cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compromise decision support problems for hierarchical design involving uncertainty

Abstract In this paper an extension to the traditional compromise Decision Support Problem (DSP) formulation is presented. Bayesian statistics is used in the formulation to model uncertainties associated with the information being used. In an earlier paper a compromise DSP that accounts for uncertainty using fuzzy set theory was introduced. The Bayesian Decision Support Problem is described in this paper. The method for hierarchical design is demonstrated by using this formulation to design a portal frame. The results are discussed and comparisons are made with those obtained using the fuzzy DSP. Finally, the efficacy of incorporating Bayesian statistics into the traditional compromise DSP formulation is discussed and some pending research issues are described. Our emphasis in this paper is on the method rather than the results per se.
Labor Partnerships in Early Islamic Law

The institution of partnership was one of the chief means in the medieval Islamic world enabling merchants and others to combine their resources and skills for investment in commercial undertakings. According to the various schools of Islamic law, resources could take the form either of a cash investment 1) or of goods and merchandise 2), and skills, of commercial know-how and/or of a particular skill on the part of one or all of the partners in some type of trade or craft. In terms of each party's contribution to the common venture, partnerships fell in several categories. It could be a complete partnership, that is, one in which all partners contributed both capital and services; it could be an arrangement like the commenda (Arabic: muIddraba, muqdrada, qird) 3) in which one party supplied the capital and the other the services and, in Malikite and Hanifite law, it could take the form of a labor partnership, that is, one in which the only investment on the part of all its members was their skill or labor. In this last category of partnership, the capital itself consisted solely or primarily of the labor of the partners.
The Legal Context of Mentally Disordered Sex Offender (MDSO) Treatment Programs

The constitutional and empirical viability of "mentally disordered sex offender" statutes is reviewed in light of recent research and litigation. A brief history of legislative activity shows that, after an initial flurry of enacting such statutes, many states began repealing them. In spite of this retrenchment, other states have established new programs either through modifying existing statutes or enacting new ones. The relationship of "mentally disordered sex offender" legislation to treatment is discussed within a range of current state programs. An understanding of the legal context in which treatment programs operate is critical to addressing ultimate questions of treatment efficacy and sex offender recidivism. Language: en
Practical methods for shape fitting and kinetic data structures using core sets

The notion of e-kernel was introduced by Agarwal et al. to set up a unified framework for computing various extent measures of a point set p approximately. Roughly speaking, a subset Q ⊆ P is an e-kernel of P if for every slab W containing Q, the expanded slab (1+e)W contains P. They illustrated the significance of an e-kernel by showing that it yields approximation algorithms for a wide range of problems.We present a simpler and more practical algorithm for computing the e-kernel of a set P of points in R3. We demonstrate the practicality of our algorithm by showing its empirical performance on various inputs. We then describe an incremental algorithm for fitting various shapes and use the ideas of our algorithm for computing e-kernels to analyze the performance of this algorithm. We illustrate the versatility and practicality of this technique by implementing approximation algorithms for minimum enclosing cylinder, minimum-volume bounding box, and minimum-width annulus. Finally, we show that e-kernels can be effectively used to expedite the algorithms for maintaining extents of moving points.
Highly responsive fluorescent sensing of explosives taggant with an organic nanofibril film

Abstract Efficient sensing of an explosives taggant, 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB), has been performed with an organic nanofibril film through monitoring the fluorescence quenching of the film upon exposure to the DMNB vapor. The nanofibril film was fabricated from an alkoxycarbonyl-substituted carbazole-cornered conjugate tetracycle molecule, namely ACTC, which possesses a planar, rigid molecular geometry that favors cofacial π–π stacking between the molecules, leading to the formation of nanofibril structures with extended one-dimensional molecular stacking. The nanofibril film thus fabricated demonstrated unprecedented efficiency in detecting DMNB vapor, likely due to the extended one-dimensional molecular packing and the highly porous structure thus formed within the film. The former facilitates the exciton migration along the long-axis of nanofiber, while the latter enhances the adsorption of DMNB vapor and the expedient diffusion of the analyte through the film. The enhanced adsorption and diffusion of DMNB molecules within the matrix of the film also accounts for the improved response time of the film in fluorescence quenching upon exposure to DMNB vapor.
Corporate intelligence networks

In a global economy the corporation, like the state, needs an intelligence capability. Few corporations currently possess such a capability, but the loss of serving government intelligence officers to higher paid private sector roles might signal corporate awareness of this need.
Chemical modification of sulfhydryl residues of rabbit triosephosphate isomerase

