cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monk, householder, and Tantric priest : Newar Buddhism and its hierarchy of ritual

Many misconceptions circulate in the West about Tantric religion, whether Buddhist or Hindu, mainly because scholars have relied exclusively on textual sources. Here is an account of how Tantric Buddhism works in practice.
Terrorism: The Dark Side of Social Entrepreneurship

The view of terrorists as entrepreneurs is not new. Yet, unlike traditional entrepreneurs, they are not motivated by profits. This article argues that terrorists are social entrepreneurs. They are motivated primarily by social returns. Furthermore, their main output is a public good due to its non-rival and non-excludable properties. Using social entrepreneurship theories, this article presents an alternative view of the incentives behind the formation of terrorist organizations. It concludes with a discussion of policy implications of this framework for combating terrorism.
The ultimate fate of life in an accelerating universe

Abstract The ultimate fate of life in a universe with accelerated expansion is considered. Previous work [J.D. Barrow, F. Tipler, The Anthropic Cosmological Principle, Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 1986; L.M. Krauss, G.D. Starkman, Astrophys. J. 531 (2000) 22] showed that life cannot go on indefinitely in a universe dominated by a cosmological constant. In this Letter we consider instead other models of acceleration (including quintessence and Cardassian expansion). We find that it is possible in these cosmologies for life to persist indefinitely. As an example we study potentials of the form V∝φn and find the requirement n
Strength Simulation of Woven Fabric Composite Materials with Material Nonlinearity Using Micromechanics Based Model

The objective of the current investigation is to predict failure strength of woven composites, which considers the 2D extent of woven fabric, based on micro-mechanics. The formulation has an interface with nonlinear finite element codes. At each load increment, global stresses and strains are communicated to the representative cell and subsequently distributed to each subcell. Once stresses and strains are associated to a subcell they can be distributed to each constituent of the subcell (i.e., fill, warp, and resin). Consequently, micro-failure criteria (MFC) are defined for each constituents of a subcell and the proper stiffness degradation is modeled. Different stages of failure such as warp transverse failure, fill transverse failure, failure of pure matrix in longitudinal and shear, shear failure in fill and warp, and fiber in fill and warp in longitudinal tension are considered. Good correlation is observed between the predicted and the experimental results presented in the published literature. Thi...
Lattice Insertions for POPAE

Four types of insertions are described for the six 200-m straight sections of POPAE. All have dispersion matched to zero. (1) Injection-ejection insertion - This has proper high-6 values and phase advances for horizontal injection and vertical ejection. (2) Phase-adjust insertion - The phase advance in this insertion is adjustable over a range of ~100°. (3) Generalpurpose insertion - The s* is adjustable from 2.5 to 200 m and the crossing angle is adjustable from 0 to 11 mrad. (4) High-luminosity insertion - This gives an even lower s* of 1 meter.
Experimental investigation of absolute instability of a rotating-disk boundary layer

A series of experiments were performed to study the absolute instability of Type I travelling crossflow modes in the boundary layer on a smooth disk rotating at constant speed. The basic flow agreed with analytic theory, and the growth of natural disturbances matched linear theory predictions. Controlled temporal disturbances were introduced by a short-duration air pulse from a hypodermic tube located above the disk and outside the boundary layer. The air pulse was positioned just outboard of the linear-theory critical radius for Type I crossflow modes. A hot-wire sensor primarily sensitive to the azimuthal velocity component, was positioned at different spatial (. Explanations for this are discussed.
Civil conflicts are associated with the global climate

It has been proposed that changes in global climate have been responsible for episodes of widespread violence and even the collapse of civilizations. Yet previous studies have not shown that violence can be attributed to the global climate, only that random weather events might be correlated with conflict in some cases. Here we directly associate planetary-scale climate changes with global patterns of civil conflict by examining the dominant interannual mode of the modern climate, the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Historians have argued that ENSO may have driven global patterns of civil conflict in the distant past, a hypothesis that we extend to the modern era and test quantitatively. Using data from 1950 to 2004, we show that the probability of new civil conflicts arising throughout the tropics doubles during El Nino years relative to La Nina years. This result, which indicates that ENSO may have had a role in 21% of all civil conflicts since 1950, is the first demonstration that the stability of modern societies relates strongly to the global climate.
DIRECT: a query facility for multiple databases

The subject of this research project is the architecture and design of a multidatabase query facility. These databases contain structured data, typical for business applications. Problems addressed are: presenting a uniform interface for retrieving data from multiple databases, providing autonomy for the component databases, and defining an architecture for semantic services.DIRECT is a query facility for heterogeneous databases. The databases and their definitions can differ in their data models, names, types, and encoded values. Instead of creating a global schema, descriptions of different databases are allowed to coexist. A multidatabase query language provides a uniform interface for retrieving data from different databases. DIRECT has been exercised with operational databases that are part of an automated business system.
Normalization of abnormal T-waves during stress testing does not identify patients with reversible perfusion defects.

