cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Imaging and Spectroscopic Survey of Galaxies within Prominent Nearby Voids. II. Morphologies, Star Formation, and Faint Companions

We analyze the optical properties of ~300 galaxies within and around three prominent voids of the Center for Astrophysics Redshift Survey. We determine CCD morphologies and Hα equivalent widths from our imaging and spectroscopic survey. We also describe a redshift survey of 250 neighboring galaxies in the imaging survey fields. We assess the morphology-density relation, EW(Hα)-density relation, and the effects of nearby companions for galaxies in low-density environments selected with a smoothed large-scale (5 h-1 Mpc) galaxy number density n. Both the morphological mix and the Hα line width distribution of galaxies at modest underdensities, 0.5 3 σ) from Δcz 200 km s-1 at 0.5 < n/ ≤ 2 down to Δcz = 103 ± 20 km s-1 at n ≤ 0.5. In the lowest density environments, galaxies with companions clearly (~4 σ) have stronger star formation than comparable galaxies at larger global density (0.5 < n/ ≤ 2). On the other hand, the distribution of EW(Hα) for galaxies without nearby companions (closer than ≈150 h-1 kpc and 1000 km s-1) varies little over the entire density range. These results, combined with the luminosity- and color-density relations of this sample (Paper I), suggest that the formation and evolution of field galaxies are insensitive to large-scale underdensity down to a threshold of roughly half the mean density. The differences in galaxy properties at the lowest global densities we can explore (n ≤ 0.5) may be explained by (1) a relative scarcity of the small-scale primordial density enhancements needed to form massive early-type/absorption-line galaxies and (2) present-day galaxy encounters that are relatively more effective because of the lower velocity dispersion on small scales (200 h-1 kpc) we observe in these regions. In the voids, where the luminous galaxies presumably formed more recently, there should be more gas and dust present for active star formation triggered by nearby companions.
A q-Brauer algebra

We define a new q-deformation of Brauerʼs centralizer algebra which contains Hecke algebras of type A as unital subalgebras. We determine its generic structure as well as the structure of certain semisimple quotients. This is expected to have applications for constructions of subfactors of type II1 factors and for module categories of fusion categories of type A corresponding to certain symmetric spaces.
Why Computational Complexity Requires Stricter Martingales

The word "martingale" has related, but different, meanings in probability theory and theoretical computer science. In computational complexity and algorithmic information theory, a martingale is typically a function d on strings such that E(d(wb)| w) = d(w) for all strings w, where the conditional expectation is computed over all possible values of the next symbol b. In modern probability theory a martingale is typically a sequence $\xi_0,\xi_1,\xi_2,\ldots$ of random variables such that $E(\xi_{n+1}| \xi_0,\ldots,\xi_n) = \xi_n$ for all n. This paper elucidates the relationship between these notions and proves that the latter notion is too weak for many purposes in computational complexity, because under this definition every computable martingale can be simulated by a polynomial-time computable martingale.
Sobolev extension by linear operators

Let L(R) be the Sobolev space of functions with mth derivatives lying in L(R). Assume that n < p < ∞. For E ⊂ R, let L(E) denote the space of restrictions to E of functions in L(R). We show that there exists a bounded linear map T : Lm,p(E)→ L(R) such that, for any f ∈ L(E), we have Tf = f on E. We also give a formula for the order of magnitude of ‖f‖Lm,p(E) for a given f : E→ R when E is finite.
Data Acquisition for Measuring the Wind on Venus from Pioneer Venus

The Pioneer Venus Differential Long Baseline Interferometry experiment was designed to measure the motion in three dimensions of the Pioneer probes during their fall to the surface of Venus, using a combination of Doppler and long baseline ratio interferometric methods. The altitude profies of wind speed and direction that may be deduced from these data are expected to contribute significantly to the understanding of the dynamics of the Venus atmosphere. The design of the experiment and the equipment and software techniques that were developed specially for this experiment are described.
Can gas sand have a large Poisson’s ratio?

Laboratory data supported by granular-medium and inclusion theories indicate that Poisson’s ratio in gas-saturated sand lies within a range of 0–0.25, with typical values of approximately 0.15. However, some well log measurements, especially in slow gas formations, persistently produce a Poisson’s ratio as large as 0.3. If this measurement is not caused by poor-quality data, three in situ situations — patchy saturation, subresolution thin layering, and elastic anisotropy — provide a plausible explanation. In the patchy saturation situation, the well data must be corrected to produce realistic synthetic seismic traces. In the second and third cases, the effect observed in a well is likely to persist at the seismic scale.
THE EFFECT OF TAXES ON INVESTMENT AND INCOME SHIFTING TO PUERTO RICO

