution of the pollutant concentration equation. The computer method used to perform the integration is essentially a continuous-space discrete-time method of lines. We have, in a previous paper, described a continuous-space-discrete-time computer method for the analysis of flows and velocities in a one-dimensional river or estuary. Hence, these two programs, which may be exercised simultaneously, must be viewed as part of the same problem, since the pollutant diffusion parameters in a river (as described in the present paper) may be derived as explicit functions of the river geometry and water flow.
Bank Lending to Native American Applicants: An Investigation of Mortgage Flows and Government Guarantee Programs on Native American Lands

We investigate the efficacy of government guarantee programs for mortgage loans made on tribal lands by comparing lending outcomes for White applicants and Native Americans (NAs) living on- and off reservation lands. Simultaneous equations models with the loan-to-income ratio endogenous indicate both on- and off-reservation NA applicants experience higher conditional denial rates compared with otherwise similar White applicants. NAs living on-reservation are equally as likely to be approved for mortgage loans as off-reservation NAs. On-reservation applicants self-select lower loan-to-income ratios, and are held to a higher standard for this credit variable, likely because lower housing values and other economic variables challenge on-reservation applicants. Our findings suggest lack of financial resources, lack of applicant education about and experience with the mortgage process, low creditworthiness, and lender reluctance to confront burdensome bureaucracy limit on-reservation guarantee program success.
Mechanical Properties of Joined Silicon Nitride

A technique is described to join Si3N4 ceramics using oxide glasses. The technique involves a glazing step, followed by a pressureless reaction treatment of 30 to 60 min at 1575° to 1650°C. Reactions between the glasses and Si3N4 are reported. Important events are dissolution of Si3N4 and the growth of Si2N2O crystals into the joint. The strength of joined bars depends on joint thickness. Two strength regimes are identified, and two corresponding fracture mechanisms are described. A maximum strength of ∼460 MPa is achieved for a joint thickness of ∼30 μm.
Palladium-catalyzed reductive coupling of styrenes and organostannanes under aerobic conditions.

We report a highly regioselective PdII-catalyzed reductive coupling of an alkene with an organostannane using a tandem alcohol oxidation under aerobic conditions. Both aryl- and vinylstannanes are competent coupling partners with a variety of styrene derivatives. Mechanistic experiments support a tandem alcohol oxidation/alkene functionalization process. The ability to trap a palladium hydride derived from alcohol oxidation with an alkene provides a fundamentally different approach to cross-coupling reactions.
Star Formation Histories of Nearby Elliptical Galaxies. I. Volume-Limited Sample

This work presents high signal-to-noise ratio spectroscopic observations of a representative sample of nearby elliptical galaxies. These observations provide a strong test of models for the formation of elliptical galaxies and their star formation histories. Combining these data with the Gonzalez data set, a volume-limited sample of 45 galaxies has been defined. Results are in agreement with previous studies: the existence of the metallicity hyperplane and the Z-plane of Trager and coworkers is confirmed, and the distribution is clearly due to physical variations in stellar population parameters and not measurement uncertainty. Trends between stellar population parameters and galaxy structural parameters suggest that angular momentum may determine the chemical abundance of a galaxy at a given mass.
Cobalt‐Catalyzed, Aminoquinoline‐Directed C(sp2)H Bond Alkenylation by Alkynes

A method for cobalt-catalyzed, aminoquinoline- and picolinamide-directed C(sp2)H bond alkenylation by alkynes was developed. The method shows excellent functional-group tolerance and both internal and terminal alkynes are competent substrates for the coupling. The reaction employs a Co(OAc)2⋅4 H2O catalyst, Mn(OAc)2 co-catalyst, and oxygen (from air) as a terminal oxidant.
Zeros of orthogonal polynomials on the real line

