cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incomplete contracting issues in information systems development outsourcing

Abstract Outsourcing is the subcontracting of some or all the information systems functions by one firm to another. An incomplete contracting framework is used to examine the relative merits of outsourcing certain information systems development tasks. The focus is on investigating the effects of information asymmetry and different profit sharing rules on the decision of whether to outsource or to use an internal development team. The modeling indicates that the value generated from outsourcing the development effort comes primarily from the specific investments made by the external group, and that outsourcing dominates internal development when this investment is relatively more important than investments by the internal user group. This provides one economic explanation for the coexistence of both internal development teams and of various outsourcing services.
Topological parameters for time-space tradeoff

In this paper we propose a family of algorithms combining tree-clustering with conditioning that trade space for time. Such algorithms are useful for reasoning in probabilistic and deterministic networks as well as for accomplishing optimization tasks. By analyzing the problem structure it will be possible to select from a spectrum the algorithm that best meets a given time-space specification.
Weakly Coupled Antiferromagnetic Quantum Spin Chains

Quasi-one-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets formed by a $d$-dimensional hypercubic lattice of weakly coupled spin- $\frac{1}{2}$ antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chains are studied by combining exact results in one-dimension and renormalization group analyses of the interchain correlations. It is shown that $d$-dimensional magnetic long-range order develops at zero temperature for infinitesimal antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic interchain couplings. In the presence of weak bond alternations, the order-disorder transition occurs at a finite interchain coupling. Relevances to the lightly doped quantum antiferromagnets and multilayer quantum Hall systems are discussed.
Measurement of the spin of a particle using undulator radiation

Use of many period wigglers to rotate the spin of particles in accelerators has been proposed. An added advantage of this scheme is that a spectrum of synchrotron radiation will be produced that contains a contribution due to the spin, so that the device can be effectively used as spin polarimeter, with advantages compared to Compton backscattering methods. Results are presented for two high energy proton storage rings: RHIC and the SSC. >
A four-parameter atomic decomposition of chirplets

A new four-parameter atomic decomposition of chirplets is developed for compact and precise representation of signals with chirp components. The four-parameter chirplet atom is obtained from the unit Gaussian function by successive applications of scaling, fractional Fourier transform (FRFT), and time-shift and frequency-shift operators. The application of the FRFT operator results in a rotation of the Wigner distribution of the Gaussian in the time-frequency plane by a specified angle. The decomposition is realized by using the matching pursuit algorithm. For this purpose, the four-parameter space is discretized to obtain a small but complete subset in the Hilbert space. A time-frequency distribution (TFD) is developed for clear and readable visualization of the signal components. It is observed that the chirplet decomposition and the related TFD provide more compact and precise representation of signal inner structures compared with the commonly used time-frequency representations.
WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO DETECT A MILLISECOND PULSAR IN NEUTRON STAR X-RAY BINARIES?

We explain why it is possible to detect directly X-ray emission from near the surface of the neutron star (NS) in SAX J1808.4-3658 but not in most other low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), with the exception that emission from the surface can be seen during burst events. We show that the X-ray emission from SAX J1808.4-3658 mostly originates in the Comptonization process in a relatively optically thin hot region (with an optical depth τ0 around 4 and temperature around 20 keV). Such a transparent region does not prevent us from detecting coherent X-ray pulsation due to hot spots on the NS surface. We give a precise model for the loss of modulation: such suppression of the quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) amplitude due to scattering can explain the disappearance of kilohertz QPOs with increasing QPO frequency. We also formulate general conditions under which the millisecond X-ray pulsation can be detected in LMXBs. We demonstrate that the observed soft phase lag of the pulsed emission is a result of the downscattering of the hard X-ray photons in the relatively cold material near the NS surface. In the framework of this downscattering model, we propose a method to determine the atmosphere density in that region from soft-lag measurements.
Global Dual Sourcing: Tailored Base-Surge Allocation to Near-and Offshore Production

When designing a sourcing strategy in practice, a key task is to determine the average order rates placed to each source because that affects cost and supplier management. We consider a firm that has access to a responsive nearshore source (e.g., Mexico) and a low-cost offshore source (e.g., China). The firm must determine an inventory sourcing policy to satisfy random demand over time. Unfortunately, the optimal policy is too complex to allow a direct answer to our key question. Therefore, we analyze a tailored base-surge (TBS) sourcing policy that is simple, used in practice, and captures the classic trade-off between cost and responsiveness. The TBS policy combines push and pull controls by replenishing at a constant rate from the offshore source and producing at the nearshore plant only when inventory is below a target. The constant base allocation allows the offshore facility to focus on cost efficiency, whereas the nearshore facility's quick response capability is utilized only dynamically to guarantee high service. The research goals are to (i) determine the allocation of random demand into base and surge capacity, (ii) estimate corresponding working capital requirements, and (iii) identify and value the key drivers of dual sourcing. We present performance bounds on the optimal cost and prove that economic optimization brings the system into heavy traffic. We analyze the sourcing policy that is asymptotically optimal for high-volume systems and present a simple “square-root” formula that is insightful to answer our questions and sufficiently accurate for practice, as is demonstrated with a validation study.
New group structures for Carbon onions and Carbon nanotubes via affine extensions of non-crystallographic Coxeter groups