The income of Puerto Rican affiliates of U.S. corporations is essentially untaxed by either Puerto Rico or the United States. This lowers the tax penalty on investment there, and also makes it attractive to shift reported taxable income from the U.S. parent corporation to the Puerto Rican affiliate. This paper investigates these two interrelated impacts of taxation by developing a structural econometric model of the joint decisions regarding investment and income shifting, and estimating the model using firm-level data on the activity U.S. corporations in Puerto Rico. The results suggest that the income shifting advantages are the predominant reason for U.S. investment in Puerto Rico.
Continuous kinematic wave models of merging traffic flow

Merging junctions are important network bottlenecks, and a better understanding of merging traffic dynamics has both theoretical and practical implications. In this paper, we present continuous kinematic wave models of merging traffic flow which are consistent with discrete Cell Transmission Models with various distribution schemes. In particular, we develop a systematic approach to constructing kinematic wave solutions to the Riemann problem of merging traffic flow in supply-demand space. In the new framework, Riemann solutions on a link consist of an interior state and a stationary state, subject to admissible conditions such that there are no positive and negative kinematic waves on the upstream and downstream links, respectively. In addition, various distribution schemes in Cell Transmission Models are considered entropy conditions. In the proposed analytical framework, we prove that the stationary states and boundary fluxes exist and are unique for the Riemann problem for both fair and constant distribution schemes. We also discuss two types of invariant merge models, in which local and discrete boundary fluxes are the same as global and continuous ones. With numerical examples, we demonstrate the validity of the analytical solutions of interior states, stationary states, and corresponding kinematic waves. Discussions and future studies are presented in the conclusion section.
1958-2014: after 56 years of research, cytochrome p450 reactivity is finally explained.

Nature's wisdom in enzyme design: Compounds I and II in the catalytic cycle of the Cytochrome P450 enzymes have been trapped and characterized recently. This work has provided further insight into the electronic structure and reactivity of these crucial intermediates, and key questions regarding the mechanism of these enzymes have finally been answered.
High-strength zirconia fibers

Fine-grained polycrystalline zirconia fibers have been formed from an acetate precursor. The fibers contained a Y2O3 additive, which inhibited grain growth (grain size ≤0.5 μm) and allowed the tetragonal phase to be retained at room temperature. Fibers with diameters in the range 2 to 5 μm had strengths in the range 1.5 to 2.6 GPa.
A cache-based multiprocessor with high efficiency

Shared-memory multiprocessors to support concurrent languages for general-purpose multitasked systems are analyzed. To solve the traditional performance problems caused by memory access latency and conflicts, extensive caching of instructions and data is performed in each processor mode. Caches are private to each processor, and coherence is maintained in hardware between the caches. To maintain a good efficiency, several contexts are resident in each processor. On a miss in the cache, a microswitch to another resident context is operated by changing the program counter and a pointer in the register memory. The instruction set of each processor is RISC-like, so that a microswitch should waste few machine cycles. The proposed system has high efficiency, even when the number of processors increases and when the coherence overhead and conflicts are high. Models are developed to evaluate throughput and efficiency.
Vaccines in the 21st century.

As we enter the 21st century, we can prepare nearly any antigen for use as a vaccine. The difficulties we face are in identifying protective antigens and inducing the immune system to respond correctly. Over the last 200 years, immense success has been achieved in controlling major infectious diseases, predominantly by vaccinating with attenuated living organisms, whole inactivated organisms, inactivated toxins, and bacterial capsular polysaccharides. These methods of preparing vaccines, particularly the first two, have not required us to know much about immune responses, except to be sure that measurable antibodies are produced. Control of bacteremia or viremia has sufficed to provide vaccine efficacy against many of the diseases controlled by vaccination 79 (Table 1). Now we must deal with more complex problems, such as microbes that are not influenced by antibodies and immune responses that are useless or even pathologic (Table 2). Much has been learned in recent years concerning protective immune responses. As outlined in Table 3, we now have a better understanding of the need to induce both specific cellular immune responses and antibodies to control infections. Antibodies on mucosal surfaces and in the serum can prevent infection or limit spread to target organs, whereas Th1 and Th2 responses mediated by T cells that shift the immune system toward cellular or antibody-mediated immunity, respectively, destroy infected cells and close off infection. Live, attenuated vaccines induce immune responses as they replicate. The goal of modern vaccinology can be summarized as the search for ways to induce those same responses, but with nonreplicating antigens. This article describes 12 modern trends in vaccinology, and discusses the impact they will have on the future.
Signatures of confinement in axial gauge QCD

Abstract A comparative dynamical study of axial gauge QED and QCD is presented. Elementary excitations associated with particular field configurations are investigated. Gluonic excitations analogous to linearly polarized photons are shown to acquire infinite energy. Suppression of this class of excitations in QCD results from quantization of the chrome-electric flux and is interpreted as a dual Meissner effect, i.e., as expulsion from the QCD vacuum of chromo-electric fields which are constant over significant distances. This interpretation is supported by a comparative evaluation of the interaction energy of static charges in the axial gauge representation of QED and QCD.
Design of high efficiency elliptical reflector for strongly guiding waveguide

