cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of flame speed with stretch in turbulent premixed methane/air flames

Direct numerical simulations of two-dimensional unsteady premixed methane/air flames are performed to determine the correlation of flame speed with stretch over a wide range of curvatures and strain rates generated by intense two-dimensional turbulence. Lean and stoichiometric premixtures are considered with a detailed C{sub 1}-mechanism for methane oxidation. The computed correlation shows the existence of two distinct stable branches. It further shows that exceedingly large negative values of stretch can be obtained solely through curvature effects which give rise to an overall nonlinear correlation of the flame speed with stretch. Over a narrower stretch range, {minus}1 {le} Ka {le} 1, which includes 90% of the sample, the correlation is approximately linear, and hence, the asymptotic theory for stretch is practically applicable. Overall, one-third of the sample has negative stretch. In this linear range, the Markstein number associated with the positive branch is determined and is consistent with values obtained from comparable steady counterflow computations. In addition to this conventional positive branch, a negative branch is identified. This negative branch occurs when a flame cusp, with a center of curvature in the burnt gases, is subjected to intense compressive strain, resulting in a negative displacement speed. Negative flame speeds are also encountered for extensive tangential strain rates exceeding a Karlovitz number of unity, a value consistent with steady counterflow computations.
Decohering the Fermi liquid: A dual approach to the Mott transition

We present a theoretical approach to describing the Mott transition of electrons on a two-dimensional lattice that begins with the low-energy effective theory of the Fermi liquid. The approach to the Mott transition must be characterized by the suppression of density and current fluctuations that correspond to specific shape deformations of the Fermi surface. We explore the nature of the Mott insulator and the corresponding Mott transition when these shape fluctuations of the Fermi surface are suppressed without making any a priori assumptions about other Fermi surface shape fluctuations. Building on insights from the theory of the Mott transition of bosons, we implement this suppression by identifying and condensing vortex degrees of freedom in the phase of the low-energy electron operator. We show that the resulting Mott insulator is a quantum spin liquid with a spinon Fermi surface coupled to a $U(1)$ gauge field, which is usually described within a slave particle formulation. Our approach thus provides a coarse-grained treatment of the Mott transition and the proximate spin liquid that is nevertheless equivalent to the standard slave particle construction. This alternate point of view provides further insight into the novel physics of the Mott transition and the spin liquid state that is potentially useful. We describe a generalization that suppresses spin antisymmetric fluctuations of the Fermi surface that leads to a spin-gapped charge metal previously also discussed in terms of slave particle constructions.
Corruption and firm tax evasion

Although corruption and tax evasion are distinct and separate problems, they can easily become intertwined and reinforcing. A society that is more corrupt may enable more tax evasion as corrupt officials seek more income via bribes; conversely, higher levels of tax evasion may drive corruption by offering more opportunities for bribes. While a large body of work on each subject separately has emerged, the relationship between the two problems has remained a largely unexplored area. This paper focuses on how the potential for bribery of tax officials affects a firm's tax evasion decisions. To test how the potential for bribery affects a firm's tax reporting decisions, we use firm-level information on reporting obtained from the World Enterprise Survey and the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey. Our basic estimation approach uses instrumental variables methods to control for the potential endogeneity of evasion and corruption. We also use propensity score matching methods as a robustness check. Our results show that it is corruption that largely drives higher levels of evasion; that is, corruption of tax officials is a statistically and economically significant determinant of tax evasion. The presence of tax inspectors who request bribes results in a reduction of sales reported for taxes of between 4 and 10 percentage points. Additionally, larger bribes result in higher levels of evasion. Overall these results indicate that governments seeking to decrease tax evasion – and so increase tax revenues – must work first to ensure an honest tax administration.
A desktop-computer simulation for exploring the fission barrier

A model of a fissioning nucleus that splits symmetrically both axially and equatorially is used to show how one can predict the presence of a fission barrier of several tens of MeV for nuclides of mass number A ~ 90 and of ~ 10 MeV for elements such as uranium. While the present model sacrifices some physical realism for the sake of analytic and programming simplicity, it does reproduce the general behavior of the run of fission barrier energy as a function of mass number as revealed by much more sophisticated models. Its intuitive appeal and tractability make it appropriate for presentation in a student-level “Modern Physics” class.
Novel QCD Phenomena at JLab