Objective: To determine if T-wave normalization during exercise or dobutamine stress testing identified patients with myocardial ischemia as indicated by reversible perfusion defects. Methods: Exercise or dobutamine stress tests with perfusion scintigraphy were performed in 1,173 patients with abnormal T-waves on their baseline electrocardiograms. The results of perfusion scintigraphy were compared in patients with and without stress-induced T-wave normalization. Results: Only 33 of 270 patients with reversible perfusion defects (12.2%) had T-wave normalization during stress while 76.4% of 140 patients who had T-wave normalization during stress did not have a reversible perfusion defect. Results were similar for patients who did or did not reach 85% of their maximal predicted heart rate, for patients with and without Q-wave infarction on the baseline EKG and for patients who did or did not have ischemic ST-segment depression during stress. Conclusions: T-wave normalization during stress testing has low sensitivity and poor positive predictive value for stress-induced reversible myocardial ischemia. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The synthesis of radiolabeled compounds via organometallic intermediates

Utilisation de boranes, alanes, silanes, germanes, stannanes, de composes organiques du mercure, de thallates, de reactifs de Grignard, de composes organiques du lithium
Service-Learning and Leadership: Evidence from Teaching Financial Literacy

We provide an empirical investigation of leadership characteristics and social justice issues in the context of financial literacy service-learning. Using a unique dataset of student self-ratings, we find that students experience statistically significant increases in 8 of the 10 leadership dimensions and 7 of the 7 social justice issues examined in this study. Leadership dimensions include: persuasion, building community, “commitment to the growth of people,” stewardship, empathy, awareness, foresight, and listening. Interest in social justice issues include: dignity of the human person, community and the common good, rights and responsibilities, option for the poor, dignity of work, solidarity, and care for God’s creation. The statistically significant increases in these dimensions following the completion of the service-learning suggest positive effects on students’ self-perception of leadership qualities and interests in social justice issues: business school students sense improvement in nurturing growth of employees and colleagues, commitment to serving the need of others, understanding and empathizing with others, ethics, ability to foresee the likely outcome of a situation, and listening intently to others. As a consequence of the financial literacy service-learning, we believe that business students become more prepared toward becoming ethical leaders and citizens with compassion to serve the world for the well-being of all people, rich and poor alike.
QCD at high baryon density and temperature: competing condensates and the tricritical point

Abstract The phase diagram of strongly interacting matter is explored as a function of temperature and baryon number density. We investigate the possible simultaneous formation of condensates in the conventional quark-anti-quark channel (breaking chiral symmetry) and in a quark-quark channel leading to color superconductivity: the spontaneous breaking of color symmetry via the formation of quark Cooper pairs. We point out that for two massless quark flavors a tricritical point in the phase diagram separates a chiral symmetry restoring first order transition at high densities from the second order transition at high temperatures. Away from the chiral limit this tricritical point becomes a second order phase transition with Ising model exponents, suggesting that a long correlation length may develop in heavy ion collisions in which the phase transition is traversed at the appropriate density.
Reductive cyclization of enones by titanium(IV) aryloxide and a Grignard reagent

Abstract The titanium-mediated cyclization of δ,e-enones by using dichlorotitanium diphenoxide–cyclohexylmagnesium chloride diastereoselectively afforded cis-substituted cyclopentanols and was thus found to parallel the stoichiometric and catalytic titanocene-mediated reactions.
Synthesis of the napalilactone and pathylactone A spirocyclic skeleton

The spirolactone core of napalilactone and pathylactone A was synthesized in five steps from 2-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one or 2,3-dimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one. This spirolactone contains all of the carbon atoms and three of the four stereocenters of napalilactone and pathylactone A.
Multi-objective energy aware multiprocessor scheduling using bat intelligence

In this paper, a new heuristic called bat intelligence (BI) is introduced for solving energy aware multiprocessor scheduling problems. Bat intelligence is a novel optimization method that models prey hunting behaviors of bats. Bat intelligence and genetic algorithm (GA) are used to solve single-objective multiprocessor scheduling problem using, makespan, tardiness, and energy consumption as objective functions. Bat intelligence shows considerable improvement in terms of solution quality when compared with GA. Different combinations of these objectives are used to solve bi-objective multiprocessor scheduling problems, (makespan vs. energy, and also tardiness vs. energy). Tri-objective multiprocessor scheduling problem is also presented at the end. To generate desirable efficient alternatives, a Normalized Weighted Additive Utility Function is used. Simulation shows that BI identifies a set of efficient solutions that correspond to the assigned weights. The computational simulation also shows conflicting relationships between makespan and energy, and also between tardiness and energy.
Job Differentiation and Wages

