cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Axaf in Context: A Revolution

AXAF has been a long time, 20 years, in coming. This has made AXAF so overfamiliar that it is hard to see how revolutionary it still is. Some even describe AXAF as the end of the line in X-ray technology; a never to be repeated venture to high resolution. This view is wrong. To see why we need to see where X-ray astrophysics is going.
An Ensemble Kalman-Particle Predictor-Corrector Filter for Non-Gaussian Data Assimilation

An Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF, the predictor) is used make a large change in the state, followed by a Particle Filer (PF, the corrector), which assigns importance weights to describe a non-Gaussian distribution. The importance weights are obtained by nonparametric density estimation. It is demonstrated on several numerical examples that the new predictor-corrector filter combines the advantages of the EnKF and the PF and that it is suitable for high dimensional states which are discretizations of solutions of partial differential equations.
Design and Performance of the Terawatt Cr:LiSrAlF6 Laser System

The authors have developed a compact, flashlamp-pumped Cr:LiSrAlF[sub 6] laser system capable of producing peak powers in excess of one terawatt. The chirped pulse amplification approach has been optimized for amplification of femtosecond pulses in Cr:LiSrAlF[sub 6]. The system includes a Cr:LiSAF regenerative amplifier followed by a Cr:LiSAF power amplifier chain. The regenerative amplifier produces 12 mJ pulses at a 5 Hz repetition rate which are further amplified to energies above 300 mJ at a 0.5 Hz repetition rate. Recompression results in a pulse energy of 150 mJ and pulse duration of under 135 fsec.
A distortion-aware scheduling approach for wireless sensor networks

An important class of applications for wireless sensor networks is to use the sensors to provide samples of a physical phenomenon at discrete locations. Through interpolation-based reconstruction, a continuous map of the monitored environment can be built. In this paper, we leverage the spatial correlation characteristics of the physical phenomenon and find the minimum set of nodes that needs to be active at each point in time for a sufficiently accurate reconstruction. Furthermore, multiple such sets of nodes are found so that a different set can report at each point in time in a rotating fashion. This is crucial in improving network lifetime. To perform all related scheduling tasks we employ a novel approach which does not assume a-priori knowledge of the underlying phenomenon. Instead it jointly estimates process characteristics and performs node selection online. We illustrate that significant gains in network lifetime can be achieved with minimal impact on the overall reconstruction quality, measured in terms of distortion.
The Gravitomagnetic Influence on Earth-Orbiting Spacecrafts and on the Lunar Orbit

Gravitomagnetic field is covariantly split in the intrinsic and extrinsic parts, which are generated by rotational and translational currents of matter respectively. The intrinsic component has been recently discovered in the LAGEOS spacecraft experiment. We discuss the method of detection of the extrinsic tidal component with the lunar laser ranging (LLR) technique. Analysis of the gauge residual freedom in the relativistic theory of three-body problem demonstrates that LLR is currently not capable to detect the extrinsic gravitomagnetic effects which are at the ranging level of few millimeters. Its detection requires further advances in the LLR technique that are coming in the next 5–10 years.
Hot Times in the Hertzsprung Gap

Moderate-mass giants represent a touchstone for probing the mechanisms of magnetic activity among fast-rotating convective stars. Extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray observations of such stars detect generally hot coronae: the Hertzsprung-gap giants (F5-G2), in particular, have remarkable high-excitation peaks (107 K, or hotter) in their emission-measure distributions. While the high-temperature coronal plasmas are reminiscent of violent solar flares, the high-energy spectra of the Hertzsprung-gap giants appear to be quite steady over time; in contrast to other hot-corona objects whose optical light curves carry the stamps of starspots, and whose high-excitation emissions are sporadically—and dramatically—variable. The constancy of the Hertzsprung-gap stars is particularly puzzling in light of high-dispersion FU V spectroscopy that reveals supersonic flows in their 105 K subcoronal “transition zones.”
The Cost Implications of Prostate Cancer Screening in the Medicare Population

BACKGROUND Recent debate about prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based testing for prostate cancer screening among older men has rarely considered the cost of screening. METHODS A population-based cohort of male Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 to 99 years, who had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer at the end of 2006 (n = 94,652), was assembled, and they were followed for 3 years to assess the cost of PSA screening and downstream procedures (biopsy, pathologic analysis, and hospitalization due to biopsy complications) at both the national and the hospital referral region (HRR) level. RESULTS Approximately 51.2% of men received PSA screening tests during the 3-year period, with 2.9% undergoing biopsy. The annual expenditures on prostate cancer screening by the national fee-for-service Medicare program were $447 million in 2009 US dollars. The mean annual screening cost at the HRR level ranged from $17 to $62 per beneficiary. Downstream biopsy-related procedures accounted for 72% of the overall screening costs and varied significantly across regions. Compared with men residing in HRRs that were in the lowest quartile for screening expenditures, men living in the highest HRR quartile were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer of any stage (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.35) and localized cancer (IRR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.15-1.47). The IRR for regional/metastasized cancer was also elevated, although not statistically significant (IRR = 1.31, 95% CI = 0.81-2.11). CONCLUSIONS Medicare prostate cancer screening–related expenditures are substantial, vary considerably across regions, and are positively associated with rates of cancer diagnosis. Cancer 2014;120:96–102. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
A review of the 1979 March 5 transient

