cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Reputation and Competition on the Advice of Real Estate Agents

We study a two-period bargaining game where buyers and sellers employ real estate agents to help them determine the sales price of a house. We find that agents are less likely to provide aggressive bargaining advice to their client when they receive percentage commissions and when they work for the buyer. In addition, we find that agents are less likely to suggest aggressive bargaining strategies when there is little market competition, the gains to trade are large, in markets where housing values appreciate slowly, and when dual agency is permitted. More importantly, we show that an agent is more likely to bargain aggressively and capture a portion of the gains to trade for a client when the house’s sales price is closely related to the agent’s reputation and future business (referrals).
A Cyclage Poset Structure for Littlewood-Richardson Tableaux

A graded poset structure is defined for sets of Littlewood?Richardson (LR) tableaux whose cardinalities are the multiplicities of irreducible gl(n)-modules in the tensor product of several irreducible gl(n)-modules indexed by rectangular partitions. This is a generalization of the cyclage poset on tableaux defined by Lascoux and Schutzenberger. This combinatorial construction is of independent interest and may be understood without reference to the underlying algebraic geometry. It is shown that the polynomials obtained by enumerating LR tableaux by shape and a generalized charge statistic, are the graded multiplicities of irreducibles in certain graded gl(n)-modules supported in the closure of a nilpotent conjugacy class. In particular, explicit tableau formulas are obtained for the special cases of the Kostka?Foulkes polynomials, the coefficient polynomials of two-column Macdonald?Kostka polynomials, and the graded multiplicities of coordinate rings of closures of conjugacy classes of nilpotent matrices. These polynomials coincide with the q -enumeration of rigged configurations and conjecturally coincide with the q -analogues of LR coefficients defined by the spin?weight generating functions of ribbon tableaux introduced by Lascoux, Leclerc, and Thibon.
Confronting Government After Welfare Reform: Moralists, Reformers, and Narratives of (Ir)responsibility at Administrative Fair Hearings

Almost 40 years ago, the Supreme Court, in the landmark case Goldberg v. Kelly (1970), provided welfare participants with a potentially potent tool for challenging the government welfare bureaucracy by requiring pre-termination hearings before welfare benefits were discontinued or reduced. In 1996, with the passage of the Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), the rights talk of Kelly was officially replaced with the discourse of individual responsibility. Using observational data of administrative hearings and interviews with administrative law judges and appellants, this study explores how fair hearings have been affected by this official reconceptualization of rights. I find that hearings are not a panacea for challenging the more punitive aspects of welfare reform, but nor are they devoid of the possibility of justice. While hearings can replicate in style and substance the inequities, rigid adherence to rules, and moral judgments that characterize welfare relationships under the PRWORA, they can also be used as a mechanism for creating counternarratives to the dominant discourse about welfare. This study identifies two types of judges—moralist judges and reformer judges—and examines how their differing approaches determine which narrative emerges in the hearing room.
Quick simulation of excessive backlogs in networks of queues

We consider stable open Jackson networks and study the rare events of excessive backlogs. Although, these events occur rarely they can be critical, since they can impair the functioning of the network. We attempt to estimate the probability of these events by simulations. Since, the direct simulation of rare events takes a very long time, this procedure is very costly. Instead, we devise a method for changing the network to speed up the simulation of rare events. We try to pursue this idea with the help of Large Deviation theory. This approach, under certain assumptions, results in a system of differential equations which may be difficult to solve. To circumvent this, we develop a heuristic method which gives the rule for changing the network for the purpose of simulations. We illustrate, by examples, that our method of simulations can be several orders of magnitude faster than direct simulations.
Slow light in photonic crystals

The problem of slowing down light by orders of magnitude has been extensively discussed in the literature. Such a possibility can be useful in a variety of optical and microwave applications. Many qualitatively different approaches have been explored. Here we discuss how this goal can be achieved in linear dispersive media, such as photonic crystals. The existence of slowly propagating electromagnetic waves in photonic crystals is quite obvious and well known. The main problem, though, has been how to convert the input radiation into the slow mode without losing a significant portion of the incident light energy to absorption, reflection, etc. We show that the so-called frozen mode regime offers a unique solution to the above problem. Under the frozen mode regime, the incident light enters the photonic crystal with little reflection and, subsequently, is completely converted into the frozen mode with huge amplitude and almost zero group velocity. The linearity of the above effect allows the slowing of lig...
Generalized scaling of the transverse mass spectrum at the relativistic heavy-ion collider

Abstract We argue that the transverse mass spectra of identified hadrons as measured in gold–gold collisions at BNLs Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) follows a generalized scaling law. Such a scaling behavior is motivated by the idea of a Color Glass Condensate, or more generally, saturation of the gluon density. In particular, we describe the shapes of transverse mass spectra as a function of centrality. This scaling of the transverse mass spectrum is shown to be consistent with previously observed scaling of multiplicity with centrality.
The Effect of Load Phase Angle on Wind Turbine Blade Fatigue Damage

