cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RULES OF THUMB FOR EVALUATING PREFERENTIAL TRADING ARRANGEMENTS: EVIDENCE FROM CGE ASSESSMENTS

Most interesting results on the welfare effects of regional arrangements are ambiguous at a theoretical level. Many questions only have quantitative answers that are specific to the particular model and policy considered. Thus, to determine the impact of prospective regional arrangements governments often rely on a quantitative evaluation. Usually at the request of a government involved, we have implemented a number of computable general equilibrium (CGE) models to inform policy-makers. 1 We summarize the main conclusions we draw from these studies, focusing on applications in the Americas. These conclusions are drawn from a number of model variants, including: perfect and imperfect competition; comparative static, comparative steady-state and dynamic; small open economy and multi-region; and representative consumer and multi-household. Despite the fact that we have found many of these results mentioned below repeatedly in our numerical work, and frequently undertaken piecemeal and systematic sensitivity analysis to identify the source of the results, we characterize these conclusions as rules of thumb. 2 We acknowledge that there are modeling variants or parameter specifications where these rules of thumb may not hold. Rule 1: Countries Excluded from a PTA Almost Always Lose Beginning in the mid 1990’s, countries in Latin America have entered into a “spaghetti bowl” of Preferential Trading Arrangements (PTAs). Considering each agreement on a pair-wise basis, excluded countries almost always lose from such arrangements. The obvious explanation is that the partner countries have preferred access to the markets of the included countries, which reduces demand for the exports of excluded countries into the markets of the PTA. In Table 1 we collate some results to illustrate a number of points. These calculations are based on the 1998 tariff of Chile of 11%. With our central elasticities
CsMBi3Te6 and CsM2Bi3Te7 (M ) Pb, Sn): New Thermoelectric Compounds with Low-Dimensional Structures

The new materials CsPbBi(3)Te(6) and CsPb(2)Bi(3)Te(7) were discovered through reactions of CsBi(4)Te(6) with PbTe, whereas the isostructural materials CsSnBi(3)Te(6) and CsSn(2)Bi(3)Te(7) were discovered through corresponding reactions with SnTe. The compounds can also be prepared from stoichiometric mixtures of Cs(2)Te, Pb (Sn), Bi, and Te. The crystal structures show a layered architecture of NaCl-type slabs alternating with layers of Cs atoms. This group of compounds offers a new quaternary system, Cs-M-Bi-Te (M = Pb and Sn), available for thermoelectric investigations, including fine-tuning of compositions and doping.
Renormalizability of the critical limit of lattice gauge theory by BRS invariance

Abstract The critical limit of lattice gauge theory obtained previously, and which contains a parameter with dimension of (mass) 4 , reflecting the boundary of the fundamental modular region, is shown to be renormalizable. The proof relies on BRS symmetry. It is also proven that the exact propagator of the Fermi ghost possesses a 1/( q 2 ) 2 singularity at q = 0. The relation of these results to confinement, the gluon condensate, and the fundamental modular region of gauge theory is discussed briefly.
Type Ia Supernovae Are Good Standard Candles in the Near Infrared: Evidence from PAIRITEL

We have obtained 1087 NIR (JHKs) measurements of 21 SNe Ia using PAIRITEL, nearly doubling the number of well-sampled NIR SN Ia light curves. These data strengthen the evidence that SNe Ia are excellent standard candles in the NIR, even without correction for optical light-curve shape. We construct fiducial NIR templates for normal SNe Ia from our sample, excluding only the three known peculiar SNe Ia: SN 2005bl, SN 2005hk, and SN 2005ke. The H-band absolute magnitudes in this sample of 18 SNe Ia have an intrinsic rms of only 0.15 mag with no correction for light-curve shape. We found a relationship between the H-band extinction and optical color excess of AH = 0.2E(B − V) . This variation is as small as the scatter in distance modulus measurements currently used for cosmology based on optical light curves after corrections for light-curve shape. Combining the homogeneous PAIRITEL measurements with 23 SNe Ia from the literature, these 41 SNe Ia have standard H-band magnitudes with an rms scatter of 0.16 mag. The good match of our sample with the literature sample suggests there are few systematic problems with the photometry. We present a nearby NIR Hubble diagram that shows no correlation of the residuals from the Hubble line with light-curve properties. Future samples that account for optical and NIR light-curve shapes, absorption, spectroscopic variation, or host-galaxy properties may reveal effective ways to improve the use of SNe Ia as distance indicators. Since systematic errors due to dust absorption in optical bands remain the leading difficulty in the cosmological use of supernovae, the good behavior of SN Ia NIR light curves and their relative insensitivity to reddening make these objects attractive candidates for future cosmological work.
On Equations of Motion in Twist-Four Evolution