Abstract Rabbit muscle triosephosphate isomerase (EC 5.3.1.1) is inactivated by maleimides, Na 2 S 4 O 6 , organic mercurials, 5,5′-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid), Ag + , and Hg 2+ . Ag 2+ and Hg 2+ cause a decrease in the maximum velocity, and under specified conditions the other reagents induce an increase in the Michaelis constant. N -ethylmaleimide reacts with three sulfhydryl residues per mole of enzyme, and the maximum change in K m is about threefold. Mercurials cause a greater change in K m and react with more than three sulfhydryl groups, but subsequent precipitation prevents quantitative analysis after six residues have reacted (with p -hydroxymercuribenzoate). Experiments with several competitive inhibitors and the active-site affinity label, 3-chloroacetolphosphate, showed that the magnitude of the change in Michaelis constant was the same as the magnitude of the changes in the inhibition constants. The rabbit muscle and liver enzyme appear to have similar properties, but the chicken muscle enzyme is much less reactive, and the yeast enzyme does not become inactivated. Evidence is presented to show that the effects cannot be explained by assuming the hydrated substrates are bound to the enzyme as a result of sulfhydryl modification.
Factors affecting resolution, band width, number of theoretical plates, and apparent diffusion coefficients in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Abstract A systematic study of several variables affecting band width and resolution in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) has been carried out. This makes it possible to determine resolution, number of theoretical plates, and an apparent diffusion coefficient in PAGE. Measurement of band position yields a linear relationship between logarithm of electrophoretic mobility and gel concentration when other variables are held constant. Similarly, measurement of band width yields a linear relationship between the logarithm of the dispersion coefficient ( D ′) and gel concentration. This makes it possible to extrapolate to 0 gel concentration and to obtain as estimate of a free dispersion coefficient ( D ′ 0 ) which is usually one or two orders of magnitude greater than the free diffusion coefficient ( D 20,w ). D ′ depends on protein concentration (which is a function of sample load and time), on ionic strength ( I ), and on duration of electrophoresis (dependent on field strength which in turn depends on ionic strength and current). Since these several variables introduce nonlinear and interrelated correction factors, extrapolation to “infinite ionic strength,” “zero concentration,” and “infinite time” becomes difficult although it is potentially feasible at both the experimental and the theoretical level, and thus it may be possible to determine diffusion coefficients in PAGE on microgram amounts of material without the need for preliminary purification. Alternatively, PAGE in a nonsieving, anticonvectant gel at high ionic strength and for long duration may be able to provide an estimate of D 20,w . The results also support the validity of previously developed approximations for the relationship between band width and gel concentration, and for the relationship between band dispersion and electrophoretic mobility.
Multi-carrier modulation for high-rate underwater acoustic communications

The current state-of-the-art in high-rate acoustic communications is represented by adaptive multi-channel equalization of single-carrier wideband signals, which is used in real-time acoustic modems and as a benchmark for coherent communications performance. An alternative technique with significant potential for achieving high bit rates over multipath-distorted (frequency selective) channels is multi-carrier modulation (MCM). MCM has many technical advantages for acoustic communications including an increased tolerance of time synchronization errors made possible by the use of a set of narrow-band channels. In addition, each frequency channel can be transmitted using relatively narrow-band high efficient transducer and low-power amplifier. Each of MCM frequency channels can have relatively low delay spread when measured in units of the baud period and can be equalized with low-complexity algorithms and simplified array processing. The reduction of the inter-symbol interference (ISI) ISI span in each sub-channel allows for the application of sophisticated soft decision decoders, such as maximum-likelihood sequence detectors (MLSD) and adaptive BCJR MAP algorithm. These algorithms are optimal for joint channel estimation and data recovery and are the principal part of the proposed MCM system and their properties are the general objective of the paper. The adaptive form of MAP algorithm has been considered. More practical MLSD algorithm with dual loop feedback and pre-survivor (PSP) processing was tested in SPACE08 and RACE08 shallow water acoustic communications experiments and yielded excellent results.
Generation of a Baculovirus Recombinant Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen and Its Use in the Development of a Novel Protein Biochip Quantitative Immunoassay

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a 100-kDa transmembrane glycoprotein identified by the monoclonal antibody 7E11-C5.3 from the human prostate tumor cell line LNCaP. Because of its significant upregulation in androgen refractory and metastatic prostate cancers, PSMA may be a useful prognostic biomarker and a target for developing novel therapeutic strategies. However, the lack of abundant pure PSMA protein and the low efficacy in immunoaffinity isolation from LNCaP cells have hampered the development of clinical assays. In order to obtain a renewable and reliable source of pure antigen, we used the baculovirus/insect cell system to express and purify a recombinant PSMA. A recombinant baculovirus containing a 6x histidine-tagged PSMA gene was generated, from which rPSMA was expressed and purified using cobalt-chelating affinity chromatography. The purity and correct molecular size of rPSMA were demonstrated by gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Glycosidase digestions showed that the oligosaccharides on rPSMA are primarily N-linked high-mannose type. Although the glycosylation is different from the native PSMA, it did not affect the immunoreactivity of rPSMA to antibodies specific for either the intra- or the extracellular domains of PSMA. Finally, the purified rPSMA was successfully used to develop a quantitative PSMA immunoassay using the novel ProteinChip surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry technology.
Evaluation of hemoperitoneum using a single- vs multiple-view ultrasonographic examination.

