cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
State of the Art: RESEARCH DIRECTIONS IN DECISION MAKING UNDER UNCERTAINTY*

This paper considers the modeling of decision-making problems under uncertainty, indicating current gaps in knowledge and promising research directions. Technical details are omitted, and no attempt is made to review past work since excellent recent reviews are available. The discussion of research topics is divided into four categories: model formulation, modeling uncertainty, modeling preferences, and modeling competitive and group decisions. The primary focus is normative, although descriptive work that can be valuable from a normative perspective is included. The suggested research directions cover the entire spectrum from theory to application. Subject Areas: Decision Analysis, Statistical Decision Theory, and Game Theory.
Lightweight One-Time Signature for multicast authentication

Authentication is a security requirement with high priority in many multicast applications. One-Time Signature (OTS) is a promising solution to the multicast authentication problem. However, it often suffers from large signature sizes and frequent distributions of the public keys. In this paper, we propose a lightweight OTS scheme to combat these drawbacks. Our approach integrates the signature amortization technique and one-way hash chains, which markedly reduce the average communication overhead and relax the key renewal requirements. We also introduce a partial key renewal mechanism to provide a convenient means of renewing key pairs. In addition, our scheme is highly secure against signature forge and is resistant to packet losses. Numerical results show that our scheme achieves better performance than a former scheme under DoS attacks.
Economic lessons from the market evolution of present US power markets

Insufficient information provided by the market to participants can cause volatile price swings. An ideal market is presented here. The importance of information from such a market is discussed from the participants' view and also the information needed by participants in the competitive environment is outlined. A comparison of such a market to existing markets within the USA is outlined. The power markets in the USA are evolving based on state and federal government mandates and based on the committee decisions of all market participants. As economic forces empower changes for the participants, changes will be made.
Relationship of Age to Bone Microstructure Independent of Areal Bone Mineral Density

Previous studies using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) have demonstrated that age is a major predictor of bone fragility and fracture risk independent of areal bone mineral density (aBMD). Although this aBMD-independent effect of age has been attributed to poor bone "quality," the structural basis for this remains unclear. Because high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT) can assess bone microarchitecture, we matched younger and older subjects for aBMD at the ultradistal radius and assessed for possible differences in trabecular or cortical microstructure by HRpQCT. From an age-stratified, random sample of community adults, 44 women aged <50 years (mean age 41.0 years) were matched to 44 women aged ≥50 years (mean age 62.7 years) by ultradistal radius aBMD (mean ± SEM, younger and older aBMD 0.475 ± 0.011 and 0.472 ± 0.011 g/cm², respectively), and 57 men aged <50 years (mean age 41.3 years) were matched to 57 men aged ≥50 years (mean age 68.1 years; younger and older aBMD both 0.571 ± 0.008 g/cm²). In these matched subjects, there were no sex-specific differences in trabecular microstructural parameters. However, significant differences were noted in cortical microstructure (all p < 0.05): Older women and men had increased cortical porosity (by 91% and 56%, respectively), total cortical pore volume (by 77% and 61%, respectively), and mean cortical pore diameter (by 9% and 8%, respectively) compared with younger subjects. These findings indicate that younger and older women and men matched for DXA aBMD have similar trabecular microarchitecture but clearly different cortical microstructure, at least at an appendicular site represented by the radius. Further studies are needed to define the extent to which this deterioration in cortical microstructure contributes to the aBMD-independent effect of age on bone fragility and fracture risk at the distal radius and other sites of osteoporotic fractures.
A Public Choice Analysis of the Demand for Property Tax Circuit-Breaker Legislation

Circuit-breaker (C-B) legislation is legislation designed to give property tax relief to the elderly under formulas that involve state financing of the burden of tax loss, rather than letting it rest on local governments. At least 24 states have adopted such legislation in the past few years and it is being considered in many others. In this paper the nature of the demand for circuit-breaker legislation is evaluated from the perspective of why a nonelderly member of the voting public might choose to support it. The three basic factors considered are equity values favoring aid to the elderly, a desire for forced saving and self-insurance, and a desire to maintain the elderly in independent housing. This approach allows a meshing of the traditional normative and positive public choice methods of tax analysis.
The use of glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent for ribonuclease and bovine serum albumin

Abstract Glutaraldehyde has been used to couple bovine pancreatic ribonuclease to bovine serum albumin. Under the conditions of the reaction 32 per cent of the original enzymatic activity is retained in the coupled product, and less than 1 per cent can be detected as uncoupled enzyme. The molecular weight of the coupled products is estimated to range between 70,000 and over 200,000, with a peak at 80,000. All of the products remain soluble in dilute saline and are stable at 4°C for at least 3 weeks.
Magnetic phase transition at a surface: Mean-field theory