We present results underlining the conjecture [J. Patera, R. Twarock, J. Phys. A, in press] that the affine extensions for non-crystallographic Coxeter groups introduced in this reference are suitable mathematical objects for the description of the symmetries of Carbon onions and Carbon nanotubes. It is the hope that these considerations will shed new light on open questions concerning structure, stability and formation of these fullerenes.
An anisotropic turbulence model for wave propagation near the surface of the Earth

A model of turbulent anisotropy of refractive index fluctuations near the surface of the earth is presented and used to calculate the mutual coherence function (MCF) of a propagating plane wave. it is found that there are measurable differences in the transverse (horizontal and vertical) MCF's thus making possible active remote sensing of turbulent anisotropy.
Recommendations for quantification methods during the performance of a pediatric echocardiogram: a report from the Pediatric Measurements Writing Group of the American Society of Echocardiography Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Council.

n Society of Echocardiography designates this educational activity for of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits . Physicians should only claim credit te with the extent of their participation in the activity. CCI recognize the ASE’s certificates and have agreed to honor the credit their registry requirements for sonographers. n Society of Echocardiography is committed to ensuring that its educan and all sponsored educational programs are not influenced by the special y corporation or individual, and itsmandate is to retain only those authors ial interests can be effectively resolved to maintain the goals and educaty of the activity. Although amonetary or professional affiliationwith a cors not necessarily influence an author’s presentation, the Essential Areas and e ACCME require that any relationships that could possibly conflict with al value of the activity be resolved prior to publication and disclosed to . Disclosures of faculty and commercial support relationships, if any, dicated. ience: is designed for all cardiovascular physicians and cardiac sonographers with erest and knowledge base in the field of echocardiography; in addition, reschers, clinicians, intensivists, and other medical professionals with a spein cardiac ultrasound will find this activity beneficial.
Organizations matter: they are institutions, after all

Judge Posner (2010) offers a substantial agenda for organization economics. He advises us on how organization economics can shed substantial light on some of the most pressing social problems of the day. I comment on two of the areas he selects for discussion and offer some comments on the relationship of organization economics to new institutional economics. Judge Posner surely is right to argue that organization economics can help us understand the failures of corporate governance in regulating executive pay. Moreover, with additional and more institutionally nuanced theorizing, organizational economics should further our understanding of the work of judiciaries in the civilian and common law traditions. Judge Posner tells us that organization economics and new institutional economics are related fields. I make a plea for economic holism. Organizations are institutions. While getting clear on disciplinary boundaries and the differing kinds and concepts of institutions is important, logical differences in concepts like ‘organization’ and ‘institution’ may be less important than what to emphasize in theory construction and what to test for with those theories. The success of organization economics will be in whether the different emphases produce new insights. Judge Posner is right to tell us that new insights are coming and will continue to come from organization economics. This is true however we conceptualize the field as a school of thought.
Collective T=0 pairing in N=Z nuclei? Pairing vibrations around 56Ni revisited

Abstract We present a new analysis of the pairing vibrations around 56 Ni, with emphasis on odd-odd nuclei. This analysis of the experimental excitation energies is based on the subtraction of average properties that include the full symmetry energy together with the volume, surface, and Coulomb terms. The results clearly indicate a collective behavior of the isovector pairing vibrations and do not support any appreciable collectivity in the isoscalar channel.
miRNAminer: A tool for homologous microRNA gene search

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), present in most metazoans, are small non-coding RNAs that control gene expression by negatively regulating translation through binding to the 3'UTR of mRNA transcripts. Previously, experimental and computational methods were used to construct miRNA gene repositories agreeing with careful submission guidelines. An algorithm we developed – miRNAminer – is used for homologous conserved miRNA gene search in several animal species. Given a search query, candidate homologs from different species are tested for their known miRNA properties, such as secondary structure, energy and alignment and conservation, in order to asses their fidelity. When applying miRNAminer on seven mammalian species we identified several hundreds of high-confidence homologous miRNAs increasing the total collection of (miRbase) miRNAs, in these species, by more than 50%. miRNAminer uses stringent criteria and exhibits high sensitivity and specificity. We present – miRNAminer – the first web-server for homologous miRNA gene search in animals. miRNAminer can be used to identify conserved homolog miRNA genes and can also be used prior to depositing miRNAs in public databases. miRNAminer is available at http://pag.csail.mit.edu/mirnaminer .
Improved combinatorial algorithms for wireless information flow