The 12 GeV electron beam energy at Jefferson Laboratory ( p s’ 4:8 GeV ) provides ideal electroproduction kinematics for many novel tests of QCD in both the perturbative and nonperturbative domains. These include tests of the quark flavor dependence of the nuclear structure functions; measurements of the QCD running coupling at soft scales; measurements of the diffractive deep inelastic structure function; measurements of exclusive contributions to the T odd Sivers function; the identification of “odderon" contributions; tests of the spectroscopic and dynamic features of light-front holography as well as “meson-nucleon supersymmetry"; the production of open and hidden charm states in the heavy-quark threshold domain; and the production of exotic hadronic states such as pentaquarks, tetraquarks and even octoquarks containing charm quarks. One can also study fundamental features of QCD at JLab12 such as the “hidden color" of nuclear wavefunctions, the “color transparency" of hard exclusive processes, and the “intrinsic strangeness and charm" content of the proton wavefunction. In addition, current on-going experimental searches for “dark photons" at JLab can also be used to produce and detect a long-sought exotic atom of QED: “true muonium" [m + m ]: I will also discuss evidence that the antishadowing of nuclear structure functions is non-universal; i.e., flavor dependent. I will also present arguments why shadowing and antishadowing phenomena may be incompatible with the momentum and other sum rules for the nuclear parton distribution functions. I will also briefly review new insights into the hadron mass scale, the hadron mass spectrum, the functional form of the QCD coupling in the nonperturbative domain predicted by light-front holography, and how superconformal algebra leads to remarkable supersymmetric relations between mesons and baryons.
Combining proofs and programs

Programming languages based on dependent type theory promise two great advances: flexibility and security. With the type-level computation afforded by dependent types, algorithms can be more generic, as the type system can express flexible interfaces via programming. Likewise, type-level computation can also express data structure invariants, so that programs can be proved correct through type checking. Furthermore, despite these extensions, programmers already know everything. Via the Curry-Howard isomorphism, the language of type-level computation and the verification logic is the programming language itself.
Administrative leader as hero: Yochanan ben Zakkai and the rebuilding of post- Temple Jewish organizational structure

AbstractBuilding on the literature on administrative leadership, this paper examines how transformational leadership affects the process of organizational change. The paper does so through a case study of the rebuilding of Jewish organizational life after its devastation in the first century. The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 C.E. and a large part of the Jewish population was killed or sold into slavery. The Jewish religion, which was based around worship in the Temple, was in serious trouble. One man, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, saved Judaism. He did this without any armies and only a handful of followers. As a case of administrative leadership, ben Zakkai acted as an ethical, transformational leader who reconfigured the religion and reconstructed the organizational basis of Judaism. This example shows how transformational leadership is well suited as a method of leading large-scale organizational change.
SIMPLIFICATION OF DESIGN BY ULTIMATE STRENGTH PROCEDURES

ULTIMATE STRENGTH DESIGN PROCEDURES FOR BEAMS AND COLUMNS ARE DEVELOPED FOR USE WITH A RECTANGULAR STRESS BLOCK. ALTHOUGH THE USE OF DESIGN CHARTS IS RECOMMENDED, IT IS SHOWN THAT MOST COMPUTATIONS ARE SIMPLE AND PRACTICAL WITHOUT SUCH AIDS. IT IS SHOWN THAT A GREAT VARIETY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE MEMBERS CAN BE DESIGNED WITH ONLY THE AIDS CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT, OR EVEN WITHOUT SUCH AIDS. IF ULTIMATE STRENGTH DESIGN IS USED TO PRODUCE SHALLOWER BEAMS, MORE ATTENTION MUST BE GIVEN TO DEFLECTIONS. HOWEVER, ULTIMATE STRENGTH DESIGN NEED NOT LEAD AT ONCE TO SHALLOWER MEMBERS. IT IS THE WRITER'S BELIEF THAT ULTIMATE STRENGTH DESIGN AIDS ARE BETTER AND SIMPLER TO SHORTEN AVAILABLE DESIGN PROCEDURES.
Flight code validation simulator

An End-To-End Simulation capability for software development and validation of missile flight software on the actual embedded computer has been developed utilizing a 486 PC, i860 DSP coprocessor, embedded flight computer and custom dual port memory interface hardware. This system allows real-time interrupt driven embedded flight software development and checkout. The flight software runs in a Sandia Digital Airborne Computer and reads and writes actual hardware sensor locations in which Inertial Measurement Unit data resides. The simulator provides six degree of freedom real-time dynamic simulation, accurate real-time discrete sensor data and acts on commands and discretes from the flight computer. This system was utilized in the development and validation of the successful premier flight of the Digital Miniature Attitude Reference System in January of 1995 at the White Sands Missile Range on a two stage attitude controlled sounding rocket.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Extremal Depth for Functional Data and Applications

ABSTRACTWe propose a new notion called “extremal depth” (ED) for functional data, discuss its properties, and compare its performance with existing concepts. The proposed notion is based on a measure of extreme “outlyingness.” ED has several desirable properties that are not shared by other notions and is especially well suited for obtaining central regions of functional data and function spaces. In particular: (a) the central region achieves the nominal (desired) simultaneous coverage probability; (b) there is a correspondence between ED-based (simultaneous) central regions and appropriate pointwise central regions; and (c) the method is resistant to certain classes of functional outliers. The article examines the performance of ED and compares it with other depth notions. Its usefulness is demonstrated through applications to constructing central regions, functional boxplots, outlier detection, and simultaneous confidence bands in regression problems. Supplementary materials for this article are availab...
Normal approximation for the net flux through a random conductor