Objective: To compare the sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies between a single-view ultrasonography (US) technique and a multiple-view technique for identifying hemoperitoneum in multiple-trauma patients. Methods: Data from a prior prospective study of US for trauma diagnosis at a level I trauma center were retrospectively analyzed. A convenience sample of adult patients (≥ 18 years of age) who had presented with major blunt or penetrating torso trauma and had undergone rapid trauma US examinations to detect hemoperitoneum were reviewed. The US interpretations by emergency physicians had been recorded prior to obtaining other diagnostic tests. Five views were evaluated, including the right intercostal oblique view examining Morison's pouch. Evidence of free intraperitoneal fluid by exploratory laparotomy, CT, or diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) was used as the criterion standard. Results: Of the 245 patients entered into the study, 37 had free intraperitoneal fluid, confirmed by CT, DPL, or exploratory laparotomy. With the multiple-view technique, US was 87% (95% CI = 71%, 96%) sensitive, 100% (95% CI = 97%, 100%) specific, and 98% (95% CI = 95%, 100%) accurate. The single-view technique, evaluating only Morison's pouch, was 51% (95% CI = 34%, 68%) sensitive, 100% (95% CI = 98%, 100%) specific, and 93% (95%. CI = 89%, 96%) accurate. Conclusions: An initial trauma US examination using a multiple-view technique is more sensitive than that using a single-view technique for detecting hemoperitoneum in trauma patients.
Examining teachers’ language in Head Start classrooms from a Systemic Linguistics Approach☆

Abstract This study examined teacher language use in Head Start classrooms (N = 43) from the perspective of the Systemic Linguistics Approach (SLA) to describe the nature of teacher support for children's acquisition of academic language and factors that shape language use. Using a sample of teachers who were part of a larger study on early language/literacy curricula, we hypothesized that evidence of emergent academic language registers might be identified using utterance-level descriptions of language and that language use would vary across the three settings examined: Book Reading, Group Content Instruction, and Small Group Instruction. Differences in overall patterns of language were also expected to relate to teachers’ pedagogical skill and the intervention condition to which they were exposed in the larger study. Language use within setting was expected to vary by the content of instruction and, in Book Reading, the books being read. These hypotheses were examined using a corpus of 146,000 teacher utterances from a study in Head Start pre-kindergarten classrooms that included a business-as-usual condition and two intervention conditions. Language variables included use of sophisticated vocabulary, diversity of words used, number of words used, and syntactic complexity; semantic content variables included talk about vocabulary, concepts, and skills. We found evidence of emergent academic registers in Book Reading, Group Content Instructional Time and Small Group Instruction; differences in teacher talk were associated primarily with setting, and few differences related to teacher pedagogical skill or intervention condition. Language use during Book Reading was affected by the type of book read. Our findings identify factors that should be considered when planning interventions and studying classroom language.
The critical period of infant feeding for the development of early disparities in obesity

Childhood obesity is an increasing public health problem, particularly among minority infants and young children. Disparities in overweight prevalence persist and widen with age, highlighting the need to identify factors contributing to early excess weight gain. We review the behavioral, social and macro-environmental factors contributing to the development of obesogenic early feeding practices among African-American infants and young children. We then examine the sociodemographic, household factors, feeding beliefs and infant characteristics associated with age-inappropriate feeding of liquids and solids (inappropriate feeding) among mothers and infants participating the U.S. Infant Care and Risk of Obesity Study, a cohort study of 217 low-income, first-time mothers and infants followed from 3 to 18 months of age. Maternal and infant anthropometry, infant diet, and maternal and household characteristics were collected at home visits at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months of age. Mixed logistic regression was used to estimate the association between maternal and infant characteristics and inappropriate feeding. Rates of age-inappropriate feeding are high; over 75% of infants received solids or juice by 3 months of age. The odds of age-inappropriate feeding were higher among mothers who were single, depressed or believed that their infant is a “greedy” baby. Inappropriate feeding was associated with higher daily energy intake in infants (β = 109.28 calories, p = 0.01) and with increased odds of high infant weight-for-length (WFL; OR = 1.74, 95%CI: 1.01–3.01). Our findings suggest that age-inappropriate complementary feeding influences current energy intakes and infant WFL, factors that may increase long-term obesity risk by shaping infant appetite, food preferences, and metabolism. Given the intractability of pediatric obesity, understanding the role of early feeding in shaping long-term health disparities is critical for developing prevention strategies to stem obesity in early childhood.
Thickness estimates of the upper-mantle transition zone from bootstrapped velocity spectrum stacks of receiver functions