The work of Avestimehr et al. '07 has recently proposed a deterministic model for wireless networks and characterized the unicast capacity C of such networks as the minimum rank of the adjacency matrices describing all possible source-destination cuts. Amaudruz & Fragouli first proposed a polynomial-time algorithm for finding the unicast capacity of a linear deterministic wireless network in their 2009 paper. In this work, we improve upon Amaudruz & Fragouli's work and further reduce the computational complexity of the algorithm by fully exploring the useful combinatorial features intrinsic in the problem. Our improvement applies generally with any size of finite fields associated with the channel model. Comparing with other algorithms on solving the same problem, our improved algorithm is very competitive in terms of complexity.
The embedded machine: Predictable, portable real-time code

The Embedded Machine is a virtual machine that mediates in real time the interaction between software processes and physical processes. It separates the compilation of embedded programs into two phases. The first phase, the platform-independent compiler phase, generates E code (code executed by the Embedded Machine), which supervises the timing, not the scheduling of, application tasks relative to external events such as clock ticks and sensor interrupts. E code is portable and, given an input behavior, exhibits predictable (i.e., deterministic) timing and output behavior. The second phase, the platform-dependent compiler phase, checks the time safety of the E code, that is, whether platform performance (determined by the hardware) and platform utilization (determined by the scheduler of the operating system) enable its timely execution. We have used the Embedded Machine to compile and execute high-performance control applications written in Giotto, such as the flight control system of an autonomous model helicopter.
Mining residue contacts in proteins using local structure predictions

In this paper we develop data mining techniques to predict 3D contact potentials among protein residues (or amino acids) based on the hierarchical nucleation-propagation model of protein folding. We apply a hybrid approach, using a hidden Markov model to extract folding initiation sites, and then apply association mining to discover contact potentials. The new hybrid approach achieves accuracy results better than those reported previously.
Harmonising Basel III and the Dodd Frank Act

This paper aims to highlight why the harmonization of two major legislative frameworks, namely, Basel III and the Dodd Frank Act, will contribute immensely to resolving future global as well as regional financial crises. More specifically, the paper also aims to highlight the significance and importance of addressing the main transmission channels of financial instability and systemic risks at micro and macro prudential level as well as the need for consideration and redress of the obstacles confronted by Basel III – with particular regards to the impediment imposed by the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Detecting shared congestion of flows via end-to-end measurement

Current Internet congestion control protocols operate independently on a per-flow basis. Recent work has demonstrated that cooperative congestion control strategies between flows can improve performance for a variety of applications, ranging from aggregated TCP transmissions to multiple-sender multicast applications. However, in order for this cooperation to be effective, one must first identify the flows that are congested at the same set of resources. In this paper, we present techniques based on loss or delay observations at end hosts to infer whether or not two flows experiencing congestion are congested at the same network resources. Our novel result is that such detection can be achieved for unicast flows, but the techniques can also be applied to multicast flows. We validate these techniques via queueing analysis, simulation, and experimentation within the Internet. In addition, we demonstrate preliminary simulation results that show that the delay-based technique can determine whether two TCP flows are congested at the same set of resources. We also propose metrics that can be used as a measure of the amount of congestion sharing between two flows.
An Ansatz for the asymptotics of hypergeometric multisums

Sequences that are defined by multisums of hypergeometric terms with compact support occur frequently in enumeration problems of combinatorics, algebraic geometry and perturbative quantum field theory. The standard recipe to study the asymptotic expansion of such sequences is to find a recurrence satisfied by them, convert it into a differential equation satisfied by their generating series, and analyze the singularities in the complex plane. We propose a shortcut by constructing directly from the structure of the hypergeometric term a finite set, for which we conjecture (and in some cases prove) that it contains all the singularities of the generating series. Our construction of this finite set is given by the solution set of a balanced system of polynomial equations of a rather special form, reminiscent of the Bethe ansatz. The finite set can also be identified with the set of critical values of a potential function, as well as with the evaluation of elements of an additive K-theory group by a regulator function. We give a proof of our conjecture in some special cases, and we illustrate our results with numerous examples.
Studies towards the total synthesis of an epoxy isoprostane phospholipid, a potent activator of endothelial cells

We report studies toward the total synthesis of an epoxy isoprostane, namely the preparation of compound 9 which is an analogue of the elimination product 7 of the naturally occurring epoxy isoprostane 4 by a straightforward route using a three-component coupling, and have shown by several spectroscopic criteria that it closely resembles the natural material.
Empowered and disempowered voices of low-income people with disabilities on the initiation of government-funded, managed health care