Explicit diagrammatic calculation of evolution equations for high-twist correlation functions is a challenge already at one-loop order in QCD coupling. The main complication being quite involved mixing pattern of the so-called non-quasipartonic operators. Recently, this task was completed in the literature for twist-four nonsinglet sector. Presently, we elaborate on a particular component of renormalization corresponding to the mixing of gauge-invariant operators with QCD equations of motion. These provide an intrinsic contribution to evolution equations yielding total result in agreement with earlier computations that bypassed explicit analysis of Feynman graphs.
Effects of age on meperidine disposition

Elderly patients appear to be more sensitive to meperidine than younger ones; however, the contributions of altered dynamic and kinetic factors are not clear. Accordingly, seven healthy normal men aged 60 to 79 yr were simultaneously given 25 mg meperidine HCl intravenously and the same dose of deuteriumlabeled drug either orally or intramuscularly (deltoid). Blood and urine samples collected over 24 hr were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and kinetic data were compared to those previously obtained in a young cohort. Systemic clearance (8.61 ± 2.22 ml/min/kg), apparent oral clearance (17.5 ± 5.5 ml/min/kg), terminal t½ (6.98 ± 1.86 hr), and the blood/plasma concentration ratio (0.97 ± 0.12) in the elderly did not differ from those in younger subjects. In the elderly, however, the initial (2.4 ± 0.8 l/kg) and the steady-state (4.6 ± 0.9 l/kg) volumes of distribution were 300% and 135% values in the young. No age differences were found in absorption profiles or bioavailability after oral (F = 0.49 ± 0.08) or intramuscular (F = 0.94 ± 0.04) dosing. It appears that age-related alterations in drug disposition per se do not account for changes in clinical efficacy of meperidine in the elderly. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1985) 37, 19–24; doi:10.1038/clpt.1985.5
Extremes of Endogenous Testosterone Are Associated with Increased Risk of Incident Coronary Events in Older Women

Context: Few studies have examined whether endogenous testosterone is associated with the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women. Objective: This study tested the association of total testosterone (total T) and bioavailable T (BioT) levels with risk of incident coronary events among older community-dwelling women. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a prospective, population-based study of 639 postmenopausal women, aged 50–91 (mean, 73.8) yr who had serum testosterone measurements at baseline (1984–87) and who were followed for incident CHD events through 2004. Main Outcome Measures: A total of 134 incident CHD events occurred during follow-up [45 nonfatal myocardial infarctions, 79 fatal myocardial infarctions, and 10 coronary revascularizations]. Results: The median follow-up was 12.3 yr. Age-adjusted CHD risk estimates were similar for the four highest total T quintiles relative to the lowest, suggesting a low threshold. In age-adjusted analyses, the lowest total T quintile (≤80 pg/ml) was associated with a 1.62-fold increased risk of incident CHD [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10–2.39] compared to higher levels. BioT showed a U-shaped association with incident CHD. Age-adjusted risk for the lowest and highest BioT quintiles relative to the third were 1.79 (95% CI, 1.03–3.16) and 1.96 (95% CI, 1.13–3.41), respectively. Additional adjustment for lifestyle, adiposity, estradiol, and ovarian status, or for CHD risk factor covariates, had minimal influence on results. Conclusions: An optimal range of testosterone may exist for cardiovascular health in women, with increased risk of CHD events at low levels of testosterone overall and at high levels of the bioavailable fraction of testosterone.
A note on localizations of mapping spaces

We show that if A is a simply connected, finite, pointed CW-complex, then the mapping spaces Map*(A,X) are preserved by the localization functors only if A has the rational homotopy type of a wedge of spheres VlSk.
Submonthly Indian Ocean Cooling Events and Their Interaction with Large-Scale Conditions

Abstract The Indian Ocean exhibits strong variability on a number of time scales, including prominent intraseasonal variations in both the atmosphere and ocean. Of particular interest is the south tropical Indian Ocean thermocline ridge, a region located between 12° and 5°S, which exhibits prominent variability in sea surface temperature (SST) due to dominant winds that raise the thermocline and shoal the mixed layer. In this paper, submonthly (less than 30 day) cooling events in the thermocline ridge region are diagnosed with observations and models, and are related to large-scale conditions in the Indo-Pacific region. Observations from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) satellite were used to identify 16 cooling events in the period 1998–2007, which on average cannot be fully accounted for by air–sea enthalpy fluxes. Analysis of observations and a hierarchy of models, including two coupled global climate models (GFDL CM2.1 and GFDL CM2.4), indicates that ocean dynamica...
Why locally-fair maximal flows in client-server networks perform well

Maximal flows reach at least a 1/2 approximation of the maximum flow in client-server networks. By adding 1 additional time round to any distributed maximal flow algorithm we show how this 1/2-approximation can be improved on bounded-degree networks. We call these modified maximal flows `locally fair' since there is a measure of fairness prescribed to each client and server in the network. Let N=(U,V,E,b) represent a client-server network with clients U, servers V, network links E, and node capacities b, where we assume that each capacity is at least one unit. Let d(u) denote the b-weighted degree of any node u?U?V, Δ=max?{d(u)|u?U} and ?=min?{d(v)|v?V}. We show that a locally-fair maximal flow f achieves an approximation to the maximum flow of $\min\{1,\frac{\varDelta^{2}-\delta}{2\varDelta^{2}-\delta\varDelta-\varDelta}$ }, and this result is sharp for any given integers ? and Δ. This results are of practical importance since local-fairness loosely models the steady-state behavior of TCP/IP and these types of degree-bounds often occur naturally (or are easy to enforce) in real client-server systems.
Dynamic Current Suppression and Gate Voltage Response in Metal−Molecule−Metal Junctions