Within mean-field theory, it is possible to analytically calculate the spatial and temperature dependence of the magnetization near a surface and near a phase transition. These algebraic forms are then used in the Landau-Ginzburg free energy to obtain the surface specific heat and a relaxation time for the surface spins driven to a weak nonequilibrium. These physical quantities have been found to have a temperature dependence that varies continuously with the change in the surface-plane exchange constant. Such a behavior is interpreted in terms of an interplay between the correlation length $\ensuremath{\xi}$ and the extrapolation length $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ where $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ effectively determines the range of the surface effects.
Comparison of synchronous PM machine types for wide constant-power speed operation: converter performance

A thorough comparison of the converter performance characteristics for four permanent magnet (PM) synchronous machine configurations is presented. Two versions of an interior PM (IPM) machine with distributed windings are included. One version has a maximum back-EMF limit at the top speed while the second does not have any constraint on back-EMF amplitude. Two types of surface PM (SPM) machines are also considered, one with fractional-slot concentrated windings, and another with conventional distributed windings. The target application is an automotive direct-drive starter/alternator requiring a very wide 10:1 constant power speed ratio (CPSR). Detailed comparisons of the converter performance below and above the base speed are presented, evaluating significant issues, including the converter switching and conduction losses, output ripple current, and DC-link current ripple. Study results show that the higher excitation frequencies required by PM machines with high pole numbers have only a modest impact on converter efficiency for comparable output current waveform quality. In constrast, the imposition of maximum back-EMF amplitude constraints at top speed raise the machine rated current, resulting in elevated converter losses and larger DC-link capacitors
Accounting for context: Future directions in bioethics theory and research

Many physicians have found that the traditional approach to bioethics fails to account for important aspects of their moral experience in practice. New approaches to bioethics theory are challenging the traditional application of universal moral principles based in liberal moral theory. At the same time, a shift in both the goals and methods of bioethics education has accompanied its "coming of age" in the medical school curriculum. Taken together, these changes challenge both bioethics educators and theorists to come closer to the details and nuances of real clinical encounters. The emerging trend emphasizes the importance of context in bioethics education and in the moral theory and research undergirding it. This article introduces one research approach examining the practical life contexts of medical students' ethical experiences and learning. It calls for increased attention to research and theory in bioethics that more adequately accounts for the ways different contexts produce significant changes in meaning and understanding in medical encounters.
Numerical shock propagation in non-uniform media

A general numerical scheme is developed to calculate the motion of shock waves in gases with non-uniform properties. The numerical scheme is based on the approximate theory of geometrical shock dynamics. The refracted shockfronts at both planar and curved gas interfaces are calculated. Both regular and irregular refraction patterns are obtained, and in particular, precursor-irregular refraction systems are found using the approximate theory. The numerical results are compared with recent theoretical and experimental investigations. It is shown that the shockfronts determined using geometrical shock dynamics are in good agreement with the actual shock waves.
An Absent Presence: The Rewriting of Hawthorne's Narratology in John Updike's S

Abstract In the past several years, as the body of criticism on the intertextual relationship between Nathaniel Hawthorne and John Updike has grown, critics have looked at the larger or more general influences of Hawthorne on Updike, and readers of Updike's A Month of Sundays, Roger's Version, S., and even The Witches of Eastwick have focused specifically on his engagement with The Scarlet Letter. The first three of those novels take on, in one way or another, Hawthorne's classic; and as Updike himself has pointed out, each work is a contemporary retelling of Hawthorne's story from the perspective of one of the three major figures involved: Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, and Hester Prynne, respectively.1
Targeted killing of cancer cells in vivo and in vitro with EGF-directed carbon nanotube-based drug delivery.

Carbon nanotube-based drug delivery holds great promise for cancer therapy. Herein we report the first targeted, in vivo killing of cancer cells using a drug-single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) bioconjugate, and demonstrate efficacy superior to nontargeted bioconjugates. First line anticancer agent cisplatin and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were attached to SWNTs to specifically target squamous cancer, and the nontargeted control was SWNT-cisplatin without EGF. Initial in vitro imaging studies with head and neck squamous carcinoma cells (HNSCC) overexpressing EGF receptors (EGFR) using Qdot luminescence and confocal microscopy showed that SWNT-Qdot-EGF bioconjugates internalized rapidly into the cancer cells. Limited uptake occurred for control cells without EGF, and uptake was blocked by siRNA knockdown of EGFR in cancer cells, revealing the importance of EGF-EGFR binding. Three color, two-photon intravital video imaging in vivo showed that SWNT-Qdot-EGF injected into live mice was selectively taken up b...
Scientific basis of competitive cross-country skiing.

