cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methane Activation by 5 d Transition Metals: Energetics, Mechanisms, and Periodic Trends.

Although it has been known for almost three decades that several 5d transition-metal cations will activate methane at room temperature, a more detailed examination of these reactions across the periodic table has only recently been completed. In this Minireview, we compare and contrast studies of the kinetic energy dependence of these reactions as studied using guided-ion-beam tandem mass spectrometry. Thermochemistry for the various products observed (MH+ , MH2+ , MC+ , MCH+ , MCH2+ , and MCH3+ ) are collected and periodic trends evaluated and discussed. The mechanisms for the reactions as elucidated by synergistic quantum chemical calculations are also reviewed. Recent spectroscopic evidence for the structures of the MCH2+ dehydrogenation products are discussed as well.
Preparation of pure populations of covalently stabilized amyloid β-protein oligomers of specific sizes

Evidence suggests that amyloid β-protein (Aβ) oligomers may be seminal pathogenic agents in Alzheimer's disease (AD). If so, developing oligomer-targeted therapeutics requires an understanding of oligomer structure. This has been difficult due to the instability of these non-covalently associated Aβ assemblies. We previously used rapid, zero-length, in situ chemical cross-linking to stabilize oligomers of Aβ40. These enabled us to isolate pure, stable populations of dimers, trimers, and tetramers and to determine their structure-activity relationships. However, equivalent methods applied to Aβ42 did not produce stable oligomers. We report here that the use of an Aβ42 homologue, [F10, Y42]Aβ42, coupled with sequential denaturation/dissociation and gel electrophoresis procedures, provides the means to produce highly pure, stable populations of oligomers of sizes ranging from dimer through dodecamer that are suitable for structure-activity relationship determination.
Hepatoprotective Effect of ψ-Glutathione in a Murine Model of Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Toxicity.

Ψ-Glutathione (ψ-GSH) is an orally bioavailable and metabolism-resistant glutathione analogue that has been shown previously to substitute glutathione in most of its biochemical roles. Described here in its entirety is the preclinical evaluation of ψ-GSH as a rescue agent for acetaminophen (APAP) overdose: an event where time is of essence. By employing a murine model, four scenarios commonly encountered in emergency medicine are reconstructed. ψ-GSH is juxtaposed against N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the sole clinically available drug, in each of the scenarios. While both agents appear to be equally efficacious when timely administered, ψ-GSH partly retains its efficacy even in the face of substantial delay in administration. Thus, implied is the ability of ψ-GSH to intercept secondary toxicology following APAP insult. Oral availability and complete lack of toxicity as evaluated by liver function tests and survival analysis underscored ψ-GSH as a safer and more efficacious alternative to NAC. Finally, the phar...
Molecular docking studies investigating the interaction of a series of benzoquinone ansamycin Hsp90 inhibitors with NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 1941 The active form of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) is a homodimer, composed of 273 amino acid residues and one flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor constituting one redox centre per monomer. NQO1 catalyzes the NAD(P)H-dependent two-electron reduction of quinones to hydroquinones and is therefore involved in the reductive activation of a number of antitumor quinone-based compounds. The benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotics are a class of anticancer agents that are capable of binding to and disrupting the function of Hsp90, leading to the depletion of multiple oncogenic client proteins. We have previously reported that NQO1 can reduce the benzoquinone ansamycin, 17-allylamino-17-demethoxy-geldanamycin (17AAG), to the corresponding hydroquinone ansamycin and that the hydroquinone form is a more potent Hsp90 inhibitor, when compared to the parent quinone. Here, we describe a computational-based molecular docking study of a series of benzoquinone ansamycins, into the FADH2-site of the human NQO1 crystal structure (PDB: [1KBQ][1]). The series of benzoquinone ansamycins examined in this study include GDM, 17AAG, 17AG, 17DMAG and 17AEP-GA. These benzoquinone ansamycins were docked into the binding site of NQO1 in the trans -isomer conformation, generated from the GDM cis -isomer structure co-crystallized in the human Hsp90 crystal structure (PDB: [1YET][2]), by targeted molecular dynamics methods. Molecular docking simulations were performed using the Affinity module of Insight II (Accelrys Inc.), which rotates, translates and performs a conformational search of the benzoquinone ansamycin ligand of interest in the context of the binding site of NQO1, using a Monte Carlo algorithm. The Affinity run results in a set of structures that fall within specified energetic and geometric criteria. The resulting set of structures, for each benzoquinone ansamycin, were analyzed and scored by the total energy output by Affinity, the total interaction energy between the ligand and the protein evaluated using the Docking module, the Ludi Score3 of interaction, the number of hydrogen bonds between the protein and the ligand particularly between the amino acids Tyr126 and Tyr128 and the C21 carbonyl of the quinone and that the quinone moiety of the benzoquinone ansamycin is positioned parallel to the si -face of the isoalloxazine ring system of the FADH2 cofactor. These docking studies support that NQO1 can accommodate the benzoquinone ansamycins as substrates for reduction to the corresponding hydroquinone ansamycin. In addition, the scoring of the series of benzoquinone ansamycins in this docking study correlated with their relative biochemical reduction rate data using purified recombinant human NQO1 (Supported by CA51210). [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=PDB&access_num=1KBQ&atom=%2Fcanres%2F66%2F8_Supplement%2F457.3.atom [2]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=PDB&access_num=1YET&atom=%2Fcanres%2F66%2F8_Supplement%2F457.3.atom
Affirmative Consent, by Way of the Intoxication 'Defense'