This paper examines the importance of load phase angle variations on fatigue damage and evaluates the potential effects of varying the load phase angle during dual-axis constant amplitude fatigue testing. The scope of this paper is limited to results from simulated wind and dynamic loads. The operating loads on a generic three bladed upwind 1.5 MW wind turbine blade were analyzed over a range of operating conditions, and an aggregate probability distribution for the actual phase angles between the peak inplane (lead-lag) and peak out-of-plane (flap) loads was determined. Using a finite element model (FEM) of the 1.5 MW blade and Miner's Rule [Miner, A., 1945, Cumulative Damage in Fatigue, Trans. ASME, 67], the accumulated theoretical fatigue damage (based on axial strains) resulting from a fatigue test with variable phase angles using the aggregate distribution was compared to the damage resulting from a fatigue test with a constant phase angle. The FEM nodal damage distribution at specific blade cross sections were compared for the constant and variable phase angle cases. Single-node stress concentrations were distributed arbitrarily around one cross section to simulate material defects in a blade undergoing testing. Results show that the variable phase angle case results in higher damage on the critical nodes. In addition, the probability of discovering a material defect during a test was substantially increased when variable phase loading was used. The effect of phase angle sequence on the damage accumulation was also considered. For this analysis, the finite element results were processed using a nonlinear damage accumulation model. Results show that the sequence of the phase angle can have a large effect on the fatigue damage, and multiple, shorter length sequences produce higher damage than a single, long term sequence.
Two Sources Are Better than One for Increasing the Kolmogorov Complexity of Infinite Sequences

The randomness rate of an infinite binary sequence is characterized by the sequence of ratios between the Kolmogorov complexity and the length of the initial segments of the sequence. It is known that there is no effective procedure that transforms one input sequence into another sequence with higher randomness rate. By contrast, we display such a uniform effective procedure having as input two independent sequences with positive but arbitrarily small constant randomness rate. Moreover the transformation is a truth-table reduction and the output has randomness rate arbitrarily close to 1.
Excess reserves and economic activity

Abstract This paper examines endogenous excess reserve holdings in the banking sector of an otherwise standard DSGE environment. Excess reserves act as an extensive margin of bank lending that is inactive in traditional limited participation models where banks hold minimal reserves by assumption. The results suggest that this extensive margin of bank lending can dampen and even overturn the standard liquidity effect of monetary contractions. When the liquidity effect is overturned, a monetary contraction results in an increase in output. In addition, the model predicts that changes in the interest rate paid on reserves can deliver large, short-run responses.
Parallel tiled QR factorization for multicore architectures

As multicore systems continue to gain ground in the high-performance computing world, linear algebra algorithms have to be reformulated or new algorithms have to be developed in order to take advantage of the architectural features on these new processors. Fine-grain parallelism becomes a major requirement and introduces the necessity of loose synchronization in the parallel execution of an operation. This paper presents an algorithm for the QR factorization where the operations can be represented as a sequence of small tasks that operate on square blocks of data (referred to as ‘tiles’). These tasks can be dynamically scheduled for execution based on the dependencies among them and on the availability of computational resources. This may result in an out-of-order execution of the tasks that will completely hide the presence of intrinsically sequential tasks in the factorization. Performance comparisons are presented with the LAPACK algorithm for QR factorization where parallelism can be exploited only at the level of the BLAS operations and with vendor implementations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A classical bound on quantum entropy

A classical upper bound for quantum entropy is identified and illustrated, 0 ≤ Sq ≤ ln(eσ2/2), involving the variance σ2 in phase space of the classical limit distribution of a given system. A fortiori, this further bounds the corresponding information-theoretical generalizations of the quantum entropy proposed by Renyi.
Random Matrices and Lyapunov Coefficients Regularity

Analyticity and other properties of the largest or smallest Lyapunov exponent of a product of real matrices with a “cone property” are studied as functions of the matrices entries, as long as they vary without destroying the cone property. The result is applied to stability directions, Lyapunov coefficients and Lyapunov exponents of a class of products of random matrices and to dynamical systems. The results are not new and the method is the main point of this work: it is is based on the classical theory of the Mayer series in Statistical Mechanics of rarefied gases.
Precision Calculations for Future Colliders

I discuss the motivations for, and the status of, precision calculations for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and the planned International Linear Collider (ILC).
Formal verification of statecharts using finite-state model checkers

This brief concerns the formal verification of properties of statecharts, a hierarchical state machine formalism for designing control-system logic. Various semantics have been defined for statecharts in terms of the microsteps that determine the transitions between statechart configurations. We show how computation tree logic (CTL) specifications for a statechart can be verified using a finite-state model checker such as SMV. The inputs to the model checker are a model and an associated expansion of the CTL formula that reflect the semantics. A Kripke structure with marked states provides the formal relationship between the expanded model and the original statechart structure and CTL specification. The results apply to a general class of semantics and statecharts with bounded behaviors. The approach is illustrated with a small example
Nucleophilic trifluoromethylation tamed