The understanding of the 1979 March 5 event remains a problem of central importance for researchers in gamma ray transient astronomy. Efforts in the study of the observational results and in the development of interpretations regarding the nature of this event and its relationship to the variety of other gamma ray burst phenomena have continued through the past 2 years. A consensus of opinion has not yet been reached regarding its possible origin in N49 at 55 kpc distance, versus in an invisible source 3 or 4 orders of magnitude closer, although interpretations favoring N49 appear to be presently gaining momentum. This presentation outlines the existing data in a review of what remains the most singular high‐energy astrophysical phenomenon of the space age.
The M dwarf problem in the Galaxy

We present evidence that there is an M dwarf problem similar to the previously identified G dwarf and K dwarf problems: the number of low-metallicity M dwarfs is not sufficient to match simple closed-box models of local Galactic chemical evolution. We estimated the metallicity of 4141 M dwarf stars with spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) using a molecular band strength versus metallicity calibration developed using high resolution spectra of nearby M dwarfs. Using a sample of M dwarfs with measured magnitudes, parallaxes and metallicities, we derived a relation that describes the absolute magnitude variation as a function of metallicity. When we examined the metallicity distribution of SDSS stars, after correcting for the different volumes sampled by the magnitude-limited survey, we found that there is an M dwarf problem, with the number of M dwarfs at [Fe/H] ∼−0.5 less than 1 per cent the number at [Fe/H] = 0, where a Simple model of Galactic chemical evolution predicts a more gradual drop in star numbers with decreasing metallicity.
Algebraic curvature tensors whose skew-symmetric curvature operator has constant rank 2

Let R be an algebraic curvature tensor for a non-degenerate inner product of signature (p,q) where q≥5. If π is a spacelike 2 plane, let R(π) be the associated skew-symmetric curvature operator. We classify the algebraic curvature tensors so R(ċ) has constant rank 2 and show these are geometrically realizable by hypersurfaces in flat spaces. We also classify the Ivanov–Petrova algebraic curvature tensors of rank 2; these are the algebraic curvature tensors of constant rank 2 such that the complex Jordan normal form of R(ċ) is constant.
A High-Affinity Inhibitor of Human CD59 Enhances Complement-Mediated Virolysis of HIV-1: Implications for Treatment of HIV-1/AIDS

Many pathogenic enveloped viruses, including HIV-1, escape complement-mediated virolysis by incorporating host cell regulators of complement activation into their own viral envelope. The presence of complement regulators including CD59 on the external surface of the viral envelope confers resistance to complement-mediated virolysis, which may explain why human pathogenic viruses such as HIV-1 are not neutralized by complement in human fluids, even in the presence of high Ab titers against the viral surface proteins. In this study, we report the development of a recombinant form of the fourth domain of the bacterial toxin intermedilysin (the recombinant domain 4 of intermedilysin [rILYd4]), a 114 aa protein that inhibits human CD59 function with high affinity and specificity. In the presence of rILYd4, HIV-1 virions derived from either cell lines or peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-1–infected patients became highly sensitive to complement-mediated lysis activated by either anti–HIV-1 gp120 Abs or by viral infection-induced Abs present in the plasma of HIV-1–infected individuals. We also demonstrated that rILYd4 together with serum or plasma from HIV-1–infected patients as a source of anti–HIV-1 Abs and complement did not mediate complement-mediated lysis of either erythrocytes or peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These results indicate that rILYd4 may represent a novel therapeutic agent against HIV-1/AIDS
Global Collective Action

This book examines how nations and other key participants in the global community address problems requiring collective action. The global community has achieved some successes, such as eradicating smallpox, but other efforts to coordinate nations' actions, such as the reduction of drug trafficking, have not been sufficient. This book identifies the factors that promote or inhibit successful collective action at the regional and global level for an ever-growing set of challenges stemming from augmented cross-border flows associated with globalization. Modern principles of collective action are identified and applied to a host of global challenges, including promoting global health, providing foreign assistance, controlling rogue nations, limiting transnational terrorism, and intervening in civil wars. Because many of these concerns involve strategic interactions where choices and consequences are dependent on one's own and others' actions, the book relies, in places, on elementary game theory that is fully introduced for the uninitiated reader.
The Road to Precision: Extraction of the Specific Shear Viscosity of the Quark-Gluon Plasma

For a few fleeting moments after the Big Bang the universe was filled with an astonishingly hot and dense soup known as the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), a precursor to the matter we observe today that consisted of elementary particles. Although this Quark-Gluon Plasma also contained leptons and weak gauge bosons, its transport properties were dominated by the strong interaction between quarks and gluons. Utilizing the most powerful particle accelerators, physicists now conduct head-on collisions between heavy ions, such as gold or lead nuclei, to recreate conditions that existed at the birth of the universe. The most striking discovery in relativistic heavy-ion collisions is that the hot and dense matter created during the collisions behaves like an almost perfect (inviscid) liquid, meaning that it can be characterized by a very small shear viscosity (η) to entropy density (s) ratio (or, “specific shear viscosity”) [1–4]. It turns out that the η/s for the QGP is smaller than that of any known substance, incl...
Nucleation at the DNA supercoiling transition.

