cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prompt alpha and reactivity measurements on fast metal assemblies

Abstract This paper summarizes and reviews the methods of reactivity determination and measurement of the prompt-neutron decay, briefly describes the equipment requirements for such measurements for unmoderated metal assemblies, and presents experimental results to illustrate the methods. These assemblies include fast metal critical assemblies and fast pulsed reactors. The primary reactivity determination methods used have been: (1) stable reactor period measurements which are usually used near delayed criticality to obtain the reactivity or to calibrate the reactivity prior to burst initiation; (2) prompt reactor period measurements which are useful to determine the reactivity early in superprompt critical excursions; (3) inverse kinetics rod drop measurements which obtain the reactivity as a function of time after a rod or reactor component is removed from a delayed critical assembly, and (4) prompt neutron decay constant measurements from which the reactivity can be obtained if corrections are made for changes in the neutron lifetime. Inverse kinetics and decay constant measurements are usually used below delayed criticality, although decay constant measurements have been performed above delayed critical. The decay constant is usually obtained by the traditional pulsed-neutron method, using a pulsed neutron source such as a Cockcroft-Walton accelerator, or by the Rossi-α method. The recent use of 252Cf has resulted in some new techniques for determining the decay constant and reactivity; this method has some unique advantages over the traditional methods. The theory of these new measurements is reviewed, and some recent results are presented.
Partial oxidation of alkanes over noble metal coated monoliths

The production of olefins and synthesis gas (CO and H2) from CH4, C2H6 C3H8, and n-C4H10 in the presence of air or O2 at atmospheric pressure has been examined over monoliths coated with various metals at residence times between 10−3 and 10−2 s. Experiments are carried out by feeding gases at atmospheric pressure and 25°C into an autothermal monolith reactor operating between 800 and 1200°C. In CH4 oxidation, > 90% selectivity to syngas is achieved over Rh at > 90% CH4 conversion, while Pt forms more H2O, Ir sinters, and Ni volatilizes. In C2H6 oxidation, Pt forms up to 70% selectivity to C2H4, while Rh gives up to 70% selectivity to syngas, and Pd forms solid carbon. Carbon formation is suppressed under conditions where graphite formation is predicted on some metals, but forms readily on others. The C2H6 results can be interpreted quite simply in terms of hydrogen abstraction by adsorbed oxygen to form the alkyl, followed by β-hydrogen elimination to yield the olefin (Pt) or pyrolysis to yield syngas (Rh) or carbon (Pd). When C3H8 and n-C4H10 are used, considerable cracking to ethylene plus alkane is also observed.
Europium chalcogenide magnetic semiconductor nanostructures

Abstract The ferromagnetic europium chalcogenides, have attracted wide interest due to the large saturation magnetization, the strong magneto-optic effect (Kerr or Faraday rotation), magnetoresistance, and spin filtering effects observed in EuO and EuS. These effects arise from the unusual coupling of electronic, magnetic and optical properties in these materials. We describe the synthetic strategies developed to prepare nanostructured europium sulfide and our investigations of the magnetic properties as a function of size and composition. In the first sections of this review we outline the approach to designing molecular precursors and nanoparticle synthesis (conditions to control size and shape). This is followed by a description of the magnetic experiments and analysis, as well as a discussion of the size dependent magnetic properties. Finally, we include a section on doping, another method to probe magnetic communication in europium chalcogenides.
Generalized gravitational entropy of probe branes: flavor entanglement holographically

The notion of generalized gravitational entropy introduced by Lewkowycz and Maldacena allows, via the AdS/CFT correspondence, to calculate CFT entanglement entropies. We adapt the method to the case where flavor branes are present and treated in the probe approximation. This allows to calculate the leading flavor correction to the CFT entanglement entropy from the on-shell action of the probe, while dealing with the backreaction is avoided entirely and from the outset. As an application we give concise derivations for the contribution of massless and massive flavor degrees of freedom to the entanglement entropy in $ \mathcal{N} $ = 4 SYM theory.
New raman water vapor and temperature lidar at JPL table mountain facility : Optimization, validations and sonde intercomparison