Let Pn(x) be the orthonormal polynomials associated to a measure dµ of compact support in R. If E ∉ supp(dµ), we show there is a δ > 0 so that for all n, either pn or pn+1 has no zeros in (E - δ, E + δ). If E is an isolated point of supp(µ), we show there is a δ so that for all n, either pn or pn+1 has at most one zero in (E - δ, E + δ). We provide an example where the zeros of pn are dense in a gap of supp(dµ).
Family History and Risk of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones develop more frequently in individuals with a family history of kidney stones than in those without a family history; however, little information is available regarding whether the increased risk is attributable to genetic factors, environmental exposures, or some combination. In this report, the relation between family history and risk of kidney stone formation was studied in a cohort of 37,999 male participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Information on family history, kidney stone formation, and other exposures of interest, including dietary intake, was obtained by mailed questionnaires. A family history of kidney stones was much more common in men with a personal history of stones at baseline in 1986 than in those without a history of stones (age-adjusted prevalence odds ratio, 3.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.90 to 3.45). During 8 yr of follow-up, 795 incident cases of stones were documented. After adjusting for a variety of risk factors, the relative risk of incident stone formation in men with a positive family history, compared with those without, was 2.57 (95% CI, 2.19 to 3.02). Family history did not modify the inverse association between dietary calcium intake and the risk of stone formation. These results suggest that a family history of kidney stones substantially increases the risk of stone formation. In addition, these data suggest that dietary calcium restriction may increase the risk of stone formation, even among individuals with a family history of kidney stones.
Simultaneous pressure measurement and high-speed photography study of cavitation in a dynamically loaded journal bearing

Cavitation of the oil film in a dynamically loaded journal bearing was studied using high-speed photography and pressure measurement simultaneously. Comparison of the visual and pressure data provided considerable insight into the occurrence and nonoccurrence of cavitation. It was found that (1) for the submerged journal bearing, cavitation typically occurred in the form of one bubble with the pressure in the cavitation bubble close to the absolute zero; and (2) for cavitation-producing operating conditions, cavitation did not always occur; with the oil film then supporting a tensile stress.
High-energy nucleon Compton scattering☆

The high-energy nucleon Compton scattering process is studied to second order in the electromagnetic coupling constant from the viewpoint of complex angular momenta. Assuming the validity of the Regge hypothesis about the asymptotic behavior of scattering amplitudes, formulae for total and differential cross sections in the forward and backward directions are derived. Residues of Regge poles in their physical regions are estimated on the basis of existing experimental data. The implications of possible Regge cuts are discussed.
A new approach to producing geographic profiles of HIV prevalence : an application to Malawi

Sub-national estimates of HIV prevalence can inform the design of policy responses to the HIV epidemic. Such responses also benefit from a better understanding of the correlates of HIV status, including the association between HIV and geographical characteristics of localities. In recent years, several countries in Africa have implemented household surveys (such as Demographic and Health Surveys) that include HIV testing of the adult population, providing estimates of HIV prevalence rates at the sub-national level. These surveys are known to suffer from non-response bias, but are nonetheless thought to represent a marked improvement over alternatives such as sentinel surveys. At present, however, most countries are not in a position to regularly field such household surveys. This paper proposes a new approach to the estimation of HIV prevalence for relatively small geographic areas in settings where national population-based surveys of prevalence are not available. The proposed approach aims to overcome some of the difficulties with prevailing methods of deriving HIV prevalence estimates (at both national and sub-national levels) directly from sentinel surveys. The paper also outlines some of the limitations of the proposed approach.
Factorizations of the Thompson-Higman groups, and circuit complexity

We consider the subgroup lpGk,1 of length preserving elements of the Thompson–Higman group Gk,1 and we show that all elements of Gk,1 have a unique lpGk,1 · Fk,1 factorization. This applies to the Thompson–Higman group Tk,1 as well. We show that lpGk,1 is a "diagonal" direct limit of finite symmetric groups, and that lpTk,1 is a k∞ Prufer group. We find an infinite generating set of lpGk,1 which is related to reversible boolean circuits. We further investigate connections between the Thompson–Higman groups, circuits, and complexity. We show that elements of Fk,1 cannot be one-way functions. We show that describing an element of Gk,1 by a generalized bijective circuit is equivalent to describing the element by a word over a certain infinite generating set of Gk,1; word length over these generators is equivalent to generalized bijective circuit size. We give some coNP-completeness results for Gk,1 (e.g., the word problem when elements are given by circuits), and -completeness results (e.g., finding the lpGk,1 · Fk,1 factorization of an element of Gk,1 given by a circuit).
Satisficing leads to cooperation in mutual interests games

We study the play of mutual interests games by satisficing decision makers. We show that, for a high enough initial aspiration level, and under certain assumptions of “tremble”, there is a high probability (close to unity) of convergence to the Pareto dominant cooperative outcome. Simulations indicate that the theoretical result is robust with respect to the “trembling” mechanism.
Maintaining the time in a distributed system