Twisting DNA under a constant applied force reveals a thermally activated transition into a state with a supercoiled structure known as a plectoneme. Using transition-state theory, we predict the rate of this plectoneme nucleation to be of order ${10}^{4}$ Hz. We reconcile this with experiments that have measured hopping rates of order 10 Hz by noting that the viscous drag on the bead used to manipulate the DNA limits the measured rate. We find that the intrinsic bending caused by disorder in the base-pair sequence is important for understanding the free-energy barrier that governs the transition. Both analytic and numerical methods are used in the calculations. We provide extensive details on the numerical methods for simulating the elastic rod model with and without disorder.
Synthesis of aza and carbocyclic β-carbolines for the treatment of alcohol abuse. Regiospecific solution to the problem of 3,6-disubstituted β- and aza-β-carboline specificity

A novel two step protocol was developed to gain regiospecific access to 3-substituted β- and aza-β-carbolines, 3-PBC (1), 3-ISOPBC (2), βCCt (3), 6-aza-3-PBC (4) and 6-aza-3-ISOPBC (5). These β-carbolines (1–3) are potential clinical agents to reduce alcohol self-administration, especially 3-ISOPBC·HCl (2·HCl) which appears to be a potent anti-alcohol agent active against binge drinking in a rat model of maternally deprived (MD) rats. The method consists of two consecutive palladium-catalyzed reactions: a Buchwald–Hartwig amination followed by an intramolecular Heck-type cyclization in high yield.
In search of owners : lessons of experience with privatization and corporate governance in transition economies

Although each approach to privatization has its advantages, well-designed voucher privatization may best meet the objectives of feasibility, governance, fairness, and institution-building. Gray reviews the goals of privatization and evaluates various methods used to achieve them in different transition settings. The task is not only to change ownership but to create good corporate governance and to further the development of legal norms and supporting institutions needed in full-fledged market economies. Initial results of privatization programs are only part of the picture. How they foster further evolution of ownership is equally important. Experiments in privatization abound, from extensive efforts at sales to strategic owners (as in Estonia and Hungary), to programs based primarily on insider buyouts (as in Russia and Slovenia), to innovative mass privatization programs involving the creation of large and powerful new financial intermediaries (as in the Czech and Slovak Republics and Poland). Each approach has inherent strengths and risks. But if the objectives are to sever the links between the state and the enterprise, to school the population in market basics, and to foster further ownership change, the initial weight of evidence seems to favor significant reliance on voucher privatization, especially given the difficulty most countries have finding willing cash investors. Formal programs of enterprise privatization are often only a small part of the picture, although they get the most attention. Even where formal privatization has been slow (as in Bulgaria and the Ukraine), a process of asset recombination is occurring, often behind the scenes - whether a recombination from state to private firms or from some private firms to others. In the Czech Republic, for example, the ownership of enterprise shares by funds and of fund shares by individuals will change through formal and informal trading, but the ownership of enterprise assets may also shift to some extent as owners or managers sell or spin-off assets into new companies. In Russia, this shifting of assets to new, more closely held firms may be quite widespread, as managers with small minority ownership stakes in newly privatized firms try to gain greater control over assets. As one Hungarian observer noted, this is the period of primitive capital accumulation in the post-socialist world. Formal programs may lay important ground rules but uncertainties of every type overwhelm most formal efforts at privatization. The final outcome is far from predictable. This paper - a product of the Office of the Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Development Economics - was produced as a background paper for World Development Report 1996 on transition economies.
Coactive Vicarious Learning: Towards A Relational Theory of Vicarious Learning in Organizations

Vicarious learning—individual learning that occurs through being exposed to and making meaning from another’s experience—has long been recognized as a driver of individual, team, and organizational...
Distributed Online Learning via Cooperative Contextual Bandits