Elliptical reflectors used as on-chip lens are studied. Beam waist positions of reflected beams are estimated via Near-Field and Far-Field methods. FDTD simulation shows that this methodology predicts the beam waist position and mode accurately.
Characteristics of platelet protransglutaminase (Factor XIII) - Binding activity in human plasma

Abstract Human plasma Factor XIII (protransglutaminase) complex is composed of two types of non-covalently linked polypeptide chains termed a and b ; only the a chains possess catalytic potential. Platelet Factor XIII is comprised solely of a chains which are capable of binding with free b chains to form a higher mol. wt. zymogen complex. In this study platelets were utilized as a source of unbound a chains to characterize protransglutaminase ( a chain)-binding activity in plasma and its subfractions. Upon molecular exclusion chromatography of unheated plasma or of an unheated ammonium sulfate subfraction of plasma, Factor XIII activity emerged in a peak corresponding to a mol. wt. of > 500,000 (region 1). If these samples had first been heated at 60° to precipitate fibrinogen, Factor XIII was eluted in a peak corresponding to a mol. wt. of about 300,000 (region 2). Chromatography of the platelet zymogen preparation alone resulted in a Factor XIII peak corresponding in position to that of monomeric a chain (mol. wt. 80,000, region 3). Exclusion chromatography after mixing platelet Factor XIII with heat-treated normal plasma or that from a patient with congenital Factor XIII ( a chain) deficiency, resulted in a shift of the platelet zymogen peak from region 3 to region 2, thus demonstrating that both possessed protransglutaminase ( a chain) - binding potential. Chromatography of mixtures of platelet Factor XIII and unheated plasma or an unheated ammonium sulfate fraction yielded a similar peak shift from region 3 to region 2, but the protransglutaminase elution profile also showed evidence of the presence of the “region 1” form of the plasma zymogen. This finding indicated that whatever the nature of the zymogen complex emerging in region 1, it could not be produced in vitro merely by mixing plasma with a source of unbound a chains. Immunochemical analyses of chromatographic fractions showed that the binding of platelet a chains was due, in large part if not completely, to complex formation with freely circulating b chains. Since available evidence suggests different biosynthetic sites for a chains and b chains, these observations indicate that b chains serve as an extracellular a chain-binding protein.
The Ethics of Randomized Clinical Trials

Randomized clinical trials pose a number of fundamental ethical problems to which morally sensitive investigators must give careful consideration. The randomized double-blind clinical trial is ethically justified and the preferred method of demonstrating therapeutic effectiveness and safety. Alternate methods such as crossover and self-controlled designs, the use of historical controls, observational methods, and practitioner's clinical trials also exist and have their place in certain circumstances. The use of randomized double-blind clinical trials must assure adequate explanation of the research plan to the patient, the documentation of informed consent, adequate consideration of safety, and an acceptably low risk/benefit ratio.
Do Investors Care about the Auditor's Economic Dependence on the Client?*

In this study, we investigate whether investor perceptions of the financial reporting credibility of Big 5 audits are related to the auditor's economic dependence on the client as measured by nonaudit as well as total (audit and nonaudit) fees paid to the incumbent auditor. We use the client-specific ex ante cost of equity capital as a proxy for investor perceptions of financial reporting credibility and examine auditor fees both as a proportion of the revenues of the audit firm and as a proportion of the revenues of the audit firm's practice office through which the audit was conducted. Our findings suggest that both nonaudit and total fees are perceived negatively by investors' that is, the higher the fees paid to the auditor, the greater the implied threat to auditor independence, and the lower the financial reporting credibility of a Big 5 audit. Furthermore, our findings appear to be largely unrelated to corporate governance: investors do not perceive the auditor as compensating for weak governance. Separately, recent anecdotal evidence suggests that declining revenues from nonaudit services' as a result of recent regulatory restrictions” are being offset by substantial increases in audit fees. Other things being equal, rising audit fees imply higher profit margins for audit services, indicating that the audit function may no longer be a loss leader. Thus, to the extent that investors perceive total fees negatively, recent regulatory initiatives to limit nonaudit fees may not have adequately addressed the perceived, if not the actual, threat to auditor independence posed by fees.
Antimicrobial Activity of Tigecycline (GAR‐936) Against Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus aureus Used Alone and in Combination

Study objective To evaluate the antimicrobial properties of tigecycline, both alone and in combination with other antibiotics, against multidrug-resistant strains of Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus aureus. Design In vitro study. Setting University laboratory. Measurements and main results Tigecycline, both alone and in combination with other antimicrobial agents, was evaluated against two strains of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium (VREF), three glycopeptide-intermediately resistant S. aureus strains, and one methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain. Tigecycline's activity was compared with that of vancomycin, gentamicin, rifampin, and doxycycline, using time-kill studies and analysis of minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations. Tigecycline also was evaluated in combination with vancomycin, gentamicin, rifampin, and doxycycline in time-kill studies. The number of log10 colony-forming units/ml at 24 hours was compared among treatment groups and growth control by analysis of variance. All isolates were susceptible to tigecycline, regardless of their susceptibilities to vancomycin or doxycycline. In time-kill studies, tigecycline significantly inhibited the bacterial inoculum of all isolates (p Conclusion The multidrug-resistant, gram-positive bacteria tested, including doxycycline-resistant isolates, were susceptible to tigecycline. The combination of tigecycline and gentamicin may have improved or enhanced activity against strains of vancomycin-resistant enterococci and S. aureus.
Stereocontrolled synthesis of highly functionalized cyclohexenes. A short synthesis of a chorismic acid precursor