We consider solutions of an elliptic partial differential equation in \({\mathbb R}^d\) with a stationary, random conductivity coefficient. The boundary condition on a square domain of width L is chosen so that the solution has a macroscopic unit gradient. We then consider the average flux through the domain. It is known that in the limit \(L \rightarrow \infty \), this quantity converges to a deterministic constant, almost surely. Our main result is about normal approximation for this flux when L is large: we give an estimate of the Kantorovich–Wasserstein distance between the law of this random variable and that of a normal random variable. This extends a previous result of the author (Probab Theory Relat Fields, 2013. doi:10.​1007/​s00440-013-0517-9) to a much larger class of random conductivity coefficients. The analysis relies on elliptic regularity, on bounds for the Green’s function, and on a normal approximation method developed by Chatterjee (Ann Probab 36:1584–1610, 2008) based on Stein’s method.
An OTEC Pilot Plant Heat Engine

The preliminary engineering design has been completed for a pilot plant intended to demonstrate the construction feasibility, performance, and economics of power generation on ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plantships utilizing the temperature difference between the surface and deep waters of the tropical oceans. The primary features of the design are discussed, giving attention to heat exchangers, a power cycle description, a cycle performance computer program, ancillary system requirements, and aspects of platform integration. The heat engine design reported is judged capable of being constructed with no major technology development requirements, although extensive model and development testing will be necessary.
Multinational enterprise and economic analysis

The third edition of Multinational Enterprise and Economic Analysis surveys the contributions that economic analysis has made to our understanding of why multinational enterprises exist and what consequences they have for the workings of the national and international economies. It shows how economic analysis can explain multinationals' activity patterns and how economics can shed conceptual light on problems of business policies and managerial decisions arising in practice. It addresses the welfare problems arising from multinationals' activities and the logic of governments' preferences and choices in their dealings with multinationals. Suitable for researchers, graduates and upper-level undergraduates. The third edition of this highly accessible book incorporates the many additions to our knowledge of multinationals accumulated in research appearing in the past decade.
Short Run and Long Run dynamics in the Demand of U.S Tree Nuts

There has been significant shifts in both international and domestic demand for U.S tree nuts over the past decade with potentially mixed effects for U.S producers and consumers. This paper investigates short run and long run dynamics in the domestic demand for six brands of tree nuts (pecan, almonds, walnuts, macadamias, pistachios and hazelnuts) using annual time series data for utilization and value. A static and a dynamic Almost Ideal Demand system (AIDS) was estimated with Seemingly Unrelated Regression. We analyzed consumers responsiveness to price and expenditure using parameters derived from the model
Measurements of W Charge Asymmetry

We discuss W boson and lepton charge asymmetry measurements from W decays in the electron channel, which were made using 9.7 fb$$^{-1}$$ of RunII data collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The electron charge asymmetry is presented as a function of pseudo-rapidity out to |$$\eta$$| $$\le$$ 3.2, in five symmetric and asymmetric kinematic bins of electron transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy of the event. We also give the W charge asymmetry as a function of W boson rapidity. The asymmetries are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations. These charge asymmetry measurements will allow more accurate determinations of the proton parton distribution functions and are the most precise to date.
Standard outcome measures for thymic malignancies

Thymic malignancies present particular issues due to the pace of disease progression, patterns of recurrence, and causes of death that make nuances of how outcomes are reported particularly important. The relatively limited number of patients also creates a challenge to glean as much as possible from the available experience, but risks over-interpretation and potentially misleading conclusions. Therefore the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group has developed a set of standards for reporting of outcome measures of clinical studies, which have been adopted for collaborative projects undertaken by the organization. Widespread adoption of this baseline will enhance the ability to compare results from different series.
Farm-scale analysis of the potential uptake of carbon offset activities