In this paper, we propose a novel framework for decentralized, online learning by many learners. At each moment of time, an instance characterized by a certain context may arrive to each learner; based on the context, the learner can select one of its own actions (which gives a reward and provides information) or request assistance from another learner. In the latter case, the requester pays a cost and receives the reward but the provider learns the information. In our framework, learners are modeled as cooperative contextual bandits. Each learner seeks to maximize the expected reward from its arrivals, which involves trading off the reward received from its own actions, the information learned from its own actions, the reward received from the actions requested of others and the cost paid for these actions—taking into account what it has learned about the value of assistance from each other learner. We develop distributed online learning algorithms and provide analytic bounds to compare the efficiency of these with algorithms with the complete knowledge (oracle) benchmark (in which the expected reward of every action in every context is known by every learner). Our estimates show that regret—the loss incurred by the algorithm—is sublinear in time. Our theoretical framework can be used in many practical applications including Big Data mining, event detection in surveillance sensor networks and distributed online recommendation systems.
Lessons from the Congested Clique applied to MapReduce

The main result of this paper is a simulation algorithm which, under quite general constraints, transforms algorithms running in the Congested Clique model into algorithms running in the MapReduce model. As a case study of applying this simulation algorithm, we first present a distributed O ( Δ ) -coloring algorithm running on the Congested Clique in O ( 1 ) rounds, if Δ ? log 2 ? n , and O ( log ? log ? log ? n ) rounds otherwise. Applying the simulation theorem to this Congested Clique O ( Δ ) -coloring algorithm yields an O ( 1 ) -round O ( Δ ) -coloring algorithm in the MapReduce model. We apply our simulation algorithm to other Congested Clique algorithms including the 2-ruling set and metric facility location algorithms of Berns et al. (ICALP 2012).Our simulation algorithm illustrates a natural correspondence between per-node bandwidth in the Congested Clique model and memory per machine in the MapReduce model. In the Congested Clique (and more generally, any network in the CONGEST model), the major impediment to constructing fast algorithms is the O ( log ? n ) restriction on message sizes. Similarly, in the MapReduce model, the combined restrictions on memory per machine and total system memory have a dominant effect on algorithm design. In showing a fairly general simulation algorithm, we highlight the similarities and differences between these models.
The Antares Facility for Inertial Fusion Experiments - Status and Plans

In the last decade several increasingly powerful short pulse CO2 lasers have been constructed at Los Alamos National Laboratory to investigate the feasibility of CO2 as an inertial fusion driver. The advantage of CO2, a gas laser with high rep-rate capability, electrical efficiency as high as 10%, and scalability to large energies, must outweigh important difficulties in target physics due to the copious production of suprathermal electrons if CO2 is to be considered a viable driver option.
Accretion, Outflows, and Winds of Magnetized Stars

Many types of stars have strong magnetic fields that can dynamically influence the flow of circumstellar matter. In stars with accretion disks, the stellar magnetic field can truncate the inner disk and determine the paths that matter can take to flow onto the star. These paths are different in stars with different magnetospheres and periods of rotation. External field lines of the magnetosphere may inflate and produce favorable conditions for outflows from the disk-magnetosphere boundary. Outflows can be particularly strong in the propeller regime, wherein a star rotates more rapidly than the inner disk. Outflows may also form at the disk-magnetosphere boundary of slowly rotating stars, if the magnetosphere is compressed by the accreting matter. In isolated, strongly magnetized stars, the magnetic field can influence formation and/or propagation of stellar wind outflows. Winds from low-mass, solar-type stars may be either thermally or magnetically driven, while winds from massive, luminous O and B type stars are radiatively driven. In all of these cases, the magnetic field influences matter flow from the stars and determines many observational properties. In this chapter we review recent studies of accretion, outflows, and winds of magnetized stars with a focus on three main topics: (1) accretion onto magnetized stars; (2) outflows from the disk-magnetosphere boundary; and (3) winds from isolated massive magnetized stars. We show results obtained from global magnetohydrodynamic simulations and, in a number of cases compare global simulations with observations.
Acoustic wave biosensors

Acoustic waves excited in a piezoelectric medium provide an attractive technology for realizing a family of biosensors that are sensitive, portable, cheap and small. In this paper a wide range of bulk and surface generated acoustic waves are described and prototype sensing-element geometries are presented. Results obtained using several candidate acoustic wave biosensors are also discussed.
On the validity of covariate adjustment for estimating causal effects

Identifying effects of actions (treatments) on outcome variables from observational data and causal assumptions is a fundamental problem in causal inference. This identification is made difficult by the presence of con-founders which can be related to both treatment and outcome variables. Confounders are often handled, both in theory and in practice, by adjusting for covariates, in other words considering outcomes conditioned on treatment and covariate values, weighed by probability of observing those covariate values. In this paper, we give a complete graphical criterion for covariate adjustment, which we term the adjustment criterion, and derive some interesting corollaries of the completeness of this criterion.
An infinite branching hierarchy of time-periodic solutions of the Benjamin-Ono equation