This short essay makes a general point about criminal law by making a specific point about the American Law Institute’s debates regarding affirmative-consent requirements in sexual assault law. Last spring, the ALI fought a floor battle over the core difficulty of affirmative-consent provisions — their reliance on objective definitions of “consent.” Rejecting the recommendation of its reporters, the Institute adopted a subjective definition of “consent,” focusing on whether the partner was “willing” to engage in the sexual activity in question. Without any change in proposed statutory language, the reporters’ latest draft commentary signals an approach that would undermine the Institute’s preference for a subjective definition of consent. The mechanism is a reversal of the reporters’ previous position on the intoxication defense. That reversal would return to the reporters’ preferred, objective approach to “consent” in the large percentage of cases in which the accused is intoxicated.
Fluorescent pseudorotaxanes of a quinodicarbocyanine dye with gamma cyclodextrin

Abstract Spectrophotometric titration of buffered solutions of gamma cyclodextrin (γCD) and 1,1′-diethyl,2,2′-dicarbocyanine (DDI) demonstrates extension of the known 1:2 host:guest complex to form a previously unreported 2:2 complex near the γCD solubility limit. Though DDI is predominantly hosted as a non-fluorescent H-aggregate, both complexes exist in respective equilibria with two secondary complexes hosting unaggregated DDI as 1:1 and 2:1 complexes. The 2:1 complex exhibits significant fluorescence emission, with a quantum yield six times that of DDI in organic solvents, but ten times lower than that of an analogous indodicarbocyanine. Fragment Molecular Orbital calculations suggest that the 2:1 complex has the tail-to-tail conformation, and that solvent access to the dye strongly favors photoisomerization. In the host-guest complex, γCD limits solvent access to the dye and hinders rotation of the quinolyl terminal groups, but nevertheless pairwise rotation of methine carbons within the γCD cavity likely remains as a significant nonradiative relaxation pathway for the excited state.
Exploring Functional Slicing in the Design of Distributed SDN Controllers

The conventional approach to scaling Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controllers today is to partition switches based on network topology, with each partition being controlled by a single physical controller, running all SDN applications. However, topological partitioning is limited by the fact that (i) performance of latency-sensitive (e.g., monitoring) SDN applications associated with a given partition may be impacted by co-located compute-intensive (e.g., route computation) applications; (ii) simultaneously achieving low convergence time and response times might be challenging; and (iii) communication between instances of an application across partitions may increase latencies. To tackle these issues, in this paper, we explore functional slicing, a complementary approach to scaling, where multiple SDN applications belonging to the same topological partition may be placed in physically distinct servers. We present Hydra, a framework for distributed SDN controllers based on functional slicing. Hydra chooses partitions based on convergence time as the primary metric, but places application instances across partitions in a manner that keeps response times low while considering communication between applications of a partition, and instances of an application across partitions. Evaluations using the Floodlight controller show the importance and effectiveness of Hydra in simultaneously keeping convergence times on failures small, while sustaining higher throughput per partition and ensuring responsiveness to latency sensitive applications.
Abstract 14302: One-Year Survival in Heart Failure Patients With Preserved Ejection Fraction and Isolated Post-Capillary or Combined Post- and Pre-Capillary Pulmonary Hypertension

Introduction: Patients with combined post- and pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension (CpcPH) or isolated post-capillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) have been understudied due to limited hemodynamic information from right heart catheterization (RHC), which is not routinely performed in heart failure patients. This study compared the characteristics and outcomes of stable heart failure patients with no PH, isolated PH, and CpcPH determined by diastolic pulmonary gradient. Hypothesis: We hypothesized CpcPH would have lower 1-year survival compared to no PH or isolated PH patients undergoing RHC. Methods: We used the Dartmouth Dynamic Registry to identify patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction that underwent RHC at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center between 1994 and 2012. CpcPH was defined by a diastolic pulmonary gradient >7mmHg. We obtained mortality data from the National Death Index. We compared demographic, clinical, laboratory, and hemodynamic characteristics of patients with no PH, isolated PH, and CpcPH. We used Kaplan-Meier statistics and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to compare hazard for 1-year mortality for patients with no PH, isolated PH, and CpcPH adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and atrial fibrillation. Results: We identified 724 patients, of which 29% had no PH, 63% had isolated PH, and 7% had CpcPH. Mean follow up time was 341.8 days with a total of 676.1 person-years. There was a significant difference in crude one-year mortality; 4.0 for no PH, 8.4 for isolated PH and 21.0 (per 100 person-years) for CpcPH (log rank p =0.001). Adjusted Cox proportional hazard ratios compared to patients with no PH were 1.6 (95%CI: 0.1, 3.4) for isolated PH and 5.3 (95%CI: 2.1, 13.9) for CpcPH. Conclusions: Patients with CpcPH had worse survival than patients with isolated or no PH. Diastolic pulmonary gradient should be measured as a risk marker for identifying patients at high-risk of 1-year mortality.
Effect of Bed Temperature on the Laser Energy Required to Sinter Copper Nanoparticles