We critically re-examine conductance in benzenedithiol (BDT)/gold junctions using real-time DFT simulations. Our results indicate a powerful influence of the BDT molecular charge on current, with negative charge suppressing electron transport. This effect occurs dynamically as the BDT charge and current oscillate on the femtosecond time scale, indicating that a steady-state picture may not be appropriate for this single molecule conducting device. Further, we exploit this effect to show that a gate voltage can be used to indirectly control the device current by adjusting the molecular charge. Thus, it appears that transport in even this simple molecular junction involves a level of sophistication not heretofore recognized.
Ionic liquids in separations.

Ionic liquids are liquids composed completely of ions. In the past two decades, ionic liquids have been widely used as “green solvents” replacing traditional organic solvents for organic synthesis and catalysis. In addition, ionic liquids are playing an increasingly important role in separation science. In this Account, the application of ionic liquids in all areas of separation science including extractions, gas chromatography, and supported liquid membrane processes are highlighted.
High-sensitivity damage detection based on enhanced nonlinear dynamics

One of the most important aspects of detecting damage in the framework of structural health monitoring is increasing the sensitivity of the monitored feature to the presence, location, and extent of damage. Distinct from previous techniques of obtaining information about the monitored structure—such as measuring frequency response functions—the approach proposed herein is based on an active interrogation of the system. This interrogation approach allows for the embedding of the monitored system within a larger system by means of a nonlinear feedback excitation. The dynamics of the larger system is then analyzed in state space, and the shape of the attractor of its dynamics is used as a complex geometric feature which is very sensitive to damage. The proposed approach is implemented for monitoring the structural integrity of a panel forced by transverse loads and undergoing limit cycle oscillations and chaos. The nonlinear von Karman plate theory is used to obtain a model for the panel combined with a nonlinear feedback excitation. The presence of damage is modeled as loss of stiffness of various levels in a portion of the plate at various locations. The sensitivity of the proposed approach to parametric changes is shown to be an effective tool in detecting damages.
Universal Properties in Ultracold Ion-Atom Interactions

We present some of the universal properties in ion-atom interaction derived from a newly formulated quantum-defect theory for the -1/r4 type of long-range interactions. For bound states, we present the universal bound spectrum, namely, the equivalent of the Rydberg formula, for ion-atom systems. For scattering, we introduce the concept of a universal resonance spectrum to give a systematic understanding of many resonances present in ion-atom scattering. The theory further provides a method for an accurate spectroscopic determination of the atomic polarizability. It also suggests the existence of atomlike molecules, in which multiple atoms orbit around a heavy ion.
Strange quark matter and compact stars

Abstract Astrophysicists distinguish between three different kinds of compact stars. These are white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. The former contain matter in one of the densest forms found in the Universe which, together with the unprecedented progress in observational astronomy, makes such stars superb astrophysical laboratories for a broad range of most striking physical phenomena. These range from nuclear processes on the stellar surface to processes in electron degenerate matter at subnuclear densities to boson condensates and the existence of new states of baryonic matter—such as color superconducting quark matter—at supernuclear densities. More than that, according to the strange matter hypothesis strange quark matter could be more stable than nuclear matter, in which case neutron stars should be largely composed of pure quark matter possibly enveloped in thin nuclear crusts. Another remarkable implication of the hypothesis is the possible existence of a new class of white dwarfs. This article aims at giving an overview of all these striking physical possibilities, with an emphasis on the astrophysical phenomenology of strange quark matter. Possible observational signatures associated with the theoretically proposed states of matter inside compact stars are discussed as well. They will provide most valuable information about the phase diagram of superdense nuclear matter at high baryon number density but low temperature, which is not accessible to relativistic heavy ion collision experiments.
On holomorphic Banach vector bundles over Banach spaces

Let X be a Banach space with a countable unconditional basis (e.g., X = l2 Hilbert space), Ω ⊂ X pseudoconvex open, E → Ω a locally trivial holomorphic vector bundle with a Banach space Z for fiber type, \(\mathcal {O}^E\) the sheaf of germs of holomorphic sections of E → Ω, and Z1 the Banach space \(Z_1 = \ell_p(Z) = \{z = (z_n) : z_n \in Z, \|z\| = \big(\sum_{n=1}^\infty\|z_n\|^p\big)^{1/p} < \infty\},\, 1 \le p < \infty\) . Then \(E\,\oplus\,(\Omega\,\times\,Z_1)\) and Ω × Z1 are holomorphically isomorphic, \(\mathcal {O}^E\) is acyclic and E is so to speak stably trivial over Ω in a generalized sense. We also show that if E is continuously trivial over Ω, then E is holomorphically trivial over Ω. In particular, if Z = l2 or Ω is contractible, then E is holomorphically trivial over Ω. Some applications are also given.
Hyperbolicity of generic high-degree hypersurfaces in complex projective space