We present a new representation of solutions of the Benjamin-Ono equation that are periodic in space and time. Up to an additive constant and a Galilean transformation, each of these solutions is a previously known, multi-periodic solution; however, the new representation unifies the subset of such solutions with a fixed spatial period and a continuously varying temporal period into a single network of smooth manifolds connected together by an infinite hierarchy of bifurcations. Our representation explicitly describes the evolution of the Fourier modes of the solution as well as the particle trajectories in a meromorphic representation of these solutions; therefore, we have also solved the problem of finding periodic solutions of the ordinary differential equation governing these particles, including a description of a bifurcation mechanism for adding or removing particles without destroying periodicity. We illustrate the types of bifurcation that occur with several examples, including degenerate bifurcations not predicted by linearization about traveling waves.
Recursive adaptive filter design using an adaptive genetic algorithm

An adaptive genetic algorithm for determining the optimum filter coefficients in a recursive adaptive filter is presented. The algorithm does not use gradient techniques and thus is appropriate for use in problems where the function to be optimized is non-unimodal or non-quadratic, such as the mean-squared error surface in a recursive adaptive filter. The mechanisms of the algorithm are inspired by adaptive processes observed in nature. After an initial set of possible filters is randomly selected, each filter is mapped to a binary string representation. Selected bit strings are then transformed using the operations of crossover and mutation to build new "generations" of filters. The probability of selecting a particular bit string to modify and/or replicate for the next "generation" is inversely proportional to its estimated mean-squared error value. Hence, the process not only examines new filter coefficient values, but also retains the advances made in previous "generations". Computer simulations of the algorithm's performance on unimodal and bimodal error surfaces are presented.
Overview of Utility-Based Valuation

We review the utility-based valuation method for pricing derivative securities in incomplete markets. In particular, we review the practical approach to the utility-based pricing by the means of computing the first order expansion of marginal utility-based prices with respect to a small number of random endowments.
Direct Photoredox‐Catalyzed Reductive Difluoromethylation of Electron‐Deficient Alkenes

Photoredox-catalyzed reductive difluoromethylation of electron-deficient alkenes was achieved in one step under tin-free, mild and neutral conditions. This protocol affords a facile method to introduce RCF2 (R=H, Ph, Me, and CH2N3) groups at sites β to electron-withdrawing groups. It was found that TTMS (tris(trimethylsilyl)silane) served nicely as both the H-atom donor and the electron donor in the catalytic cycle. Experimental and DFT computational results provided evidence that RCF2 (R=H, Ph, Me) radicals are nucleophilic in nature.
Land Development: Risk, Return and Risk Management

We model and examine the financial aspects of the land development process incorporating the industry practice of preselling lots to builders through the use of option contracts as a risk management technique. Using contingent claims valuation, we are able to determine endogenously the land value, presale option value, credits spreads and the effects of presales on debt pricing and equity expected returns. We show that using presales options effectively shift market risk from the land developer to the builder. Results from the model are consistent with the high rates of return on equity observed in empirical surveys; they also suggest that developers may be justified in pursuing projects with substantially lower expected returns to equity when a large number of lots can be presold. Additionally, we show that presales reduce default risk dramatically for leveraged projects and can support a considerable reduction in the cost of construction financing. Large debt risk premiums are justified for highly levered projects, which helps explain the use of mezzanine financing in the land development industry to reduce expected default costs.
Reaction mechanism of hydroxymaleimide induced by γ-irradiation in alcohol solvents

Abstract Methanol and 2-propanol solutions of hydroxymaleimide were irradiated with γ-ray and mechanism of its γ-irradiation-induced reactions was investigated through final-product analyses using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with mass spectroscopy. An addition reaction of a solvent radical toward hydroxymaleimide was dominant among its oxygen-free γ-irradiation-induced reactions in its alcohol solutions while it is known that electron attachment toward hydroxyphthalimide or hydroxysuccinimide is dominant among their γ-irradiation-induced reactions. The radical adduct abstracts hydrogen from solvent molecule to re-produce a solvent radical. Therefore, the degradation efficiency of hydroxymaleimide was more than ten times larger than that of hydroxyphthalimide and hydroxysuccinimide. Dimer was also produced through electron attachment process in the solutions of hydroxymaleimide. In addition, it was found that the degradation efficiency increased with decrease in dose rate. An additional reaction of a solvent radical toward hydroxymaleimide competes with a radical–radical recombination. The latter was reduced, with the former leading to efficient degradation of hydroxymaleimide increased by irradiation at lower dose rate. On the contrary, the production yield of the adduct radical as well as the degradation efficiency of hydroxymaleimide was inhibited in the presence of oxygen.
Factors associated with quality of life among women with fecal incontinence