The determination of wage rates and skill requirements for jobs is studied in a model where workers, who vary in ability, acquire skill through (costly) training. If firms' skill requirements are fixed, there exists a unique Nash equilibrium in wage rates, but the resulting allocation of labor is inefficient. The Nash equilibrium wage rates and allocation of labor approach the competitive equilibrium if and only if the number of job types increases on every skill range and no firm remains a monopsonist on any skill range. If firms choose both skill requirements and wage rates, no Nash equilibrium in pure strategies exists.
Simulating Boolean Circuits on a DNA Computer

We demonstrate that DNA computers can simulate Boolean circuits with a small overhead. Boolean circuits embody the notion of massively parallel signal processing and are frequently encountered in many parallel algorithms. Many important problems such as sorting, integer arithmetic, and matrix multiplication are known to be computable by small size Boolean circuits much faster than by ordinary sequential digital computers. This paper shows that DNA chemistry allows one to simulate large semi-unbounded fan-in Boolean circuits with a logarithmic slowdown in computation time. Also, for the class NC 1 , the slowdown can be reduced to a constant. In this algorithm we have encoded the inputs, the Boolean AND gates, and the OR gates to DNA oligonucleotide sequences. We operate on the gates and the inputs by standard molecular techniques of sequence-specific annealing, ligation, separation by size, amplification, sequence-specific cleavage, and detection by size. Additional steps of amplification are not necessary for NC 1 circuits. The feasibility of the DNA algorithm has been successfully tested on a small circuit by actual biochemical experiments.
High Mobility WSe2 p- and n-Type Field-Effect Transistors Contacted by Highly Doped Graphene for Low-Resistance Contacts

We report the fabrication of both n-type and p-type WSe2 field-effect transistors with hexagonal boron nitride passivated channels and ionic-liquid (IL)-gated graphene contacts. Our transport measurements reveal intrinsic channel properties including a metal–insulator transition at a characteristic conductivity close to the quantum conductance e2/h, a high ON/OFF ratio of >107 at 170 K, and large electron and hole mobility of μ ≈ 200 cm2 V–1 s–1 at 160 K. Decreasing the temperature to 77 K increases mobility of electrons to ∼330 cm2 V–1 s–1 and that of holes to ∼270 cm2 V–1 s–1. We attribute our ability to observe the intrinsic, phonon-limited conduction in both the electron and hole channels to the drastic reduction of the Schottky barriers between the channel and the graphene contact electrodes using IL gating. We elucidate this process by studying a Schottky diode consisting of a single graphene/WSe2 Schottky junction. Our results indicate the possibility to utilize chemically or electrostatically high...
Microbial dissolution and stabilization of toxic metals and radionuclides in mixed wastes

Microbial activity in mixed wastes can have an appreciable effect on the dissolution or precipitation of toxic metals and radionuclides. Fundamental information on microbial dissolution and stabilization (immobilization) of toxic metals and radionuclides, in particular actinides and fission products, in nuclear wastes under various microbial process conditions, e.g., aerobic, denitrifying, iron-reducing, fermentative, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic conditions is very limited. Microbial transformations of typical waste components such as metal oxides, metal coprecipitates, naturally occurring minerals, and metal organic complexes are reviewed. Such information can be useful in the development of 1) predictive models on the fate and long-term transport of toxic metals and radionuclides from waste disposal sites, and 2) biotechnological applications of waste treatment leading to volume reduction and stabilization as wall as recovery and recycling of radionuclides and toxic metals.
Solar spectral irradiance variability in the ultraviolet from SORCE and UARS SOLSTICE

The SOLar-STellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) on the SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) has been measuring the solar spectral irradiance on a daily basis since early 2003. This time period includes near-solar maximum conditions, the Halloween storms of 2003, and solar minimum conditions. These results can be compared to observations from the SOLSTICE I experiment that flew on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) during the decline of the previous solar cycle as well as with currently operating missions. We will discuss similarities and differences between the two solar cycles in the long-term ultraviolet irradiance record.
Emerging directions in human-robotic space exploration technologies: remote operation of complex systems

Through the Vision for Space Exploration-hence Vision-announced by George W. Bush in February 2004, NASA has been chartered to conduct progressively staged human-robotic (H/R) exploration of the Solar System. This exploration includes autonomous robotic precursors that will pave the way for a later durable H/R presence first at the Moon, then Mars and beyond. We discuss operations architectures and integrative technologies that are expected to enable these new classes of space missions, with an emphasis on open design issues and R&D challenges.
Chemistry of ketene acetals IV. A simple and general method for the preparation of 4-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones and 2-butenolides from 1,1-dimethoxypropene and α-acyloxy aldehydes and ketones†‡