We use two ingredients to prove the hyperbolicity of generic hypersurfaces of sufficiently high degree and of their complements in the complex projective space. One is the pullbacks of appropriate low pole order meromorphic jet differentials on the complex projective space to a hypersurface. The other is slanted vector fields of low vertical pole order on the vertical jet space of the universal hypersurface. We also present a number of related results, obtained by the same methods, such as: (i) a Big-Picard-Theorem type statement concerning extendibility, across the puncture, of holomorphic maps from a punctured disk to a generic hypersurface of high degree, (ii) nonexistence of nontrivial sets of entire functions satisfying certain polynomial equations with slowly varying coefficients, and (iii) Second Main Theorems for jet differentials and slowly moving targets.
Twenty-two tips for a happier, healthier prototype

With the recent development of a number of powerful end-user interface (EUI) prototyping tools, the typical software usability department has never before had such a golden opportunity to take a lead role in product development. However, there is more to establishing a successful EUI prototyping effort than simply possessing a background in EUI design and having access to a prototyping tool. Indeed, it has been our experience that the success of a prototyping effort is dependent on many factors - some obvious, some not so obvious, and others learned only through postgraduate training at the School of Hard Knocks. The purpose of this paper is to describe 22 tips we believe will help ensure a successful prototyping effort.
Black-boxing the user: internet protocol over xylophone players (IPoXP)

We introduce IP over Xylophone Players (IPoXP), a novel Internet protocol between two computers using xylophone-based Arduino interfaces. In our implementation, human operators are situated within the lowest layer of the network, transmitting data between computers by striking designated keys. We discuss how IPoXP inverts the traditional mode of human-computer interaction, with a computer using the human as an interface to communicate with another computer.
Distribution of 99Tc and 129I in the Vicinity of Underground Nuclear Tests at the Nevada Test Site

99Tc and 129I are important contributors to risk assessment due to their long half-lives and high mobility as aqueous anionic species. We analyzed 99Tc and 129I in groundwater samples in and near 11 underground nuclear tests and in melt glass and rock samples retrieved from the Chancellor test cavity, Nevada Test Site. The 129I/127I ratio ranges from 10−3 to 10−6 in cavity water and 10−4 to 10−9 in satellite wells. The 99Tc concentration ranges from 3 to 10−4 Bq/l in cavity waters and from 0.3 to 10−4 Bq/l in satellite wells. Downstream migration is apparent for both radionuclides. However, it is affected by both retardation and initial distribution. In-situ 99Tc and 129I Kds calculated using rubble and water concentrations are 3 to 22 ml/g and 0 to 0.12 ml/g, respectively, and are suggestive of mildly reducing conditions. 129I distribution in the melt glass, rubble and groundwater of the Chancellor test cavity is 28%, 24% and 48%, respectively, for 99Tc, it is 65%, 35% and 0.3%, respectively. Our partitioning estimates differ from those of underground tests in French Polynesia, implying that fission product distribution may vary from test to test. Factors that may influence this distribution include geologic conditions (e.g., lithology, water and CO2 content) and the cooling history of the test cavity.
Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Pfannenstiel Versus Standard Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy

Abstract Objectives: To compare laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) Pfannenstiel donor nephrectomy with a contemporary series of standard laparoscopic (SL) donor nephrectomies. Methods: The initial 6 LESS donor nephrectomies were compared with a case-matched 6 SL donor nephrectomies within the same time period (June 2008 till March 2009). Patient characteristics (sex, age, body mass index, graft volume, and vascular anatomy), perioperative data (operative time, warm ischemia time [WIT], and estimated blood loss), and postoperative information (complications, length of stay, visual analog scale [VAS], and total morphine requirements) were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively. Results: In the LESS group, there were no conversions to SL or open. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of baseline characteristics (age, body mass index, allograft volume). However, SL group included more right-sided patients (three compared with one) and more venous anomalies (retrore...
Strings from matrices

Abstract We identify Type IIA and IIB strings, as excitations in the matrix model of M-theory.
Effective Field Theory Approach to Bose-Einstein Condensation

We consider the low-energy collective excitations at finite temperature of Bose–Einstein condensed gases (and liquids as well). A most general model-independent effective Lagrangian is written down according to a prescription obtained from the breakdown of the global symmetry U(1). To show how the theory predicts easily, we derive the momentum and temperature dependence of the damping of excitations by means of power counting as an example.
Health care in the age of genetic medicine.