CLIFFORD, P. S. Scientific basis of competitive cross-country skiing. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 24, No. 9, pp. 1007–1009, 1992. The sport of cross-country skiing had its origins as a utilitarian mode of travel more than 4000 yr ago. From hunters carrying weapons and moving about on carved wooden skis, the sport has evolved to spandex-clad competitors carrying reinforced fiberglass poles while gliding on high-tech composite skis. The widespread use of ski-skating techniques coupled with the technological innovations of the last decade have profoundly changed the nature of competitive cross country skiing. This symposium is intended to summarize the current state of scientific knowledge about the sport.
Mechanisms of flow and ACh-induced dilation in rat soleus arterioles are altered by hindlimb unweighting

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that endothelium-dependent dilation (flow-induced dilation and ACh-induced dilation) in rat soleus muscle arterioles is impaired by hindlimb unweighting (HLU). Male Sprague-Dawley rats (approximately 300 g) were exposed to HLU or weight-bearing control (Con) conditions for 14 days. Soleus first-order (1A) and second-order (2A) arterioles were isolated, cannulated, and exposed to step increases in luminal flow at constant pressure. Flow-induced dilation was not impaired by HLU in 1A or 2A arterioles. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (Indo; 50 microM) did not alter flow-induced dilation in 1As or 2As. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA; 300 microM) reduced flow-induced dilation by 65-70% in Con and HLU 1As. In contrast, L-NNA abolished flow-induced dilation in 2As from Con rats but had no effect in HLU 2As. Combined treatment with L-NNA + Indo reduced tone in 1As and 2As from Con rats, but flow-induced dilation in the presence of L-NNA + Indo was not different from responses without inhibitors in either Con or HLU 1As or 2As. HLU also did not impair ACh-induced dilation (10(-9)-10(-4) M) in soleus 2As. L-NNA reduced ACh-induced dilation by approximately 40% in Con 2As but abolished dilation in HLU 2As. Indo did not alter ACh-induced dilation in Con or HLU 2As, whereas combined treatment with L-NNA + Indo abolished ACh-induced dilation in 2As from both groups. We conclude that flow-induced dilation (1As and 2As) was preserved after 2 wk HLU, but HLU decreased the contribution of NOS in mediating flow-induced dilation and increased the contribution of a NOS- and cyclooxygenase-independent mechanism (possibly endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor). In soleus 2As, ACh-induced dilation was preserved after 2-wk HLU but the contribution of NOS in mediating ACh-induced dilation was increased.
Tuning hydrogel properties for applications in tissue engineering

Biomaterial design is an important component towards tissue engineering applications. There are many parameters that may be adjusted including physical properties (i.e., degradation and mechanics) and chemical properties (e.g., adhesion and cellular interactions). These design components may dictate the success or failure of a tissue engineering approach. Our group is particularly interested in the use of swollen hydrogels as cell carriers. One material that is used to fabricate hydrogels is hyaluronic acid (HA), which is found in many tissues in the body. Here, we show the control over hydrogel degradation, both in the bulk and locally to cells to control both the distribution of extracellular matrix by cells and whether or not a cell spreads in the hydrogels. These signals are important in the final structure and mechanical properties of engineered tissues, and potentially the differentiation of encapsulated stem cells.
Landscape of ENaC regulation in the kidney.

as the real estate maxim goes, “There are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” The same could be said about epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) regulation in the mouse kidney. ENaC is an heteromeric ion channel (comprised of α-, β-, and γ-subunits) expressed in the
Cardiopulmonary bypass has a modest association with cancer progression: a retrospective cohort study

Given their frequency of occurrence in the United States, cancer and heart disease often coexist. For patients requiring open-heart surgery, this raises concern that the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may cause a transient immunosuppression with the potential to promote the spread and growth of coexisting cancer cells. This study examined the association of cardiopulmonary bypass with cancer progression in a large population-based setting using linked data from several state-wide registries. A retrospective cohort study of cancer risk, stage, and mortality in 43,347 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with and without CPB in New Jersey between 1998–2004 was conducted. A competing risk analogue of the Cox proportional hazards model with propensity score adjustment and regression on the cause-specific hazard was used to compute relative risk ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for patients undergoing CABG surgery with and without CPB. An increased risk for overall cancer incidence (17%) and cancer-specific mortality (16% overall, 12% case fatality) was observed; yet these results did not reach statistical significance. Of 11 tumor-specific analyses, an increased risk of skin melanoma (1.66 [95% CI, 1.08-2.55: p=0.02]) and lung cancer (1.36 [95% CI, 1.02-1.81: p=0.03]) was observed for patients with pump versus off-pump open-heart surgery. No association was found with cancer stage. These results suggest that there may be a relationship between CPB and cancer progression. However, if real, the effect is likely modest at most. Further research may still be warranted with particular focus on skin melanoma and lung cancer which had the strongest association with CPB.
Randomly connected neural nets

Summary form only given, as follows. Theories of efficient circuits which have a direct relevance for neural nets of arbitrary architecture are discussed. The main results are concerned with randomly connected neural nets which have a large number of nodes. These nets can be compared with those for the Hopfield model by taking the limit of a complete graph. >
Macrophage TNF mRNA Expression Is Modulated by Protease Inhibitors