SUMMARY We modify the receiver-functions stacking technique known as velocity spectrum stacking (VSS) so as to estimate combinations of velocity model (V P and V S ) and depth that stack the Ps conversion from upper-mantle discontinuities most coherently. We find that by estimating the diVerences in the depths to the 660 and 410 km discontinuities using velocities that maximize the stacked amplitudes of P410s and P660s phases we can estimate the thickness of the transition zone more accurately than the depths to either of these discontinuities. We present two examples indicating that the transition zone beneath Obninsk, Russia, is 252±6 km thick and that beneath Pasadena, California, is only 220±6 km thick.
Mediated violence and victim consequences: A behavioral measure of attention and interest

The following laboratory study analyses differences in media violence when consequences of that violence to the victim are shown or not shown. Supported by a research grant from the National Association of Broadcasters, the study was undertaken by Dr. Williams, assistant professor of information sciences at Illinois State University, and Dr. Wotring, assistant director of the Communication Research Center at Florida State University.
Mirrored Morality: An Exploration of Moral Choice in Video Games

Abstract This exploratory study was designed to examine how players make moral choices in video games and what effects these choices have on emotional responses to the games. Participants (n=75) filled out a moral foundations questionnaire (MFQ) and then played through the first full act of the video game Fallout 3. Game play was recorded and content analyzed for the moral decisions made. Players also reported their enjoyment of and emotional reactions to the game and reflected on the decisions they made. The majority of players made moral decisions and behaved toward the nonplayer game characters they encountered as if these were actual interpersonal interactions. Individual differences in decision making were predicted by the MFQ. Behaving in antisocial ways did increase guilt, but had no impact on enjoyment.
Comparative Efficacy of Injectable Calcium and Magnesium Salts in the Therapy of Hydrofluoric Acid Burns

Hydrofluoric acid (HF) causes severe skin burns which often progress in severity despite physiologic neutralization. The currently accepted therapy is the subcutaneous injection of calcium (Ca) gluconate to precipitate the residual free fluoride ion. Magnesium (Mg) also forms an insoluble fluoride salt and is less tissue irritating than Ca. This study compared the effects of subcutaneous injection of saline, Ca gluconate, Mg acetate (MgAc), and Mg sulfate (MgSO4) on lesions resulting from HF burns in rats. Burns treated with either Mg compound healed 3.7 +/- 1.7 days faster (p less than 0.05) developed less severe lesions (p less than 0.01) and exhibited left untreated or treated with saline. There was no difference in the incidence of infection between the study groups. The effects of burns treated with calcium were statistically similar to the control groups. This study suggests that Mg may be more effective than Ca in minimizing the duration, depth, and progression of dermal HF burns.
The pursuit of missing information in negotiation

A large body of research has focused on how people exchange and use information during the negotiation process. This work tends to treat information as if it all were readily available upon request. The current research investigated how delays in the pursuit of missing information can influence people's ex-ante priorities and the final settlements they reach. Study 1 found that negotiators achieved more value on an issue after seeking missing information about that issue compared to when the same information was readily accessible. Study 2 found that the effect of searching for information on outcomes was mediated by changes in how important negotiators perceived the issue to be. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
A general synthesis of 6-H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole alkaloids

Abstract A general and versatile synthesis of the 6-H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole alkaloid ellipticine is described; the approach employs the coupling of an acetanilide with a bromoisoquinoline followed by heterocyclic ring formation to give ellipticine.
Neurosurgery certification in member societies of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS). The Americas.

Introduction This article aims to objectively compare the complexity and diversity of the certification process in neurologic surgery in member societies of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies. Methods This study centers on the certification processes in the geographic regions of North, South, and Central America. It presents a subgroup analysis based on the responses provided to a 13-item survey. The data received were analyzed and three Regional Complexity Scores (RCSs) were designed. To compare national board experience, eligibility requirements to access the certification process, and the degree to which exams were obligatory, an RCS–Organizational score was created (RCS-O, 20 points maximum). To analyze the complexity of the examination, an RCS–Components score was designed (RCS-C, 20 points maximum). The sum of both is presented as the Global RCS (RCS-G) score. In addition, a descriptive summary of the certification process for each responding society is also provided. Results On the basis of the data provided by the RCS system, the United States and Brazil seem to have the most developed certification processes in the American continent (20 points each), followed by Canada (18 points) and Mexico (17 points). Conclusion The experience from these leading countries should be of value and reference to other countries, allowing future improvement within the region. Peer-Review Article
Rapid viscoelastic uplift in southeast Alaska caused by post-Little Ice Age glacial retreat