1. Freidson E. Professionalism: The Third Logic. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press; 2001. 2. Relman AS. A Second Opinion: Rescuing America’s Health Care. New York, NY: Public Affairs; 2007. 3. Special section: commercialism in medicine. Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 2007; 16(4):368-445. 4. Arrow KJ. Uncertainty and the welfare economics of medical care. Am Econ Rev. 1963;53(5):941-973. 5. Relman AS. The new medical-industrial complex. N Engl J Med. 1980;303 (17):963-997. 6. Bodenheimer T. Primary care: will it survive? N Engl J Med. 2006;355(9): 861-863. 7. Goldfarb v Virginia State Bar, 421 US 773 (1975). 8. American Medical Association. Opinions and Reports of the Judicial Council. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association; 1966. 9. DeAngelis CD. Rainbow to dark clouds. JAMA. 2005;294(9):1107. 10. Relman AS. Separating continuing medical education from pharmaceutical marketing. JAMA. 2001;285(15):2009-2012. 11. Herzlinger RE, ed. Consumer-Driven Health Care: Implications for Providers, Payers and Policy-Makers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2004. 12. Cohen JJ, Cruess S, Davidson C. Alliance between society and medicine: the public’s stake in medical professionalism. JAMA. 2007;298(6):670-673.
Extension theory of infinite symmetric products

We present an approach to cohomological dimension theory based on in- nite symmetric products and on the general theory of dimension called the extension di- mension. The notion of the extension dimension ext-dim(X) was introduced by A. N. Dran- ishnikov (9) in the context of compact spaces and CW complexes. This paper investigates extension types of innite symmetric products SP(L). One of the main ideas of the paper is to treat ext-dim(X) SP(L) as the fundamental concept of cohomological dimension theory instead of dimG(X) n. In a subsequent paper (18) we show how properties of innite symmetric products lead naturally to a calculus of graded groups which implies most of the classical results on the cohomological dimension. The basic notion in (18) is that of homological dimension of a graded group which allows for simultaneous treatment of cohomological dimension of compacta and extension properties of CW complexes. We introduce cohomology of X with respect to L (dened as homotopy groups of the function space SP(L) X ). As an application of our results we characterize all countable groups G so that the Moore space M(G;n) is of the same extension type as the Eilenberg{ MacLane space K(G;n). Another application is a characterization of innite symmetric products of the same extension type as a compact (or nite-dimensional and countable) CW complex. Contents
Hybrid silicon modulators

A number of active elements have been demonstrated using the hybrid silicon evanescent platform, including lasers, amplifiers, and detectors. In this letter, two types of hybrid silicon modulators, fulfilling the building blocks in optical communication on this platform, are presented. A hybrid silicon electroabsorption modulator, suitable for high speed interconnects, with 10-dB extinction ratio at -5 V and 16-GHz modulation bandwidth is demonstrated. In addition, a hybrid silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator utilizing carrier depletion in multiple quantum wells is proved with 2 Vmm voltage-length product, 150-nm optical bandwidth, and a large signal modulation up to 10 Gb/s.
Functional differential equations and Jensen's inequality☆

On etudie les proprietes de stabilite et de limitation de l'equation differentielle fonctionnelle x'(t)=F(t,x t ) ou x t (s)=x(t+s) pour −h≤s≤0 et h une constante positive fixee. On utilise la methode de Lyapunov directe
The demand for site-specific recreational activities: a characteristics approach.

Abstract A model of constrained utility maximizing behavior is developed to explain how a representative individual allocates his ski days among alternative sites. The physical characteristics of the ski areas and the individual's skiing ability are explicit arguments in the utility function; the budget allocation is given along with the parametric costs to ski (including travel costs, entrance fees, equipment costs, and the opportunity cost of his time). Shares (a site's share being the proportion of ski days that the individual spends at that site) are derived and assumed multinomially distributed, a stochastic specification which maintains the inherent properties of the shares. Maximum likelihood estimation confirms the basic hypothesis that costs, ability, and characteristics all are important determinants of the sites' shares. The model explains a large proportion of the skier's allocation of ski days. A multinomial logit model of skier behavior is also developed and maximum likelihood estimates of its parameters are obtained. Examination of the summary statistics from my model and the logit model indicates that my model predicts the skier's choice of sites better than the logit model.
The Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis

The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is hypothesized to occur as a response to various forms of injury to the lining arterial endothelial cells. The resulting endothelial alterations could potentially lead to interactions between platelets in the circulation and the underlying subendothelial connective tissue or with the altered endothelial cells themselves. Such interactions provide an opportunity for platelet degranulation and release of a platelet-derived growth factor. This factor has been shown in cell culture to be an extremely potent mitogen and will induce DNA synthesis and cell multiplication of a number of cells including smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and other mesenchymally derived cells. Chronic endothelial injury and repeated interactions between platelet-derived mitogens, plasma components, and the underlying arterial smooth muslce cells would promote the progression of the intimal proliferative lesions of atherosclerosis that lead to the clinical sequelae associated with this disease process.
Parallel Continuation-Based Global Optimization for Molecular Conformation and Protein Folding