Abstract A convenient and mild thermal procedure has been developed for stereoselective 2+4-cycloadditions of electron-rich 1,2-dioxygenated olefins 7 to electron-deficient 3-sulfonyl-2-pyrone 6 allowing isolation of the structurally and stereochemically rich initial bicyclic adducts 8. These bicyclic adducts are shown to be useful building units as exemplified by a very short and high-yield preparation of a chorismic acid precursor.
The UV absorption spectra and kinetics of the self reactions of CH2ClO2 and CH2FO2 radicals in the gas phase

The ultraviolet absorption spectra of chloromethylperoxy and fluoromethylperoxy radicals, CH2ClO2 and CH2FO2, and the kinetics of their respective self reactions have been studied in the gas phase using a flash photolysis technique. The absorption spectra for both radicals were quantified over the wavelength range 210 and 290 nm. The measured absorption cross-sections were used to derive the observed self-reaction rate constants (for reactions 1 and 2) over the temperature range 228–380 K, defined as –d[CH2XO2]/dt = 2k[CH2XO2]2, where X represents Cl or F. The rate constants at 298 K were found to be independent of pressure over the range 25–400 torr N2 with values of k1(298 K) = (3.78 ± 0.45) × 10−12 and k2(298 K) = (3.07 ± 0.65) × 10−12 in units of cm3 molecule−1 s−1. The kinetic data over the complete temperature range are represented by the Arrhenius expressions: where the error limits represent 2σ from linear least squares analysis. These results are discussed with respect to previous measurements of the absorption spectra and reactions of alkylperoxy radicals.
FDE-vdW: A van der Waals inclusive subsystem density-functional theory

We present a formally exact van der Waals inclusive electronic structure theory, called FDE-vdW, based on the Frozen Density Embedding formulation of subsystem Density-Functional Theory. In subsystem DFT, the energy functional is composed of subsystem additive and non-additive terms. We show that an appropriate definition of the long-range correlation energy is given by the value of the non-additive correlation functional. This functional is evaluated using the fluctuation–dissipation theorem aided by a formally exact decomposition of the response functions into subsystem contributions. FDE-vdW is derived in detail and several approximate schemes are proposed, which lead to practical implementations of the method. We show that FDE-vdW is Casimir-Polder consistent, i.e., it reduces to the generalized Casimir-Polder formula for asymptotic inter-subsystems separations. Pilot calculations of binding energies of 13 weakly bound complexes singled out from the S22 set show a dramatic improvement upon semilocal subsystem DFT, provided that an appropriate exchange functional is employed. The convergence of FDE-vdW with basis set size is discussed, as well as its dependence on the choice of associated density functional approximant.
Studies of the Plasma Edge in Tokamaks Using Passive Probes

This paper briefly reviews the use of ion beam analysis techinques to study the interaction between the plasma edge and wall materials in present magnetic confinement plasma experiments. In these studies, samples are exposed to the plasma edge and subsequently analysed for hydrogen isotopes and heavier impurity elements deposited during the exposure. Recent experiments of this kind have provided the first values for the energies and fluxes of hydrogen isotopes and impurities incident on materials in the edge plasma in several machines. Values for deuterium ion temperatures range from ~ 50 to ~ 500 eV and deuterium fluxes in the range 1016-1018(cm2s)-l have been observed. Some measurements have been made as a function of distance from the plasma or of time during single discharges. This information together with results from laboratory studies on hydrogen retention in materials, and reflection and sputtering yields for hydrogen in the energy range of interest, are providing a better understanding of plasma-wall interactions.
On the definition of Kac–Moody 2-category

We show that the Kac–Moody 2-categories defined by Rouquier and by Khovanov and Lauda are the same.
Effect of UV/O3 treatment on mask surface to reducing sulfuric residue ions

The critical source of haze contamination which mainly occurred on MoSiN surface and the interface of MoSiN and quartz is known as sulfuric ions remained after mask process. In this experiment, the UV treatment with oxygen gas was carried out before and after wet cleaning process for reducing residue ions from mask surface, and the effect with the sequence of UV treatment and wet cleaning was investigated. The composition of amorphous MoSiN layer was slightly modified by 172nm UV treatment with oxygen gas, and the amount of chemical residue ions after wet cleaning which use the piranha and SC-1 was reduced according to the transformation of surface composite. And also the relation of the surface transformation and the phase shift after SC-1 cleaning was evaluated.
Evolution of the Transition to a World Driven by Renewable Energy