Our observations show that extreme uplift in southeast Alaska began about 1770 AD, with relative sea level (RSL) change to 5.7 m and current uplift rates to 32 mm/yr. This region experienced widespread glacial melting following the Little Ice Age (LIA), with the collapse of the Glacier Bay Icefield alone equivalent to 8 mm of global sea level rise. Geodynamic modelling links the uplift to post-LIA isostatic rebound, with the extreme uplift signal and a priori knowledge of ice load changes requiring the presence of a low viscosity asthenosphere (3.710 18 Pa s). These crustal deformations are triggered by climate change
Energy-Generating Enzymes of Burkholderia cepacia and Their Interactions with Macrophages

We previously demonstrated that several clinical and environmental isolates of Burkholderia cepacia secreted ATP-utilizing enzymes to the medium; the secretion of these enzymes by cystic fibrosis lung isolate strain 38 was shown to be greatly enhanced in the presence of α2-macroglobulin. Fractionation of the growth medium of cystic fibrosis isolate strain 71 belonging to genomovar I demonstrated the presence of two additional proteins, homologues of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin and cytochrome c551, which are normally involved in electron transfer during denitrification. A Q-Sepharose column flowthrough fraction of the growth medium of B. cepacia strain 71 enriched with the azurin and cytochrome c551 homologues triggered apoptosis in macrophages and mast cells, leading to their death. Incubation of the Q-Sepharose column flowthrough fraction with antiazurin and anti-cytochrome c551 antibodies greatly reduced cell death. We cloned and hyperexpressed a gene from B. cepacia strain 71 that encodes the homologue of P. aeruginosa azurin. Such azurin homologues were detected in the growth medium of several strains belonging to genomovars I, III, and VI but not in the growth medium of strains belonging to other genomovars. The growth medium of the strains that elaborated the azurin homologue had high cytotoxicity towards macrophages. Purified azurin homologue was shown to induce apoptosis in macrophages in a caspase-dependent manner and was localized in both the cytosol and nucleus when incubated with or microinjected into macrophages. This is an interesting example of the interaction of a bacterial protein normally involved in cellular energetics with macrophages to effect their cell death.
The daily dynamics of cystic fibrosis airway microbiota during clinical stability and at exacerbation

Recent work indicates that the airways of persons with cystic fibrosis (CF) typically harbor complex bacterial communities. However, the day-to-day stability of these communities is unknown. Further, airway community dynamics during the days corresponding to the onset of symptoms of respiratory exacerbation have not been studied. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of 95 daily sputum specimens collected from four adults with CF, we observed varying degrees of day-to-day stability in airway bacterial community structures during periods of clinical stability. Differences were observed between study subjects with respect to the degree of community changes at the onset of exacerbation. Decreases in the relative abundance of dominant taxa were observed in three subjects at exacerbation. We observed no relationship between total bacterial load and clinical status and detected no viruses by multiplex PCR. CF airway microbial communities are relatively stable during periods of clinical stability. Changes in microbial community structure are associated with some, but not all, pulmonary exacerbations, supporting previous observations suggesting that distinct types of exacerbations occur in CF. Decreased abundance of species that are dominant at baseline suggests a role for less abundant taxa in some exacerbations. Daily sampling revealed patterns of change in microbial community structures that may prove useful in the prediction and management of CF pulmonary exacerbations.
Warehousing and Analyzing Massive RFID Data Sets

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) applications are set to play an essential role in object tracking and supply chain management systems. In the near future, it is expected that every major retailer will use RFID systems to track the movement of products from suppliers to warehouses, store backrooms and eventually to points of sale. The volume of information generated by such systems can be enormous as each individual item (a pallet, a case, or an SKU) will leave a trail of data as it moves through different locations. As a departure from the traditional data cube, we propose a new warehousing model that preserves object transitions while providing significant compression and path-dependent aggregates, based on the following observations: (1) items usually move together in large groups through early stages in the system (e.g., distribution centers) and only in later stages (e.g., stores) do they move in smaller groups, and (2) although RFID data is registered at the primitive level, data analysis usually takes place at a higher abstraction level. Techniques for summarizing and indexing data, and methods for processing a variety of queries based on this framework are developed in this study. Our experiments demonstrate the utility and feasibility of our design, data structure, and algorithms.
Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging for the Detection of Breast Cancer in Dense Versus Nondense Breasts