The health and healthcare of vulnerable populations is an international concern. In 2011, a Midwestern state within the U.S. mandatorily transitioned 38,000 Medicaid recipients from a fee-for-service system into a managed care program in which managed care companies were contracted to provide recipients' healthcare for a capitated rate. In addition to cost savings through reductions in preventable and unnecessary hospital admissions, the goals of the managed care program (MCP) included: (1) access to a more functional support system, which can support high and medium risk users in the development of care plans and coordination of care, and (2) choice among competent providers. The population transitioned was a high-need, high-cost, low-income, and low-power group of individuals. The evaluation research team used focus groups as one of many strategies to understand the experience of users during the first two years of this complex change effort. The article explores empowerment in terms of users and their family caregivers' ability to make meaningful choices and access resources with regard to their healthcare. Specifically, factors empowering and disempowering users were identified within three thematic areas: (1) enrollment experiences, (2) access to care and (3) communication with managed care organizations and providers. While the change was not optional for users, a disempowering feature, there remained opportunities for other empowering and disempowering processes and outcomes through the transition and new managed care program. The results are from 74 participants: 65 users and 9 family caregivers in 11 focus groups and six interviews across two waves of data collection. MCP users felt disempowered by an initial lack of providers, difficulty with transportation to appointments, and challenges obtaining adequate medication. They felt empowered by having a choice of providers, good quality of transportation services and clear communication from providers and managed care organizations. Recommendations for increasing prospects for the empowerment of healthcare users with disabilities within a managed care environment are presented.
Thermodynamic state of the magnetic flux compression generator volume

The thermodynamic state of the gas trapped in the volume of helical magnetic flux compression generators was measured using optical emission spectroscopy and fast pressure probes. Three main stages of operation are discussed: (1) the initial stage, which can be represented by a freely expanding armature, that shows fairly low gas temperatures, as low as 2000 K; (2) the intermediate stage during 14-4 /spl mu/s before generator burnout that exhibits mainly an atomic copper line transition at about 0.8 eV; (3) the last few /spl mu/s that reveal a highly compressed gas with temperatures of about 5000 K and pressures of about 1500 bar. Most experiments were conducted in air, initially at STP, some results are given for argon and sulfur hexafluoride initially at one atmosphere. Additionally, the thermodynamic state is linked to the electrical volume breakdown threshold via simple resistance measurements that were conducted in current-free flux compression generators.
Verification of timing constraints on large digital systems

A new approach to the verification of the timing constraints on large digital systems has been developed. The associated algorithm is computationally very efficient, and provides early and continuous feedback about the timing aspects of synchronous sequential circuits as they are designed. It also provides means for conveniently verifying the design in sections, permitting the section-by-section timing verification of designs which are too large to examine as a unit on existing computer systems. A system using this algorithm has been implemented, and has been used to verify the timing constraints on the design of the S-1 Mark IIA processor.
Heart wall velocimetry and exogenous contrast-based cardiac flow imaging in Drosophila melanogaster using Doppler optical coherence tomography

Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) is a central organism in biology and is becoming increasingly important in the cardiovascular sciences. Prior work in optical imaging of the D. melanogaster heart has focused on static and dynamic structural anatomy. In the study, it is demonstrated that Doppler optical coherence tomography can quantify dynamic heart wall velocity and hemolymph flow in adult D. melanogaster. Since hemolymph is optically transparent, a novel exogenous contrast technique is demonstrated to increase the backscatter-based intracardiac Doppler flow signal. The results presented here open up new possibilities for functional cardiovascular phenotyping of normal and mutant D. melanogaster.
Parametric excitation under multiple excitation parameters : asymmetric plates under a rotating spring

Abstract A perturbation method is developed to predict stability of parametrically excited dynamic systems containing multiple perturbation parameters. This method, based on the Floquct theorem and the method of successive approximations, results in a non-linear matrix eigenvalue problem whose eigenvalues are used to predict the system stability. The method is applied to a classical circular plate, containing elastic or viscoclastic inclusions, excited by a linear transverse spring rotating at constant speed. Primary and secondary resonances arc predicted. The transition to instability predicted by the perturbation analysis agrees with predictions obtained by numerical integration of the equations of motion.
The Proton Radius Puzzle

Abstract The proton size, specifically its charge radius, was thought known to about 1% accuracy. Now a new method probing the proton with muons instead of electrons finds a radius about 4% smaller, and to boot gives an uncertainty limit of about 0.1%. We review the different measurements, some of the calculations that underlie them, some of the suggestions that have been made to resolve the conflict, and give a brief overview new related experimental initiatives. At present, however, the resolution to the problem remains unknown.
On the Faustian Dynamics of Policy and Political Power