Copper nanoparticles (NPs), due to their high electrical conductivity, low cost, and easy availability, provide an excellent alternative to other metal NPs such as gold, silver, and aluminum in applications ranging from direct printing of conductive patterns on metal and flexible substrates for printed electronics applications to making three-dimensional freeform structures for interconnect fabrication for chip-packaging applications. Lack of research on identification of optimum sintering parameters such as fluence/irradiance requirements for sintering of Cu NPs serves as the primary motivation for this study. This article focuses on the identification of a good sintering irradiance window for Cu NPs on an aluminum substrate using a continuous wave (CW) laser. The study also includes the comparison of CW laser sintering irradiance windows obtained with substrates at different initial temperatures. The irradiance requirements for sintering of Cu NPs with the substrate at 150–200°C were found to be 5–17 times smaller than the irradiance requirements for sintering with the substrate at room temperature. These findings were also compared against the results obtained with a nanosecond (ns) laser and a femtosecond (fs) laser.
The super-gentrification of Park Slope, Brooklyn

Studies of classical gentrification typically focus on the embourgeoisement of neighborhoods and displacement of marginalized people. Recently, a new form of gentrification – super-gentrification –...
Hip Fractures: A Practical Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment

To summarize relevant anatomy, imaging, and treatment of hip fractures, and to synthesize a treatment-based approach for description and classification of hip fractures. Hip fractures are predominantly seen in the elderly, where they are increasing in incidence, and can substantially reduce healthy life-years. The osseous and vascular anatomy of the proximal femur can help to understand the clinical implications of various types of hip fracture. Radiographs are the principal imaging modality for assessment of hip fracture, although there is a clear role for CT and MRI for assessment of radiographically occult fractures. There are multiple classifications of hip fractures in the orthopedic literature; however, these are not commonly used in clinical practice due to complexity, poor reported inter-observer agreement, and relatively few methods of surgical fixation. A simplified anatomic and treatment-based approach to hip fractures can help guide image interpretation and clinical management.
An indirect non-invasive method for measuring input impedance and connection effects of an RFID tag antenna

This paper presents a non-destructive, non-invasive method for measuring the input impedance of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) transponder (tag) antenna at the operating frequency The derivation of the theoretical basis for determining the antenna impedance is presented along with the experimental measurement method using a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) in conjunction with a Giga-Hertz Transverse Electromagnetic (GTEM) cell where the tag is located. By providing three different terminations to the antenna, the frequency dependent parameters can be measured in order to define a two-port network and determine the input impedance of the antenna. All measurements were performed using the actual RFID tag that operates in UHF (915 MHz) band. The resulting input impedance of the antenna was validated with the electromagnetic simulation software by constructing a model of the testing system and applying the proposed measurement method. The simulated results were found to be in agreement with the experimental measurements accounting for any discrepancies.
Fiduciary Law, Good Faith, and Publicness

This Chapter uses corporate law as a case study to evaluate the content of the fiduciary duty of good faith. Tracing its development from Van Gorkom through to the present, the Chapter shows how good faith, though part of the duty of loyalty, has become a gap-filler, policing the space between generally-exculpated breaches of care and the more obvious breaches of loyalty. This Chapter also surveys good faith case law to show the most common “red flags” for which corporate officers and directors should be monitoring. An analysis of two of the most recent good faith cases – City of Birmingham and In re Wells Fargo – show how the theory of publicness can be used to predict future good faith developments. Finally, the Chapter ends by showing that the duty of good faith’s expansion into trust law, parallels its corporate development by emphasizing its gap-filler function.
Distribution of Free Ammo Acids and Related Compounds in Ocular Fluids, Lens, and Plasma of Various Mammalian Species

The distribution of free amino acids and related compounds in the ocular fluids, lens, and plasma of rats, cats, and Uoo species of monkeys was studied with column chromatography. In contrast to previous observations on the rabbit, the concentration of almost all of the amino acids in the anterior aqueous is lower than in plasma. Like the rabbit, the concentration of amino acids in the primate vitreous is lower than in aqueous and that in the lens is higher than either aqueous or plasma. Lenses from monkeys were observed to contain an unidentified ninhydrin-positive compound which was not present in other lenses studied, but it appears to be identical with a substance found in human lenses. Despite the relative deficiency of amino acids in the aqueous, transport across blood aqueous barriers was shown to occur by a mechanism which could be saturated. It is concluded that active transport mechanisms in ocular chambers previously demonstrated in the rabbit, and in bovine eyes where the concentration in the aqueous is higher than in plasma, are also present in the rat. A. revious studies 1 " 3 have shown that the concentration of most free amino acids in the aqueous humors of rabbit and bovine eyes is significantly higher than in plasma and still higher than in the lens. The concentrations of amino acids in the vitreous
Hypertension and post-traumatic renal arteriovenous fistula: demonstration of unilaterally elevated renin secretion.