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) for the detection of breast cancer in dense versus nondense breasts. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This was a retrospective study of 341 women with biopsy-proven breast cancer diagnosed from January 2004 to August 2009 who underwent BSGI before surgical excision. Patients with predominantly fatty replaced (BI-RADS density 1) or scattered fibroglandular tissue (BI-RADS density 2) breasts were classified as nondense, and those with heterogeneously dense (BI-RADS density 3) or extremely dense tissue (BIRADS density 4) were classified as dense. BSGI examinations exhibiting focal increased radiotracer uptake in the area of biopsy-proven cancer were classified as positive according to BSGI reports in the medical record. The sensitivity of BSGI was calculated using Microsoft Excel 2003. Between-group differences were evaluated statistically using the Student t test for continuous variables and the chi-square tes...
The venocutaneous fistula—A new approach to chronic venous access

A surgical technique has been devised for creating access to the central venous circulation, yet avoiding a chronic, in-dwelling central venous catheter. While far removed from actual clinical application, the possibility of catheter-free access to the central venous circulation offers great potential for ease of care and a lessened infection rate of catheter-related sepsis.
The Relationship Between Earnings Goals And Expenditures For Repairs And Maintenance

This study examines whether American industry adjusts to the level expenditures for repairs and maintenance to meet earnings goals. We examine changes in repairs and maintenance expenditures when earnings vary from expectations and find evidence of a direct relation between these variables. This finding raises concerns since deviation from consistent repairs and maintenance programs solely to meet earnings goals may have a detrimental effect on the competitiveness of U.S. firms.
Evidence for Nearly Transfom-Limited Pulses from a Short Cavity Blue Dye Laser

We report a short cavity dye laser which generates picosecond pulses shorter than the uv pumping pulse. An extremely short laser cavity length (0–500 μm) and an average mirror reflectivity of 0.6 result in a short photon cavity lifetime, τc. Pulse shortening is predicted by the laser rate equations for photon cavity lifetimes shorter than the pumping pulse [1], [2].
Draft Genome Sequence of Ralstonia sp. MD27, a Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate)-Degrading Bacterium, Isolated from Compost.

ABSTRACT Ralstonia sp. strain MD27, a novel biopolymer-degrading betaproteobacterium, was isolated from compost samples. This organism has been shown to utilize the biopolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] as a carbon source for growth. We report the draft genome sequence of MD27 with an estimated total sequence length of 5.9 Mb.
Scientific and Regulatory Considerations for Development and Commercialization of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs

This chapter focuses on the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) from the scientific and regulatory perspective of the development of poorly water-soluble drugs to provide insights into regulatory filing from Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to New Drug Application (NDA) submission. The chapter includes two primary sections to cover the two regulatory stages for CMC module of filing, IND and NDA. The IND section of the chapter includes the following contents: (1) brief description of general filing requirements as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and relevant guidances; (2) discussion of potential regulatory issues for developing poorly water-soluble drugs using various pharmaceutical technologies in the IND stage, i.e., solid-form selection, particle-size reduction, lipid formulation, and amorphous solid dispersion. The NDA section of the chapter includes the following: (1) general regulatory filing requirements of an NDA application; (2) potential regulatory issues associated with poorly water-soluble drugs; detailed discussions are carried out on topics including solid-form selection of the drug substance, drug product development using novel pharmaceutical technologies, development of control strategies, etc.; (3) case studies of marketed drug products of poorly water-soluble drugs in various dosage forms; this part uses the public information of the approved products as examples to support the discussions as outlined in part (2); and (4) brief discussion on the concept of Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) in the development of poorly soluble drugs. The book chapter concludes with a brief summary which emphasizes on the link between regulation and science.
Contagious Offsite Work and the Lonely Office: The Unintended Consequences of Distributed Work

Research in the area of offsite work arrangements (telework, remote work, etc.) has generally been focused on understanding how the experience of being offsite changes work attitudes and performanc...
Visibility algorithms for mold and die design

Algorithms are developed for selecting optimal parting directions in mold and die design. Based on the condition for demoldability, two levels of visibility--complete and partial visibility--are defined. The viewing directions in which a surface is completely visible can be represented as a convex region on the unit sphere, called the visibility map of the surface. Algorithms are given for dividing a given part into visibility-independent surfaces; for constructing visibility maps; for finding, heuristically, a set of parting directions with minimal cardinality such that no inserts are required; and for selecting an optimal pair of parting directions, for a two-plate mold, that minimizes the number of inserts. When a surface is not completely visible to any direction, and thus is not removable from the mold along any direction, the surface is decomposed by considering the directions to which the surface is partially visible. These directions can again be represented on the sphere, by the augmented visibility map of the surface. To minimize the number of inserts, the augmented visibility map of a surface not only records the directions allowing the surface to be partially visible, but also groups them according to the different number of inserts required. An algorithm is given for constructing the augmented visibility map of a surface.
IS THE IPCC’s 5TH ASSESSMENT A DENIER OF POSSIBLE MACROECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE?