α-Acyloxy aldehydes (2a,b) react with 1,1-dimethoxypropene (1) in the presence of ZnCl2 to yield 2,2-dimethoxy-3-methyloxetanes (3a,b). Stronger electron-withdraxing acyl groups are necessary for the analogous conversion ofα-acyloxy ketones (2c,d,e). Hydrolysis of the acyloxy group with potassium hydroxide yields the corresponding hydroxyoxetanes (4) which rearrange under neutral or weakly acidic conditions to 2,2-dimethoxy-3-methyl-4-hydroxytetrahydrofurans (5). By mild acidic hydrolysis of 5, the corresponding γ-butyrolactores (6) are obtained in moderate to good yields. Treatment of 6 with concentrated sulfuric acid yields 3-methyl-2-(5H)-furanones (3-methylbutenolides, 10).
Data processing for LISA's laser interferometer tracking system (LITS)

In this paper, we present results on the subject of data processing for LISA. We present, for the first time, time-domain algorithms for the elimination of clock jitter noise algorithms that avoid the singularities of the previous frequency-domain method. We also discuss how to generate the data averages that each spacecraft will eventually need to telemeter to the ground, thereby inferring what a realistic scientific data rate will be for LISA. Finally, we argue, based partly on these results, that a laser interferometer tracking system (LITS) that employs independent lasers in each spacecraft is preferable, for reasons of simplicity, to one in which the lasers in two of the spacecraft are locked to the incoming beam from the third.
Remarks on complemented subspaces of von Neumann algebras

In this note we include two remarks about bounded ( not necessarily contractive) linear projections on a von Neumann algebra. We show that if M is a von Neumann subalgebra of B(H) which is complemented in B(H) and isomorphic to M⊗M, then M is injective (or equivalently M is contractively complemented). We do not know how to get rid of the second assumption on M. In the second part, we show that any complemented reflexive subspace of a C*-algebra is necessarily linearly isomorphic to a Hilbert space.
Accuracy of a central mass spectrometer system at high respiratory frequencies

We have shown that in a laboratory setting the long lengths of sampling catheters necessary to access a central mass spectrometer restrict the high-frequency response of the system. Reported here are the results from a clinically operating Perkin-Elmer Advantage system. The sampling catheter was 50 meters long and the sampling flow was 240 ml/min. Rapid changes in carbon dioxide concentration were created by an electronically operated solenoid valve switching between 6.94% CO2 in 50% O2 balance N2 and 100% O2. The frequency of this simulated breathing was varied between 10 and 100 breaths/min with the ratio of inspiration to expiration fixed at 1:2. Data were taken from the terminal in the operating room. Errors greater than 5% of the true value occurred at 35 breaths/min for the indicated inspired concentration and 73 breaths/min for the indicated expired concentration. For critical situations in which respiratory frequencies exceed 40 breaths/min, a centrally located mass spectrometer may not be adequate for measuring CO2 because of errors introduced by the long sampling catheters.
The Halting Probability Omega: Irreducible Complexity in Pure Mathematics

Some Godel centenary reflections on whether incompleteness is really serious, and whether mathematics should be done somewhat differently, based on using algorithmic complexity measured in bits of information.
Lower bounds for monotone real circuit depth and formula size and tree-like Cutting Planes

Using a notion of real communication complexity recently introduced by J. Krajicek, we prove a lower bound on the depth of monotone real circuits and the size of monotone real formulas for st-connectivity. This implies a super-polynomial speed-up of dag-like over tree-like Cutting Planes proofs.
Kinetic Resolution of Secondary Alcohols Using Amidine-Based Catalysts

Kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols has been traditionally achieved via enzymatic enantioselective esterification and ester hydrolysis. However, there has long been considerable interest in devising nonenzymatic alternative methods for this transformation. Amidine-based catalysts (ABCs), a new class of enantioselective acyl transfer catalysts developed in our group, have demonstrated, inter alia, high efficacy in the kinetic resolution of benzylic, allylic, and propargylic secondary alcohols and 2-substituted cycloalkanols, and thus provide a viable alternative to enzymes.
On the stability of the quantum Hall soliton

In this note we investigate the stability of the classical ground state of the Quantum Hall Soliton proposed recently in hep-th/0010105. We explore two possible perturbations which are not spherically symmetric and we find that the potential energy decreases in both case. This implies that the system either decays or is dynamically stabilized (because of the presence of magnetic fields). If one makes an extra assumption that in the real quantum treatment of the problem string ends and D0-branes move together (as electrons and vortices in the Quantum Hall effect), a static equilibrium configuration is possible.
An endline bilinear cone restriction estimate for mixed norms

We prove an \({L^2 \times L^2 \rightarrow L_t^qL_x^p }\) bilinear Fourier extension estimate for the cone when p, q are on the critical line \({1/q=(\frac{n+1}{2})(1-1/p)}\). This extends previous results by Wolff, Tao and Lee-Vargas.
An in situ caries study on the interplay between fluoride dose and concentration in milk