Abstract The paper reviews our recent findings on the trifluoromethylation of organic compounds using TMSCF 3 . Direct preparation of trifluoromethylated ketones from esters, amides from alcohols and amines from imines is described. Trifluoromethylated amino alcohols are also prepared using a three-component condensation chemistry.
Sleep and Executive Function in Older Women: The Moderating Effect of Physical Activity

Age-related declines in cognitive processes are well documented (1), with executive functions at especially high risk for deteriorating with age (2,3). Executive functions (ie, attention, reasoning, impulse control, working memory) enable an individual to manage time, plan, organize, remember details, and behave appropriately (4). Performance of both complex activities (eg, using the phone, preparing a meal, driving) (5) and basic activities of daily living (eg, bathing, eating, dressing) (6) are affected by executive function. Thus, preserving executive function is vital for everyday functioning as well as for maintaining autonomy and quality of life, which is of great public health importance. Sleep (7,8) and physical activity (PA) (9–11) are thought to be important for cognitive function. However, few studies of cognitive function include comprehensive measurement of both sleep and PA. Additionally, few studies have considered how PA may affect the associations between sleep and cognitive function. Studying these relationships in older women may be particularly pertinent given the high prevalence of sleep disturbances (12,13) and low levels of PA (14,15) generally observed among this population subgroup. Moreover, preservation of executive function in woman may have the most profound implications for public health because women live longer than men and are subsequently at greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease (16). The purpose of this study was to assess the associations of both sleep and PA with cognitive function in older women. We hypothesized that poor sleep and low PA would be associated with worse cognitive function. Additionally, we examined the moderating effect of PA on associations between sleep and cognitive function. Importantly, we considered both direct (ie, device-based) and self-reported (ie, diary) measurements of sleep and PA.
Emergency contraception use and counseling after changes in United States prescription status.

Analysis of data from the 2006–2008 National Survey of Family Growth indicates that use of emergency contraception in the United States has increased after changes in its prescription status in 2006. However, clinicians continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring that women have accurate information about emergency contraception.
Minimum bias multiple taper spectral estimation

Two families of orthonormal tapers are proposed for multitaper spectral analysis: minimum bias tapers, and sinusoidal tapers {/spl upsisup (k/)}, where /spl upsisub nsup (k/)=/spl radic/(2/(N+1))sin(/spl pi/kn/N+1), and N is the number of points. The resulting sinusoidal multitaper spectral estimate is S/spl circ/(f)=(1/2K(N+1))/spl Sigmasub j=1sup K/|y(f+j/(2N+2))-y(f-j/(2N+2))|/sup 2/, where y(f) is the Fourier transform of the stationary time series, S(f) is the spectral density, and K is the number of tapers. For fixed j, the sinusoidal tapers converge to the minimum bias tapers like 1/N. Since the sinusoidal tapers have analytic expressions, no numerical eigenvalue decomposition is necessary. Both the minimum bias and sinusoidal tapers have no additional parameter for the spectral bandwidth. The bandwidth of the jth taper is simply 1/N centered about the frequencies (/spl plusmn/j)/(2N+2). Thus, the bandwidth of the multitaper spectral estimate can be adjusted locally by simply adding or deleting tapers. The band limited spectral concentration, /spl intsub -wsup w/|V(f)|/sup 2/df of both the minimum bias and sinusoidal tapers is very close to the optimal concentration achieved by the Slepian (1978) tapers. In contrast, the Slepian tapers can have the local bias, /spl intsub - 1/2 sup 1/2 /f/sup 2/|V(f)|/sup 2/df, much larger than of the minimum bias tapers and the sinusoidal tapers. >
Vibrationally excited molecular hydrogen in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter

A comprehensive theoretical model for vibrationally excited H2 in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter is presented. Theoretical calculations demonstrate the probable existence of significantly enhanced populations of vibrationally excited H2 in the Jovian upper atmosphere, especially in the auroral regions. It is also shown that this H2 is an important chemical sink of H(+) ions in the Jovian ionosphere and thus has a significant effect on the calculated ionospheric electron densities.
Nonthermal Synchrotron Radiation from Gamma-Ray Burst External Shocks and the X-Ray Flares Observed with Swift