This paper examines the Faustian dynamics of policy and power. We posit a general class of dy namic games in which current policies affect the future distribution of political power, resulting in the following "Faustian trade-off": if the current ruler chooses his preferred policy, he then sacrifices future political power; yet if he wants to preserve his future power, he must sacrifice his present policy objec tives. The trade-off comes from the fact that the current political ruler/pivotal voter cannot uncouple the direct effect of his policy from its indirect effect on future power. A policy-endogenous (PE) equilibrium describes this endogenous transfer of power and the resulting evolution of policy and political power over time. We show that the Faustian trade-off in a PE equilibrium is decomposed into two basic rationales. The political preservation effect induces more tempered policy choices than if one's policy choice did not affect one's political fortunes. However, the reformation effect induces "more aggressive" policies in order to exploit the productivity gains from policies chosen by even more aggressive successors. We distinguish between political systems that give rise to monotone Faustian dynamics—political power that progressively evolves towards more fiscally liberal types of leaders—and cyclical Faustian dynamics— political power that oscillates between liberal and conservative types of leaders. In each case, we show that the Faustian trade-off moderates the choices of each type of leader.
Beyond Incentives: Do Schools Use Accountability Rewards Productively?

We use a regression discontinuity design to analyze an understudied aspect of school accountability systems—how schools use financial rewards. For two years, California's accountability system financially rewarded schools based on a deterministic function of test scores. Qualifying schools received per-pupil awards amounting to about 1% of statewide per-pupil spending. Corroborating anecdotal evidence that awards were paid out as teacher bonuses, we find no evidence that winning schools purchased more instructional material, increased teacher hiring, or changed the subject-specific composition of their teaching staff. Most importantly, we find no evidence that student achievement increased in winning schools. Supplemental materials for this article are available online.
On How Often the Supervisor Should Sample

A procedure is presented for specifying how long a supervisor or monitor of a process should wait between input samples to maximize a given value or payoff function, assuming he resets the controls with each sample as a function of the best information he has. The procedure is based upon Bayesian preposterior information analysis.
Dollar a day revisited

The article presents the first major update of the international $1 a day poverty line, proposed in world development report 1990: poverty for measuring absolute poverty by the standards of the world's poorest countries. In a new and more representative data set of national poverty lines, a marked economic gradient emerges only when consumption per person is above about $2.00 a day at 2005 purchasing power parity. Below this, the average poverty line is $1.25, which is proposed as the new international poverty line. The article tests the robustness of this line to alternative estimation methods and explains how it differs from the old $1 a day line.
MIMO Downlink Scheduling with Non-Perfect Channel State Knowledge

Downlink scheduling schemes are well-known and widely investigated under the assumption that the channel state is perfectly known to the scheduler. In the multiuser MIMO (broadcast) case, downlink scheduling in the presence of non-perfect channel state information (CSI) is only scantly treated. In this paper we provide a general framework that addresses the problem systematically. Also, we illuminate the key role played by the channel state prediction error: our scheme treats in a fundamentally different way users with small channel prediction error ("predictable" users) and users with large channel prediction error ("non-predictable" users), and can be interpreted as a near-optimal opportunistic time-sharing strategy between MIMO downlink beamforming to predictable users and space-time coding to non-predictable users. Our results, based on a realistic MIMO channel model used in 3GPP standardization, show that the proposed algorithms can significantly outperform a conventional "mismatched" scheduling scheme that treats the available CSI as if it was perfect.
CRA Lending in a Changing Context: Evidence of Interaction with FHA and Subprime Originations

This article uses a unique demonstration program to examine the interaction of CRA-related lending with subprime and FHA lending activity. Specifically, the empirical analysis identifies the extent to which the origination of a CRA mortgage substitutes for FHA and subprime originations during the period 1998–2006. The results suggest that in the years prior to the expansion of the subprime market (1998–2001), the origination of CRA loans carried a small substitution effect with respect to FHA originations, with little to no impact on subprime originations. Conversely, during the years of the subprime industry’s growth (2002–2006), CRA originations substituted at a much higher rate for high-cost originations. These findings are suggestive about the dynamic role of community reinvestment lending within the changing context of the broader mortgage market. To the extent that CRA originations carry lower foreclosure risk than many subprime products, they also carry implications for the extent of neighborhood externalities in the wake of the subprime foreclosure crisis.
Complete quantum teleportation using nuclear magnetic resonance

Quantum-mechanical systems have information processing capabilities1,2 that are not possible with classical devices. One example is quantum teleportation3, in which the quantum state of a system is transported from one location to another without moving through the intervening space. But although partial implementations4,5 of quantum teleportation over macroscopic distances have been achieved using optical systems, the final stage of the teleportation procedure — which allows the complete recovery of the original state — was omitted. Here we report an experimental implementation of full quantum teleportation over interatomic distances using liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. We achieve teleportation of the quantum state of a carbon nucleus to a hydrogen nucleus in molecules of trichloroethylene, by exploiting natural phase decoherence of the carbon nuclei. Such a teleportation scheme may be used as a subroutine in larger quantum computations, or for quantum communication.
Post-selection-free mode-locked two-photon state for high-dimensional hyperentanglement generation