AbstractIpsilateral elevation and contralateral suppression of renin secretion have been established in a patient with a post-traumatic renal arteriovenous fistula associated with diastolic hypertension. This finding is rare because of the dilutional effect of arterial blood shunted in the renal vein. Increased renin secretion in this instance supports the proposed mechanism of diastolic hypertension with renal arteriovenous fistula.
Integrated Systems for Control of the Pink Bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella in Cotton

The pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) is a major pest of cotton Gossypium spp. in the growing areas of the south-western USA and in many other cotton-producing areas of the world. High chemical control costs, excessive economic losses, secondary pest problems, and environmental and social considerations have suggested the need for ecologically oriented pink bollworm management strategies. Extensive research over the years has produced monitoring, biological control, cultural, behavioural, genetic and host plant resistance methods that can be integrated into effective pink bollworm management systems. Pink bollworm moth mobility necessitates integrated pest management (IPM) implementation over large geographical areas. Local uncoordinated efforts have not reduced the economic status of the pink bollworm in any area where it is an established pest. The cotton-growing areas involved in the south-western USA present a wide range of pink bollworm population densities, in cotton production methods, and social and environmental considerations. Tailor-made systems for targeted management areas with the selection of IPM components based on pink bollworm population density, crop production methods, and economic feasibility are the most likely to succeed as long-term population suppression programmes. The breakthrough in host-plant resistance through transformation of the gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) subsp. kurstaki (Bt) into cotton varieties for the production of insect toxic crystalline protein provided the framework for efficient pink bollworm population management. The success of area-wide pink bollworm management is highly dependent on participation by all segments of the agricultural community in the planning, site selection, implementation, and assessment phases of the programme. A highly effective extension-education communication programme is an essential component. The outstanding performance of Bt-cotton and pheromone behavioural control for pink bollworm, and the availability of historically-proven effective pink bollworm population suppression technologies (cultural controls, crop residue destruction, water management, planting dates, and sterile moth release), encouraged formulation of a multi-agency and transboundary pink bollworm eradication plan. The eradication programme was initiated in 2001-2002 in the El Paso/Trans Pecos area of Texas, in South Central New Mexico and in Chihuahua, Mexico. The results of area-wide suppression have been exceptionally encouraging and provide promising expectations for the other infested areas of the south-western USA and north-western Mexico. The pink bollworm population has been reduced to levels that can be targeted for sterile pink bollworm releases to pursue the goal of eradication.
Calculation of Defect-Formation Energies in Alkaline-Earth Oxides: Interionic Forces

A model potential for the alkaline-earth oxides was developed and tested. The interionic potential contains the usual Coulombic and two-body short-range terms, such as those which have been used in previous alkali halide calculations, plus many-body terms which are incorporated by means of the Lundquist three-body approximation in which only the spherically symmetric term in the overlap-charge-density expansion is retained. The three-body interactions contribute to both the long-range and the short-range forces. Additional short-range central-force interactions between nearest-neighbor ions and next-nearest-neighbor ions are included; these are modeled by means of a Born-Mayer plus van der Waals potential. The electronic polarizabilities of the ions are described by a shell model. Parameters in the model potential and in the shell model are evaluated using the elastic constants and their pressure derivatives, the low- and high-frequency dielectric constants, the infrared dispersion frequency, and the equilibrium interionic separation. Three constraints on thw shell model are required. The model does not give satisfactory results in that (1) the trend in an effective charge parameter, χo, through this family of oxides runs counter to that for the Phillips ionicities and (2) the Born-Mayer potential parameters appear to be highly anomalous compared with those for other ionic crystals. The principal weakness of the model apparently resides in tis neglect of bond-bending (noncentral force) terms, which results in an overestimate of the overlap contribution to the bond-stretching terms, in excessive deviations in the effective charges from the classical valences, and in departures of the Born-Mayer potential parameters from the values found in alkali halide and alkaline-earth fluorides.
Permo-Pennsylvanian shark teeth from the Lower Cutler beds near Moab, Utah