This review summarizes what we know about the macroeconomics of mitigating climate change over the period 2010 to 2100 as presented in the 2014 IPCC Working Group III report. The review finds that little more, if anything, has been learned about the macroeconomics of mitigating climate change over the long run since the 2007 IPCC report. Furthermore, while the 2014 report is quite self-critical about the serious weaknesses in its methodologies, the self-criticisms are not explicitly taken into account when the net macroeconomic costs of mitigation are reported. Nor do the research teams that run the integrated assessment models relied on in the report utilize any systematic methodology for assessing the inherent uncertainty in the macroeconomic results reported. Thus, the basic quantitative “findings” are misleading — and, perhaps, even deceptive — in part because they appear to preclude the possibility of large macroeconomic benefits from mitigating climate change.
Semiclassical Physics and Confinement

Let us first consider the status of continuum quantum chromodynamics (QCD) as it was presented here last year.1,2 On one hand, George Tiktopoulos and I found evidence from perturbation theory for exponentiation of infrared singularities of various processes involving colored external particles.1 This exponentiation suggested the vanishing of soft-gluon-emission amplitudes in the limit of zero gluon mass, and led to the appearance of factors of g−1 (g is the coupling constant) in certain integrals related to total cross-sections.Clearly these factors could not be recovered in perturbation theory. There were no real-gluon singularities, so the virtual singularities could act to confine quarks. On the other hand, calculations of various color-blind cross-sections order by order in g showed the usual Bloch-Nordsieck cancellation between real and virtual infrared singularities.2 Both of these alternatives were examined in terms of the bare coupling constant (or a coupling constant renormalized off-shell).
The Revival of Diplomacy

D IPLOMACY is beginning to regain prominence in international relations. No coherent international system had existed after World War I marked the end of the nineteenth-century order; World War II unavoidably resulted from the inability of nations to regroup into a viable world system. In the i960's, the effort is at long last under way again to establish a durable international order. This effort was effectively frustrated as long as either the United States or Russia could hope that supremacy in nuclear armaments would provide the opportunity quickly and decisively to gain world domination. The existence of the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile terminates such hopes. Checked by each other's ICBM's, the two superpowers are reduced in their rivalry to a prolonged struggle, unlikely to end in total victory or defeat for either. Last October's Cuban confrontation practically-and dramatically-"proved" this point. It is now possible to strive for a durable international system founded on the unresolved perpetuation of the East-West rivalry. Accordingly, both books under review are most timely. Their common subject is alliance. They thus address directly the central problem of how nations can and will align themselves in a prolonged effort to compete for national gain without provoking the violence of a war that would be fatal to most of them. Professors Wolfers and Liska bring European training and an essentially historical approach to their subject. While obviously acquainted with the full range of current scholarship in the field, each prefers to rely methodologically on historical precedent for national behavior, rather than on decision-making analysis or the application of systems analysis to international relations. The two books complement each other. In Discord and Collaboration, Professor Wolfers offers a collection of essays, many drawn with minor changes from articles previously published, that in aggregate present a senior scholar's approach to, and conceptualization of, international
Clean Fractionation Pretreatment Reduces Enzyme Loadings for Biomass Saccharification and Reveals the Mechanism of Free and Cellulosomal Enzyme Synergy

Enzymatic depolymerization of polysaccharides is often a key step in the production of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass. Historically, model cellulose substrates have been utilized to reveal insights into enzymatic saccharification mechanisms. However, translating findings from model substrates to realistic biomass substrates is critical for evaluating enzyme performance. Here, we employ a commercial fungal enzyme cocktail, purified cellulosomes, and combinations of these two enzymatic systems to investigate saccharification mechanisms on corn stover deconstructed either via clean fractionation (CF) or deacetylated dilute sulfuric acid pretreatments. CF is an organosolv pretreatment method utilizing water, MIBK, and either acetone or ethanol with catalytic amounts of sulfuric acid to fractionate biomass components. The insoluble cellulose-enriched fraction (CEF) from CF contains mainly cellulose, with minor amounts of residual hemicellulose and lignin. Enzymatic digestions at both low and ...
Synergistic Effect of Fluorescein on Rose Bengal-Induced, Light-Dependent Toxicity

The nontoxic xanthene dye fluorescein was found to synergize the toxicity of rose bengal to larvae of Aedes triseriatus (Say) upon illumination. Synergism was observed in sunlight, under fluorescent light, and upon illumination by laser light of 488.0 and 514.5 nm. Similarly, fluorescein was shown to synergize the rose bengal sensitized inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The study demonstrated that it is possible to enhance the photodynamic activity of rose bengal by using another dye to expand the usable range of light wavelengths.
Should Adolescents Have Over-the-Counter Access to Oral Contraceptive Pills and Antibiotics?