To a client of a loosely-coupled distributed system, one of the simplest services is a time service. Usually the client simply requests the time from any subset of the time servers making up the service, and uses the first reply. Issues that need to be considered in other services, such as connection establishment or client authentication, need not be considered in a time service. The simplicity of this instruction, however, misrepresents the complexity of implementing such a service.
Flight-Test Experiment Design for Characterizing Stability and Control of Hypersonic Vehicles

A maneuver design method that is particularly well-suited for determining the stability and control characteristics of hypersonic vehicles is described in detail. Analytical properties of the maneuver design are explained. The importance of these analytical properties for maximizing information content in flight data is discussed, along with practical implementation issues. Results from flight tests of the X-43A hypersonic research vehicle (also called Hyper-X) are used to demonstrate the excellent modeling results obtained using this maneuver design approach. A detailed design procedure for generating the maneuvers is given to allow application to other flight test programs.
The brewer, the baker, and the monopoly maker

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine how productive entrepreneurial activities, such as innovation, influence unproductive entrepreneurial activities, such as regulatory rent seeking.Design/methodology/approach – To investigate the argument the authors consider Bavaria's brewing industry in the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries using an analytic narrative approach.Findings – The example of Bavaria's brewing industry suggests that productive entrepreneurial activities may increase unproductive entrepreneurial activities. Confronted with a situation in which innovation erodes their monopoly returns, legally protected producers and policymakers reregulate industry to recapture lost rents. Regulation policy under such reregulation tends to be more encompassing, and thus produces more unproductive entrepreneurial activity, than pre‐innovation regulation policy. This reflects the greater number or variety of producers that new regulation policy must encompass for reregulation to recreate rents.Originality...
The universe at extreme scale: multi-petaflop sky simulation on the BG/Q

Remarkable observational advances have established a compelling cross-validated model of the Universe. Yet, two key pillars of this model -- dark matter and dark energy -- remain mysterious. Next-generation sky surveys will map billions of galaxies to explore the physics of the 'Dark Universe'. Science requirements for these surveys demand simulations at extreme scales; these will be delivered by the HACC (Hybrid/Hardware Accelerated Cosmology Code) framework. HACC's novel algorithmic structure allows tuning across diverse architectures, including accelerated and multi-core systems.On the IBM BG/Q, HACC attains unprecedented scalable performance -- currently 6.23 PFlops at 62% of peak and 92% parallel efficiency on 786,432 cores (48 racks) -- at extreme problem sizes with up to almost two trillion particles, larger than any cosmological simulation yet performed. HACC simulations at these scales will for the first time enable tracking individual galaxies over the entire volume of a cosmological survey.
Self-Adjoint Extensions of the Pauli Equation in the Presence of a Magnetic Monopole

Abstract We discuss the Hamiltonian for a nonrelativistic electron with spin in the presence of an abelian magnetic monopole and note that it is not self-adjoint in the lowest two angular momentum modes. We then use von Neumann's theory of self-adjoint extensions to construct a self-adjoint operator with the same functional form. In general, this operator will have eigenstates in which the lowest two angular momentum modes mix, thereby removing conservation of angular momentum. However, consistency with the solutions of the Dirac equation limits the possibilities such that conservation of angular momentum is restored. Because the same effect occurs for a spinless particle with a sufficiently attractive inverse square potential, we also study this system. We use this simpler Hamiltonian to compare the eigenfunctions corresponding to a particular self-adjoint extension with the eigenfunctions satisfying a boundary condition consistent with probability conservation.
The Evolution of Adiabatic Supernova Remnants in a Turbulent, Magnetized Medium

We present the results of three-dimensional calculations for the MHD evolution of an adiabatic supernova remnant (SNR) in both a uniform and turbulent interstellar medium using the RIEMANN framework of Balsara. In the uniform case, which contains an initially uniform magnetic field, the density structure of the shell remains largely spherical, while the magnetic pressure and synchrotron emissivity are enhanced along the plane perpendicular to the field direction. This produces a bilateral or barrel-type morphology in synchrotron emission for certain viewing angles. We then consider a case with a turbulent external medium as in Balsara & Pouquet, characterized by vA(rms)/cs = 2. Several important changes are found. First, despite the presence of a uniform field, the overall synchrotron emissivity becomes approximately spherically symmetric, on the whole, but is extremely patchy and time variable, with flickering on the order of a few computational time steps. This is reminiscent of the Cas A observations of Anderson & Rudnick, although that remnant has a much more complicated pre-supernova evolution than what is considered here. We suggest that the time and spatial variability of emission in early phase SNR evolution provides information on the turbulent medium surrounding the remnant. The interaction of the outwardly propagating SNR shock with interstellar turbulence is shown to amplify the turbulence in the postshock region, thereby having important consequences for relativistic particle acceleration. The shock-turbulence interaction is also shown to be a strong source of helicity generation and, therefore, has important consequences for magnetic field generation. We compare our calculations to the Sedov-phase evolution and discuss how the emission characteristics of SNRs may provide a diagnostic on the nature of turbulence in the pre-supernova environment.
A critical review of three methods used for the measurement of mercury (Hg2+)-dissolved organic matter stability constants