Several shark teeth have been collected from limestones in the marine-nonmarine transitional zone of the lower Cutler beds in the Shafer Basin near Moab, Utah. The shark teeth include the Pennsylvanian pet­alodontiform Petalodus ohioensis, which is the first described from the state, and the Permo-Carboniferous cladodontomorph Cladodus sp. The Petalodus specimens are compared with the holotype P. hastingsae Owen, P. acuminatus (Agassiz), P. ohioensis (Shafer), and P. alleghaniensis (Leidy). Several of these key taxa are illustrated with photographs for the first time.
Question order and student understanding of structure and function

The relationship between structure and function is a core concept in physiology education. Written formative assessments can provide insight into student learning of the structure and function rela...
Senior and Subordinated Issues, Bond Ratings and the Market Price of Debt

Rating agencies such as Moody's or S&P rate subordinated bonds by notching them down from senior bonds. If notching were accurate, then we should find that all equally rated bonds are priced the same (same yield), perhaps with some random errors. However, we find that the market systematically prices differentially bonds of identical ratings but different seniority. Specifically, we find that yields of speculative senior bonds are higher than the yields of similarly rated subordinated bonds. We provide a conceptual model based upon market frictions which incorporates these findings and the finding that highly rated firms issue very few subordinated bonds.
Localized delivery of ibuprofen via a bilayer delivery system (BiLDS) for supraspinatus tendon healing in a rat model

The high prevalence of tendon retear following rotator cuff repair motivates the development of new therapeutics to promote improved tendon healing. Controlled delivery of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to the repair site via an implanted scaffold is a promising option for modulating inflammation in the healing environment. Furthermore, biodegradable nanofibrous delivery systems offer an optimized architecture and surface area for cellular attachment, proliferation, and infiltration while releasing soluble factors to promote tendon regeneration. To this end, we developed a bilayer delivery system (BiLDS) for localized and controlled release of ibuprofen (IBP) to temporally mitigate inflammation and enhance tendon remodeling following surgical repair by promoting organized tissue formation. In vitro evaluation confirmed the delayed and sustained release of IBP from Labrafil-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid microspheres within sintered poly(e-caprolactone) electrospun scaffolds. Biocompatibility of the BiLDS was demonstrated with primary Achilles tendon cells in vitro. Implantation of the IBP-releasing BiLDS at the repair site in a rat rotator cuff injury and repair model led to decreased expression of proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrotic factor-α, and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine, transforming growth factor-β1. The BiLDS remained intact for mechanical reinforcement and recovered the tendon structural properties by 8 weeks. These results suggest the therapeutic potential of a novel biocompatible nanofibrous BiLDS for localized and tailored delivery of IBP to mitigate tendon inflammation and improve repair outcomes. Future studies are required to define the mechanical implications of an optimized BiLDS in a rat model beyond 8 weeks or in a larger animal model.
OM Forum—Perspectives on Policy Modeling: 2018 MSOM Fellow Award

Policy modeling refers to the application of operations research and allied quantitative methods to model policy problems. The idea is to help make better policy choices when data are uncertain or ...
The Admission of Government Fact Findings Under Federal Rule of Evidence 803(8)(C): Limiting the Dangers of Unreliable Hearsay

Federal Rule of Evidence 803(8)(C), an exception to the rule against admission of hearsay, permits introduction of public records or reports containing the fact findings of the reporter without requiring the reporter to appear at trial. These fact findings can be based upon the reporter's own observations and calculations or information imparted to the reporter from sources having no connection to any public agency whatsoever. Rule 803(8)(C) has also been used as the vehicle for presenting juries with fact findings from hearings conducted by public officials. The rule would seem to allow these fact findings even though the opponent had no opportunity to challenge either the finding or any of the witnesses whose testimony led to it. This Article contends that admitting many of the fact findings discussed above without demonstrable need or strong assurances of their reliability undercuts the bases for the hearsay rules and can result in jury consideration of highly prejudicial evidence. In Beech Aircraft Corporation v. Rainey, the Supreme Court interpreted the 'factual findings'' provision of 803(8)(C) broadly to include 'conclusions' and 'opinions' of the investigator. While the decision in Beech Aircraft is sensible in its recognition of the difficulty in distinguishing 'factual findings' from 'opinions' and 'conclusions', it will result in an expansion of the type of hearsay-based evidence that will be admitted under Rule 803(8)(C). Where a hearsay exception expands both the allowable sources of hearsay information and the type of hearsay-based evidence admitted, extreme care should be taken to ensure that questionably reliable or prejudicial evidence is not submitted to a jury without the opportunity to test the evidence through cross-examination. Rule 803(8)(C) was not drafted nor has it been generally applied with such caution. First, this Article explores some of the problems encountered by courts in applying Rule 803(8)(C) and explains some of the unfairness that can result if it is not applied carefully. Second, it describes the Supreme Court's Beech Aircraft decision allowing opinions and conclusions into evidence under Rule 803(8)(C). Third, the Article describes a suggested reading of Rule 803(8)(C) in conjunction with the rules on expert witnesses that should help courts determine which opinions and conclusions should be admissible. Finally, the Article offers additional suggestions to insure the fair application of Rule 803(8)(C).
A simple structural estimator of disclosure costs