An analysis of the interaction between a spherical relativistic blast-wave shell and a stationary cloud with a spherical cap geometry is performed assuming that the cloud width -->Δcl x, where x is the distance of the cloud from the gamma-ray burst (GRB) explosion center. The interaction is divided into three phases: (1) a collision phase with both forward and reverse shocks; (2) a penetration phase when either the reverse shock has crossed the shell while the forward shock continues to cross the cloud, or vice versa; and (3) an expansion phase when, both shocks having crossed the cloud and shell, the shocked fluid expands. Temporally evolving spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are calculated for the problem of the interaction of a blast-wave shell with clouds that subtend large and small angles compared with the Doppler (-cone) angle -->θ0 = 1/Γ0, where -->Γ0 is the coasting Lorentz factor. The Lorentz factor evolution of the shell/cloud collision is treated in the adiabatic limit. The behavior of the light curves and SEDs on, e.g., -->Γ0, shell-width parameter η, where -->Δ0 + ηx/Γ20 is the blast-wave shell width, and properties and locations of the cloud is examined. Short-timescale variability in GRB light curves, including ~100 keV γ-ray pulses observed with BATSE and delayed ~1 keV X-ray flares found with Swift, can be explained by emissions from an external shock formed by the GRB blast wave colliding with small density inhomogeneities in the frozen-pulse approximation ( -->η → 0), and perhaps in the thin-shell approximation ( -->η ≈ 1/Γ0), but not when -->η ≈ 1. If the frozen-pulse approximation is valid, then external shock processes could make the dominant prompt and afterglow emissions in GRB light curves consistent with short-delay two-step collapse models for GRBs.
Pleural Effusions: Outpatient Management with Pigtail Catheter Chest Tubes

Pulmonary effusions associated with ovarian cancer indicate advanced disease. Although many patients tolerate these effusions, some are symptomatic and manifest respiratory distress. Therapeutic sclerosis of the pleural cavity is successful in some patients; however, not all patients are relieved of respiratory symptoms. We present two symptomatic patients in whom sclerosis was unsuccessful or not an option; their respiratory symptoms were relieved with placement of pigtail catheter chest tubes that allowed discharge from the hospital and management at home. Catheters were easy to manage at home and there were no infectious complications.
A Model of Wafer Bonding by Elastic Accommodation

Two clean and flat wafers can adhere spontaneously. The technique has recently led to novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. The adhesion arises from short-range interatomic forces between wafer surfaces, which can be represented by a reduction in surface energy associated with the transformation of two surfaces into one interface. The wafers, however, are seldom perfectly flat; the misfit has to be accommodated by elastic distortion, plastic deformation, or mass transport. We model elastic accommodation in this paper. The distortion causes the wafers to gain elastic energy. If the surface energy reduction dominates over the elastic energy gain, the wafers will bond. We solve the three dimensional elastic field in the misfit wafers analytically. The conditions for bonding are established, and practical implications discussed.
Collision-induced timing jitter reduction by periodic dispersion management in soliton WDM transmission

A major source of errors in soliton WDM transmission is collision-induced timing jitter. Because standard transmission lines have lumped amplification, the four-wave mixing fields from soliton collisions grow uncontrollably even when the spacing between amplifiers is much smaller than the soliton collision length, adding amplitude and timing jitter to the jitter due to ideal soliton collisions. Previously, it was proposed to use dispersion-decreasing fiber to reduce the four-wave mixing fields. In this paper, we show that dispersion management is a viable alternative to dispersion-decreasing fiber. Our computational results show that solitons in dispersion-managed fibers can actually suffer less impairment than solitons in ideal dispersion-decreasing fibers with the same average dispersion when the channel spacing is <10 pulse spectral widths.
A novel designer natriuretic peptide CD-NP suppresses TGF-beta 1 induced collagen Type I production in human cardiac fibroblasts

Background TGF-beta 1 (TGF), is one of the potent profibrotic factors which plays a fundamental role in myocardial remodeling. Cardiac fibrosis results from excessive deposition of extracellular matrix including collagen type I (Col I) which is mainly produced by cardiac fibroblasts. CD-NP is a novel engineered designer natriuretic peptide (NP) which consists of the ring structure of human C-type NP (CNP) and the C-terminal tail of Dendroaspis NP (DNP). This unique chimeric represents the first dual particulate gaunylyl cyclase receptor activator known to co-activate both natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-A and NPR-B. Previously we reported that CD-NP stimulates the production of the NPR-A/B and the second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in human cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Here we hypothesized that CD-NP would suppress Col I expression stimulated by TGF in CFs.
The Mass Power Spectrum in Quintessence Cosmological Models

We present simple analytic approximations for the linear and fully evolved nonlinear mass power spectrum of matter density fluctuations for spatially flat cold dark matter (CDM) cosmological models with quintessence (Q). Quintessence is a time-evolving, spatially inhomogeneous energy component with negative pressure and an equation of state wQ < 0. It clusters gravitationally on large length scales but remains smooth like the cosmological constant on small length scales. We show that the clustering scale is determined by the Compton wavelength of the Q-field and derive a shape parameter, ΓQ, to characterize the linear mass power spectrum. The growth of linear perturbations as functions of redshift, wQ, and matter density, Ωm, is also quantified. Calibrating to N-body simulations, we construct a simple extension of Ma's 1998 formula that closely approximates the nonlinear power spectrum for a range of plausible QCDM models.
Peg-in-Hole Revisited: A Generic Force Model for Haptic Assembly