Abstract Background: Nuclear factor κB (NFκB) is an important transcriptional activator protein and is a crucial component of the host's response to infection. The activation of NFκB is correlated with the phosphorylation of inhibitory κB (IκB) and its subsequent degradation. We hypothesized that protease inhibitors which prevented IκB degradation could inhibit the macrophage gene activation and reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines. Methods: Rabbit alveolar macrophages (Mφ) were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage. Mφ were exposed to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (10 ng/ml) in the presence of various concentrations of protease inhibitors, either N -tosyl- l -phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) or N -benzoyl- l -tyrosine ethyl ester (BTEE). Total RNA was extracted for Northern blot assay of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) mRNA expression using a rabbit genomic DNA probe. Total nuclear extracts were also obtained for the measurement of the NFκB activity with the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The TNF production in the Mφ supernatant was measured by L929 bioassays. Results: NFκB activity induced by LPS was inhibited by either BTEE or TPCK. Inhibition of NFκB activity by these agents also prevented TNF mRNA expression and TNF production induced by LPS. The cellular mechanism leading to NFκB activation was further studied. TNF mRNA expression and NFκB activation were inhibited by D609, a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor, as well as by protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors. In addition, direct stimulation of PKC led to NFκB activation and TNF mRNA expression. Conclusions: These data suggest that TNF mRNA expression of LPS-stimulated Mφ is mediated through NFκB. NFκB activation is intimately regulated by the PLC signaling pathway.
Vibrational Imaging with High Sensitivity via Epidetected Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Microscopy

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally a novel epidetection scheme for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy that significantly improves the detection sensitivity. Calculations show that epidetected CARS (E-CARS) signals are present for scatterers smaller than the wavelength of light, whereas the large background signals from the surrounding bulk solvent are suppressed by destructive interference. E-CARS microscopy is capable of revealing small intracellular features that are otherwise buried by the strong water CARS signal.
Desktop research-information management for the scholar

A model workstation that allows searching of bibliographic databases or library catalogs, the assembly of bibliographies, the ordering and acquisition of documents, and the preparation of manuscripts is discussed. It is based on the concept of software connectivity, which is defined as the ability of various software packages to work together to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. >
Layered 4D representation and voting for grouping from motion

We address the problem of perceptual grouping from motion cues by formulating it as a motion layers inference from a sparse and noisy point set in a 4D space. Our approach is based on a layered 4D representation of data, and a voting scheme for token communication, within a tensor voting computational framework. Given two sparse sets of point tokens, the image position and potential velocity of each token are encoded into a 4D tensor. By enforcing the smoothness of motion through a voting process, the correct velocity is selected for each input point as the most salient token. An additional dense voting step allows for the inference of a dense representation in terms of pixel velocities, motion regions, and boundaries. Using a 4D space for this tensor voting approach is essential since it allows for a spatial separation of the points according to both their velocities and image coordinates. Unlike most other methods that optimize certain objective functions, our approach is noniterative and, therefore, does not suffer from local optima or poor convergence problems. We demonstrate our method with synthetic and real images, by analyzing several difficult cases-opaque and transparent motion, rigid and nonrigid motion, curves and surfaces in motion.
A final report of IEEE workshop on applied time series analysis

All papers presented at the 1982 IEEE Workshop on Applied Time Series Analysis, sponsored by the Adaptive and Learning Systems Technical Committee of the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society, are summarized. The diverse topics in time series examined by the Workshop should be of interest to many readers of the Society's Transactions.
Self-injurious behavior in adolescents.

Janis Whitlock discusses the epidemiology and and care of adolescents undertaking nonsuicidal self-injury, also called “deliberate self-harm.”
Carbon dioxide and pH affect sperm motility of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus).

SUMMARY Maintenance of sperm at pH values less than approximately 7.5 inhibited the onset of motility when sperm were subsequently diluted with water; maintenance at pH values above approximately 8.2 was associated with maximal motility upon dilution with water. Within 5∼min of exposure to low pH buffer (pH 6.9), there was a 50% decline in sperm motility upon dilution with water suggesting that exposure to low pH interferes with motility within a time frame that may affect fertilization. In most instances, maintenance of sperm under CO 2 at a pressure of 4-5 kPa almost completely blocked their capacity for motility. Furthermore, exposing semen to increasing partial pressures of CO 2 up to about 1 kPa resulted in a marked decrease in semen pH. These observations are consistent with the findings that the buffering capacity of semen is particularly low at physiological pH, and that this low buffering capacity corresponds to the highest pH sensitivity of the capacity for sperm motility. The low seminal buffering capacity may represent a physiological adaptation in the control of sperm function. It may also represent a vulnerability to environmental hypercapnia or metabolic acidosis.
Sex differences in head acceleration during heading while wearing soccer headgear.