Fecal incontinence (FI) is a distressing, highly prevalent condition affecting quality of life (QOL). The aim of our study was to identify predictors of moderate/severe health-related QOL among women with FI. Data were collected from women presenting to a multispecialty clinic from January 2005 to July 2009 with FI. All completed questionnaires on demographics and validated instruments including the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Instrument (FIQL), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) for depression, and Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI). Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with moderate/severe FI. The study included 226 women with an average age of 59.2 years (SD = 14.1); 92 % were Caucasian, 67 % were married, and the average body mass index was 30.0 (SD = 8.6). Their QOL was moderately/severely affected by FI in 35.6 %. Mean overall FIQL score was 2.5 (SD = 0.8). Median QOL subscale measures were: lifestyle = 2.7 (SD = 1.0), coping = 2.09 (SD = 0.9), depression = 2.8 (SD = 1.0), and embarrassment = 2.2 (SD = 0.9). Average FISI score was 31.6 (SD = 15.7) and average depression score on the PHQ was 8.93 (SD = 8.1). In univariate analyses, diabetes, irritable bowel symptoms, prior hysterectomy, history of previous medical care for FI, higher FISI and PHQ scores were associated with moderate/severe FIQL scores (p < 0.05). Higher PHQ scores and prior hysterectomy significantly predicted moderate/severe QOL in logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05). We confirm that women with higher depression scores and prior hysterectomy have moderate/severe QOL impairment. When evaluating FI, screening for depression should be undertaken.
Energy-aware lossless data compression

Wireless transmission of a single bit can require over 1000 times more energy than a single computation. It can therefore be beneficial to perform additional computation to reduce the number of bits transmitted. If the energy required to compress data is less than the energy required to send it, there is a net energy savings and an increase in battery life for portable computers. This article presents a study of the energy savings possible by losslessly compressing data prior to transmission. A variety of algorithms were measured on a StrongARM SA-110 processor. This work demonstrates that, with several typical compression algorithms, there is a actually a net energy increase when compression is applied before transmission. Reasons for this increase are explained and suggestions are made to avoid it. One such energy-aware suggestion is asymmetric compression, the use of one compression algorithm on the transmit side and a different algorithm for the receive path. By choosing the lowest-energy compressor and decompressor on the test platform, overall energy to send and receive data can be reduced by 11p compared with a well-chosen symmetric pair, or up to 57p over the default symmetric zlib scheme.
Testing surface area with arbitrary accuracy

Recently, Kothari et al. gave an algorithm for testing the surface area of an arbitrary set A ⊂ [0,1]n. Specifically, they gave a randomized algorithm such that if A's surface area is less than S then the algorithm will accept with high probability, and if the algorithm accepts with high probability then there is some perturbation of A with surface area at most κnS. Here, κn is a dimension-dependent constant which is strictly larger than 1 if n ≥ 2, and grows to 4/π as n → ∞. We give an improved analysis of Kothari et al.'s algorithm. In doing so, we replace the constant κn with 1+η for η > 0 arbitrary. We also extend the algorithm to more general measures on Riemannian manifolds.
What Have We Learned About Homeschooling

This article discusses quantitative research on homeschooling, including the available data, pitfalls of using the data, estimates of the number of homeschooled children, part-time homeschooling, and why families homeschool. I compare research on homeschooling to research on charter schools, voucher programs, and private schools.
An efficient procedure for the oxidation of fluorinated carbinols

Abstract The oxidation of di and trifluorocarbinols has been accomplished in high yields using the Dess-Martin periodane oxidant.
The Mathematical Universe

I explore physics implications of the External Reality Hypothesis (ERH) that there exists an external physical reality completely independent of us humans. I argue that with a sufficiently broad definition of mathematics, it implies the Mathematical Universe Hypothesis (MUH) that our physical world is an abstract mathematical structure. I discuss various implications of the ERH and MUH, ranging from standard physics topics like symmetries, irreducible representations, units, free parameters, randomness and initial conditions to broader issues like consciousness, parallel universes and Godel incompleteness. I hypothesize that only computable and decidable (in Godel’s sense) structures exist, which alleviates the cosmological measure problem and may help explain why our physical laws appear so simple. I also comment on the intimate relation between mathematical structures, computations, simulations and physical systems.
Microwave spectrum of indene

Abstract The microwave spectrum of indene, C 9 H 8 , has been recorded from 18.0 to 39.0 GHz. Only a-type R branches were observed and assigned. The determined rotational constants are: A = 3775.01 ± 0.13, B = 1580.86 ± 0.01 and C = 1122.24 ± 0.01 MHz. These rotational constants are shown to be consistent with previously proposed structural parameters for this molecule. The quantity I a + I b − I c = 3.231 U·A 2 is shown to arise from the two out-of-plane hydrogen atoms and the heavy atom skeleton is, therefore, shown to be planar.
Ruthenium-catalyzed reductive coupling of 1,3-enynes and aldehydes by transfer hydrogenation: anti-diastereoselective carbonyl propargylation

Under the conditions of ruthenium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation employing isopropanol as a source of hydrogen, isopropoxy-substituted enyne 1 b and aldehydes 3 a-3 l engage in reductive coupling to provide products of propargylation 4 a-4 l with good to complete levels of anti-diastereoselectivity. The unprotected tertiary hydroxy moiety of isopropoxy enyne 1 b is required to enforce diastereoselectivity. Deuterium-labeling studies corroborate reversible enyne hydrometalation in advance of carbonyl addition. As demonstrated in the conversion of 4 f-h and 4 k to 5 f-h and 5 k, the isopropoxy group of the product is readily cleaved upon exposure to aqueous sodium hydroxide to reveal the terminal alkyne.
Theoretical study of the design and performance of a high-gain, high-extraction-efficiency FEL oscillator☆