Abstract Objectives This randomized, cross-over in situ study investigated the impact of sodium fluoride dose and concentration in milk on caries lesion rehardening, fluoridation and acid resistance. Methods Twenty-eight subjects wore two gauze-covered enamel specimens with preformed lesions placed buccally on their mandibular partial dentures for three weeks. Participants used fluoride-free dentifrice throughout the study and consumed once daily one of the five study treatments: no fluoride in 200 ml milk (0F-200), 1.5 or 3 mg fluoride in either 100 (1.5F-100; 3F-100) or 200 ml milk (1.5F-200; 3F-200). After three weeks, specimens were retrieved. Knoop hardness was used to determine rehardening and resistance to a secondary acid challenge. Enamel fluoride uptake (EFU) was determined using a microbiopsy technique. Results A linear fluoride dose–response was observed for all study variables which exhibited similar overall patterns. All the treatments resulted in rehardening, with 0F-200 inducing the least and 3F-100 the most. Apart from 1.5F-200, all the treatments resulted in statistically significantly more rehardening compared to 0F-200. The fluoride doses delivered in 100 ml provided directionally although not statistically significantly more rehardening than those delivered in 200 ml milk. EFU data exhibited better differentiation between treatments: all fluoridated milk treatments delivered more fluoride to lesions than 0F-200; fluoride in 100 ml demonstrated statistically significantly higher EFU than fluoride in 200 ml milk. Findings for acid resistance were also more discerning than rehardening data. Conclusions The present study has provided further evidence for the anti-caries benefits of fluoridated milk. Both fluoride dose and concentration appear to impact the cariostatic properties of fluoride in milk.
Ordered and Kinetically Discrete Sequential Protein Release from Biodegradable Thin Films

Multidrug regimens can sometimes treat recalcitrant diseases when single-drug therapies fail. Recapitulating complex multidrug administration from controlled release films for localized delivery remains challenging because their release kinetics are frequently intertwined, and an initial burst release of each drug is usually uncontrollable. Kinetic control over protein release is demonstrated by cross-linking layer-by-layer films during the assembly process. We used biodegradable and naturally derived components and relied on copper-free click chemistry for bioorthogonal covalent cross-links throughout the film that entrap but do not modify the embedded protein. We found that this strategy restricted the interdiffusion of protein while maintaining its activity. By depositing a barrier layer and a second protein-containing layer atop this construct, we generated well-defined sequential protein release with minimal overlap that follows their spatial distribution within the film.
From compression to compressed sensing

Abstract Can compression algorithms be employed for recovering signals from their underdetermined set of linear measurements? Addressing this question is the first step towards applying compression algorithms for compressed sensing (CS). In this paper, we consider a family of compression algorithms C r , parametrized by rate r, for a compact class of signals Q ⊂ R n . The set of natural images and JPEG at different rates are examples of Q and C r , respectively. We establish a connection between the rate–distortion performance of C r , and the number of linear measurements required for successful recovery in CS. We then propose compressible signal pursuit (CSP) algorithm and prove that, with high probability, it accurately and robustly recovers signals from an underdetermined set of linear measurements. We also explore the performance of CSP in the recovery of infinite dimensional signals.
High dimensional covariance matrix estimation using a factor model

Abstract High dimensionality comparable to sample size is common in many statistical problems. We examine covariance matrix estimation in the asymptotic framework that the dimensionality p tends to ∞ as the sample size n increases. Motivated by the Arbitrage Pricing Theory in finance, a multi-factor model is employed to reduce dimensionality and to estimate the covariance matrix. The factors are observable and the number of factors K is allowed to grow with p . We investigate the impact of p and K on the performance of the model-based covariance matrix estimator. Under mild assumptions, we have established convergence rates and asymptotic normality of the model-based estimator. Its performance is compared with that of the sample covariance matrix. We identify situations under which the factor approach increases performance substantially or marginally. The impacts of covariance matrix estimation on optimal portfolio allocation and portfolio risk assessment are studied. The asymptotic results are supported by a thorough simulation study.
Gauge - Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking in String Compactifications

We provide string theory examples where a toy model of a SUSY GUT or the MSSM is embedded in a compactification along with a gauge sector which dynamically breaks supersymmetry. We argue that by changing microscopic details of the model (such as precise choices of flux), one can arrange for the dominant mediation mechanism transmitting SUSY breaking to the Standard Model to be either gravity mediation or gauge mediation. Systematic improvement of such examples may lead to top-down models incorporating a solution to the SUSY flavor problem.
Equation-Free, Multiscale Computation for Unsteady Random Diffusion

We present an "equation-free" multiscale approach to the simulation of unsteady diffusion in a random medium. The diffusivity of the medium is modeled as a random field with short correlation length, and the governing equations are cast in the form of stochastic differential equations. A detailed fine-scale computation of such a problem requires discretization and solution of a large system of equations and can be prohibitively time consuming. To circumvent this difficulty, we propose an equation-free approach, where the fine-scale computation is conducted only for a (small) fraction of the overall time. The evolution of a set of appropriately defined coarse-grained variables (observables) is evaluated during the fine-scale computation, and "projective integration" is used to accelerate the integration. The choice of these coarse variables is an important part of the approach: they are the coefficients of pointwise polynomial expansions of the random solutions. Such a choice of coarse variables allows us ...
Use of a rule-based system for process control