Context: Researchers have indicated that female soccer players may be at greater risk of concussion compared with their male counterparts. Soccer headgear is marketed for reducing head acceleration and risk of concussion. Objective: To determine the effect of sex and soccer headgear on head impact kinematics and dynamic stabilization during soccer heading. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Forty-four college-aged soccer players (29 women, 15 men). Intervention(s): Using a head impact model, participants performed 4 soccer headers under 3 headgear conditions (control, Head Blast Soccer Band, and Full90 Select Performance Headguard). Main Outcome Measure(s): Dependent variables assessed before soccer heading were head-neck anthropometrics and isometric neck muscle strength, and those assessed during soccer headers were resultant linear head acceleration, Head Injury Criteria (HIC36), and superficial neck muscle electromyography. Statistical analyses included multivariate and univariate analyses of variance with repeated measures, independentsamples t tests, appropriate follow-up analyses of variance and post hoc t tests, and Pearson product moment correlations (a 5 .05). Results: Head acceleration in women was 32% and 44% greater than in men when wearing the Head Blast (21.5 g versus 16.3 g) and Full90 Select (21.8 g versus 15.2 g), respectively (P , .05). Compared with men, women exhibited 10% greater head accelerations (20.2 g versus 18.2 g) during the control condition (P 5 .164). Conclusions: Female soccer players exhibited greater head accelerations than their male counterparts when wearing headgear. Our results are important clinically because they indicate that soccer headgear may not be an appropriate head injury prevention tool for all athletes.
Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement in octogenarian, high-risk, transcatheter aortic valve implantation candidates.

Objective Risk-stratifying algorithms are currently used to determine which patients may be at prohibitive risk for surgical aortic valve replacement, and thus candidates for transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Minimally invasive surgical approaches have been successful in reducing morbidity and improving survival after aortic valve replacement, especially in octogenarians. We documented outcomes after minimally invasive aortic valve replacement in high-risk octogenarians who may be considered candidates for percutaneous/transapical aortic valve replacement. Methods From 1996 to 2009, minimally invasive aortic valve replacement was performed in 249 consecutive octogenarians. We used the modified European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation and Society of Thoracic Surgeons score to risk-stratify patients and characterize all early and late results. Results The mean age at operation was 84 ± 3 (range 80–95) years, and 111 patients (45%) were male. Twenty-one percent (n = 52) had previous cardiac surgery. Operative mortality was 3% (n = 8/249). The median modified European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (11%; interquartile range, 6–14) and Society of Thoracic Surgeons score (10.5%; interquartile range, 7–17) were not predictive of 30-day mortality in this cohort of patients (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation c-index = 0.527, P = .74, Society of Thoracic Surgeons score c-index = 0.67, P = .18). Despite their poor predictive power, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons score and European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation were correlated with each other ( r = 0.40, P P = .88). A multivariate Cox-proportional hazards model indicated that increasing age (hazard ratio, 1.10; P = .008) and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (hazard ratio, 2.52; P P = .02) was developed and demonstrated that low-risk patients (first quartile prediction score) had 1-, 5-, and 8-year survival of 94%, 84%, and 67%, whereas high-risk patients (third quartile prediction score) had 1-, 5-, and 8-year survival of 89%, 74%, and 49%, respectively. Conclusions Patients thought to be high-risk candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement have excellent outcomes after minimally invasive surgery with long-term survival that is no different than that of an age- and gender-matched US population. These data provide a benchmark against which outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation could be compared.
Changes of calf muscle-tendon properties due to stretching and active movement of children with cerebral palsy – a pilot study

A portable ankle rehabilitation robot with intelligent stretching and game-based active movement training was used to treat the spastic impaired ankle of children with cerebral palsy over six weeks. The subject’s calf muscles and Achilles tendon properties were evaluated before and after treatment using ultrasonography and biomechanical measures. It was found that there were decreased Achilles tendon resting length (2.5%), increased cross-sectional area (5.5%), increased stiffness (22.9%), increased Young’s modulus (13.8%), decreased soleus muscle fascicular stiffness (53.7%), and decreased medial gastrocnemius fascicular stiffness (46.1%).
Deconstructing Corporate Governance: The Mechanics of Trusting