Abstract Three experimental techniques – ion exchange, liquid–liquid extraction with competitive ligand exchange, and solid-phase extraction with competitive ligand exchange (CLE–SPE) – were evaluated as methods for determining conditional stability constants (K) for the binding of mercury (Hg2+) to dissolved organic matter (DOM). To determine the utility of a given method to measure stability constants at environmentally relevant experimental conditions, experimental results should meet three criteria: (1) the data must be experimentally valid, in that they were acquired under conditions that meet all the requirements of the experimental method, (2) the Hg:DOM ratio should be determined and it should fall within levels that are consistent with environmental conditions, and (3) the stability constants must fall within the detection window of the method. The ion exchange method was found to be limited by its detection window, which constrains the method to stability constants with log K values less than about 14. The liquid–liquid extraction method was found to be complicated by the ability of Hg–DOM complexes to partition into the organic phase. The CLE–SPE method was found to be the most suitable of these methods for the measurement of Hg–DOM stability constants. Stability constants for DOM isolates measured using the CLE–SPE method at environmentally relevant Hg:DOM ratios were log K = 25–30 (M−1). These values are consistent with the strong Hg2+ binding expected for reduced S-containing binding sites.
Racial Test Score Differences as Evidence of Reverse Discrimination: Less than Meets the Eye

Herrnstein and Murray assume that test score gaps between blacks and whites attending the same schools or in the same jobs must result from the application of different selection criteria to blacks and whites. To the contrary, we show that race-blind screening processes normally will produce large gaps between the test scores of blacks and whites.
Tumor-Suppressive Maspin Regulates Cell Response to Oxidative Stress by Direct Interaction With Glutathione S-Transferase

Abstract Maspin, a novel serine protease inhibitor, suppresses tumor progression in several cancer models, including an in vivo model for prostate cancer bone metastasis. However, the molecular mechanism of maspin remains illusive, primarily because its molecular targets are unknown. To this end, we used a full-length maspin cDNA bait to screen against both a primary prostate tumor cDNA prey library and a HeLa cDNA prey library by the yeast two-hybrid method. We found that heat shock protein 90, glutathione S-transferase (GST), and heat shock protein 70 interacted with maspin with the highest frequencies. We confirmed the maspin/GST interaction using purified proteins, human epithelial cell lines, and human prostate tissues. A maspin variant that has a point mutation of Arg340 to Ala (MasR340A) showed a significantly decreased affinity for GST. Although purified maspin had no effect on the activity of purified GST in vitro, intracellular interaction between endogenous maspin and GST correlated with an elevated total GST activity in both MDA-MB-435- and DU145-derived stably transfected cells. Consistently, tumor cells treated with purified wild type maspin, but not MasR340A, enhanced cellular GST activity. Maspin expression in cancer cell lines also correlated with decreased basal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, H2O2 treatment not only induced GST expression but also increased intracellular maspin/GST interaction, which was inversely correlated with the level of ROS generation. Conversely, maspin knockdown by small interfering RNA increased the basal, as well as H2O2-induced, ROS generation. Furthermore, the maspin effect on ROS generation was completely abolished by a GST inhibitor, indicating an essential role of GST in maspin-mediated cellular response to oxidative stress. Consistently, oxidative stress-induced vascular endothelial growth factor A expression was significantly inhibited in maspin-expressing cells. Together, our data suggest a new mechanism by which maspin, through its direct interaction with GST, may inhibit oxidative stress-induced ROS generation and vascular endothelial growth factor A induction, thus preventing further adverse effects on tumor genetics and stromal reactivity.
Magnetic oscillations and Maxwell theory