The development of a generic and effective force model for semi-automatic or manual virtual assembly with haptic support is not a trivial task, especially when the assembly constraints involve complex features of arbitrary shape. The primary challenge lies in a proper formulation of the guidance forces and torques that effectively assist the user in the exploration of the virtual environment (VE), from repulsing collisions to attracting proper contact. The secondary difficulty is that of efficient implementation that maintains the standard 1 kHz haptic refresh rate. We propose a purely geometric model for an artificial energy field that favors spatial relations leading to proper assembly, differentiated to obtain forces and torques for general motions. The energy function is expressed in terms of a cross-correlation of shape-dependent affinity fields, precomputed offline separately for each object. We test the effectiveness of the method using familiar peg-in-hole examples. We show that the proposed technique unifies the two phases of free motion and precise insertion into a single interaction mode and provides a generic model to replace the ad hoc mating constraints or virtual fixtures, with no restrictive assumption on the types of the involved assembly features.
In-flight identification of the Galileo spacecraft flexible mode characteristics

The scan platform of the Galialan spacecraft is attached to a flexible stator structure that separates the actuator from the platform-mounted inartial sensor. A scheme to identify the flexible mode characteristics (frequency, damping, and modal coefficient) of the stator using flight data is presentevd. A frequency domain analysis approach is taken and the identified mode characteristics will be used for updating the scan platform controler parameters. The influence of structural flexibility to th s can controller design is explained and the constraints in experting the identification procedure in flight are discused. Computer simulation results of the identification scheme are presented. The scheme in further verified by DISCOS simulations, in conjunction witha full spacecraft dynamics model and the scan platform controllers.
Orphan-Free Anisotropic Voronoi Diagrams

We describe conditions under which an appropriately defined anisotropic Voronoi diagram of a set of sites in Euclidean space is guaranteed to be composed of connected cells in any number of dimensions. These conditions are natural for problems in optimization and approximation, and algorithms already exist to produce sets of sites that satisfy them.
Identification and estimation of games with incomplete information using excluded regressors

The existing literature on binary games with incomplete information assumes that either payo¤ functions or the distribution of private information are …nitely parameterized to obtain point identi- …cation. In contrast, we show that, given excluded regressors, payofunctions and the distribution of private information can both be nonparametrically point identi…ed. An excluded regressor for player i is a su¢ ciently varying state variable that does not aect other players'utility and is additively separable from other components in i's payo¤. We show how excluded regressors satis- fying these conditions arise in contexts such as entry games between …rms, as variation in observed components of …xed costs. Our identi…cation proofs are constructive, so consistent nonparametric estimators can be readily based on them. For a semiparametric model with linear payos, we propose root-N consistent and asymptotically normal estimators for parameters in players'payos. Finally, we extend our approach to accommodate the existence of multiple Bayesian Nash equilibria in the data-generating process without assuming equilibrium selection rules.
Science and the Concept of Evolution: From the Big Bang to the Origin and Evolution of Life

The common thread of evolution runs through all science disciplines, and the concept of evolution enables students to better understand the nature of the universe and our origins. “Science and the Concept of Evolution” is one of two interdisciplinary science Core courses taken by Dowling College undergraduates as part of their General Education requirements. The course examines basic principles and methods of science by following the concept of evolution from the big bang to the origin and evolution of life. Case studies of leading scientists illustrate how their ideas developed and contributed to the evolution of our understanding of the world. Evidences for physical, chemical, and biological evolution are explored, and students learn to view the evolution of matter and of ideas as a natural process of change over space and time.
A q-QUEENS PROBLEM I. GENERAL THEORY

By means of the Ehrhart theory of inside-out polytopes we establish a general counting theory for nonattacking placements of chess pieces with unbounded straight-line moves, such as the queen, on a polygonal convex board. The number of ways to place $q$ identical nonattacking pieces on a board of variable size $n$ but fixed shape is (up to a normalization) given by a quasipolynomial function of $n$, of degree $2q$, whose coefficients are polynomials in $q$. The number of combinatorially distinct types of nonattacking configuration is the evaluation of our quasipolynomial at $n=-1$. The quasipolynomial has an exact formula that depends on a matroid of weighted graphs, which is in turn determined by incidence properties of lines in the real affine plane. We study the highest-degree coefficients and also the period of the quasipolynomial, which is needed if the quasipolynomial is to be interpolated from data, and which is bounded by some function, not well understood, of the board and the piece's move directions.
Measurement and Simulation of Water Transport During Freezing in Mammalian Liver Tissue