Carbon mitigation through land-use change and forestry has received considerable attention as a low-cost method of addressing climate change. However, spatial and productive heterogeneity is often lost in broader scale analyses frequently used to inform climate mitigation policy. Most research to date does not integrate these analyses with transaction costs; often a significant barrier to implementation. This paper demonstrates a technique for assessing project feasibility while considering both transaction costs and spatial heterogeneity. Ignoring farm heterogeneity was found to significantly overestimate both the market price of carbon and quantity of carbon sequestration required before projects become feasible.
Tourism effects on the environment and economic sustainability of sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACTThis paper integrates tourism, economic growth, and environmental issues in a multivariate format. Unlike recent research on this topic, a panel data of selected sample nations of sub-Saharan Africa is adopted by using cointegration and panel regression models. The current research discovers both long-run equilibrium and short-run dynamics between economic growth, tourism, energy use, and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, tourism and energy use show a highly significant direct impact on economic growth. In addition, tourism, energy use, and economic growth yield a highly significant positive effect on carbon emissions. Dissecting the region into oil producers and non-oil producers further suggests that the economic growth of sub-Saharan Africa has been accomplished by strong growth in tourism and energy use. However, there is highly significant evidence that in oil producing countries, CO2 emissions are directly affected by energy use and economic growth and not by tourism. For ...
Simplicity of Kmeans Versus Deepness of Deep Learning: A Case of Unsupervised Feature Learning with Limited Data

We study a bio-detection application as a case study to demonstrate that Kmeans -- based unsupervised feature learning can be a simple yet effective alternative to deep learning techniques for small data sets with limited intra-as well as inter-class diversity. We investigate the effect on the classifier performance of data augmentation as well as feature extraction with multiple patch sizes and at different image scales. Our data set includes 1833 images from four different classes of bacteria, each bacterial culture captured at three different wavelengths and overall data collected during a three-day period. The limited number and diversity of images present, potential random effects across multiple days, and the multi-mode nature of class distributions pose a challenging setting for representation learning. Using images collected on the first day for training, on the second day for validation, and on the third day for testing Kmeans -- based representation learning achieves 97% classification accuracy on the test data. This compares very favorably to 56% accuracy achieved by deep learning and 74% accuracy achieved by handcrafted features. Our results suggest that data augmentation or dropping connections between units offers little help for deep-learning algorithms, whereas significant boost can be achieved by Kmeans -- based representation learning by augmenting data and by concatenating features obtained at multiple patch sizes or image scales.
Synthesis of 1-aryl-1H-pyrazolecarbonitriles and related derivatives

The synthesis of 1-aryl-5-cyano-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid, ethyl esters 1 is described. Subsequent chemistry led to relatively simple and unique pyrazole derivatives. Most important of these are 1-aryl-5-(aminocarbonyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acids 2, which are chemical hybridizing agents in wheat and barley. The regioselective hydrolysis of 1-(3-chlorophenyl)-1H-pyrazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid, dimethyl ester (7b) and subsequent chemistry is also described.
Peptide-Catalyzed Conversion of Racemic Oxazol-5(4H)-ones into Enantiomerically Enriched α-Amino Acid Derivatives

We report the development and optimization of a tetrapeptide that catalyzes the methanolytic dynamic kinetic resolution of oxazol-5(4H)-ones (azlactones) with high levels of enantioinduction. Oxazolones possessing benzylic-type substituents were found to perform better than others, providing methyl ester products in 88:12 to 98:2 er. The mechanism of this peptide-catalyzed process was investigated through truncation studies and competition experiments. High-field NOESY analysis was performed to elucidate the solution-phase structure of the peptide, and we present a plausible model for catalysis.
Valuation Model Use and the Price Target Performance of Sell‐Side Equity Analysts*

This study investigates the influence of inferred valuation model use on the investment performance of sell-side equity analysts’ published price target opinions. There is limited and inconclusive evidence on how analysts’ price targets are determined and on their value for investment decisions. Using a broad sample of 45,693 price targets provided to First Call by sell-side analysts during 1997 through 2003, we first show that price targets have investment value because they predict future stock returns. Next, we develop and implement an innovative large-sample procedure for inferring valuation model use from the observed correlation between analysts’ price targets and two researcher-constructed stock valuation estimates that differ in simplicity and rigor. Reliance on a less rigorous valuation model may diminish the investment advantage associated with an analyst’s more accurate earnings forecasts but it may also mitigate the disadvantage of less accurate forecasts. We test whether the apparent use of a more rigorous valuation technique yields higher quality price targets as measured by realized investment returns over a 12-month horizon, controlling for possible differences in earnings forecast accuracy. The central message from our data is that price targets exhibit superior investment performance when analysts appear to be using a fundamental residual income (RIM) stock valuation technique rather than a simple price-earnings-growth (PEG) valuation heuristic. This investment advantage is reduced when analysts’ earnings forecasts are inaccurate. Our results underscore the importance of valuation model choice to analyst’s stock investment evaluation process.
Hyperbolic structures from Sol on pseudo-Anosov mapping tori

The invariant measured foliations of a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism induce a natural (singular) Sol structure on mapping tori of surfaces with pseudo-Anosov monodromy. We show that when the pseudo-Anosov W S ! S has orientable foliations and does not have 1 as an eigenvalue of the induced cohomology action on the closed surface, then the Sol structure can be deformed to nearby cone hyperbolic structures, in the sense of projective structures. The cone angles can be chosen to be decreasing from multiples of 2 . 57M50; 57R20, 55N25
Medium-Voltage Current-Source Converter Drives for Marine Propulsion System Using a Dual-Winding Synchronous Machine