Abstract We explore the possibility of using the Kaluza-Klein geometry of Riemannian submersions to modify the classical Maxwell theory. We further argue that the resulting modification of electromagnetism may be interesting in the context of, among other topics, magnetic oscillations in metals.
Changes in Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Expression in Glioblastoma Multiforme Cells along a Stereotactic Biopsy Trajectory

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen, an auxiliary protein of deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase-delta, has been shown to be a reliable marker of nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid synthetic activity. We applied a monoclonal antibody to proliferating cell nuclear antigen to a series of serial stereotactic biopsies from patients with glioblastoma multiforme and found the proliferative activity to vary relative to biopsy location within or surrounding the solid tissue component of the tumor. Twenty-seven trajectories in 26 patients were analyzed, each consisting of two to five sequential 10 x 1.5 mm core biopsies (mean = 3). The proliferative index (PI) was greatest in those cells located at the solid tumor-infiltrated parenchyma interface. PI values were significantly lower in those biopsy cores located proximal (within infiltrated parenchyma) and distal (within solid tumor tissue) to the solid tumor-infiltrated parenchyma interface (median PI values, proximal to distal: 0.38, 0.66, 5.45 solid tumor-infiltrated parenchyma interface], 0.39, 0.09%). The mean PI values were significantly lower in neoplastic cells samples from regions of peripheral hypodensity on computed tomographic scans compared with those sampled from contrast-enhancing regions (0.9 and 3.91%, respectively). There was no significant difference in the mean PI values of neoplastic cells sampled from regions of contrast enhancement or central hypodensity (3.91 and 4.31%, respectively).
Exploring Sense-of-Place Attitudes as Indicators of Travel Behavior

Researchers in travel behavior have explored attitudes as important determinants since the 1980s and are now broadening the use of attitudinal data in models to explain behavior. Much of the application, however, has focused on attitudes about entities such as lifestyles and attributes of different transport modes. Little attention has been given to attitudes related to places and attributes of human-place interaction. There has been much theorizing in the past 40 years about this human-place interaction, which has been formalized into a multivoiced theory of sense of place. Quantification of this theory and implementation of this attitudinal information into travel behavior modeling are discussed. A survey was conducted in Santa Barbara, California, to measure sense of place and to estimate models of travel behavior. Patrons of two outdoor shopping malls in Santa Barbara were interviewed about place attitudes, sociodemographic information, and details regarding their activity and travel on that day. Regr...
Equal rights to trade and mediate

Consider any exchange economy with a fixed finite set of traders whose preference orderings and feasible sets of net trades satisfy standard convexity and continuity assumptions. Suppose these traders are granted equal rights to choose net trade vectors within a common convex cone. This property, when combined with Pareto efficiency, characterizes Walrasian equilibrium without lump-sum transfers in two special cases: when there are only two goods; or when at least one trader has unique supporting prices. In general, even without imposing Pareto efficiency explicitly, conferring an additional right to mediate mutually beneficial transactions with other traders will characterize Walrasian equilibrium.
The Malignant Potential of Small Cystic Ovarian Tumors in Women over 50 Years of Age

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of malignancy in cystic ovarian tumors Methods. All cystic ovarian tumors detected by transvaginal sonography screening in asymptomatic postmenopausal women or women ≥50 years of age were evaluated with respect to size and morphology. Histology was recorded on all tumors removed surgically. Follow-up data were available both on patients undergoing surgery and on those who elected to be followed without operative intervention. Results. Unilocular cystic tumors were detected in 256 of 7705 patients (3.3%). All tumors were Conclusion. Unilocular ovarian cysts
The Reduction of Mannich Bases and Their Derivatives by Tri-N-Butyltin Hydride

Abstract Overall nuclear methylation of phenols was achieved by deamination of their Mannich bases and related derivatives with tri-n-butyltin hydride. The α-methylation of ketones was also similarly achieved.
Common grounds of accounting scandals reflected on Wikipedia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the type of accounting scandals reported in Wikipedia which have occurred in different countries on different continents. It also explores the frequency and the dollar amount of the type of accounting scams that have been committed by the companies. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses each company‘’s committed accounting scandal(s). It then classifies the companies on a country, type of scandal and industry basis. It further analyses the distribution of accounting scandals and explains the major ones in its category. Findings – The paper concludes that within the confines of the information reported in Wikipedia, the majority of accounting scandals have occurred in USA both in number of scams and in USD amount. The most frequent type of accounting scam is overstatement of assets and understatement of liabilities including roundtrip sales. Another inference from the paper is that the accounting scams can occur anywhere at any amount. It is not ...
The regularity problem for second order elliptic operators with complex-valued bounded measurable coefficients