We report realization of high-dimensional hyperentanglement in frequency and polarization from a postselection-free mode-locked two-photon state. Quantum-interference dips and revivals are observed with 97.8% visibility and a Bell inequality is violated in polarization.
Cleavage of peptides bound to merrifield resins by potassium carbonate in the presence of a phase transfer reagent

Abstract Tetra-n-butylammonium carbonate (TBAC) [prepared in situ from potassium carbonate and tetra-n-butylammonium hydrogen sulphate (TBAHS) has been utilized to release peptides in an N α -protected form from their Merrifield resin supports. The partially protected peptides were obtained in good yields (70 to 100%) and purity (85 to 90% by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)).
Some remarks on the statistical model of heavy ion collisions

Abstract This contribution is an attempt to assess what can be learned from the remarkable success of this statistical model in describing ratios of particle abundances in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions.
WATER LOSS FROM TERRESTRIAL PLANETS WITH CO2-RICH ATMOSPHERES

Water photolysis and hydrogen loss from the upper atmospheres of terrestrial planets is of fundamental importance to climate evolution but remains poorly understood in general. Here we present a range of calculations we performed to study the dependence of water loss rates from terrestrial planets on a range of atmospheric and external parameters. We show that CO2 can only cause significant water loss by increasing surface temperatures over a narrow range of conditions, with cooling of the middle and upper atmosphere acting as a bottleneck on escape in other circumstances. Around G-stars, efficient loss only occurs on planets with intermediate CO2 atmospheric partial pressures (0.1-1 bar) that receive a net flux close to the critical runaway greenhouse limit. Because G-star total luminosity increases with time but X-ray and ultraviolet/ultravoilet luminosity decreases, this places strong limits on water loss for planets like Earth. In contrast, for a CO2-rich early Venus, diffusion limits on water loss are only important if clouds caused strong cooling, implying that scenarios where the planet never had surface liquid water are indeed plausible. Around M-stars, water loss is primarily a function of orbital distance, with planets that absorb less flux than ~270 W m–2 (global mean) unlikely to lose more than one Earth ocean of H2O over their lifetimes unless they lose all their atmospheric N2/CO2 early on. Because of the variability of H2O delivery during accretion, our results suggest that many "Earth-like" exoplanets in the habitable zone may have ocean-covered surfaces, stable CO2/H2O-rich atmospheres, and high mean surface temperatures.
Polyrotaxanes by in situ self threading during polymerization of functional macrocycles. Part 2: Poly(ester crown ether)s☆

Abstract Poly(ester crown ether)s were synthesized by direct condensation of bis(5-carboxy-m-phenylene)-(3x + 2)-crown-x, x = 6,8 and 10 ( 1a, 1b and 1c ) with bisphenols via the Higashi method. The formation of higher molecular weight poly(ester crown ether) 5 from the 32-membered crown ether 1c and bisphenol-A ( 2a ) as compared to polyester 3 from 20-membered crown ether 1a and bisphenol-A, polyester 4 made from the 26-membered crown ether 1b and bisphenol-A ( 2a ) and polyester 6 derived from 32-membered 1c and bis(p-t-butylphenyl)-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)methane ( 2b ) under identical conditions is believed to be the result of threading (rotaxane formation) in 5 but no or less threading in 3 , 4 or 6 ; indeed polyester 3 provides a control because its macrocyclic component ( 1a ) too small to be threaded, even by a polymethylene chain. Threading in 5 was undetectable through NOESY experiments. However, melt polymerization of bis(5-hydroxymethyl-m-phenylene)-32-crown-10 ( 7 ) with sebacoyl chloride ( 8 ) gave an insoluble, but swellable elastomeric material 9 , a polyrotaxane network, as a result of more extensive in situ threading brought about by hydrogen bonding of the crown ether with the alcohol moieties in the more concentrated medium.
Quantitative feedback design for a variable-displacement hydraulic vane pump

In this paper the model development, problem specification, constraint formulation, and optimal feedback controller design for a variable-displacement hydraulic pump system are shown using the Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT) technique. The use of variable-displacement pumps in hydraulic system applications has become widespread due to their efficiency advantages; however, this efficiency gain is often accompanied by a degradation of system stability. Here we develop a QFT controller for a variable-displacement pump based upon a linear, parametrically uncertain model in which some of this uncertainty reflects variation in operating point-dependent parameters. After presentation of a realistic non-linear differential equation model, the linearized model is developed and the effect of parametric uncertainty is reviewed. From this point, closed-loop performance specifications are formulated and the QFT design technique is carried out. An initial feasible controller is designed, and this design is optimized via a non-linear programming technique. In conclusion, a non-linear closed-loop system response is simulated. This paper is intended to have tutorial value, both in terms of the detailed hydraulic system model development, as well as in terms of the detailed exposition of the QFT controller design and optimal loop shaping processes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Proximal Tubule and Albuminuria: Really!