The phenomenon of trust among firm participants is a much neglected academic inquiry in corporate governance research and the theory of the firm. This Article elaborates on the comparatively small sample of existing legal research on the intersection of trust and corporate governance and tries to interrupt the selective (in-)attention given to the philosophical, psychological, political, sociological, economic, and legal phenomenon that is our individual as well as collective, everyday trust (or distrust) in the functionality and explainability of the world tomorrow in accordance with our preferences of today and our experiences of the past. Trust — as a phenomenon — is a concrete but severely underappreciated reality for the success of corporate investments and the accountability of corporate management. It constitutes part of a complex solution for encouraging investor confidence in the face of absolute decision-making power of corporate directors. Trust efficiently combines and balances otherwise unrestricted managerial power with a robust measure of accountability of corporate management — an entirely elusive measure within the realm of corporate governance law. It thereby provides a sophisticated, yet poorly understood, remedy to the most significant but unresolved academic dilemma in corporate governance theory — namely, the lack of predictive ability of existing microtheoretical models of the firm. This Article primarily discusses trust (and trustworthiness) as a mechanism, not as a virtue. By focusing on the procedural and substantive mechanics of trusting as a phenomenon, this Article explains the cohesive power and low-transactioncost functionality which is built into successful exercises of trusting for purposes of encouraging and establishing pervasive corporate investments as the rational-choice baseline for voluntary firm participants.Vertrauen ist gut, Kontrolle is besser — German Proverb.
Preparation and Characterization of Aerogel-Based Carbon Nanocomposites

Aerogels are highly porous solids prepared by sol-gel processing and supercritical evacuation. Because of their high surface area, aerogels can be used as an effective catalyst for the thermal decomposition of many gaseous compounds. A variety of hydrocarbon gases have been chosen to deposit carbon in the aerogel matrix, with the deposition temperature varying from 500° to 850°C depending on the hydrocarbon used. The amount of carbon that can be deposited in the aerogel is surprisingly large, reaching up to 10 times the original weight after extensive deposition using acetylene. Overall, the aerogel composites prepared have a uniform microstructure with the average particle size in the nanometer range. In addition, we have observed some interesting graphitic structures including carbon nanotubes and rings of various shapes. Carbon deposited in the aerogel can reduce infrared transmission of the material as well as volume shrinkage at elevated temperatures, thereby improving its thermal performance.
A NEW FEATURE DESCRIPTOR FOR LIDAR IMAGE MATCHING

Abstract. LIght Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data is available in a point cloud corresponding to long overlapping strips on the ground. The percentage of overlap in these LiDAR strips varies between 10 and 30. The strips are unregistered with respect to each other. Any further interpretation or study of the whole area requires registration of these strips with respect to each other. This process is called strip-adjustment. Traditionally, LiDAR point clouds are matched and strip-adjusted using techniques based on iterative closest point (ICP) or modifications of the same, which as the name suggests, runs over multiple iterations. Iterative algorithms, however, are time consuming and this paper offers a solution to the problem. In this paper, point correspondences are found on overlapping strips so that they can be registered with each other. We introduce a new method for point matching on LiDAR data. Our algorithm combines the power of LiDAR elevation data with a keypoint detector and descriptor that is based on the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) method. The keypoint detector finds interesting keypoints in the LiDAR intensity image from the SIFT keypoints; a unique signature of each keypoint is then obtained by examining a patch surrounding that point in the elevation image. Histograms of subdivisions of the patch are set as the keypoint descriptor. Once all the keypoints and descriptors are obtained for two overlapping patches, correspondences are found using the nearest neighbor distance ratio method.
Utahns' understanding of autism spectrum disorder.

Abstract Background The general public has numerous misconceptions and a lack of awareness and understanding regarding some of the prevalence, characteristics, and treatments of autism. As a result, education and awareness activities to increase the general public's understanding and awareness of autism are important. This study was conducted throughout Utah to inform public education and awareness efforts being planned as part of Utah's State Plan for Improving Outcomes for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Development Disorders. Objective The purpose of this study was to identify public awareness and knowledge of ASD in Utah, such as the public's understanding of the prevalence, characteristics, and treatments of autism, as well as the sources of this information. Methods To identify public perceptions and attitudes of autism spectrum disorder, 1001 Utah residents 18 years of age or older were surveyed using a 32-question statewide random-digit dialed telephone survey. Results The percentages of responses for 15 of the 20 autism-related questions are presented by ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino), education level, and income level. Conclusions The study indicates that autism education efforts need to address the least understood aspects of autism; the causes of autism, how autism is diagnosed, and how autism is treated. Radio or TV outlets are more effective, particularly so with Hispanic or Latinos and populations with less education. Medical professionals are also an important resource for families with direct autism-related needs.
Operative treatment of tibial fractures in children: are elastic stable intramedullary nails an improvement over external fixation?