The present paper establishes a certain duality between the Dirichlet and Regularity problems for elliptic operators with \(t\)-independent complex bounded measurable coefficients (\(t\) being the transversal direction to the boundary). To be precise, we show that the Dirichlet boundary value problem is solvable in \(L^{p'}\), subject to the square function and non-tangential maximal function estimates, if and only if the corresponding Regularity problem is solvable in \(L^p\). Moreover, the solutions admit layer potential representations. In particular, we prove that for any elliptic operator with \(t\)-independent real (possibly non-symmetric) coefficients there exists a \(p>1\) such that the Regularity problem is well-posed in \(L^p\).
Computer proofs of limit theorems

Some relatively simple concepts have been developed which, when incorporated into existing automatic theorem proving programs (including those using resolution), enable them to prove efficiently a number of the limit theorems of elementary calculus, including the theorem that differentiable functions are continuous. These concepts include: (1) A limited theory of types, to designate whether a given variable belongs to a certain interval on the real line, (2) An algebraic simplification routine, (3) A routine for solving linear inequalities, applicable to all areas of analysis, and (4) A "limit heuristic", designed especially for the limit theorems of calculus.
Nucleon structure study at Jefferson Lab

Abstract With high luminosity 6 GeV electron beam, Jefferson Lab (CEBAF)'s study of the nucleon structure is focussed on the regime of strong interaction QCD. Highlights are shown on the study of the nucleon form factors, the spin structure, and the nucleon resonances. Selected new results are presented. Future upgrade to 12 GeV is briefly discussed.
An Extinction Study of the Taurus Dark Cloud Complex

We present a study of the detailed distribution of extinction in a region of the Taurus dark cloud complex. Our study uses new BVR images of the region, spectral classification data for 95 stars, and IRAS Sky Survey Atlas (ISSA) 60 and 100 μm images. We study the extinction of the region in four different ways, and we present the first intercomparison of all these methods, which are as follows: (1) using the color excess of background stars for which spectral types are known, (2) using the ISSA 60 and 100 μm images, (3) using star counts, and (4) using an optical (V and R) version of the average color excess method used by Lada et al. We find that all four methods give generally similar results—with important exceptions. As expected, all the methods show an increase in extinction due to dense dusty regions (i.e., dark clouds and IRAS cores) and a general increase in extinction with increasing declination, due to a larger content of dust in the northern regions of the Taurus dark cloud complex. Some of the discrepancies between the methods are caused by assuming a constant dust temperature for each line of sight in the ISSA extinction maps and not correcting for unexpected changes in the background stellar population (i.e., the presence of a cluster or Galactic gradients in the stellar density and average V-R color). To study the structure in the dust distribution, we compare the ISSA extinction and the extinction measured for individual stars. From the comparison, we conclude that in the relatively low-extinction regions studied, with 0.9<AV<3.0 mag (away from filamentary dark clouds and IRAS cores), there are no fluctuations in the dust column density greater than 45% (at the 99.7% confidence level), on scales smaller than 0.2 pc. We also report the discovery of a previously unknown open cluster of stars behind the Taurus dark cloud near R.A. 4h19m, decl. 27°30' (B1950).
Chronic and Proximate Depression among Mothers: Implications for Child Well-Being.

This article uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Survey (N = 2,427) to examine the association between the chronicity and timing of maternal depression and child well-being. Maternal depression, particularly chronic depression, is linked to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors in children, and children have worse behaviors when mothers report proximate depression. Children of depressed and nondepressed mothers have similar cognitive outcomes. Results also suggest that boys are more vulnerable to maternal depression than girls and that socioeconomic advantage does not buffer children from the consequences of maternal depression. Given that impairments in early childhood may place children on disadvantaged life-course trajectories, early intervention and treatment of depressed mothers may help ameliorate social disparities.
Effect of troponin C on the cooperativity in Ca2+ activation of cardiac muscle

This study describes the effects of exchanging native cardiac troponin C (CTnC) from the right ventricular muscle of Syrian hamster for purified skeletal (S) TnC from fast twitch muscles in triggering cardiac contraction. Ca2+ sensitivity of the myocardium became decreased with STnC to 62% of the original value with CTnC. Furthermore, the slope of the pCa-force curve of cardiac muscle was found to be increased with STnC. The results show that the TnC moiety, as part of the switching mechanism during activation, also regulates thin-filament cooperativity in muscle. Modifications in both the Ca2+ sensitivity and cooperativity are associated with alterations in the primary structure of TnC.
Understanding the clean interface between covalent Si and ionic Al2O3.