Abstract We present the results of theoretical and simulation studies of the design and performance of a new type of FEL oscillator. This device, known by the acronym RAFEL for Regenerative Amplifier Free-Electron Laser, will be constructed in the space presently occupied by the Advanced FEL (AFEL) at Los Alamos, and will be driven by an upgraded (to higher average power) version of the present AFEL linac. In order to achieve a long-time-averaged optical output power of ∼1 kW using an electron beam with an average power of ∼20 kW, a rather high extraction efficiency η ∼ 5% is required. We have designed a 2 m long undulator to attain this goal; the first meter is untapered and provides high gain while the second meter is linearly tapered in magnetic field amplitude to provide high extraction efficiency in the standard K-M-R manner. Two-plane focusing and linear polarization of the undulator are assumed. Electron-beam properties from PARMELA simulations of the AFEL accelerator were used in the design. A large saturated gain, ∼ 500, requires a very small optical feedback to keep the device operating at steady state. However, the large gain leads to distorted optical modes which require two and three-dimensional simulations to adequately treat diffraction effects. This FEL will be driven by 17 MeV electrons and will operate in the 16 μm spectral region.
Deadlock avoidance for systolic communication

Abstract Under the systolic communication model, each cell (or processor) in a parallel processing system can operate directly on data residing at the cell's input queues and move computed results directly to the cell's output queues. Incoming and outgoing data need not be stored in the cell's local memory, if not required by the computation. By avoiding these local memory accesses, systolic communication can achieve high efficiency when executing many systolic algorithms. Though efficient, systolic communication may lead to deadlocks at run time if data arriving at a cell's input queues are improperly ordered. This paper describes the nature of this deadlock problem, gives an abstract formulation of the problem, and provides a deadlock avoidance strategy.
Nonlinear magneto-optical rotation in optically thick media

Nonlinear magneto-optical rotation is a sensitive technique for measuring magnetic fields. Here, the shot-noise-limited magnetometric sensitivity at high light power is analysed for optically thick media. Such media have been the subject of recent experimental and theoretical investigations.
Civil alliances – Palestine, 1947–1948

Between November 1947 (The UN Partition Plan for Palestine) and May 1948 (The creation of the state of Israel), many Jewish and Arab communities who cared for their country intensified the negotiat...
Germapharmaca: some recent studies on biologically active organogermanium compounds

Recent research results on biologically active organogermanium compounds are described. Emphasis is placed on two categories based on (1) carbethoxyethylgermanium sesquioxide and (2) the ‘spirogermanium’ system. Other organogermanium derivatives covered include various mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-compounds. Mention is also made of organogermanium compounds as food additives and as the products of biological methylation.
Nonlocal polarization interferometer for entanglement detection

The proposal and experimental realization of a nonlocal interferometer capable of detecting entanglement and identifying Bell states statistically is reported, which allows for a unique version of the CHSH-Bell test where the local reality is the photon polarization.
Sparsity measures for spatially decaying systems

We consider the class of spatially decaying systems, where the underlying dynamics are spatially decaying and the sensing and controls are spatially distributed. This class of systems arise in various applications where there is a notion of spatial distance with respect to which couplings between the subsystems can be quantified using a class of coupling weight functions. We exploit spatial decay property of the underlying dynamics of the system to introduce a class of sparsity and spatial localization measures for spatially distributed systems. We develop a new methodology based on concepts of $q$-Banach algebras of spatially decaying operators that enable us to establish a relationship between spatial decay properties of spatially decaying systems and their sparsity and spatial localization features. Moreover, it is shown that the inverse-closedness property of operator algebras plays a central role in exploiting various structural properties of spatially decaying systems. We characterize conditions for exponentially stability of spatially decaying system over $q$-Banach algebras and prove that the unique solutions of the Lyapunov and Riccati equations over a proper $q$-Banach algebra also belong to the same $q$-Banach algebra. It is shown that the quadratically optimal state feedback controllers for spatially decaying systems are sparse and spatially localized in the sense that they have near-optimal sparse information structures.
Ferromagnetism in the Hubbard model on fcc-type lattices

The Hubbard model on fcc-type lattices is studied in the dynamical mean-field theory of infinite spatial dimensions. At intermediate interaction strength finite temperature Quantum Monte Carlo calculations yield a second order phase transition to a highly polarized, metallic ferromagnetic state. The Curie temperatures are calculated as a function of electronic density and interaction strength. A necessary condition for ferromagnetism is a density of state with large spectral weight near one of the band edges.
Interfacial analysis of tribological systems containing molybdenum disulfide and iron using XPS and CEMS