Optimization of cryosurgical procedures on deep tissues such as liver requires an increased understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of ice formation and water transport in tissues during freezing. In order to further investigate and quantify the amount of water transport that occurs during freezing in tissue, this study reports quantitative and dynamic experimental data and theoretical modeling of rat liver freezing under controlled conditions. The rat liver was frozen by one of four methods of cooling: Method 1-ultrarapid "slam cooling" (> or = 1000 degrees C/min) for control samples; Method 2-equilibrium freezing achieved by equilibrating tissue at different subzero temperatures (-4, -6, -8, -10 degrees C); Method 3-two-step freezing, which involves cooling at 5 degrees C/min. to -4, -6, -8, -10 or -20 degrees C followed immediately by slam cooling; or Method 4-constant and controlled freezing at rates from 5-400 degrees C/min. on a directional cooling stage. After freezing, the tissue was freeze substituted, embedded in resin, sectioned, stained, and imaged under a light microscope fitted with a digitizing system. Image analysis techniques were then used to determine the relative cellular to extracellular volumes of the tissue. The osmotically inactive cell volume was determined to be 0.35 by constructing a Boyle van't Hoff plot using cellular volumes from Method 2. The dynamic volume of the rat liver cells during cooling was obtained using cellular volumes from Method 3 (two-step freezing at 5 degrees C/min). A nonlinear regression fit of a Krogh cylinder model to the volumetric shrinkage data in Method 3 yielded the biophysical parameters of water transport in rat liver tissue of: Lpg = 3.1 x 10(-13) m3/Ns (1.86 microns/min-atm) and ELp = 290 kJ/mole (69.3 kcal/mole), with chi-squared variance of 0.00124. These parameters were then incorporated into the Krogh cylinder model and used to simulate water transport in rat liver tissue during constant cooling at rates between 5-100 degrees C/min. Reasonable agreement between these simulations and the constant cooling rate freezing experiments in Method 4 were obtained. The model predicts that the water transport ceases at a relatively high subzero temperature (-10 degrees C), such that the amount of intracellular ice forming in the tissue cells rises from almost none (= extensive dehydration and vascular expansion) at or = 50 degrees C/min. The theoretical simulations based on these experimental methods may be of use in visualizing and predicting freezing response, and thus can assist in the planning and implementing of cryosurgical protocols.
IDENTITY OF "INHIBITOR" AND ANTIBODY IN EXTRACTS OF VIRUS-INDUCED RABBIT PAPILLOMAS

The "inhibitor" demonstrable in extracts of the virus-induced rabbit papillomas is identical with the antiviral antibody found in the blood of hosts bearing the growths. The conditions in these latter are frequently favorable to its extravasation in considerable amount into them. Its significance and its influence upon the recovery of virus from the papillomas are discussed.
An Examination of the Legal Liability Associated with Outsourcing and Offshoring Audit Procedures

SUMMARY: Accounting firms have steadily increased the use of outsourcing and offshoring of professional services including independent audit procedures. While firms suggest that the work is of higher quality and similar litigation risk, questions remain as to whether public perceptions may be more negative. This paper examines liability associated with an audit failure when work is performed by another office of the same firm or outsourced to a separate firm, and whether the work is performed domestically or in another country. Results indicate main effects for outsourcing on compensatory damages and an interaction between outsourcing and offshoring on punitive damages. Surprisingly, jurors assess higher than expected litigation awards for a failure by another domestic office of the firm for punitive damages. This result suggests that the close proximity in terms of both geography and organizational distance of the domestic office of the firm leads jurors to find the audit failure less understandable. Pos...
Making Sense Out of Chaos: Why Theory is Relevant to Supply Chain Research

In this editorial, we share our vision and expectation that articles published in the Journal of Business Logistics will be grounded in sound theory and make a clear contribution to theory development. By helping us make sense out of chaos, theory’s explanatory power leads to better decision making — a goal we should proactively pursue.
A Note on Rising Food Prices

The rapid rise in food prices has been a burden on the poor in developing countries, who spend roughly half of their household incomes on food. This paper examines the factors behind the rapid increase in internationally traded food prices since 2002 and estimates the contribution of various factors such as the increased production of biofuels from food grains and oilseeds, the weak dollar, and the increase in food production costs due to higher energy prices. It concludes that the most important factor was the large increase in biofuels production in the U.S. and the EU. Without these increases, global wheat and maize stocks would not have declined appreciably, oilseed prices would not have tripled, and price increases due to other factors, such as droughts, would have been more moderate. Recent export bans and speculative activities would probably not have occurred because they were largely responses to rising prices. While it is difficult to compare the results of this study with those of other studies due to differences in methodologies, time periods and prices considered, many other studies have also recognized biofuels production as a major driver of food prices. The contribution of biofuels to the rise in food prices raises an important policy issue, since much of the increase was due to EU and U.S. government policies that provided incentives to biofuels production, and biofuels policies which subsidize production need to be reconsidered in light of their impact on food prices.
Crystal Structure of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Enoyl-ACP Reductase, InhA, in Complex with NAD+ and a C16 Fatty Acyl Substrate