This paper presents our recent work on developing parallel algorithms and software for solving the global minimization problem for molecular conformation, especially protein folding. Global minimization problems are difficult to solve when the objective functions have many local minimizers, such as the energy functions for protein folding. In our approach, to avoid directly minimizing a "difficult" function, a special integral transformation is introduced to transform the function into a class of gradually deformed, but "smoother" or "easier" functions. An optimization procedure is then applied to the new functions successively, to trace their solutions back to the original function. The method can be applied to a large class of nonlinear partially separable functions including energy functions for molecular conformation and protein folding. Mathematical theory for the method, as a special continuation approach to global optimization, is established. Algorithms with different solutions tracing strategies are developed. Different levels of parallelism are exploited for the implementation of the algorithms on massively parallel architectures. Keywords: global/local minimization, numerical continuation, parallel computation, protein folding
Effects of Roughness on Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Transition

The effect of roughness on hypersonic boundarylayer transition has been studied for three primary purposes: to trip a laminar layer to turbulence, to determine whether naturally occurring roughness is expected to cause early transition, and to determine the largest allowable roughness that will not affect the location of transition. Roughness is often divided into two classes: isolated roughness in which each protuberance can be considered separately, and distributed roughness similar to sandpaper, in which the roughness elements are many and are not considered separately. The effects of roughness on hypersonic transition are reviewed, considering the physics of the process, known parametric effects, some of the common correlations, and a few case studies. The three or more modes by which roughness can affect transition are outlined. At hypersonic edge Mach nunbers, it requires very large roughness heights to affect transition. Various correlations are often used to estimate the effect of roughness; several of these are described, although none provide good agreement with all the data.
Fascism, Civility and the Crisis of the Turkish State

Abstract This study argues that the perception of a state crisis has contributed to the rise of extreme right-wing civil groups in Turkey. It uses Michael Mann's work on interwar European fascism to identify four aspects—economic, military, political and ideological—in which the state has, according to these organisations, been weakened. The study thus outlines the ways in which Turkey's extreme right has both used and been affected by the 2001 financial crash, the armed forces' response to the pkk's ceasefire (1999–2004), the constitutional changes brought about by the EU harmonisation reforms and the incumbent government's challenge to ‘official’ religiosity and secularism.
Gigantransenins A, B, and C, novel mono-THF acetogenins bearing trans double bonds, from Goniothalamus giganteus (Annonaceae)

Abstract Three novel bioactive acetonins, gigantransenins A ( 1 ), B ( 2 ), and C ( 3 ), were isolated from the bark of Goniothalamus giganteus (Annonaceae). 1–3 are C-37 mono-tetrahy-drofuran (THF) acetogenins each having a trans double bond; their absolute structures were elucidated by spectral and spectroscopic analyses and derivatizations. No Annonaceous acetogenins having trans double bonds have been reported previously. 1–3 showed selective inhibitory effects on the human breast tumor cell line (MCF-7) that are comparable with the potency of adriamycin.
Infrequent Assessments Distort Property Taxes: Theory and Evidence

Abstract Economists have long recognized that lags in property reassessment benefit infrequent movers because it reduces their property taxes. But in addition reassessment lags can influence the level of property taxes selected under majority rule. I show that short delays in community-wide reassessment increase property tax collections because it reduces the tax price for a majority of voters. However, longer delays reduce property tax collections because the aggregate assessed base (and thus the tax yield) declines so much. I formally characterize the cutoff between these regimes and show tax collections are generally above their socially optimal level. This theory can help explain why many people believe property taxes are excessive, and it also suggests that the American system of taxing capital gains at realization, rather than on accrual, might result in excessive rates. I test this theory on a sample of Pennsylvania municipalities in the Philadelphia suburbs. This is a suitable crucible for such an evaluation because community-wide reassessments are infrequently performed in Pennsylvania. It is not possible to reject the theory's basic predictions, and numerical estimates suggest that a 5-year delay in community-wide reassessment increases government revenues by 6%. However, reassessment delays do not impose statistically significant social losses because they benefit infrequent movers.
Micro-resonator devices and optical broadband access application

Integrated photonic micro-resonators have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, and various types of devices are demonstrated for communication and signal processing applications. In this paper, we present some of our recent work on silicon-based microring modulators, demodulators and chromatic dispersion compensators. Signal generation in on-off-keying and differential phase-shift-keying data formats is shown, while microring filters are used to carry out the demodulation of the phase-modulated signals. We also describe how to use only two ring resonators, by combining an under-coupled one with an over-coupled one, to form an on-chip single-channel dispersion compensator.
A note on endogenous norms in a theory of conformity

Trendsetters wish to be perceived as the type that defines normative behavior. Incorporating norm formation in Bernheim (1994)’s model yields equilibria with social considerations concentrating behavior, allowing multiple conformist pools. Refinements link each pooling equilibrium to a unique social norm.
Generalized duality in curved string backgrounds