Abstract Single crystals of stoichiometric MoS2 and MoS2 containing excess sulfur were coated with iron films and used as model systems to investigate interfacial reactions affecting adhesion and wear. Stoichiometric MoS2 crystals were also prepared with a controlled number of defects by Ar+ bombardment to more closely simulate systems fabricated by sputter deposition. Pressed powders of polycrystalline MoS2 and iron were evaluated to further investigate the effects of defects. It is expected that the results from pressed powders may be directly applicable to burnished films. Single-crystal and powdered specimens react during annealing to form FeMo2S4. The presence of defects, from Ar+ bombardment or from the nature of small MoS2 crystallites, enhances the formation of FeMo2S4. Specimens containing excess sulfur react to form pyrrohtite and troilite. The annealing temperature determines both the relative fraction of pyrrohtite to troilite and the orientational relationship between the ĉ-axis of the iron sulfide and the ĉ-axis of MoS2. The results of this study demonstrate that appropriate processing conditions can be used to control both the composition (i.e. FeO, FeMo2S4, FeS1−x FeS) and the habit plane ( i.e c -Fe 1− x S ⊥ c -MoS 2 , c -FeS ∥∥ c -MoS 2 interface. These findings may have significant impact on the adhesion, wear and performance of Fe/MoS2 or stainless steel/MoS2 systems.
Phase effects due to previous pulses in time-resolved Faraday rotation measurements

Time-resolved Faraday rotation measurements have proved transformative in the investigation of spin dynamics in semiconductors. In materials with spin lifetimes which are on the order of, or greater than, the laser repetition time, the collective effect of spin polarization due to the whole pump pulse train becomes important. Here, we discuss a relative phase shift which results from these spins. We derive and experimentally validate a closed-form expression which describes this phase shift and characterize it throughout parameter space. A spin lifetime measurement based on this phase shift is described, and we discuss situations in which the model used must be augmented to be applicable.
A talking computer terminal

In an attempt to provide a communications medium for blind computer users, the requirements for an optimal method of communications were set forth. Previous solutions to the problem were studied and their shortcomings were noted. Through a combination of ideas from previous approaches and the author's personal experience, a new and unique direction was taken, which resulted in a host independent talking computer terminal.The hardware for the terminal, consisting of a microprocessor, a speech synthesizer, a keyboard, and a modem, were assembled to form a prototype system. An analysis of algorithms for the translation from text to synthesizer commands was conducted, resulting in a decision to use a technique designed by McIlroy from Bell Laboratories, with modifications to tailor it to the needs of the talking terminal. The necessary software was written and the talking terminal was demonstrated using the University of Illinois' PDP 10 as the host computer. It is currently being used at West Virginia University on an IBM 360-75 as a research tool of the author.
Stereospecific Synthesis of the CP-263,114 Core Structure

CP-263,114 (1) is a fungal metabolite that was isolated1,2 as part of a program to identify inhibitors of Ras farnesyltransferase3 and squalene synthase4 (Figure 1). It has been proposed that 1 is a member of the nonadride class of natural products; in particular, its structural similarity to glaucanic acid (2) was noted.1b,5 Inspection of the two structures suggests that transannular bond formation between C10 and C26 to generate the core skeleton of 1 may be feasible from a nine-membered-ring intermediate. This paper details a new bicyclic ring-forming reaction involving a transannular cyclization that has resulted in a rapid, stereospecific synthesis of the CP-263,114 core structure.
Acyclicity and Dynamic Stability: Generalizations and Applications

Abstract We study the asymptotic stability of infinite horizon concave programming problems. By generalizing our preceding work we provide a one-parameter family of conditions that guarantee convergence of the optimal paths to a stationary state. We call this property θ-acyclicity. In the one-dimensional case we show that super-modularity implies our property but not vice versa. We apply θ-acyclicity to a pair of models which study the dynamic behaviour of firms that have adjustment costs. The first is the familiar model of competitive equilibrium of an industry in the presence of adjustment costs. In the second firms act strategically and we study the dynamic evolution implied by the closed-loop Nash equilibria. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C61, C62, C73, D92.
Inverse model construction for control implementation of macro fiber composite actuators operating in hysteretic regimes

Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) actuators utilize PZT fibers embedded in an epoxy matrix for structural actuation. Due to their construction, they are lightweight and provide broadband inputs. Significant advantages of MFC actuators are their high performance, durability, and flexibility when compared to traditional piezoceramic actuators. They are presently being considered for a range of applications including positioning of membrane mirrors and structural control in the aerospace and automotive industry. However, they exhibit varying degrees of hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities throughout their operating range that must be incorporated in models to achieve the full capabilities of the materials. In this paper, hysteresis is modeled using the homogenized energy model. The inverse model is then used to construct an inverse compensator framework suitable for subsequent control design. The performance of the inverse compensator is illustrated through a numerical example.