Medium-voltage (MV) drives are increasingly used in high-power marine applications for running thrusters and main propulsion motors. In this paper, an MV drive solution employing active front-end current-source converters is proposed for a synchronous-motor-based propulsion system. The proposed solution includes two independent drives, each to control one of the two sets of three-phase windings of the synchronous motor. A dedicated communication link between the drives allows continuous load sharing and robust system operation in a master-follower drive configuration. Field-oriented control with the use of an absolute encoder is implemented for providing high starting torque and smooth speed control over a wide speed range including a 30% overspeed region. The major advantages of the proposed solution include simple structure, increased system power rating, redundant operation, low-harmonic input/output waveforms, improved reliability, elimination of a bulky input isolation transformer, and parallel drive control without the need of a complex coordinated inverter gating system. In addition, the system offers input power factor compensation and dynamic braking to allow operation on a generator-based supply system. Field test results obtained on a 14-MW ship propulsion system are provided to demonstrate the system performance.
X-Ray Grazing Angle Scattering and Fluorescence Studies of Interfacial Microstructures in Si1-xGex/Si Multilayers

Angular dependence of grazing incidence x-ray scattering and Ge fluorescence yield were measured for the heterostructures of Si1-xGex/Si and the inverted bilayer Si/Si1-xGex as well as two 10-period superlattices. Interfacial roughness, correlation of height fluctuations between interfaces and Ge density profiles in the multilayers were investigated.
Rh(III)-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Coupling of Acrylic Acids with Unsaturated Oxime Esters: Carboxylic Acids Serve as Traceless Activators

α,β-Unsaturated carboxylic acids undergo Rh(III)-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling with α,β-unsaturated O-pivaloyl oximes to provide substituted pyridines in good yield. The carboxylic acid, which is removed by decarboxylation, serves as a traceless activating group, giving 5-substituted pyridines with very high levels of regioselectivity. Mechanistic studies rule out a picolinic acid intermediate, and an isolable rhodium complex sheds further light on the reaction mechanism.
Detection of explosives via photolytic cleavage of nitroesters and nitramines.

The nitramine-containing explosive RDX and the nitroester-containing explosive PETN are shown to be susceptible to photofragmentation upon exposure to sunlight. Model compounds containing nitroester and nitramine moieties are also shown to fragment upon exposure to UV irradiation. The products of this photofragmentation are reactive, electrophilic NOx species, such as nitrous and nitric acid, nitric oxide, and nitrogen dioxide. N,N-Dimethylaniline is capable of being nitrated by the reactive, electrophilic NOx photofragmentation products of RDX and PETN. A series of 9,9-disubstituted 9,10-dihydroacridines (DHAs) are synthesized from either N-phenylanthranilic acid methyl ester or a diphenylamine derivative and are similarly shown to be rapidly nitrated by the photofragmentation products of RDX and PETN. A new (turn-on) emission signal at 550 nm is observed upon nitration of DHAs due to the generation of fluorescent donor−acceptor chromophores. Using fluorescence spectroscopy, the presence of ca. 1.2 ng of...
At the root of sociality: Working towards emergent, permanent, social affines

Complexity science often uses generative models to study and explain the emergent behavior of humans, human culture, and human patterns of social organization. In spite of this, little is known about how the lowest levels of human social organization came into being. That is, little is known about how the earliest members of our hominini tribe transitioned from being presumably small-groups of ape-like polygamous/promiscuous individuals (beginning perhaps as early as Ardipithecus or Australopithecus after the time of the Pan-Homo split in the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene eras) into family units having stable breeding-bonds, extended families, and clans. What were the causal mechanisms (biological, possibly cognitive, social, and environmental, etc.) that were responsible for the conversion? To confound the issue, it is also possible the conversion process itself was a complex system replete with input sensitivities and path dependencies i.e., a nested complex system. These processes and their distinctive social arrangements may be referred to favorably (as one notable anthropologist has called them) as, “the deep structure of society.” This essay describes applied research that uses discrete event computer modeling techniques in an attempt to model-then-understand a few of the underlying social, environmental, and biological systems present at the root of human sociality; at the root of social complexity.
Characterizing RNA structures in vitro and in vivo with selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension sequencing (SHAPE-Seq)