Jet Propulsion Laboratory currently operates lidar systems at Table Mountain Facility (TMF), California (34.4°N, 117.7°W at 2300m) and Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO), Hawaii (19.5°N, 155.6°W at 3400m) under the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC, formerly NDSC). To complement existing NDACC lidars at TMF, which acts as a primary site for inter-comparisons, a new water vapor and temperature lidar has begun routine operation with typically 3-4 nightly profiles per week. As water vapor is a key greenhouse gas, and is highly variable on annual and seasonal cycles, accurate long term measurements are necessary for predictions of climate change and to increase our understanding of the atmospheric processes it contributes to. The new TMF lidar has demonstrated high spatial and temporal resolution, with a high degree of optimization being achieved over the past year, although the authors believe further improvement may yet be possible. The lidar has been designed for accuracies of 5% up to 12km in the free troposphere with the capability to measure to the tropopause and lower stratosphere with accuracies of 1 ppm. It is anticipated that the data sets produced will be used for Aura validation and for incorporation into NDACC archives. Validation results for the optimized system are presented with intercomparisons using Vaisala RS92-K radiosondes.
Does increased access increase equality? Gender and child health investments in India

Increases in access to social services are often thought to decrease inequality in the level of these services between advantaged and disadvantaged groups. This is an issue in the developing world, where policy-makers often argue that increasing the level of health care, for example, will decrease gender inequality. However, increases in access to services often have empirically ambiguous eects on inequality, increasing it in some cases and decreasing it in others. This paper argues that this is not surprising, and simple economic theory suggests that we should expect a non-monotonic relationship between access and inequality. At low levels of access to investments, there is no investment for either the advantaged or disadvantaged group, producing equality. Increases in access increase investment for the advantaged group rst, generating inequality. Further increases in access increase investment in the disadvantaged group, decreasing inequality. I test the predictions of this theory using data on the availability of health camps (or distance to health centers) and gender dierences in vaccinations in India. I nd strong support for a non-monotonic relationship between access and gender equality.
Montage: a grid portal and software toolkit for science-grade astronomical image mosaicking

Montage is a portable software toolkit to construct custom, science-grade mosaics that preserve the astrometry and photometry of astronomical sources. The user specifies the dataset, wavelength, sky location, mosaic size, coordinate system, projection, and spatial sampling. Montage supports massive astronomical datasets that may be stored in distributed archives. Montage can be run on both single- and multi-processor computers, including clusters and grids. Standard grid tools are used to access remote data or run Montage on remote computers. This paper describes the architecture, algorithms, performance, and usage of Montage as both a software toolkit and a grid portal.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Understanding Human Security

Since the end of the Cold War, security studies have broadened to take into account a wide range of non-military threats ranging from poverty to environmental concerns rather than just national defense. Security scholars, backed by international organizations and a growing number of national governments, have developed the concept of Human Security, focusing on the welfare of ordinary people against a broad range of threats. This has aroused vigorous debate. Part I of this paper proposes an analytical model of Human Security. Part II argues that it is important to measure how ordinary people perceive risks, moving beyond state-centric notions of Human Security. We examine new evidence, drawing upon survey items specially designed to monitor perceptions of Human Security, included for the first time in the 6th wave of the World Values Survey (WVS), with fieldwork conducted in 2010-2012.Part III demonstrates that people distinguish three dimensions: national, community, and personal security and then explores some structural determinants driving these perceptions. Part IV discusses why perceptions of Human Security matter, in particular for explaining cultural values and value change around the world. The conclusion argues that the shift from a narrow focus on military security toward the broader concept of Human Security is a natural response to the changing challenges facing developed societies, in which the cost-benefit ratio concerning war has become negative and cultural changes have made war less acceptable. In this setting, valid measures of perceptions of Human Security have become essential, both to understand the determinants of Human Security among ordinary people, and to analyze their consequences.
Unpacking the Peacekeeping–Peacebuilding Nexus: A Human Security Proposal