Abstract The elements of O (d, d, Z ) are shown to be discrete symmetries of the space of curved string backgrounds that are independent of d coordinates. The explicit action of the symmetries on the backgrounds is described. Particular attention is paid to the dilaton transformation. Such symmetries identify different cosmological solutions and other (possibly) singular backgrounds; for example, it is shown that a compact black string is dual to a charged black hole. The extension to the heterotic string is discussed.
How to promote order and property rights under weak rule of law? : an experiment in changing dispute resolution behavior through community education

This brief summarizes the results of a gender impact evaluation study, entitled How to promote order and property rights under weak rule of law? : an experiment in changing dispute resolution behavior through community education, conducted between 2009 and 2010 in Liberia. The study observed the impact of mass education campaigns in Liberia, where property disputes are endemic on the community level. In treated communities, land disputes are 29 percent less likely to remain unsolved at the end of the year and 32 percent less likely to result in property destruction. Disputants are 10 percent more satisfied with the outcomes. These effects are strongest among the most longstanding disputes. There are unintended consequences. There are large increases in informal extrajudicial punishment, and increases in fights, youth-elder disputes, and demonstration. These are mostly non-violent, and violent conflict decreases, but not in a statistically significant way. There is a non-significant positive impact on attitudes towards women's and minority rights. Funding for the study derived from the United Nations Peace Building Fund in Liberia, Humanity United, Yale University, and The World Bank's Italian Children and Youth Trust Fund.
Pyroelectric coefficient direct measurement technique and application to a nsec response time detector

A direct method for measuring pyroelectric coefficients is described. The method is more straightforward than either the dynamic method or the charge integration technique. Pyroelectric coefficients measured by the direct measurement technique are applied to the design of pyroelectric detectors. A SrxBa1-xNb2O6 detector is described with variable response times from 1 msec to 4 nsec.
Money Games: Currencies and Power in the Contemporary World Economy

: A well-known cliche has it that “money makes the world go round” Certainly, monetary arrangements, specifically exchange-rate mechanisms, can serve to show the degree to which markets and states intersect to direct the workings of the world economy. It is common to assume that the singular model over recent decades has been a neoliberal one based on independent floating exchange rates. I challenge this assumption by showing that a number of different combinations of money and power have operated in the recent past, creating a number of distinctive “money games”. Only one of these, the globalist/transnational, is facing a particularly severe crisis. The others, what I term the classic/territorial, integrative/shared, and imperialist/substitute provide available alternatives. The recent history, geographical features, and future prospects of the various money games are the main concerns of the essay. The analysis welcomes the recent financial crisis as providing an opportunity to further pluralize political-economic visions beyond the perceived dominant one-size-fits-all neoliberal ideology of the globalist regime.
Complex-temperature singularities of the susceptibility in the d = 2 Ising model: I. Square lattice

We investigate the complex-temperature singularities of the susceptibility of the 2D Ising model on a square lattice. From an analysis of low-temperature series expansions, we find evidence that, as one approaches the point u=us=-1 (where u=e'4K) from within the complex extensions of the FM or AFM phases, the susceptibility has a divergent singularity of the form X approximately As'(1+u)(- gamma s') with exponent gamma s'=3/2. The critical amplitude As' is calculated. Other critical exponents are found to be alpha s'= sigma s=0 and beta s= 1/4 , so that the scaling relation alpha s'+2 beta s+ gamma s' is satisfied. However, using exact results for beta s on the square, triangular, and honeycomb lattices, we show that universality is violated at this singularity: beta s is lattice-dependent. Finally, from an analysis of spin-spin correlation functions, we demonstrate that the correlation length and hence susceptibility are finite as one approaches the point u=-1 from within the symmetric phase. This is confirmed by an explicit study of high-temperature series expansions.
Accounting Faculty Experiences with Practice-Oriented Fellowships

SYNOPSIS: We describe our experiences with practice-oriented fellowships along with survey data gathered from other full-time accounting faculty who participated in similar fellowships between 2000 and 2010 across a broad set of sponsoring organizations (including the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC], the Financial Accounting Standards Board [FASB], public accounting firms, and other organizations). Our survey results identify commonalities in (1) faculty members' backgrounds, (2) fellowship administration and logistical issues surrounding the transition into fellowships, (3) the nature of the work experience during the fellowship, (4) transitions back to academia following the fellowships, and (5) faculty members' evaluations of their fellowship experience. By reporting on the issues, costs, and benefits from participating in practice-oriented fellowships, we hope faculty will understand more about these opportunities and be more likely to participate in practice-oriented fellowships. We also hop...
Evolution of sediment accommodation space in steady state bedrock-incising valleys subject to episodic aggradation