The rate of teenage pregnancy and abortion in the U.S. is the highest in the developed world. Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are an effective method of contraception that has very few contraindications in healthy adolescents. This article discusses the issue of whether adolescents should be allowed access to OCPs and antibiotics for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases without prior consultation with a health care provider. The author argues that patient education and counseling that result from an interaction with a clinician are necessary for sexually active adolescents and could be greatly diminished if OCPs become available over-the-counter.
Surgical treatment of Lutembacher’s syndrome

Summary Two young adults with ausculatory evidence of mitral stenosis for many years were found at catheterization to have a left-to-right shunt at the atrial level. At operation both patients demonstrated a sizable atrial septal defect associated with mitral stenosis: acquired in one patient and congenital in the other. The operative technique used in correcting the congenital valvular lesion has been reviewed. Successful treatment of two patients with Lutembacher’s syndrome, clinically well 14 months after operation, has been presented. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Dr. Nigran for his translations of Lutembacher’s original papers.
Power balancing of multibeam laser fusion lasers

The success of laser fusion depends to a good degree on the ability to compress the target to very high densities of ≥1000 times liquid DT. To achieve such compressions require that the irradiation nonuniformity must not exceed ≈ 1 % rms over the whole time of the compression, particularly during the early phases of irradiation.
Assessing Drinking and Academic Performance Among a Nationally Representative Sample of College Students

This investigation assessed whether alcohol consumption was negatively related to grade point average (GPA) among a nationally representative sample of college students. Items from the American Col...
Rethinking operating systems for rebooted computing

as the deceleration of processor scaling due to Moore's law accelerates research in new types of computing structures, the need arises for rethinking operating systems paradigms. Traditionally, an operating system is a layer between hardware and applications and its primary function is in managing hardware resources and providing a common abstraction to applications. How does this function apply, however, to new types of computing paradigms? Are operating systems even needed for these new structures? This paper revisits operating system functionality for new computing paradigms. The structure of these new computers is uncertain as there are many possibilities such as neuromorphic, bio-inspired, adiabatic, reversible, approximate, quantum, combinations of these and others unforeseen [1]. We do know, however, that whatever these new computers will be, there will be some need to manage their resources, to provide programming support, to partition, scale, and connect them and to deal with (partial) failure, along with other traditional operating system's functionality. There might also be some new functionality, such as creating abstract control loops, reasoning about precision, new ways of reconfiguring, and more. We strongly believe that even if traditional operating systems functionality evolves, that the need for operating systems will remain in the new era of computing.
Nondegenerate Nonlinear Refraction in Semiconductors

The dispersion of nondegenerate nonlinear refraction in semiconductors is measured using our beam-deflection method. With high nondegeneracy, n2 is significantly enhanced over the degenerate case, and rapidly switches sign to negative near the bandgap.
Characterization of Novel Natural Mutations in Telomere Binding Protein Factor (TIN2) Identified in Patients with Bone-Marrow Failure Syndromes

We report for the first time potential pathogenic mutations in a known telomeric DNA binding protein factor (TIN2) in patients with acquired aplastic anemia. We examined samples collected from 142 AA patients and 289 healthy controls and found several natural sequence changes in the TINF2 gene, which encodes for the TIN2 protein. Lymphocytes collected from patients with TINF2 variant alleles appeared to grow slower in culture than cells collected from either healthy individuals or those who carried inconsequential polymorphic TINF2 sequence changes (SNPs), consistent with the fact that telomere lengths in these patients were shorter than those of healthy individuals of similar age. We introduced natural mutations in the TIN2 promoter region into a TIN2-promoter driven luciferase reporter plasmid and examined their effect on driving luciferase reporter expression. Using a similar approach, we defined both the regulatory DNA elements and transcriptional factors that control TINF2 gene expression under normal physiological condition. Results obtained from these studies were validated in gel-shift (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. In addition to mutations in the promoter region, numerous natural mutations were identified in the coding region of the TINF2 gene in patients with AA or Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC). We used co-immunoprecipitation assays to test the effect of natural mutations in disrupting TIN2’s interaction with its known protein partners TRF1, TRF2 and TPP1 of the shelterin complex that protects chromosome ends. The results obtained from these studies will be discussed. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive functional analysis of all known mutations in the TINF2 gene in patients with AA or DC. This study offers an insight into how TINF2 mutations can lead to telomere shortening effect and to limited marrow stem-cell reserve and renewal capacity in patients with various forms of bone-marrow failure syndromes.
Abstract 155: C-kit+ Cardiac Progenitor Cells Contain a Subpopulation of Slowly Adherent Cells With Higher Cardiomyogenic and Pro-angiogenic Profile

Background: Isolation of a pure population of cardiomyogenic cardiac stem cells (CPCs) has been the Holy-Grail in cardiac regeneration. C-kit, a cell surface receptor, has been proposed as a marker...