Peacekeepers are no longer only keeping peace; operating within a human security framework, they are asked to focus on early peacebuilding as well. However, they currently lack the tools to build peace effectively. This article reiterates the necessity to unpack the peacekeeping–peacebuilding nexus so that an integrated approach can be designed. A two-step human security approach is proposed: (1) conducting a human security threat assessment and (2) conducting an impact assessment of externalities associated with the intervention. The aim is to help policy makers design integrated interventions able to coordinate peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities in a complementary manner.
UBR+: improving performance of TCP over ATM-UBR service

ATM-UBR service responds to congestion by dropping cells when switch buffers become full. TCP connections running over UBR experience low throughput and high unfairness. For 100% TCP throughput, each switch needs buffers equal to the sum of the window sizes of all the TCP connections. Intelligent drop policies can improve the performance of TCP over UBR with limited buffers. The UBR+ service proposes enhancements to UBR for intelligent drop. The early packet discard scheme improves throughput but does not attempt to improve fairness. The selective packet drop scheme based on per-connection buffer occupancy improves fairness. The fair buffer allocation scheme further improves both throughput and fairness.
Statistics of Echoes From a Directional Sonar Beam Insonifying Finite Numbers of Single Scatterers and Patches of Scatterers

When a sonar beam sweeps across a field of scatterers and insonifies a different set of scatterers in each ping, the echoes can fluctuate significantly from ping to ping. For a homogeneous spatial distribution of scatterers in which there are a large number of scatterers in each sonar resolution cell, the echoes tend to be Rayleigh distributed. However, the echoes can be strongly nonRayleigh when there is a small number of scatterers in the sonar resolution cell-a condition that can occur with a narrow beam sonar. For scatterers randomly distributed in the sonar beam, the corresponding random weighting associated with the beampattern also significantly contributes toward a non-Rayleigh distribution when the number of scatterers is small. In this paper, a general formulation for echo statistics is developed by combining equations derived by Ehrenberg etal. [Proc. Conf. Eng. Ocean Environ., vol. 1, pp. 61-64,1972 and J. Acoust. Soc. Amer., vol. 69, pp. 955-962, 1981] and Barakat [Optica Acta, vol. 21, pp. 903-921,1974] to account for a directional sonar beam involving an arbitrary finite number of scatterers, each with an arbitrary echo probability density function (pdf), each randomly located in the beam, and each correspondingly randomly weighted by the beampattern. Theoretical predictions are made, along with numerical simulations for validation, for a range of cases including: 1) a range of number of scatterers each randomly located in the beam and 2) several different echo pdfs of the scatterers. Here, a "single scatterer" could be a patch of scatterers whose overall dimensions are much smaller than the resolution cell of the sonar beam and multiple scatterers could be multiple small patches. Although the application is intended for volumetric patches, the formulation could be applied to areal patches under appropriate conditions. The formulation applies directly to the geometry of the short-range direct-path sonar in which there are no reflections due to boundaries such as the seafloor and sea surface.
Electrostatic Charging Due to Separation of Ions at Interfaces: Contact Electrification of Ionic Electrets

This Review discusses ionic electrets: their preparation, their mechanisms of formation, tools for their characterization, and their applications. An electret is a material that has a permanent, macroscopic electric field at its surface; this field can arise from a net orientation of polar groups in the material, or from a net, macroscopic electrostatic charge on the material. An ionic electret is a material that has a net electrostatic charge due to a difference in the number of cationic and anionic charges in the material. Any material that has ions at its surface, or accessible in its interior, has the potential to become an ionic electret. When such a material is brought into contact with some other material, ions can transfer between them. If the anions and cations have different propensities to transfer, the unequal transfer of these ions can result in a net transfer of charge between the two materials. This Review focuses on the experimental evidence and theoretical models for the formation of ionic electrets through this ion-transfer mechanism, and proposes--as a still-unproved hypothesis--that this ion-transfer mechanism may also explain the ubiquitous contact electrification ("static electricity") of materials, such as organic polymers, that do not explicitly have ions at their surface.
Behavioral Corporate Finance: An Updated Survey