This study recovers a simple firm-level measure of disclosure costs implied by the voluntary disclosure theory of Verrecchia (Journal of Accounting and Economics 12(4), 365–380, 1990). The measure does not require knowledge by the researcher of the distribution of private information and can be implemented with three simple observable inputs: the minimum, average, and frequency of disclosure. We document a positive association of disclosure costs with proxies for existing and potential competition, information asymmetry, and insider trading. Higher values of disclosure costs are associated with lower contemporaneous and future disclosures as well as lower propensity to disclose in holdout samples. Overall, we provide future researchers with an easy-to-implement procedure to structurally estimate unobserved firm-level disclosure costs.
Identification of Biological Relationships from Text Documents

Identification of relationships among different biological entities, e.g., genes, proteins, diseases, drugs and chemicals, etc, is an important problem for biological researchers. While such information can be extracted from different types of biological data (e.g., gene and protein sequences, protein structures), a significant source of such knowledge is the biological textual research literature which is increasingly being made available as large-scale public-domain electronic databases (e.g., the Medline database). Automated extraction of such relationships (e.g., gene A inhibits protein B) from textual data can significantly enhance biological research productivity by keeping researchers up-to-date with the state-of-the-art in their research domain, by helping them visualize biological pathways, and by generating likely new hypotheses concerning novel interactions some of which can be good candidates for further biological research and validation. In this chapter, we describe the computational problems and their solutions in such automated extraction of relationships, and present some recent advances made in this area.
Total Cylinder Sampling from a Diesel Engine: Part III - Particle Measurements

Particle formation, growth, coagulation and combustion in the cylinder of an indirect injection passenger car type diesel engine have been studied using a system which allows the cylinder contents to be rapidly expelled through a blowdown port, diluted, and collected in a sample bag for subsequent analysis. Characteristic blowdown times were about 0.5 ms. Samples were analyzed using a condensation nuclei counter to determine particle number concentrations and an electrical aerosol analyzer to determine particle volume concentrations in the 0.01 to 1.0 micrometer diameter range. Measurements were made with the engine operating at 1000 rpm and an equivalence ratio of 0.32. Peak particle number concentration in the cylinder 13 times the exhaust level, and peak particle volume (or mass) concentration in the cylinder 3 times the exhaust level were observed. These results suggest that significant particle coagulation and oxidation occur during the expansion stroke.
Statistical Physics for Adaptive Distributed Control

A viewgraph presentation on statistical physics for distributed adaptive control is shown. The topics include: 1) The Golden Rule; 2) Advantages; 3) Roadmap; 4) What is Distributed Control? 5) Review of Information Theory; 6) Iterative Distributed Control; 7) Minimizing L(q) Via Gradient Descent; and 8) Adaptive Distributed Control.
Combinatorial materials research applied to the development of new surface coatings: VIII: Overview of the high-throughput measurement systems developed for a marine coating workflow

Abstract A combinatorial workflow has been produced for the development of novel, environmental-friendly marine coatings. A particularly challenging aspect of the workflow development was the selection and development of high-throughput screening methods that allow for some degree of prediction of coating performance in the aquatic environment of interest. The high-throughput screening methods currently in place include measurements of surface energy, viscoelastic properties, pseudobarnacle adhesion, and a suite of biological assays based on various marine organisms. An experiment involving a series of fouling-release coatings was used to correlate high-throughput screening data to data obtained from ocean site immersion testing. The results of the experiment showed that both bacterial biofilm surface coverage and storage modulus at 30 °C showed a good correlation with barnacle adhesion strength and a fair correlation with fouling rating, but surface energy and pseudobarnacle adhesion did not correlate with the results from ocean site testing.
Viscosity Effects on Engine Wear Under High-Temperature, High-Speed Conditions

Four multigrade engine oils, containing the same base oil plus SE additive package but polymeric viscosity-index improvers of differing shear stability, were evaluated in 80 000 km of high-speed, high-temperature vehicle service. Bearing, piston ring and valve guide wear, as well as oil consumption, oil filter plugging and engine cleanliness were all worse for the engines operated on the low-shear stability oils. The wear differences were traced to differences in high-shear-rate viscosity, while the cleanliness, filter plugging and oil consumption differences occurred because of excessive wear or polymer shear degradation. These results suggest that engine oil viscosity should be specified under high-shear-rate conditions.
Taxes and Financial Portfolio Choices: Evidence from the Tax Rate Reductions of the 2001 and 2003 Tax Acts

This paper exploits the tax rate variation generated by the Economic Growth and Tax Reconciliation Act of 2001 (which reduced ordinary income tax rates) and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (which reduced capital gains and dividend tax rates) to estimate the effect of taxes on financial portfolio allocations. Using data from the 1998 and 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances samples, I examine changes to household financial portfolio allocations across six asset classes. I find limited evidence of households responses to the tax reductions. There is weak evidence that increase in the tax advantage of equities relative to interest income caused households to shift portfolios towards taxable equities. There is also evidence that households shelter their more heavily taxed assets in retirement accounts.
Timing of spike initiation in cochlear afferents: dependence on site of innervation