The world's energy supplies will continue to be pressured as the population grows and the standard of living rises in the developing world. A move by the rest of the world toward energy consumption rates on par with the United States is most probably unsustainable. An examination of population trends, current energy utilization rates, and estimated reserves shows that a major worldwide transition to renewable resources is necessary in the next 100 years. This paper examines one possible scenario of how energy usage and renewable power generation must evolve during this time period. As the global standard of living increases, energy consumption in developing nations will begin to approach that of the developed world. A combination of energy conservation and efficiency improvements in developed nations will be needed to push the worldwide energy consumption to approximately 200 million Btu per person per year. Fossil fuel resources will be exhausted or become prohibitively expensive, necessitating the development of renewable energy resources. At this projected steady state population and energy consumption, the required contribution of each type of renewable resource can be calculated. Comparing these numbers to the current renewable capacities illustrates the enormous effort that must be made in the next century.
Quantum-Mechanical Origins Of complex Structures in Al-Transition Metal Compounds

The energetic factors leading to the stability of complex structures in Al-rich transition-metal compounds are analyzed via ab-initio band-theoretic total-energy calculations comparing the Al12W and Cu3Au structures. For nearly half-filled d-bands, the Al12W structure is preferred by 1 eV per transition-metal atom or more. The preference for complex structures results from effects related to the shape of the d-projected electronic density of states, which are found to be more important than atomic-size effects, and are directly related to the complexity of the structure.
Multi-layered optimization of demand resources using Lagrange dual decomposition

This paper concerns mathematical conditions under which a system-level optimization of supply and demand scheduling can be implemented as a distributed optimization in which users and suppliers, as well as the load serving entities, are decision makers with well-defined sub-objectives. We start by defining the optimization problem of the system that includes the sub-objectives of many different players, both supply and demand entities in the system, and decompose the problem into each player's optimization problem, using Lagrange dual decomposition. A demand entity or a load serving entity's problem is further decomposed into problems of the many different end-users that the load serving entity serves. By examining the relationships between the global objectives and the local/individual objectives in these multiple layers and the optimality conditions of these decomposable problems, we define the requirements of these different objectives to converge. We propose a novel set of methods for coordinating supply and demand over different time horizons, namely day-ahead scheduling and real-time adjustment. We illustrate the ideas by simulating simple examples with different conditions and objectives of each entity in the system.
Rotational Brownian motion of a massive binary

The orientation of a massive binary undergoes a random walk due to gravitational encounters with field stars. The rotational diffusion coefficient for a circular-orbit binary is derived via scattering experiments. The binary is shown to reorient itself by an angle of the order of 1/2 during the time that its semimajor axis shrinks appreciably, where M is the binary mass and m the perturber mass. Implications for the orientations of rotating black holes are discussed.
Hardness amplification within NP against deterministic algorithms

We study the average-case hardness of the class NP against algorithms in P. We prove that there exists some constant @m>0 such that if there is some language in NP for which no deterministic polynomial time algorithm can decide L correctly on a 1-(logn)^-^@m fraction of inputs of length n, then there is a language L^' in NP for which no deterministic polynomial time algorithm can decide L^' correctly on a 3/4+(logn)^-^@m fraction of inputs of length n. In coding theoretic terms, we give a construction of a monotone code that can be uniquely decoded up to error rate 14 by a deterministic local decoder.
On integrals with respect to Lévy processes

Abstract Assume L is a non-deterministic real-valued Levy process and f is a smooth function on [0,t]. If for some Borel function H P-almost sure the equality H ∫ [0,t] f(s) d L s =L t holds, then f is constant on [0,t].
Exceptional sets of projections, unions of k-planes and associated transforms

We prove a generalization of a result of Peres and Schlag on the dimensions of certain exceptional sets of projections and apply it to a geometric problem.
VARIANCE STABILIZING TRANSFORMATION OF THE STEPPED‐UP RELIABILITY COEFFICIENT1

The stepped-up reliability coefficient does not have the same standard error as an ordinary correlation coefficient. Fisher's z-transformation should not be applied to it. Appropriate procedures are suggested.
FastTrack: efficient and precise dynamic race detection

Multithreaded programs are notoriously prone to race conditions. Prior work developed precise dynamic race detectors that never report false alarms. However, these checkers employ expensive data structures, such as vector clocks (VCs), that result in significant performance overhead.This paper exploits the insight that the full generality of VCs is not necessary in most cases. That is, we can replace VCs with an adaptive lightweight representation that, for almost all operations of the target program, requires constant space and supports constant-time operations. Experimental results show that the resulting race detection algorithm is over twice as fast as prior precise race detectors, with no loss of precision.
Computation in Finitary Stochastic and Quantum Processes