A rule-based, digital, closed-loop controller that incorporates fuzzy logic has been designed and implemented for the control of power on the 5-MW Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Research Reactor under both steady-state and transient conditions. A comparison is made of the rule-based and analytic approaches. Differences in the division of labor between plant engineers and control specialists, the type of knowledge required and its acquisition, the use of performance criteria, and controller testing are discussed. The design, implementation, and calibration of rule-based controllers are reviewed, with specific examples taken from the completed work on the MIT Research Reactor. The possible role of rule-based technology in process control is evaluated. It is proposed that since rule-based systems are generally more robust than their analytic counterparts, they should be used both as backups to analytic controllers and as a means of improving the man-machine interface by providing human operators with the rationale for automatic control actions. >
The real deal: what judgments of really reveal about how people think about artifacts.

It is widely assumed that artifacts fall into distinct kinds. These kinds are generally identified by appeal to words—chair versus stool versus bowl versus vase, and so on. But contextual and cross-linguistic variation in what artifacts are grouped together by name raise questions about whether artifacts indeed do fall into fixed kinds. Can judgments of what artifacts really are reveal a true kind membership, distinct from what the objects are called in communicative contexts? In two experiments, we examined what drives judgments of what an artifact really is and what these judgments can tell us about how people think about artifacts. In both experiments, we found that people failed to treat artifacts as having a definitive kind membership in their judgments of what the artifacts really were. Instead, really judgments reflected the typicality of objects with respect to the things normally called by the queried name. If these judgments are taken as direct evidence about the existence of artifact kinds, the outcome argues against such kinds. Alternatively, really judgments themselves may be fundamentally linguistic in nature, and so unable to tap into underlying kind memberships. In either case, if such kinds exist, they remain to be found. A more likely reality may be that intuitions about the existence of artifact kinds reflect the partial clustering of objects in similarity space, plus the fact that each language provides names for some constellations of objects in that space.
Gold-Catalyzed Three-Component Coupling: Oxidative Oxyarylation of Alkenes

The three-component coupling of terminal alkenes with arylboronic acids and oxygen nucleophiles is described. The reaction employs a binuclear gold(I) bromide as a catalyst and Selectfluor reagent as the stoichiometric oxidant. Alcohols, carboxylic acids, and water can be employed as oxygen nucleophiles, thus providing an efficient entry into β-aryl ethers, esters, and alcohols from alkenes.
Gamma-ray spectrometers using a bulk Sn absorber coupled to a Mo/Cu multilayer superconducting transition edge sensor

Abstract We are developing gamma-ray detectors with a bulk absorber and a superconducting transition-edge sensor. The absorber is high-purity Sn and the transition-edge sensor is a Mo/Cu multilayer thin film. We have characterized the detector, and will discuss X- and gamma-ray results.
Prospects and blind spots for neutralino dark matter

Using a simplified model framework, we assess observational limits and discovery prospects for neutralino dark matter, taken here to be a general admixture of bino, wino, and Higgsino. Experimental constraints can be weakened or even nullified in regions of parameter space near 1) purity limits, where the dark matter is mostly bino, wino, or Higgsino, or 2) blind spots, where the relevant couplings of dark matter to the Z or Higgs bosons vanish identically. We analytically identify all blind spots relevant to spin-independent and spin-dependent scattering and show that they arise for diverse choices of relative signs among M_1, M_2, and μ. At present, XENON100 and IceCube still permit large swaths of viable parameter space, including the well-tempered neutralino. On the other hand, upcoming experiments should have sufficient reach to discover dark matter in much of the remaining parameter space. Our results are broadly applicable, and account for a variety of thermal and non-thermal cosmological histories, including scenarios in which neutralinos are just a component of the observed dark matter today. Because this analysis is indifferent to the fine-tuning of electroweak symmetry breaking, our findings also hold for many models of neutralino dark matter in the MSSM, NMSSM, and Split Supersymmetry. We have identified parameter regions at low tan β which sit in a double blind spot for both spin-independent and spin-dependent scattering. Interestingly, these low tan β regions are independently favored in the NMSSM and models of Split Supersymmetry which accommodate a Higgs mass near 125 GeV.
Glueball spectrum for QCD from AdS supergravity duality

Abstract We present the analysis of the complete glueball spectrum for the AdS 7 black hole supergravity dual of QCD 4 in strong coupling limit: g 2 N →∞ . The bosonic fields in the supergravity multiplet lead to 6 independent wave equations contributing to glueball states with J PC =2 ++ ,1 +− ,1 −− , 0 ++ and 0 −+ . We study the spectral splitting and degeneracy patterns for both QCD 4 and QCD 3 . Despite the expected limitations of a leading order strong coupling approximation, the pattern of spins, parities and mass inequalities bare a striking resemblance to the known QCD 4 glueball spectrum as determined by lattice simulations at weak coupling.
The many facets of the (non relativistic) Nuclear Equation of State