RNA molecules adopt a wide variety of structures that perform many cellular functions, including, among others, catalysis, small molecule sensing, and cellular defense. Our ability to characterize, predict, and design RNA structures are key factors for understanding and controlling the biological roles of RNAs. Fortunately, there has been rapid progress in this area, especially with respect to experimental methods that can characterize RNA structures in a high throughput fashion using chemical probing and next-generation sequencing. Here, we describe one such method, selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension sequencing (SHAPE-Seq), which measures nucleotide resolution flexibility information for RNAs in vitro and in vivo. We outline the process of designing and performing a SHAPE-Seq experiment and describe methods for using experimental SHAPE-Seq data to restrain computational folding algorithms to generate more accurate predictions of RNA secondary structure. We also provide a number of examples of SHAPE-Seq reactivity spectra obtained in vitro and in vivo and discuss important considerations for performing SHAPE-Seq experiments, both in terms of collecting and analyzing data. Finally, we discuss improvements and extensions of these experimental and computational techniques that promise to deepen our knowledge of RNA folding and function.
Mapping Organism Expression Levels at Cellular Resolution in Developing Drosophila

Sequence specific transcription factors are the predominant regulators of animal gene expression controlling nearly all biological processes. We are developing novel quantitative optical imaging techniques to map gene expression levels at cellular and sub-cellular resolution within an entire organism. Pregastrula Drosophila embryos have been chosen because these embryos allow high resolution 3D optical imaging since they comprise a single layer of dividing cells surrounding a yolk sac. in addition, the transcription network controlling gene expression is well characterized in early Drosophila embryos[1], and is being further dissected by a multi-laboratory collaboration, the Berkeley Collaboration in Drosophila Genomics, which encompasses this work.Embryos at different stages of development are labeled for total DNA and specific gene products using different fluorophors and imaged in 3D with confocal microscopy (Figure 1). Intensity-based segmentation of the total DNA image[2] produces a nuclear mask which defines the nuclear boundaries, their location and the number of cells within the embryo (Figure 2). Presently, dilation of the nuclear volumes into their nearest-neighbours[3] is used to estimate the boundary of the cell (Figure 3) and superposition of these images produces a morphological mask defining each cell and its nucleus.
Torque-assisting Compressed Air Energy Storage hydraulic wind drivetrains

In this paper, Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) as a popular technology for wind energy storage, is mathematically integrated with a hydraulic wind power system. Hydraulic machinery as prime-movers is utilized to gain the benefit of eliminating costly and heavy gearboxes. The goal of this work is to improve the power delivery performance while maintaining a stable frequency generation in a 600kW hydraulic wind power system. Simulation results demonstrate that the integration of compressed air energy storage has improved the quality of power delivery such that the maximum power demand can be delivered while maintaining the frequency under variable wind speeds.
Oscillator metrology with software defined radio.

Analog electrical elements such as mixers, filters, transfer oscillators, isolating buffers, dividers, and even transmission lines contribute technical noise and unwanted environmental coupling in time and frequency measurements. Software defined radio (SDR) techniques replace many of these analog components with digital signal processing (DSP) on rapidly sampled signals. We demonstrate that, generically, commercially available multi-channel SDRs are capable of time and frequency metrology, outperforming purpose-built devices by as much as an order-of-magnitude. For example, for signals at 10 MHz and 6 GHz, we observe SDR time deviation noise floors of about 20 fs and 1 fs, respectively, in under 10 ms of averaging. Examining the other complex signal component, we find a relative amplitude measurement instability of 3 × 10−7 at 5 MHz. We discuss the scalability of a SDR-based system for simultaneous measurement of many clocks. SDR’s frequency agility allows for comparison of oscillators at widely different frequencies. We demonstrate a novel and extreme example with optical clock frequencies differing by many terahertz: using a femtosecond-laser frequency comb and SDR, we show femtosecond-level time comparisons of ultra-stable lasers with zero measurement dead-time.
Forensic Accounting: Hidden Balance of Payments of the Philippines

An examination of the available data between 1990 and 2005 reveals that the balance of payments of the Philippines does not record large amounts of international transactions. Unrecorded international transactions for the 16-year period amount to US$ 192 billion (in 1995 prices). The results suggest a serious problem in the government’s macroeconomic management of the Philippines, and expose a weak or weakening capacity in the governance of international transactions.
An Asymmetric Synthesis Protocol to Prepare Topographically Constrained β-Substituted Aromatic Amino Acids

The side chain groups of amino acid residues in polypeptide hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, substrates, antigens, and other bioactive peptides have been demonstrated to be extremely important pharmacophores for receptor/acceptor binding and for signal transduction (1). Therefore, complete understanding of the stereochemical requirements of side chain groups important in peptide ligand-receptor/acceptor interactions plays a crucial role in the rational design of bioactive peptides and nonpeptide mimetics. Topographical considerations provide a major approach to explore the structure-activity relationships of the side chains of the amino acid residues in the bioactive peptide analogues (2). This approach can be realized by incorporation of conformationally constrained unusual amino acids into a peptide or nonpeptide template. Thus, design and synthesis of unusual amino acids with specific biased side chain conformations have tremendous impact on the exploration of the mechanism of peptide ligand-receptor recognition and of activating signal transduction. Our laboratory has been engaged in the design and synthesis of conformationally constrained amino acids for almost a decade. One representative family among the special amino acids we have designed is the β-substituted unusual amino acids, in which substitution of the diastereotopic β-hydrogens of natural α-amino acids provides an approach to topographic control of side chain conformation (3). Incorporation of these β-substituted unusual amino acids into bioactive peptide hormones has produced highly selective and potent peptide hormone analogues and provided new insights into the stereochemical requirements in peptide-receptor interactions (4).
Surveying DNS Wildcard Usage among the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