[1] Steepland valleys subject to debris flows incise bedrock even as episodic deposition typically covers valley bottoms. This paper's hypothesis is that, while continual fluvial processes evacuate deposits, storage of episodic deposition drives valley widening and, thereby, creation of accommodation space for sediment storage on the valley floor. Data from three headwater valleys in the Oregon Coast Range show that valley-to-channel width ratios and valley bottom deposit depths are variable, have little systematic variation with respect to contributing area, and are similar on average among sites. A model of valley cross-section evolution couples soil production, nonlinear diffusion, contrasting rates of channel incision into deposits and bedrock, and stochastic valley bottom deposition. The model reproduces observed flat, deposit-covered valley bottoms and abrupt transitions to valley sides with oversteepened toe slopes. Simulations address sensitivity of valley morphologies and incision rates to dimensionless numbers, the ratio of instantaneous bedrock and deposit erosion rates (incision number), and the ratio of deposition and evacuation rates (deposition number). For steady state simulations, increasing deposition number by <101 leads to deposit depth and valley bottom width increasing by 101 and 101.5, respectively, and valley bottom incision relative to the instantaneous rate decreasing by 10−3. For incision number increasing by 103, valley capacity (width times toe slope height) relative to mean deposit volume increases by 101.5. Simulations, consistent with field data, imply that steady state valley widths are adjusted to episodic deposition rates and respond more quickly to changes than profile gradients because of contrasting limitations by instantaneous versus long-term lowering rates.
Diet preferences of warblers for specific fatty acids in relation to nutritional requirements and digestive capabilities

During energy-demanding periods of the annual cycle such as migration or during cold days in winter, birds store fat comprised mostly of 16- or 18-carbon unsaturated fatty acids. In such situations, birds may feed selectively on foods with specific fatty acids that enable efficient fat deposition. We offered wild-caught yellow-rumped warblers Dendroica coronata paired choices between semi-synthetic diets that differed only in their fatty acid composition. Warblers strongly preferred diets containing long-chain (18:1; carbon atoms:double bonds) unsaturated, unesterified fatty acids to diets containing long-chain saturated, unesterified fatty acids (18:0) and they preferred diets containing mono-unsaturated fats (18:1) to diets containing poly-unsaturated fats (18:2). The preference for diets containing long-chain unsaturated fatty acids to diets containing long-chain saturated fatty acids was consistent in birds tested one week after capture at 21°C, one month after capture when cold-acclimated (1°C), and six weeks after capture at 21°C. Birds acclimated to a diet with 50% of the fat comprised of unesterified stearic acid (18:0) lost mass and reduced their food intake when we reduced ambient temperature from 21°C to 11°C over three days. We conclude that especially in energy-demanding situations there are limits to the yellow-rumped warblers’ ability to assimilate some long-chain saturated fatty acids and that this digestive constraint can explain in part why yellow-rumped warblers prefer diets containing long-chain unsaturated fatty acids to diets containing long-chain saturated fatty acids.
Running gauge couplings and thresholds in the type-II superstring☆

Abstract A distinctive feature of string unification is the possibility of unification by a non-simply-laced group. This occurs most naturally in four-dimensional type-II string models where the gauge symmetry is realized by Kac-Moody algebras at different levels. We investigate the running coupling constants and the one-loop thresholds for such general models. As a specific case, we examine an SU(3)×U(1)×U(1) model and find that the threshold corrections lead to a small 6% increase in the unification scale.
A mild and selective dehydrohalogenating agent

Abstract A discriminating reagent has been discovered which effects E2 elimination of HX from relatively reactive substrates. Readily prepared from lead(II) oxide and lithium bromide hydrate, this compound is a hydrated lithium dibromoplumbite.
Vulnerability, Income Growth and Climate Change

Summary Cross-country data on energy consumption, per capita gross domestic product (GDP), and a social vulnerability index are used to measure changes in vulnerability associated with changes in per capita GDP and per capita energy consumption. Energy consumption, through its non-linear effect on per capita income, reduces a country’s overall vulnerability by a greater amount at moderate incomes than at low or high incomes. An implication is that policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions in developing countries are unlikely to significantly affect vulnerability to the risks arising from climate change, especially at very low incomes.
CONDOMINIUM HOMEOWNERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES: A SELECTED ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF LEGAL SOURCES

Following a brief historical sketch of the condominium concept from its earliest mention in historical documents, this bibliography traces the legal development and growth of condominium homeownership in the United States to the present day. Although condominium ownership has developed in some countries, such as England, under common law concepts, special statutory provisions have directed this form of ownership in the United States. Covenants, conditions, and restrictions, as well as the condominium association, have developed to collectively finance and manage the common areas and facilities of the condominium regime.
Carbonylative enantioselective meso-desymmetrization of cis-epoxides to trans-β-lactones: effect of salen-ligand electronic variation on enantioselectivity

Carbonylation catalysts for the desymmetrization of meso-epoxides yielding enantioenriched trans-β-lactones are reported. Fine-tuning the electronic properties of the ligand further improved enantioselectivity. The sterics of the substrate dictated whether a given electronic variation decreased or increased enantioenrichment, revealing an unexpected relationship between the substrate's steric environment and the electronic nature of the optimal catalyst.