Abstract A nucleus is a quantum many body system made of strongly interacting Fermions, protons and neutrons (nucleons). This produces a rich Nuclear Equation of State whose knowledge is crucial to our understanding of the composition and evolution of celestial objects. The nuclear equation of state displays many different features; first neutrons and protons might be treated as identical particles or nucleons, but when the differences between protons and neutrons are spelled out, we can have completely different scenarios, just by changing slightly their interactions. At zero temperature and for neutron rich matter, a quantum liquid–gas phase transition at low densities or a quark–gluon plasma at high densities might occur. Furthermore, the large binding energy of the α particle, a Boson, might also open the possibility of studying a system made of a mixture of Bosons and Fermions, which adds to the open problems of the nuclear equation of state.
Profiling USGA Putting Greens Using GPR—An As-built Surveying Method

Putting greens that are constructed to United State Golf Association (USGA) standards must adhere to strict installation specifications to maintain proper subsurface drainage. Because the infrastructure is buried, it can be difficult to ascertain if these structures were properly installed. Insufficient drainage affects agronomics, compromising the playability of the putting surface. Repairs are expensive and laborious. This study introduces a nonintrusive survey protocol that combines ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning. A case study was used to examine a putting green designed using the USGA specifications. The protocol created ‘‘as-built’’ subsurface maps. The protocol non-intrusively identified the tile slope and spacing. It also determined the depth and thickness of the root-zone mixture and gravel. The green adhered to the tile spacing specification, but failed to meet specifications as to tile slope and root-zone mixture depth. These findings suggest that this protocol provides a relatively inexpensive method to determine adherence to USGA greens standards. Generated maps highlighted conformity (or lack thereof ) to the design specifications.
Packing structure of a two-dimensional granular system through the jamming transition

We have performed a novel experiment on granular packs composed of automatically swelling particles. By analyzing the Voronoi structure of packs going through the jamming transition, we show that the local configuration of a jamming pack is strikingly similar to that of a glass-forming liquid, both in terms of their universal area distribution and the process of defect annealing. Furthermore, we demonstrate that an unambiguous structural signature of the jamming transition can be obtained from the pair correlation functions of a pack. Our study provides insights into the structural properties of general jamming systems.
Hopf algebroids and quantum groupoids

We introduce the notion of Hopf algebroids, in which neither the total algebras nor the base algebras are required to be commutative. We give a class of Hopf algebroids associated to module algebras of the Drinfeld doubles of Hopf algebras when the R-matrices act properly. When this construction is applied to quantum groups, we get examples of quantum groupoids, which have Poisson groupoids as their semi-classical limits. The example of quantum sl(2) is worked out in details.
Who bribes? Evidence from the United Nations' oil-for-food program

How do managers react in an environment where bribery is likely to bring high rewards, but also presents high risks? We examine the supply side (firms' illicit payments) of bribery in a global setting, using the United Nations' (UN) Oil-for-Food Program, part of UN sanctions on Iraq. Some companies helped Iraq circumvent UN sanctions through bribe payments in the form of illicit surcharges. Our transaction-level analysis of factors affecting bribe payments draws on the economic theory of crime, agency theory, and home country institutions. Results suggest that firms pay larger bribes when there are stronger financial and managerial incentives, but pay less when their home countries have implemented the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. We find little relationship between a widely used country-level corruption perception index and firms' actual bribery. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Approximate Bayesian computing for spatial extremes

Statistical analysis of max-stable processes used to model spatial extremes has been limited by the difficulty in calculating the joint likelihood function. This precludes all standard likelihood-based approaches, including Bayesian approaches. Here we present a Bayesian approach through the use of approximate Bayesian computing. This circumvents the need for a joint likelihood function and instead relies on simulations from the (unavailable) likelihood. This method is compared with an alternative approach based on the composite likelihood. When estimating the spatial dependence of extremes, we demonstrate that approximate Bayesian computing can provide estimates with a lower mean square error than the composite likelihood approach, though at an appreciably higher computational cost. As this approach very naturally incorporates parameter uncertainty into predictions, it is well suited for use in pricing weather derivatives to manage environmental risks. We discuss the construction and pricing of such weather derivatives. The method described utilizes results from spatial statistics and extreme value theory to first model extremes in the weather as a max-stable process, and then use these models to simulate payments for a general collection of weather derivatives. These simulations capture the spatial dependence of payments. Incorporating results from catastrophe ratemaking, we show how this method can be used to compute risk loads and premiums for weather derivatives which are renewal-additive. We illustrate the performance of the approximate Bayesian computing method and weather derivative pricing with applications to United States temperature data. The first application considers pricing weather derivatives for temperature extremes in the Midwestern United States. The second application demonstrates the use of the approximate Bayesian computing method in estimating the risk of crop loss due to an unlikely freeze event in northern Texas.
Privacy and human behavior in the age of information