1. The phase of excitation of inner hair cells (IHCs) relative to basilar membrane motion has been estimated as a function of best frequency (BF) (or, equivalently, cochlear location) by recording ...
Partial purification and characterization of citrate synthase from Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract Citrate synthase from Dictyostelium discoideum was partially purified and studied. The K m 's for acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate are 10.0 and 7 μ m , respectively. The mechanism is apparently an ordered sequential one. The molecular weight is about 100,000. The enzyme is directly regulated by only coenzyme A. Enzyme specific activity rises twofold during differentiation due to a 40% drop in total protein, indicating that this enzyme is unaffected by the systems which are degrading other cellular proteins.
Integrating Physics and Literacy Learning in a Physics Course for Prospective Elementary and Middle School Teachers

The ability to listen closely, speak clearly, write coherently, read with comprehension, and to create and critique media offerings in science contexts is essential for effective science teaching. How might instructors develop such abilities in a physics course for prospective elementary and middle school teachers? We describe here such a course, involving collaboration among physics, science education, and literacy faculty members and two graduate assistants. Meeting twice a week for 10 weeks, the course emphasized questioning, predicting, exploring, observing, discussing, writing, and reading in physical science contexts. We report common themes about aspects that fostered or hindered science and literacy learning, changes in views about science teaching and learning, and positive shifts in interest in science and intended teaching practices.
Simulative analysis of dynamic scheduling heuristics for reconfigurable computing of parallel applications

The demand for processing power has been ever increasing with the growth of high-performance computing (HPC) applications and so have the constraints restricting the solutions to such requirements. High-performance distributed and parallel computing and custom-built, hardware-based computing have attempted to address this problem with some success but at a substantial cost. Recently, systems augmented with Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) offering a fusion of traditional parallel and distributed machines with customizable and dynamically reconfigurable hardware have emerged as a cost-effective alternative to traditional systems. However, providing a robust runtime environment for such systems to which HPC users have become accustomed has been fraught with numerous challenges. Dynamic scheduling of large-scale HPC applications in such parallel reconfigurable computing (RC) environments is one such challenge and has not been sufficiently studied to our knowledge. In this paper, we simulatively analyze the performance of several common HPC scheduling heuristics that can be used by an automated job management service to schedule application tasks on a parallel RC system. We also present a performance prediction model which the scheduling heuristics employ to schedule several common HPC applications on a collection of typical FPGA processing platforms.
Fiber Bundles in Non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics

The problem of describing a quantum mechanical system with symmetry by a fiber bundle is considered. The quantization of a fiber bundle is introduced. Fiber bundles for the Kepler problem and the rotator are constructed. The fiber bundle concept provides a new model for a physical system: it provides us with a model for an elementary particle with extension having integral values of spin.
Release of β-Glucan from Cell Walls of Starchy Endosperm of Barley

ABSTRACT β-Glucan can be solubilized from barley by warm water, with increasing solubilization as the temperature is increased. Substantially less glucan is extracted if the barley is dehusked using sulfuric acid, particularly if the dehusked barley is denatured. This indicates that enzymes capable of solubilizing glucan are present in barley. Various purified enzymes promote the solubilization of glucan from denatured and dehusked barley. Apart from endo-β-(1→3)(1→4)-glucanase, these enzymes include endo-xylanases, arabinofuranosidase, xyloacetylesterase, and feruloyl esterase. Ferulic acid and, probably, acetyl groups are esterlinked to arabinoxylan, not β-glucan, in the cell walls of barley starchy endosperm, so the ability of the esterases, xylanases, and arabinofuranosidase to solubilize glucan indicates the pentosan component of the cell wall can restrict the extraction of glucan.
A Public Ownership Resolution of the Tragedy of the Commons

Imagine a society of fisherfolk, who, in the state of nature, fish on a lake of finite size. Fishing on the lake is characterized by decreasing returns to scale in labor, because the lake's finite size (and finite fish stock) imply that each successive hour of fishing labor is less effective than the previous one, as the remaining fish become less dense in the lake. In the state of nature, the lake is commonly owned: each fishes as much as he pleases, and, we might suppose, calculates his fishing plan by taking the labor of the others as given, as he sees it. Each knows that the distribution of fish will be proportional to labor expended among the fisherfolk: if I fish twice as long as you, I will end up with twice as much fish as you. This is not due to some kind of concern with equity (or the labor theory of value) among the fisherfolk; it is a technological fact, implied by the assumption that fishing labor is homogeneous, and all are equally likely to catch a fish in a unit of time. An equilibrium under common ownership can be thought of as a Nash equilibrium of the game where each computes his optimal fishing plan, given the labor of the others and knowing what the consequent distribution of fish would be. (A Nash equilibrium is an allocation of labor and fish to each fisherman, with the property that no one can increase his utility by deviating in his choice of labor, given what the others are doing.)
A direct stereoselective synthesis of 7β-hydroxytestosterone