Abstract We introduce stochastic and quantum finite-state transducers as computation-theoretic models of classical stochastic and quantum finitary processes. Formal process languages, representing the distribution over a process’ behaviors, are recognized and generated by suitable specializations. We characterize and compare deterministic and nondeterministic versions, summarizing their relative computational power in a hierarchy of finitary process languages. Quantum finite-state transducers and generators are a first step toward a computation-theoretic analysis of individual, repeatedly measured quantum dynamical systems. They are explored via several physical systems, including an iterated-beam-splitter, an atom in a magnetic field, and atoms in an ion trap—a special case of which implements the Deutsch quantum algorithm. We show that these systems’ behaviors, and so their information processing capacity, depends sensitively on the measurement protocol.
Projection: A Unified Approach to Semi-Infinite Linear Programs and Duality in Convex Programming

Fourier-Motzkin elimination is a projection algorithm for solving finite linear programs. We extend Fourier-Motzkin elimination to semi-infinite linear programs, which are linear programs with finitely many variables and infinitely many constraints. Applying projection leads to new characterizations of important properties for primal-dual pairs of semi-infinite programs such as zero duality gap, feasibility, boundedness, and solvability. Extending the Fourier-Motzkin elimination procedure to semi-infinite linear programs yields a new classification of variables that is used to determine the existence of duality gaps. In particular, the existence of what the authors term dirty variables can lead to duality gaps. Our approach has interesting applications in finite-dimensional convex optimization. For example, sufficient conditions for a zero duality gap, such as the Slater constraint qualification, are reduced to guaranteeing that there are no dirty variables. This leads to completely new proofs of such sufficient conditions for zero duality.
Dynamic mechanical properties of N-phenylnadimide modified PMR polyimide composites

Temperature-frequency dependence of alpha, beta, and gamma transitions was determined using a Rheometrics dynamic spectrometer on a series of unidirectional Celion 6000/N-phenylnadimide (PN) modified PMR polyimide composites. The objective was to see if any correlations exist between crosslinked network structure and dynamic mechanical properties. Variation in crosslinked network structures was achieved by altering the polyimide formulation through addition of various quantities of PN into the standard PMR-15 composition. As a control, PMR-15 composite system exhibited well-defined alpha, beta, and gamma transitions in the regions of 360, 100, and -120 C, respectively. Their activation energies were estimated to be 232, 60, and 14 kcal/mole, respectively. Increasing the amount of PN concentration caused lowering of the activation energies of the three relaxations, a decrease of the glass transition temperature, and increasing intensities of the three damping peaks, compared to the control PMR-15 counterpart. These dynamic mechanical responses were in agreement with formation of a more flexible copolymer from PN and PMR-15 prepolymer.
The Grothendieck ring of varieties is not a domain

Let k be a field. Let K_0(V_k) denote the quotient of the free abelian group generated by the geometrically reduced varieties over k, modulo the relations of the form [X]=[X-Y]+[Y] whenever Y is a closed subvariety of X. Product of varieties makes K_0(V_k) into a ring. We prove that if the characteristic of k is zero, then K_0(V_k) is not a domain.
Separating Thermal and Nonthermal X-Rays in Supernova Remnants. I. Total Fits to SN 1006 AD

The remnant of SN 1006 has an X-ray spectrum dominated by nonthermal emission, and pre-ASCA observations were well described by a synchrotron calculation with electron energies limited by escape. We describe the results of a much more stringent test: fitting spatially integrated ASCA GIS (0.6-8 keV) and RXTE PCA (3-10 keV) data with a combination of the synchrotron model SRESC newly ported to XSPEC and a new thermal shock model VPSHOCK. The new model can describe the continuum emission above 2 keV well, in both spatial distribution and spectrum. We find that the emission is dominantly nonthermal, with a small but noticeable thermal component: Mg and Si are clearly visible in the integrated spectrum. The synchrotron component rolls off smoothly from the extrapolated radio spectrum, with a characteristic rolloff frequency of 3.1 × 1017 Hz, at which the spectrum has dropped about a factor of 6 below a power-law extrapolation from the radio spectrum. Comparison of TeV observations with new TeV model images and spectra based on the X-ray model fits gives a mean postshock magnetic field strength of about 9 μG, implying (for a compression ratio of 4) an upstream magnetic field of 3 μG, and fixing the current energy content in relativistic electrons at about 7 × 1048 ergs, resulting in a current electron-acceleration efficiency of about 5%. This total energy is about 100 times the energy in the magnetic field. The X-ray fit also implies that electrons escape ahead of the shock above an energy of about 30 TeV. This escape could result from an absence of scattering magnetohydrodynamic waves above a wavelength of about 1017 cm. Our results indicate that joint thermal and nonthermal fitting, using sophisticated models, will be required for analysis of most supernova-remnant X-ray data in the future.
Cell-Trappable Fluorescent Probes for Nitric Oxide Visualization in Living Cells