This Review summarizes and draws connections between diverse streams of empirical research on privacy behavior. We use three themes to connect insights from social and behavioral sciences: people's uncertainty about the consequences of privacy-related behaviors and their own preferences over those consequences; the context-dependence of people's concern, or lack thereof, about privacy; and the degree to which privacy concerns are malleable—manipulable by commercial and governmental interests. Organizing our discussion by these themes, we offer observations concerning the role of public policy in the protection of privacy in the information age.
On dynamical models for radio galaxies

Abstract The tailed radio galaxies that have been called ‘Type I’ are not a uniform set. To study their dynamics, we have used the Ledlow–Owen data set, which provides a new sample of 250 radio galaxies in nearby Abell clusters. These sources divide into two clear categories based on their radio morphology. Type A sources (‘straight’) contain nearly straight jets which are embedded in outer radio lobe. Type B sources (‘tailed’) have a well-collimated jet flow which undergoes a sudden transition, at an inner hot spot, to a less collimated flow which continues on and forms a radio tail. We have not found any separation of these classes in terms of radio power, radio flux size, galaxy power or external gas density. We propose the difference is due to the development, or not, of a disruptive flow instability, such as Kelvin–Helmholtz, and the saturation of the instability when it develops.
Detailed chemical kinetic modeling of cyclohexane oxidation.

A detailed chemical kinetic mechanism has been developed and used to study the oxidation of cyclohexane at both low and high temperatures. Rules for reaction rate constants are developed for the low-temperature combustion of cyclohexane. These rules can be used for in chemical kinetic mechanisms for other cycloalkanes. Because cyclohexane produces only one type of cyclohexyl radical, much of the low-temperature chemistry of cyclohexane is described in terms of one potential energy diagram showing the reaction of cyclohexyl radical with O2 through five-, six-, and seven-membered-ring transition states. The direct elimination of cyclohexene and HO2 from RO2 is included in the treatment using a modified rate constant of Cavallotti et al. (Proc. Combust. Inst. 2007, 31, 201). Published and unpublished data from the Lille rapid compression machine, as well as jet-stirred reactor data, are used to validate the mechanism. The effect of heat loss is included in the simulations, an improvement on previous studies ...
Electro-diffusion in a plasma with two ion species

Electric field is a thermodynamic force that can drive collisional inter-ion-species transport in a multicomponent plasma. In an inertial confinement fusion capsule, such transport causes fuel ion separation even with a target initially prepared to have equal number densities for the two fuel ion species. Unlike the baro-diffusion driven by ion pressure gradient and the thermo-diffusion driven by ion and electron temperature gradients, electro-diffusion has a critical dependence on the charge-to-mass ratio of the ion species. Specifically, it is shown here that electro-diffusion vanishes if the ion species have the same charge-to-mass ratio. An explicit expression for the electro-diffusion ratio is obtained and used to investigate the relative importance of electro- and baro-diffusion mechanisms. In particular, it is found that electro-diffusion reinforces baro-diffusion in the deuterium and tritium mix, but tends to cancel it in the deuterium and helium-3 mix.
Subpixel motion estimation for multiframe resolution enhancement

Multiframe resolution enhancement algorithms are used to estimate a high-resolution video still (HRVS) from several low-resolution frames, provided that objects within the image sequence move with subpixel increments. A Bayesian multiframe enhancement algorithm is presented to compute an HRVS using the spatial information present within each frame as well as the temporal information present due to object motion between frames. However, the required subpixel- resolution motion vectors must be estimated from low- resolution and noisy video frames, resulting in an inaccurate motion field which can adversely impact the quality of the enhanced image. Several subpixel motion estimation techniques are incorporated into the Bayesian multiframe enhancement algorithm to determine their efficacy in the presence of global data transformations between frames and independent object motion. Visual and quantitative comparisons of the resulting high-resolution video stills computed from two video frames and the corresponding estimated motion fields show that the eight- parameter projective motion model is appropriate for global scene changes, while block matching and Horn-Schunck optical flow estimation each have their own advantages and disadvantages when used to estimate independent object motion.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Excitation of Single Phonon Modes in Nanoscale Waveguides

We present a new computational method that excites guided phonon modes in nanoscale waveguides at a specific frequency and wavenumber. The method uses nonequilibrium molecular dynamics and Fourier analysis of particle displacements to extract mode shapes from single frequency excitations consisting of superposed spatial modes. These mode shapes are used to excite the waveguide inlet boundary so that single phonon modes are generated in the structure. Mode shapes and phonon spectra for a silicon planar waveguide with rigid wall boundaries are calculated to demonstrate the viability of the technique. This method improves upon molecular dynamics techniques that activate all possible phonon modes and are thus not able to isolate the contribution of any single phonon excitation. Application of our method will enable the computational investigation of single phonon mode propagation in nanostructures of varying geometry.Copyright © 2011 by ASME