The atomic and electronic structures of the $(001)\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}\mathrm{Si}/(001)\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}{\mathrm{Al}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ heterointerface are investigated by first principles total energy calculations combined with a newly developed ``modified basin-hopping'' method. It is found that all interface Si atoms are fourfold coordinated due to the formation of Si-O and unexpected covalent Si-Al bonds in the new abrupt interface model. And the interface has perfect electronic properties in that the unpassivated interface has a large LDA band gap and no gap levels. These results show that it is possible to have clean semiconductor-oxide interfaces.
Assessing the Impact of a Quantitative Skills Course for Undergraduates

ABSTRACT This paper evaluates the long-term benefits of a Syracuse University course offering, “Maxwell 201: Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences” (MAX 201). The authors analyze data collected from class-administered pre- and post-tests and from a questionnaire sent to a random sample MAX 201 alumni to evaluate the extent to which students apply learned skills in the job market and as consumers of statistical information in a society that increasingly provides important information in complex quantitative forms. The data reveal six central findings that suggest that students benefit from the MAX 201 curriculum as members of the workforce and as citizens.
A Cosmological Framework for the Co-Evolution of Quasars, Supermassive Black Holes, and Elliptical Galaxies: II. Formation of Red Ellipticals

We develop and test a model for the cosmological role of mergers in the formation and quenching of red, early-type galaxies. By combining theoretically well-constrained halo and subhalo mass functions as a function of redshift and environment with empirical halo occupation models, we predict the distribution of mergers as a function of redshift, environment, and physical galaxy properties. Making the simple Ansatz that star formation is quenched after a gas-rich, spheroid-forming major merger, we demonstrate that this naturally predicts the turnover in the efficiency of star formation and baryon fractions in galaxies at ~ -->L* (without any parameters tuned to this value), as well as the observed mass functions and mass density of red galaxies as a function of redshift, the formation times of early-type galaxies as a function of mass, and the fraction of quenched galaxies as a function of galaxy and halo mass, environment, and redshift. Comparing our model to a variety of semianalytic models in which quenching is primarily driven by halo mass considerations or secular/disk instabilities, we demonstrate that our model makes unique and robust qualitative predictions for a number of observables, including the bivariate red fraction as a function of galaxy and halo mass, the density of passive galaxies at high redshifts, the emergence/evolution of the color-morphology-density relations at high redshift, and the fraction of disky/boxy (or cusp/core) spheroids as a function of mass. In each case, the observations favor a model in which some mechanism quenches future star formation after a major merger builds a massive spheroid. Models where quenching is dominated by a halo mass threshold fail to match the behavior of the bivariate red fractions, predict too low a density of passive galaxies at high redshift, and overpredict by an order of magnitude the mass of the transition from disky to boxy ellipticals. Models driven by secular disk instabilities also qualitatively disagree with the bivariate red fractions, fail to predict the observed evolution in the color-density relations, and predict order-of-magnitude incorrect distributions of kinematic types in early-type galaxies. We make specific predictions for how future observations, for example, quantifying the red fraction as a function of galaxy mass, halo mass, environment, or redshift, can break the degeneracies between a number of different assumptions adopted in present galaxy formation models. We discuss a variety of physical possibilities for this quenching and propose a mixed scenario in which traditional quenching in hot, quasi-static massive halos is supplemented by the strong shocks and feedback energy input associated with a major merger (e.g., tidal shocks, starburst-driven winds, and quasar feedback), which temporarily suppress cooling and establish the conditions of a dynamically hot halo in the central regions of the host, even in low-mass halos (below the traditional threshold for accretion shocks).
A novel synthesis of nor-C-statine

Abstract A new synthesis of nor-C-statine is described. Benzylation of a malate dianion, differentiation of the two carboxylates and a Hofmann degradation of one of the carboxylates constitute the key steps of the synthesis.
Spacecraft shielding for a Mars mission