Two new cell-trappable fluorescent probes for nitric oxide (NO) are reported based on either incorporation of hydrolyzable esters or conjugation to aminodextran polymers. Both probes are highly selective for NO over other reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). The efficacy of these probes for the fluorescence imaging of nitric oxide produced endogenously in Raw 264.7 cells is demonstrated.
Primary Health Care‐the Role of Optometry*

Optometrists, like all health care providers, should emphasize primary or preventive care. To provide this care optometrists must be aware of the risk factors for major causes of mortality. As an example, the risk profile for a white male age 45 to 49 years is given and discussed. Suggestions for primary vision care and detection of major risk factors by optometrists are also presented.
Cycloadditions of 4-pyrones. An approach to colchicine

Abstract The 4-pyrone, [5-acetoxy-4-oxo-4 H -pyran-2-yl]carbonyl chloride was coupled with malonate anion of bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl) 2-ethenyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylpropanedioate and analogs thereof. These adducts then underwent intramolecular thermal cyclizations (61-100% yield) to form the two fused seven member rings of the carbon skeleton of colchicine. The malonate moiety was deprotected and decarboxylated quantitatively to provide the desired ring system which contained a bridging ether, from C7a to C11 in the C ring, and a ketone at the 7 position. Removal of the bridging ether as H2O would yield the desired tropolone. Our attempts to remove the ether bridge were unsuccessful.
Crystal and molecular structure of the charge-transfer salt of decamethylcobaltocene and tetracyanoethylene (2:1): {[Co(C5Me5)2]+}2[(NC)2CC(CN)2]2-. The electronic structures and spectra of [TCNE]n (n = 0, 1-, 2-)

Le compose du titre cristallise, lorsqu'il est solvate par l'acetonitrile, dans le systeme triclinique avec le groupe d'espace P1. Affinement de la structure jusqu'a 0,069
Can traders beat the market? Evidence from insider trades

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how insiders’ trades are executed and whether and how outside investors can mimic outperforming insiders and reap substantial portfolio returns that withstand the erosion from adjustments for both the standard factors and stock characteristics in the asset pricing literature. Design/methodology/approach – The authors design a metric for measuring insiders’ trade execution quality: the trading alpha. The authors run regression analysis to control for trade difficulty, insider reputations and the corporate role ranks of insiders and document the existence of the abnormal trading alpha. The authors further form portfolios based on the abnormal trading alpha and document a significant abnormal return that is robust to both standard asset pricing factors model and the stock characteristics adjustments. Findings – Outperforming insiders at the aggregate level resemble value investors who trade on long-term fundamental information, trade patiently and earn re...
Statistical mechanics of anyons

We study the statistical mechanics of a two-dimensional gas of free anyons-particles which interpolate between Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac character. Thermodynamic quantities are discussed in the low-density regime. In particular, the second virial coefficient is evaluated by two different methods and is found to exhibit a simple, periodic, but nonanalytic behavior as a function of the statistics determining parameter.
ON THE NUMBER OF METASTABLE STATES IN A STRIPE GLASS

We estimate the number of metastable states of a self generated stripe glass, relevant for the formation of glassy doped Mott insulators. Using replica bound states, we demonstrate that the configurational entropy is the difference between the entropy of the stripe liquid and of an amorphous stripe solid with phonon-type excitations. Using simple scaling laws we then determine the relationship between the modulation length and the configurational entropy.
General Method for the Synthesis of Salicylic Acids from Phenols through Palladium-Catalyzed Silanol-Directed C ? H Carboxylation

A silanol-directed, palladium-catalyzed C-H carboxylation reaction of phenols to give salicylic acids has been developed. This method features high efficiency and selectivity, and excellent functional-group tolerance. The generality of this method was demonstrated by the carboxylation of estrone and by the synthesis of an unsymmetrically o,o'-disubstituted phenolic compound through two sequential C-H functionalization processes.
A comparison of axiomatic approaches to qualitative decision making using possibility theory

In this paper we analyze two recent axiomatic approaches proposed by Dubois et al., [5] and by Giang and Shenoy [10] for qualitative decision making where uncertainty is described by possibility theory. Both axiomtizations are inspired by yon Neumann and Morgenstern's system of axioms for the case of probability theory. We show that our approach naturally unifies two axiomatic systems that correspond, respectively, to pessimistic and optimistic decision criteria proposed by Dubois et al. The simplifying unification is achieved by (i) replacing axioms that are supposed to reflect two informational attitudes (uncertainty aversion and uncertainty attraction) by an axiom that imposes order on set of standard lotteries, and (ii) using a binary utility scale in which each utility level is represented by a pair of numbers.
A scalable high-performance switched-capacitor filter