Although 7 beta-hydroxytestosterone is a known product of hepatic androgen metabolism, there are no published methods for its chemical synthesis except from the equally difficult to obtain 7 beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione. We found that several seemingly straightforward routes for its synthesis failed. Consequently, we tried to produce 7 beta-hydroxytestosterone by enzymatic oxidation of 5-androstene-3 beta, 7 beta, 17 beta-triol with cholesterol oxidase (Brevibacterium sp.), a procedure previously used to synthesize 7 beta-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one from 3 beta, 7 beta-dihydroxycholesterol (Alexander and Fisher 1995). However, 5-androstene-3 beta, 7 beta, 17 beta-triol was, at best, a very poor substrate for the enzyme leading to the production of 7 beta-hydroxytestosterone in only trace amounts. Thus, we explored a strategy for the enzymatic synthesis in which a C8-ester at C-17 (5-androstene-3 beta, 7 beta, 17 beta-triol 17-caprylate) would serve to mimic the bulky and hydrophobic side chain of cholesterol and thus allow the C19-steroid to act as an effective substrate. When this ester was incubated with cholesterol oxidase, it was converted efficiently to 7 beta-hydroxytestosterone-17-caprylate. Attempts to remove the ester group by several mild hydrolytic procedures caused elimination of the 7 beta-hydroxyl group; we, therefore, obtained 7 beta-hydroxytestosterone by incubation of the intermediate ester with porcine lipase.
Proof of global convergence of an efficient algorithm for predicting trip generation, trip distribution, modal split and traffic assignment simultaneously on large-scale networks

Abstract Safwat and Magnanti have developed a combined trip generation, trip distribution, modal split and traffic assignment model that can predict demand and performance levels on large-scale transportation networks simultaneously. An efficient algorithm for predicting equilibrium on the model was suggested by the authors and applied to large-scale systems. The algorithm was found to consistently converge very rapidly in all cases. A formal proof of convergence was not available at the time of those applications. This paper provides a formal proof of global convergence of this efficient algorithm under no additional assumptions on the model. This proof should strengthen the methodology and further encourage its widespread implementation for transportation planning studies, particularly those of a large-scale nature.
Urologic complications of major pelvic surgery.

The close proximity of pelvic organs makes the genitourinary system susceptible to injury during major pelvic surgery. Iatrogenic injury remains the most common cause of lower urinary tract trauma. Recent modifications in surgical technique, such as sharp mesorectal incision and nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy, have decreased the incidence of many of these complications. Genitourinary complications due to pelvic surgery remain common, however, and as new surgical advancements are made, new complications may present. An understanding of the prevention, recognition, and treatment of urologic complications is important for every surgeon performing major pelvic surgery.
FLORIVORES LIMIT COST OF MUTUALISM IN THE YUCCA–YUCCA MOTH ASSOCIATION

Multispecies interactions may have important consequences for the ecology and evolution of mutualism by changing the cost-to-benefit ratio. Here I determine whether florivorous beetles can limit moth populations and influence the costs of the mutualism between yuccas and their pollinating moths. Yucca moths actively pollinate yucca flowers, and their larvae feed on a portion of the seeds. I used a manipulative field experiment to examine the hypothesis that the characteristic feeding behavior of the florivorous beetle Hymenorus densus may increase mortality of pollinator moth eggs and reduce the costs incurred by the plant. The results indicated that H. densus consumes moth eggs and that the consumption rate matches levels of moth mortality typically observed in these populations. On average, beetles consumed 1-2 eggs per flower, which translates into an increase in seed production of ∼16-32% per fruit. Counterintuitively, these results suggest that florivores can limit moth populations and reduce the costs incurred by the plant.
Effect of diet on cancer and its progression in humans

(1992). Effect of diet on cancer and its progression in humans. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 141-180.
Persistence, Degradation, and Bioactivity of Phorate and its Oxidative Analogues in Soil

The persistence of phorate and its 5 oxidative analogues in soil was determined with thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, and insect bioassay. Phorate and its oxygen analogue were rapidly oxidized to their respective sulfoxides and sulfones. Phorate and its sulfoxide and sulfone persisted beyond 16 weeks in a siltloam at 25°C. The thiolate analogues degraded to low levels within 2 to 8 days. Phorate was highly toxic to a cricket, Achela pennsylvanicus (Bmweister), in direct soil bioassay tests. A lack of contact and fumigant toxicity against crickets suggested that phorate sulfoxide and phorate sulfone were tightly absorbed by soil constituents. The toxicity of soil treated with phorate sulfoxide was greater several weeks after application than it was immediately following treatment because small amounts of the sulfoxide were converted to phorate. The conversion of phorate sulfoxide to phorate in soil was verified with gas chromatography, column chromatography, and insect bioassay.