Abstract The stationary, source-free, one-dimensional solution to the cosmic-ray heliospheric transport equation has been applied to the treatment of cosmic-ray fluxes at solar minimum between the orbits of Earth and Mars. The effective dose rate from these radiations were calculated for cylindrical spacecraft hulls of various compositions both in space and on the surface of Mars. The spatial gradient of the flux between Earth and Mars is quite small so that the cosmic-ray dose-rate can be assumed spatially uniform in the interval between these orbits, between one and one and a half astronomical units. The resulting dose rates for a 2.5-year mission, assuming six months on the surface of Mars, were slightly over one sievert.
Minkowski functional description of microwave background Gaussianity

Abstract A Gaussian distribution of cosmic microwave background temperature fluctuations is a generic prediction of inflation. Upcoming high-resolution maps of the microwave background will allow detailed tests of Gaussianity down to small angular scales, providing a crucial test of inflation. We propose Minkowski functionals as a calculational tool for testing Gaussianity and characterizing deviations from it. We review the mathematical formalism of Minkowski functionals of random fields; for Gaussian fields the functionals can be calculated exactly. We then apply the results to pixelized maps, giving explicit expressions for calculating the functionals from maps as well as the Gaussian predictions, including corrections for map boundaries, pixel noise, and pixel size and shape. Variances of the functionals for Gaussian distributions are derived in terms of the map correlation function. Applications to microwave background maps are discussed.
Application of the Conditional Population-Mixture Model to Image Segmentation

The problem of image segmentation is considered in the context of a mixture of probability distributions. The segments fall into classes. A probability distribution is associated with each class of segment. Parametric families of distributions are considered, a set of parameter values being associated with each class. With each observation is associated an unobservable label, indicating from which class the observation arose. Segmentation algorithms are obtained by applying a method of iterated maximum likelihood to the resulting likelihood function. A numerical example is given. Choice of the number of classes, using Akaike's information criterion (AIC) for model identification, is illustrated.
The physics of supernova remnant blast waves. II. Electron-ion equilibration in DEM L71 in the large magellanic cloud

We present analysis and modeling of X-ray spectra from the blast wave shock of DEM L71 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This remnant exhibits widespread Balmer-dominated emission characteristic of nonradiative shocks in partially neutral gas. We have used Chandra ACIS-S data and optical Fabry-Perot spectra of the blast wave to measure the electron and proton temperatures, respectively. In principle, when combined, these measurements can determine the degree of electron-ion temperature equilibration (g0 ≡ Te/Tp) immediately behind the shock front. In our X-ray analysis we fit Chandra spectra of three nested regions behind the blast wave under three different scenarios: (1) a planar, initially unequilibrated shock (g0 = me/mp), where the downstream electron and proton temperatures equilibrate through Coulomb collisions, (2) a planar, immediately equilibrated shock (g0 = 1), and (3) a spherical, equilibrated shock under Sedov evolution. Using independent measurements of Te and Tp, we find that the X-ray spectra from the fastest blast wave locations (Vs ~ 700-1000 km s-1) are consistent with little or no equilibration at the shock front and are inconsistent with full equilibration. In contrast, spectra from regions showing slower blast wave speeds (Vs ~ 400-600 km s-1) allow full equilibration but exclude zero equilibration. In order to directly constrain the initial equilibration, we incorporated our knowledge of the proton temperatures into our X-ray models to build planar shock models that allow for a variable g0. This model confirmed and strengthened the above results. Specifically, we found that X-ray spectra from an intermediate-velocity shock (Vs ~ 800 km s-1) were consistent with intermediate equilibration, excluding both g0 = me/mp and g0 = 1 at greater than 1 σ. Overall, our results support the picture of decreasing electron-ion equilibration with increasing shock speed found from previous studies of optical spectra in other Balmer-dominated supernova remnants.
The incidence of documented standards for research in departments of accounting at US institutions

Abstract Evidence suggests that standards for research in accounting are vague to junior faculty at the same time business schools are placing more emphasis on scholarship when evaluating faculty for tenure and promotion (T&P). In response, we investigate the incidence of accounting-specific documented standards for research in T&P decisions based on an email survey of accounting department administrators at US institutions. In addition, we report respondent data about the use of documented and informal journal lists. Our findings suggest that few accounting departments, regardless of accreditation status, utilize department-specific written scholarship standards or journal lists, supporting faculty perceptions that scholarship requirements for T&P are vague. As part of our analysis we review implications of the Final Report of the AACSB International Impact of Research Task Force ( AACSB International, 2008 ) on the use of journal lists for tenure and promotion decisions. We summarize by advocating for specific accounting department-level policies for T&P, including consideration of explicit journal lists.