Background: Operative treatment of tibial fractures in children requires implants that do not violate open physes while maintaining tibial length and alignment. Both elastic stable intramedullary nails and external fixation can be utilized. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with these two techniques to determine if one is superior to the other. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the operative records and trauma registries of three institutions within our hospital system and identified thirty-five consecutive patients with open physes who had undergone operative treatment of a tibial fracture between April 1997 and June 2004. Four patients were excluded because they had been managed with locked intramedullary nails or with pins and plaster. Of the thirty-one remaining patients, sixteen had been managed with elastic stable intramedullary nails and fifteen had been managed with unilateral external fixation. The clinical and radiographic outcomes were compared. The functional outcomes were compared with use of the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument. Complications related to treatment, such as malunion, delayed union, nonunion, infection, and the need for subsequent surgical treatment also were compared. Results: Thirty-one patients with thirty-one operatively treated tibial fractures were available for evaluation. Fifteen patients had been managed with external fixation. Seven of these patients had a closed fracture, and eight had an open fracture. There were seven healing complications in this group, including two delayed unions, three nonunions, and two malunions. Sixteen patients had been managed with elastic stable intramedullary nailing. Eleven patients had a closed fracture, and five had an open fracture. The mean time to union for the intramedullary nailing group (seven weeks) was significantly shorter than that for the external fixation group (eighteen weeks) (p < 0.01). The functional outcomes for the intramedullary nailing group were significantly better than those for the external fixation group in the categories of pain, happiness, sports, and global function (the mean of the mean scores of the first four categories) (p < 0.01 for these comparisons). Conclusions: When surgical stabilization of tibial fractures in children is indicated, we believe that the preferred method of fixation is with elastic stable intramedullary nailing. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Docosahexaenoic Acid and Eicosapentaenoic Acid, but Not α-Linolenic Acid, Suppress Deoxynivalenol-Induced Experimental IgA Nephropathy in Mice

Diets enriched in the (n-3) PUFAs, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and their precursor alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), were evaluated for efficacy in ameliorating the development of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) induced in mice by the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). The effects of DON were compared in mice that were fed for 18 wk with AIN-93G diets containing 1) 10 g/kg corn oil plus 60 g/kg oleic acid (control); 2) 10 g/kg corn oil plus 35 g/kg oleic acid and 25 g/kg DHA-enriched fish oil (DHA); 3) 10 g/kg corn oil plus 33 g/kg oleic acid and 27 g/kg EPA-enriched fish oil (EPA); and 4) 10 g/kg corn oil plus 37 g/kg oleic acid and 23 g/kg DHA + EPA (1:1) enriched fish oil (DHA + EPA). The DHA, EPA and DHA + EPA diets attenuated induction by dietary DON (10 mg/kg) of serum IgA and IgA immune complexes, kidney mesangial IgA deposition, and ex vivo IgA secretion by spleen cells. Consumption of the DHA + EPA diet for 8 wk significantly abrogated the DON-induced gene expression of interleukin (IL)-6, a requisite cytokine for DON-induced IgA nephropathy, in spleen and Peyer's patches. Finally, incorporation of ALA-containing flaxseed oil up to 60 g/kg in the AIN-93G diet did not affect DON-induced IgA dysregulation in mice. Taken together, both DHA and EPA, but not ALA, ameliorated the early stages of IgAN, and these effects might be related to a reduced capacity for IL-6 production.
Peri‐operative dysrhythmias in patients undergoing major vascular surgery – a preliminary report

The objective of this prospective study was to determine the nocturnal/diurnal distribution of peri-operative cardiac dysrhythmias in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing major vascular surgery. Eight patients with significant coronary artery disease undergoing major vascular surgery were studied. Continuous Holter monitoring was performed on each patient from approximately 1 h pre-operatively until 2-5 days post-operatively. Frequencies of isolated supraventricular and ventricular premature beats, and runs of supraventricular and ventricular premature beats were calculated for 6-h periods (00.00-06.00; 06.00-12.00; 12.00-18.00; 18.00-24.00 hours). Supraventricular tachycardia occurred significantly more frequently between 00.00 and 06.00 hours than during the other 6-h periods studied in the post-operative period following major vascular surgery.
“Heart like a Car”: Hispano/Chicano Culture in Northern New Mexico

Car culture in northern New Mexico demonstrates how local culture, as a reference and as a creation, becomes even more significant as national and global popular cultures create new power configurations, new alliances, and new identities. An examination of Espanola area lowriders highlights the ways extralocal processes such as mass production and ethnopolitical mobilization are integral in the creation of local tradition in an area marked by tourism, loss of land, and labor outmigration. [ethnic identity, localization, commodification, popular culture, mass culture, Chicanos, New Mexico]
Planar permanent magnet multipoles: measurements and configurations

Biplanar arrays of N rectangular permanent magnet (PM) blocks can be used to generate high quality N-pole fields in close proximity to the array axis. In applications featuring small-diameter charged particle beams, N-poles of adequate quality can be realized at relatively low cost using small volumes of PM material. In this paper we report on recent measurements performed on planar PM multipoles, and discuss techniques for improving the field quality of such devices at distances appreciably far away from the axis. Applications to hybrid/PM insertion device designs for linac-driven Free Electron Laser (FEL) operation in the X-ray range are described.
Using 'Piece‐Rate Equivalents' and Relative Payoffs to Explore Gender Differences in the Willingness to Compete

Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that men are significantly more willing to compete than women given a binary choice between a Piece‐Rate (PR) and Winner‐Take‐All (WTA) payment in stereotypically‐male tasks. This difference is ascribed to variant overconfidence and preference for competition, and is believed to have a profound impact on the market for highly‐competitive jobs, where women are underrepresented. In this paper, we develop a new instrument to measure the willingness to compete by offering subjects a series of PR payments ranging from 0 to 100 percent of the WTA payment, which enable us to identify the PR equivalent of a $2.00 WTA payment; that is, the value of the $2.00 WTA payment. We find that women value WTA payments significantly less than men, about $0.28 less; and that women require a premium (relative to men) of about 40 percent to compete. Our new instrument is more sensitive than the traditional binary‐choice instrument, as it classifies the willingness to compete into 21 categories. This enable us to identify relationships that are not identifiable using the binary‐choice instrument. For example, we find that subjects who are the most willing to compete also have high ability on average; and that there is a positive relationship between the willingness to compete and GPA for men (not for women), and a positive relationship between the willingness to compete and taking STEM courses for women (not for men).
Job-Based Health Benefits Continue to Rise While Uninsured Rate Declines

This paper examines recent trends in health insurance coverage. We found that nearly 66 percent of Americans under age 65--or 158.4 million Americans--were covered by an employment-based health plan during 1999. This is up significantly from 1998, when 64.9 percent of the nonelderly population was covered by an employment-based health plan, and continues a longer-term trend that started between 1993 and 1994. Furthermore, for the first time since 1993, the expansion in employment-based health insurance coverage has been coupled with a decline in the percentage and number of Americans without health insurance coverage. Between 1998 and 1999, the number of uninsured nonelderly Americans declined from 43.9 million to 42.1 million, while the percentage declined from 18.4 percent to 17.5 percent.
Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis of Algerian Saccocalyx satureioides Coss. et Dur. : A Valuable Medicinal Plant

In North Africa, Saccocalyx satureioides Coss. et Dur. (Lamiaceae), presents a great demand for culinary and medicinal purposes. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been used for th...
Time-domain simulation of electron diffraction in crystals

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) simulations are performed by propagating electron wave packets in real space and real time. The method accurately describes electron scattering in solids for high ($g$200 keV) and low (20--200 eV) energies. The applicability of the method is demonstrated by calculating TEM images and LEED intensities of silicon and graphene.
Studies on prolactin inhibition of thyroxine-induced metamorphosis in Rana catesbeiana tadpoles.

Abstract Simultaneously administered prolactin partially prevents the induction by thyroxine of β-glucuronidase in tadpole tail, but does not affect the increases in hepatic ornithine transcarbamylase and tyrosine aminotransferase activities resulting from exposure to thyroxine. Prolactin also decreases the concentration of water-soluble protein of the tail below the levels found in tadpoles in thyroxine or control groups. The decrease in water-soluble protein appears to be mainly due to an increased water content of the tails of tadpoles treated with prolactin.
The Thermal and Energetic Significance of Cavity Roosting in Mountain Chickadees and Juniper Titmice

I examined the thermal and energetic benefits of cavity roosting in summer and winter-acclimatized Mountain Chickadees (Poecile gambeli) and Juniper Titmice (Baeolophus griseus). Reduction of wind speed inside the cavity increased standard operative temperature 2.5 to 5.9°C compared to the open sites in summer and 12.1 to 14.7°C in winter. Nocturnal energy savings ranged from 23.8 to 27.9% for summer birds and 25.1 to 37.6% for winter birds roosting in cavities. Wind speed was significantly lower inside cavities compared to open sites. These energy savings result in increased fasting endurance of 2.2 to 3 hr in summer and 5.7 to 7.3 hr in winter, which may be critically important for survival throughout the annual cycle for these two species.
Primary and secondary photodynamics of the violet/orange dual-cysteine NpF2164g3 cyanobacteriochrome domain from Nostoc punctiforme.

Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are cyanobacterial photoreceptors distantly related to phytochromes. Like phytochromes, CBCRs photointerconvert between two photostates that accompany photoisomerization of their bilin chromophores. While phytochromes typically exhibit red/far-red photocycles, CBCR photocycles are much more diverse, spanning the near-ultraviolet and the entire visible region. All CBCRs described to date have a conserved Cys residue covalently attached to the linear tetrapyrrole (bilin) chromophore; two CBCR subfamilies also exploit a second thioether linkage to the chromophore for detection of near-ultraviolet to blue light. Here, we present the photodynamic analysis of the insert-Cys CBCR NpF2164g3, a representative of the second class of two-cysteine CBCRs. Using broadband transient absorption pump–probe spectroscopy, we characterize the primary (100 fs to 10 ns) and secondary (10 ns to 1 ms) photodynamics in both directions, examining photodynamics over nine decades of time. Primary isomeri...