Enoyl-ACP reductases participate in fatty acid biosynthesis by utilizing NADH to reduce the trans double bond between positions C2 and C3 of a fatty acyl chain linked to the acyl carrier protein. The enoyl-ACP reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, known as InhA, is a member of an unusual FAS-II system that prefers longer chain fatty acyl substrates for the purpose of synthesizing mycolic acids, a major component of mycobacterial cell walls. The crystal structure of InhA in complex with NAD+ and a C16 fatty acyl substrate, trans-2-hexadecenoyl-(N-acetylcysteamine)-thioester, reveals that the substrate binds in a general "U-shaped" conformation, with the trans double bond positioned directly adjacent to the nicotinamide ring of NAD+. The side chain of Tyr158 directly interacts with the thioester carbonyl oxygen of the C16 fatty acyl substrate and therefore could help stabilize the enolate intermediate, proposed to form during substrate catalysis. Hydrophobic residues, primarily from the substrate binding loop (residues 196-219), engulf the fatty acyl chain portion of the substrate. The substrate binding loop of InhA is longer than that of other enoyl-ACP reductases and creates a deeper substrate binding crevice, consistent with the ability of InhA to recognize longer chain fatty acyl substrates.
Confidence intervals for random forests: the jackknife and the infinitesimal jackknife

We study the variability of predictions made by bagged learners and random forests, and show how to estimate standard errors for these methods. Our work builds on variance estimates for bagging proposed by Efron (1992, 2013) that are based on the jackknife and the infinitesimal jackknife (IJ). In practice, bagged predictors are computed using a finite number B of bootstrap replicates, and working with a large B can be computationally expensive. Direct applications of jackknife and IJ estimators to bagging require B = Θ(n1.5) bootstrap replicates to converge, where n is the size of the training set. We propose improved versions that only require B = Θ(n) replicates. Moreover, we show that the IJ estimator requires 1.7 times less bootstrap replicates than the jackknife to achieve a given accuracy. Finally, we study the sampling distributions of the jackknife and IJ variance estimates themselves. We illustrate our findings with multiple experiments and simulation studies.
Gate Sizing by Lagrangian Relaxation Revisited

In this paper, we formulate the generalized convex sizing (GCS) problem that unifies the sizing problems and applies to sequential circuits with clock-skew optimization. We revisit the approach to solve the sizing problem by Lagrangian relaxation, point out several misunderstandings in the previous paper, and extend the approach to handle general convex delay functions in the GCS problems. We identify a class of proper GCS problems whose objective functions in the simplified dual problem are differentiable and transform the simultaneous sizing and clock-skew optimization problem into a proper GCS problem. We design an algorithm based on the method of feasible directions and min-cost network flow to solve proper GCS problems. The algorithm will provide evidences for infeasible GCS problems according to a condition derived by us. Experimental results confirm the efficiency and the effectiveness of our algorithm when the Elmore delay model is used.
-Clean Rings; Some Clean and Almost Clean Baer -rings and von Neumann Algebras

A ring is clean (resp. almost clean) if each of its elements is the sum of a unit (resp. regular element) and an idempotent. In this paper we define the analogous notion for ⁎-rings: a ⁎-ring is ⁎-clean (resp. almost ⁎-clean) if its every element is the sum of a unit (resp. regular element) and a projection. Although ⁎-clean is a stronger notion than clean, for some ⁎-rings we demonstrate that it is more natural to use. The theorem on cleanness of unit-regular rings from Camillo and Khurana (2001) [4] is modified for ⁎-cleanness of ⁎-regular rings that are abelian (or reduced or Armendariz). Using this result, it is shown that all finite, type I Baer ⁎-rings that satisfy certain axioms (considered in Berberian (1972) [2] and Vas (2005) [26]) are almost ⁎-clean. In particular, we obtain that all finite type I AW⁎-algebras (thus all finite type I von Neumann algebras as well) are almost ⁎-clean. We also prove that for a Baer ⁎-ring satisfying the same axioms, the following properties are equivalent: regular, unit-regular, left (right) morphic and left (right) quasi-morphic. If such a ring is finite and type I, it is ⁎-clean. Finally, we present some examples related to group von Neumann algebras and list some open problems.
A comparison of morphometric definitions of vertebral fracture