A DNS wildcard can be used to point arbitrary requests for host names within a domain to a specific host name or IP address. Wildcards offer administrators the convenience of not having to change DNS entries when host names change. However, we are not aware of any work that documents how wildcards are used in practice. Such a study is particularly important now, because Internet miscreants are starting to exploit DNS wildcards for convenience and possibly for evading blacklists based on exact host names. In this paper, we study the prevalence and uses of wildcards among the good, bad, and ugly domains in the Internet. We find that wildcards are in extensive use among businesses that monetize unregistered domains, domains hosted by large web-hosting providers, blogging sites, and websites connected to scam, phishing, and malware.
Changes in sperm antibody test results when spermatozoa are subjected to capacitating conditions

Cytotoxic and immunobead-binding antibody assays were used to document possible changes in antigenicity after the spermatozoa were subjected in vitro to capacitating conditions. Serum and seminal plasma immunobead-binding immunoglobulin (Ig)A, sperm surface IgG, and IgA, and seminal plasma cytotoxic antibody titers in 26 autoimmune infertile men were decreased against autologous spermatozoa under capacitating conditions. Cytotoxic antibodies and immunobead-binding IgG, IgA, and IgM against husbands' sperm undergoing capacitation, in the cervical mucus of these women, were less than those against uncapacitated sperm. Conversely, sperm antibody levels were increased against the capacitated husbands' sperm in the husbands' serum and wives' cervical mucus, originally testing negative for cytotoxic antibodies against uncapacitated sperm. Antibody levels were unaltered against donors' sperm undergoing capacitation, except for a reduction in titers in the serum of isoimmune wives. The differences in sperm antibody assay results, depending on whether or not spermatozoa are incubated under conditions favoring capacitation, are specific to the husbands' and not to the donors' spermatozoal antigens.
search.bioPreprint: a discovery tool for cutting edge, preprint biomedical research articles

The time it takes for a completed manuscript to be published traditionally can be extremely lengthy. Article publication delay, which occurs in part due to constraints associated with peer review, can prevent the timely dissemination of critical and actionable data associated with new information on rare diseases or developing health concerns such as Zika virus. Preprint servers are open access online repositories housing preprint research articles that enable authors (1) to make their research immediately and freely available and (2) to receive commentary and peer review prior to journal submission. There is a growing movement of preprint advocates aiming to change the current journal publication and peer review system, proposing that preprints catalyze biomedical discovery, support career advancement, and improve scientific communication. While the number of articles submitted to and hosted by preprint servers are gradually increasing, there has been no simple way to identify biomedical research published in a preprint format, as they are not typically indexed and are only discoverable by directly searching the specific preprint server websites. To address this issue, we created a search engine that quickly compiles preprints from disparate host repositories and provides a one-stop search solution. Additionally, we developed a web application that bolsters the discovery of preprints by enabling each and every word or phrase appearing on any web site to be integrated with articles from preprint servers. This tool, search.bioPreprint, is publicly available at http://www.hsls.pitt.edu/resources/preprint.
VANCOMYCIN AND CEFTAZIDIME IN BONE CEMENT AS A POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR PERIPROSTHETIC JOINT INFECTION

This study aimed to determine the optimal formulation of antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) using both in vitro and in vivo models incorporating various combinations of gram-positive and gram-negative antibiotics. The in vitro antibiotic release characteristics and antibacterial capacities of ALBCs loaded with either 4 g of vancomycin or teicoplanin and 4 g of ceftazidime, imipenem, or aztreonam were measured against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. ALBC spacers with superior in vitro antibacterial capacity were then implanted into ten patients (five females and five males between 29 and 75 years of age) diagnosed with chronic hip/knee PJIs and antibacterial activities within joint fluid were measured. The average duration of ALBC spacer implantation was 80 days (range, 36–155 days). Antibiotic concentrations and antibacterial activities of joint fluid at the site of infection were measured during the initial period as well as several months following spacer implantation. Cement samples loaded with vancomycin/ceftazidime or teicoplanin/ceftazidime exhibited equal or longer antibacterial duration against test bacteria as compared with other ALBCs. Joint fluid samples exhibited antibacterial activity against the test microorganisms including ATCC strains and clinically isolated strains. There were no adverse systemic effects, infection at second stage re-implantation, or recurrent infection at final follow-up. Vancomycin/ceftazidime ALBC provided broad antibacterial capacity both in vitro and in vivo and was shown to be an effective and safe therapeutic measure in the treatment of hip/knee PJIs. We thank H.Y. Hsu for performing bioassay.
Neuropharmacology and receptor studies in the elderly