Recent data highlight the role of the proximal tubule (PT) in reabsorbing, processing, and transcytosing urinary albumin from the glomerular filtrate. Innovative techniques and approaches have provided exciting insights into these processes, and numerous investigators have shown that selective PT cell defects lead to significant albuminuria, even reaching nephrotic range in animal models. Thus, the mechanisms of albumin reabsorption and transcytosis are undergoing intense study. Working in concert with megalin and cubilin, a nonselective multireceptor complex that predominantly directs proteins for lysosomal degradation, the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) located at the brush border of the apical membrane has been implicated as the "receptor" mediating albumin transcytosis. The FcRn pathway facilitates reabsorption and mediates transcytosis by its pH-dependent binding affinity in endosomal compartments. This also allows for selective albumin sorting within the PT cell. This reclamation pathway minimizes urinary losses and catabolism of albumin, thus prolonging its serum half-life. It may also serve as a molecular sorter to preserve and reclaim normal albumin while allowing "altered" albumin to be catabolized via lysosomal pathways. Here, we critically review the data supporting this novel mechanism.
Decoy-state quantum key distribution with nonclassical light generated in a one-dimensional waveguide

We investigate a decoy-state quantum key distribution (QKD) scheme with a sub-Poissonian single-photon source, which is generated on demand by scattering a coherent state off a two-level system in a one-dimensional waveguide. We show that, compared to coherent state decoy-state QKD, there is a two-fold increase of the key generation rate. Furthermore, the performance is shown to be robust against both parameter variations and loss effects of the system.
Is Europe an Optimum Currency Area

An optimum currency area (OCA) is an economic unit composed of regions affected symmetrically by disturbances and between which labour and other factors of production flow freely (Mundell, 1961). Insofar as regions within the OCA experience the same shocks, there is no obvious advantage to altering relative prices between them. Insofar as localized concentrations of unemployment nonetheless remain, the free mobility of labour from high- to low-unemployment regions can eliminate the problem. It is hence optimal to dispense with one of the principal instruments — changes in the exchange rate — traditionally used to effect relative price adjustments, and to reap the benefits, in terms of convenience and efficiency, of a common currency.
A direct preparation of fluorinated imides

Abstract N-Fluorosulfuryltrifluoroacetimide and N-chlorosulfuryltrifluoroacetimide have been prepared in high yield by a one-step reaction of trifluorothiolacetic acid with the corresponding fluoro- and chlorosulfuryl isocyanates. The trifluoroacetimides are easily purified by vacuum sublimation from the crude product mixture.
On the bichromatic excitation of a two-level atom with squeezed light

Analytical results for the dynamical evolution of a single two-level atom coupled to an ordinary heat bath and bichromatically excited with two finite bandwidth squeezed fields are presented by solving the Heisenberg equations of motion. Photon statistics of the system in terms of the second-order intensity-intensity correlation function are also discussed. Transient fluorescent intensity as well as intensity correlation function exhibit oscillatory phenomenon even in the weak field limit. The latter also shows enhanced delayed bunching effect. All these effects are sensitive to the bandwidth of squeezed light.
Log-concave probability and its applications

In many applications, assumptions about the log-concavity of a probability distribution allow just enough special structure to yield a workable theory. This paper catalogs a series of theorems relating log-concavity and/or log-convexity of probability density functions, distribution functions, reliability functions, and their integrals. We list a large number of commonly-used probability distributions and report the log-concavity or log-convexity of their density functions and their integrals. We also discuss a variety of applications of log-concavity that have appeared in the literature.
CHEMOSELECTIVE GLYCOSYLATION STRATEGY FOR THE CONVERGENT ASSEMBLY OF PHYTOALEXIN-ELICITOR ACTIVE OLIGOSACCHARIDES AND THEIR PHOTOREACTIVE DERIVATIVES