To compare the accuracy of several approaches for defining prevalent vertebral fractures from measurements of vertebral dimensions (morphometry), we measured the lateral dimensions of vertebral bodies of 115 normal premenopausal and 100 postmenopausal women. Of the postmenopausal women two observers agreed that 49 had definite vertebral fractures and 38 were definitely normal. Using these classifications as an independent reference, women were then classified as fractured or normal by several definitions based on vertebral morphometry. No morphometric definition of vertebral fracture agreed perfectly with the consensus classifications. In general, definitions that involved combinations of measurements of anterior (Ha), middle (Hm), and posterior (Hp) vertebral height classified women more accurately than did definitions based on a single measurement or ratio. The Ha/Hp ratio produced many false positives unless it was adjusted for normal variations in the shapes of different vertebral bodies. Definitions of fracture based on a greater than 15% reduction in heights or ratios had higher sensitivity but more false positives than definitions that used a more stringent (greater than 20%) criterion. All morphometric definitions of vertebral fracture separated the post-menopausal women into two groups (fractured and normal) that had significantly (P less than 0.001) different mean spine bone density by quantitative computed tomography. Definitions that had the lowest rates of false positives also produced the largest differences in bone density between those defined as fractured and those defined as normal.
Mechanism Design: How to Implement Social Goals

existing economic institutions. The theorist wants to explain or forecast the economic or social outcomes that these institutions generate. But in mechanism design theory the direction of inquiry is reversed. We begin by identifying our desired outcome or social goal. We then ask whether or not an appropriate institution (mecha nism) could be designed to attain that goal. If the answer is yes, then we want to know what form that mechanism might take. In this paper, I offer a brief introduction to the part of mechanism design called implementation theory , which, given a social goal, characterizes when we can design a mechanism whose predicted
THE IMPACT OF ADDICTION INFORMATION ON CIGARETTE CONSUMPTION

Although cigarette producers knew that nicotine was addictive in the early 1960's, this information was not publicly known until the 1979 Surgeon General's Report. This study finds that the release of addiction information caused a structural shift in cigarette demand and estimates the value of the information using consumer surplus measures.
Limitations of electron beam conditioning for free-electron lasers

The most demanding requirement for future FELs in the X-ray regime is the generation of a sufficiently small transverse electron emittance. To mitigate this problem, ideas have been proposed to 'condition' an electron beam by increasing each particle's energy in proportion to the square of its betatron amplitude. This conditioning enhances FEL gain by reducing the axial velocity spread within the electron bunch. We present a new conditioning scheme using solenoid magnets, which looks promising. But a strong head-tail focusing variation arises. We quantify the resulting 'projected' (bunch-length integrated) emittance growth, relating it directly to the FEL parameters. We then present a general symplectic beam conditioner and show the unavoidable relation between conditioning and projected transverse emittance growth.
Rap1b facilitates NK cell functions via IQGAP1-mediated signalosomes

Rap1 GTPases control immune synapse formation and signaling in lymphocytes. However, the precise molecular mechanism by which Rap1 regulates natural killer (NK) cell activation is not known. Using Rap1a or Rap1b knockout mice, we identify Rap1b as the major isoform in NK cells. Its absence significantly impaired LFA1 polarization, spreading, and microtubule organizing center (MTOC) formation in NK cells. Neither Rap1 isoform was essential for NK cytotoxicity. However, absence of Rap1b impaired NKG2D, Ly49D, and NCR1-mediated cytokine and chemokine production. Upon activation, Rap1b colocalized with the scaffolding protein IQGAP1. This interaction facilitated sequential phosphorylation of B-Raf, C-Raf, and ERK1/2 and helped IQGAP1 to form a large signalosome in the perinuclear region. These results reveal a previously unrecognized role for Rap1b in NK cell signaling and effector functions.
Application of the PharmPrint methodology to two protein kinases

The PharmPrint methodology developed by McGregor and Muskal 1 , 2 was used to construct quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models for the prediction of cyclin-dependent kinase-2 (CDK2) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) inhibition. The QSAR models were constructed based on a binary description of biological activity-a value of zero for inactive and one for active compounds. Subsets of "active" kinase inhibitors (that is, inhibitors with pIC 5 0 ≥ 6.0) along with a subset of MDDR 3 compounds serving as the recommended set of inactive compounds were used for model development. The predicted activities for the training set compounds were in excellent agreement with the assigned binary activities with greater than 92% of the compounds correctly classified. However, when the QSAR models were applied to the subsets of "inactive" kinase inhibitors (that is, inhibitors with pIC 5 0 < 6.0), greater than 67% were incorrectly predicted to be active. Identical results were obtained with our CDK2 and VEGFR2 validation sets, where the majority of the inactive kinase inhibitors were predicted to be active. In efforts to improve the predictive performance of the QSAR models, simple, but important modifications were made to the PharmPrint methodology. On the basis of these modifications, a second set of QSAR models was constructed and applied to our validation sets to assess their predictive performance. Significant improvements were seen with the modified version of PharmPrint over the original. The results from both versions of PharmPrint are compared and discussed.