Functional brain imaging has provided unique and exciting opportunities to strengthen our knowledge of the biological substrate of the aging brain and neuropsychiatric disorders. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a particularly powerful tool for quantifying the neurobiological correlates of cognition, mood and behavior. Initial PET studies of aging, psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative disease focused primarily on generalized physiological parameters such as cerebral blood flow and metabolism, and early neuroreceptor imaging studies relied on relatively non selective markers. New, selective receptor radioligands now offer a previously inaccessible means to investigate the dynamic relationships among neurochemistry, aging and psychopathology in vivo. This approach has substantial advantages over peripheral (platelet and cerebrospinal fluid) markers, neuroendocrine challenge studies, animal models, and postmortem receptor binding assays. Advances in tracer kinetic modeling, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to PET registration, radiochemistry techniques, instrumentation and image processing have helped pave the way for increased emphasis on functional imaging studies of neuropsychiatric disorders of the elderly. The capability to correct PET image data for the confounding effect of cerebral atrophy permits relationships among age related brain changes and neurobiological disease mechanisms to be more accurately examined in the course of normal aging and in elderly patient populations.
Cap-and-trade under transactions costs and factor irreversibility

We study production capacity and emission permit utilization under joint production of a valued good and an environmental bad, pollution. Firms experience random productivity shocks after factor employment. A cap-and-trade regulation controls pollution emissions. Trade in emission permits entails transactions costs. Under proportional permit trading costs, the equilibrium depends on total per unit trading cost; its incidence between buyers and sellers does not matter. Under fixed trading costs, both buyers’ and sellers’ costs matter. Under proportional costs, permit trade always occurs when total trading costs are below net trade surplus. If these costs are sufficiently low, the production–emission outcome is as under costless trade with full utilization of production capacity and emission permits. With fixed costs, trade occurs if costs are sufficiently low, but production capacity and emissions permits are never fully utilized. Under proportional costs, trade is impeded most when the emission cap is either relatively high or low. There exists a nonmonotonic relationship between the emissions cap and a lower bound for trading costs that obstructs trade. Under fixed costs, a similar relationship holds only if the output variance is scale independent. Under proportional costs, capacity utilization decreases with output variance; the result is the opposite under fixed costs.
Moneyball in Medicare.

US policymakers place high priority on tying Medicare payments to the value of care delivered. A critical part of this effort is the Hospital Value-based Purchasing Program (HVBP), which rewards or penalizes hospitals based on their quality and episode-based costs of care and incentivizes integration between hospitals and post-acute care providers. Within HVBP, each patient affects hospital performance on a variety of quality and spending measures, and performance translates directly to changes in program points and ultimately dollars. In short, hospital revenue from a patient consists not only of the DRG payment, but also of that patient’s marginal future reimbursement. We estimate the magnitude of the marginal future reimbursement for individual patients across each type of quality and performance measure. We describe how those incentives differ across hospitals, including integrated and safety-net hospitals. We find evidence that hospitals improved their performance over time in the areas where they have the highest marginal incentives to improve care, and that integrated hospitals responded more than non-integrated hospitals.
Small signal stability analysis and distributed control with communications uncertainty

With increasing renewable penetrations and advancements in power electronics associated with smart grid technologies, distributed control of the power grid is quickly becoming a necessity. Once communications are introduced into a control system, the impacts of latency and unreliable communications quickly become a priority. Vector Lyapunov techniques are well suited for the analysis of control systems with structured perturbations. These perturbations can be employed to model uncertainty in communications as well as parameter uncertainty. In this paper, we present results for small signal stability of a simplified two area power system model for several scenarios: bandwidth limited local communications and tie line uncertainty; local communications and bandwidth limited global communications combined with tie line uncertainty; and uncertainty in global communications. These results are intended to be a starting point for the analysis of the impact of communications uncertainty on the stability of power systems.
Study on Remote Medical Monitoring system based on MSP430 and CC2530

The paper deals with the monitoring system based on Zigbee wireless sensor network technique in details. The system adopts single-chippedMSP430 and CC2530. The paper mainly introduces hardware circuit design of processor module, data acquisition module, and wireless communication module. The monitoring software of the host computer is developed by LabVIEW. Experiments prove that the system has good stability and security. It has very high practical value and promoting function in telemetrically monitoring field in the future, such as the pulse, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation and electrocardiogram.