A highly convergent route for the synthesis of branched glucosides having phytoalexin-elicitor activity has been developed. The readily available building blocks 2, 3, and 6 were used for the assembly of a core trisaccharide in two chemo- and regioselective glycosylations. Compound 7 was converted into the artificial spacer-containing glycosyl acceptor 9. Regioselective condensation of fragment 7 with 9 led to the formation of fully protected hexasaccharide 14. Deprotection of hexasaccharide 14 followed by the reaction with 4-azidosalicylate gave compound 1b. It was established that compound 1b is a photoreactive compound. Reaction time and conditions were established for photolysis of compound 1b and labeling with radioactive iodine. A soybean root binding site for an elicitor-active hepta-β-glucoside bound compound 1b with the same affinity as the underivatized hepta-β-glucoside.
THE IDEAL OF RELATIONS FOR THE RING OF INVARIANTS OF n POINTS ON THE LINE: INTEGRALITY RESULTS

Consider the projective coordinate ring of the GIT quotient (P 1 ) n //SL(2), with the usual lin- earization, where n is even. In 1894, Kempe proved that this ring is generated in degree one. In (HMSV2) we showed that, over Q, the relations between degree one invariants are generated by a class of quadratic relations — the simplest binomial relations — with the exception of n = 6, where there is a single cubic relation. The purpose of this paper is to show that these results hold over Z( 1 12! ), and to suggest why they may be true over Z( 1 ).
Virality prediction and community structure in social networks

How does network structure affect diffusion? Recent studies suggest that the answer depends on the type of contagion. Complex contagions, unlike infectious diseases (simple contagions), are affected by social reinforcement and homophily. Hence, the spread within highly clustered communities is enhanced, while diffusion across communities is hampered. A common hypothesis is that memes and behaviors are complex contagions. We show that, while most memes indeed spread like complex contagions, a few viral memes spread across many communities, like diseases. We demonstrate that the future popularity of a meme can be predicted by quantifying its early spreading pattern in terms of community concentration. The more communities a meme permeates, the more viral it is. We present a practical method to translate data about community structure into predictive knowledge about what information will spread widely. This connection contributes to our understanding in computational social science, social media analytics, and marketing applications.
Loosely coupled formulations for automated planning: an integer programming perspective

We represent planning as a set of loosely coupled network flow problems, where each network corresponds to one of the state variables in the planning domain. The network nodes correspond to the state variable values and the network arcs correspond to the value transitions. The planning problem is to find a path (a sequence of actions) in each network such that, when merged, they constitute a feasible plan. In this paper we present a number of integer programming formulations that model these loosely coupled networks with varying degrees of flexibility. Since merging may introduce exponentially many ordering constraints we implement a so-called branch-and-cut algorithm, in which these constraints are dynamically generated and added to the formulation when needed. Our results are very promising, they improve upon previous planning as integer programming approaches and lay the foundation for integer programming approaches for cost optimal planning.
Towards reliable isoform quantification using RNA-SEQ data

In eukaryotes, alternative splicing often generates multiple splice variants from a single gene. Here weexplore the use of RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) datasets to address the isoform quantification problem. Given a set of known splice variants, the goal is to estimate the relative abundance of the individual variants. Our method employs a linear models framework to estimate the ratios of known isoforms in a sample. A key feature of our method is that it takes into account the non-uniformity of RNA-Seq read positions along the targeted transcripts. Preliminary tests indicate that the model performs well on both simulated and real data. In two publicly available RNA-Seq datasets, we identified several alternatively-spliced genes with switch-like, on/off expression properties, as well as a number of other genes that varied more subtly in isoform expression. In many cases, genes exhibiting differential expression of alternatively spliced transcripts were not differentially expressed at the gene level. Given that changes in isoform expression level frequently involve a continuum of isoform ratios, rather than all-or-nothing expression, and that they are often independent of general gene expression changes, we anticipate that our research will contribute to revealing a so far uninvestigated layer of the transcriptome. We believe that, in the future, researchers will prioritize genes for functional analysis based not only on observed changes in gene expression levels, but also on changes in alternative splicing.
New technologies in catalysis using base metals

Formation of C-C, C-N, and C-H bonds using three heterogeneous catalysts in the form of nickel-in-charcoal (Ni/C), nickel-on-graphite (Ni/C g ), and copper-in-charcoal (Cu/C) are described.
Coupling of sterically hindered trisubstituted olefins and benzocyclobutenones by C-C activation: total synthesis and structural revision of cycloinumakiol.

The first total syntheses of the proposed structure of cycloinumakiol (1) and its C5 epimer (18) are achieved in a concise and efficient fashion. Starting from the known 3-hydroxybenzocyclobutenone, 1 and 18 are obtained in nine and five steps with overall yields of 15 % and 33 %, respectively. The key for the success of this approach is the use of a catalytic CC activation strategy for constructing the tetracyclic core of 1 through carboacylation of a sterically hindered trisubstituted olefin with benzocyclobutenone. In addition, the structure of the natural cycloinumakiol was reassigned to 19-hydroxytotarol (7) through X-ray diffraction analysis. This work demonstrates the potential of CC activation for streamlining complex natural product synthesis.