Switched-capacitor filters tend to display reduced performance when implemented at reduced feature size because of higher KT/C and 1/f noise, and reduced operational amplifier gain and swing. Descriptions are given of circuit solutions to certain performance degradations associated with technology scaling, including chopper stabilization, and class AB differential operational amplifier architecture. An experimental fifth-order elliptic PCM low-pass filter, using 3-/spl mu/m CMOS technology, achieved an area of 200 mil per pole. Typical measured results for a /spl plusmn/2.5-V power supply are a dynamic range of 87 dB and a power supply rejection ratio of 40 dB over 1-MHz range.
Single-particle tunneling in doped graphene-insulator-graphene junctions

The characteristics of tunnel junctions formed between n- and p-doped graphene are investigated theoretically. The single-particle tunnel current that flows between the twodimensional electronic states of the graphene (2D-2D tunneling) is evaluated. At a voltage bias such that the Dirac points of the two electrodes are aligned, a large resonant current peak is produced. The magnitude and width of this peak are computed, and its use for devices is discussed. The influences of both rotational alignment of the graphene electrodes and structural perfection of the graphene are also discussed.
Impact of Convective Organization on the Response of Tropical Precipitation Extremes to Warming

AbstractIn this study the response of tropical precipitation extremes to warming in organized convection is examined using a cloud-resolving model. Vertical shear is imposed to organize the convection into squall lines. Earlier studies show that in disorganized convection, the fractional increase of precipitation extremes is similar to that of surface water vapor, which is substantially smaller than the increase in column water vapor. It has been suggested that organized convection could lead to stronger amplifications.Regardless of the strength of the shear, amplifications of precipitation extremes in the cloud-resolving simulations are comparable to those of surface water vapor and are substantially less than increases in column water vapor. The results without shear and with critical shear, for which the squall lines are perpendicular to the shear, are surprisingly similar with a fractional rate of increase of precipitation extremes slightly smaller than that of surface water vapor. Interestingly, the ...
Judging the Private Lives of Public Officials

This article discusses the moral importance of privacy and its place in the lives of public officials. It examines the tension between the legitimate claims of citizens and overseers to scrutinize the private lives of public figures and the rights of officials to privacy. It argues that these legitimate reasons break down in practice almost all barriers to scrutiny due to the weaknesses of the limits and the incentives of American politics and the modern media. The article explores the consequences of a world where public officials possess no private lives. These unsavory consequences exemplify the dangers of denying any boundaries between private and public. The article concludes that citizens need to redefine the boundaries of private and public life and suggests standards by which citizens can judge the private lives of public officials.
Recent results in wavelet applications

We present three recent developments in wavelets and subdivision: wavelet-type transforms that map integers to integers, with an application to lossless coding for images; rate-distortion bounds that realize the compression given by nonlinear approximation theorems for a model where wavelet compression outperforms the Karhunen-Loeve approach; and smoothness results for irregularly spaced subdivision schemes, related to wavelet compression for irregularly spaced data.
Efficient Estimation of the Parameter Path in Unstable Time Series Models

The paper investigates asymptotically efficient inference in general likelihood models with time varying parameters. Parameter path estimators and tests of parameter constancy are evaluated by their weighted average risk and weighted average power, respectively. The weight function is proportional to the distribution of a Gaussian process, and focusses on local parameter instabilities that cannot be detected with certainty even in the limit. It is shown that asymptotically, the sample information about the parameter path is efficiently summarized by a Gaussian pseudo model. This approximation leads to computationally convenient formulas for efficient path estimators and test statistics, and unifies the theory of stability testing and parameter path estimation.
A simplex model for layered niche networks

The standing crop of correlations in metazoan communities may be assessed by an inventory of niche structures focused inward and outward from the physical boundaries of skin (self), gene-pool (family), and meme-pool (culture). We consider tracking the progression from three and four correlation layers in many animal communities, to five of six layers for the shared adaptation of most humans, with an attention-slice model that maps the niche-layer focus of individuals onto the 6-variable space of a 5-simplex. The measure puts questions about the effect, on culture and species, of policy and natural events into a common context, and may help explore the impact of electronically mediated codes on community health. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2008. This article was submitted as an invited paper resulting from the “Understanding Complex Systems” conference held at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, May 2006.
Monopole operators, moduli spaces and dualities

We develop a semiclassical method to analyze the spectrum of BPS monopole operators of three-dimensional superconformal field theories with $ \mathcal{N} $ = 2 supersymmetry. We show that the chiral ring of the theory results from the semiclassical holomorphic quantization of the solution of classical BPS equations of motion on the cylinder. We apply this formalism to various theories. We also use these techniques to compare the chiral rings of theories that might be related to each other via Seiberg dualities in four dimensions in the classical limit. We find that the change of basis transformations that generate dualities in four dimensions (homological operations) generically do not work in three dimensions in the presence of Chern-Simons terms. Instead, new theories generally arise this way. When dualities are possible, the Chern-Simons couplings need to satisfy certain arithmetic congruences. We also determine the spectrum of R-charges of the chiral ring operators by assembling them on a Hilbert series and by minimizing the coefficient of the maximum pole relative to the trial R-charge. This is related to volume minimization in theories with dual supergravity setups.