Abstract We survey the theory and evidence of behavioral corporate finance, which generally takes one of two approaches. The market timing and catering approach views managerial financing and investment decisions as rational managerial responses to securities mispricing. The managerial biases approach studies the direct effects of managers’ biases and nonstandard preferences on their decisions. We review relevant psychology, economic theory and predictions, empirical challenges, empirical evidence, new directions such as behavioral signaling, and open questions.
Synthesis and structure of CsTi5Te8: Relation to the TlV5S8, TlCr3S5, and similar channel structures

Abstract The compound CsTi 5 Te 8 was obtained as a crystalline product by an “U-assisted” reaction of Cs, Ti, U, and Cs 2 Te 3 in a CsCl flux at 1173 K. The structure of CsTi 5 Te 8 contains a three-dimensional network of face-sharing and edge-sharing TiTe 6 octahedra that form one-dimensional channels. The Cs + cations reside in channels that propagate in the [0 1 0] direction. The structure is closely related to several other types of channel structures including those of the minerals of the hollandite and psilomelane families, and those of the TlV 5 S 8 and TlCr 3 S 5 structure types.
Concentration and Temperature Dependence of Diffusion and Conductance in Molten BeF2‐LiF Mixtures

Electromigrational depletion chronopotentiometry was used to study interdiffusion in molten BeF2-LiF mixtures (78 to 98 mol% BeF2). The concentration and temperature dependencies of electrical conductance and interdiffusion were derived for 78 to 98 mol% BeF2 and 570° to 700°C. The Arrhenius energies are compared with those for viscous flow in the BeF2-LiF system and in structurally related silicate systems.
A biomechatronic fluid sample handling system for DNA processing

Summary form only given. An automated biomechatronic small fluid sample preparation system for DNA processing has been developed in the Genomation Laboratory at Department of Electrical Engineering of the University of Washington. The system automates steps necessary to prepare DNA for sequencing using sample volumes ten times smaller than the current state of the art manual and automated instrumentation. This will significantly reduce the time and cost of DNA sequencing and will help the Human Genome Project meet its goal of determining all three billion bases of human DNA sequence by the year 2005. The biomechatronic system comprising electromagnetic actuators, piezoceramic actuators, pneumatic pumps, linear mechanisms, thermal controllers, optical sensors, electronics, computer control and software is described in detail. Successful experimental results including restriction enzyme digests and polymerase chain reactions performed with this novel system are presented.
Growth before and after trade liberalization

The empirical study of the impact of trade liberalization has not convinced the skeptics about the economic gains after trade reforms. Some have even argued that trade reforms have led to economic collapse and to deindustrialization. Using a sample that excludes countries that were subject to major exogenous disruptions, the authors note that post-reform economic growth was 1.2 percentage points higher than before the reforms. This is remarkable considering that pre-reform periods were characterized by highly expansionary state policies and large external borrowing, and the crisis years that preceded trade liberalization in the comparisons are eliminated. Through multivariate fixed effects estimations the authors calculate that annual per capita GDP growth rates increased by up to 2.6 percentage points after the trade reforms, compared to a counterfactual that takes into consideration the evolution of several growth determinants. Moreover, trade liberalization has been followed by an acceleration of growth in investment, exports of goods and services, and manufacturing exports, and as opposed to common belief, outward orientation did not lead to significant deindustrialization and actually seems to have increased export diversification. Growth acceleration occurred irrespective of income per capita level and was quite significant in Sub-Saharan Africa. As expected, small countries benefited most from the reforms.
Integrating terrain maps into a reactive navigation strategy

This paper presents a new method for integrating terrain maps into a reactive navigation strategy of field mobile robots operating on rough terrain. The method incorporates the Regional Traversability Map, a fuzzy map representation of traversal difficulty of the regional terrain, into the navigation logic. A map-based regional navigation behavior provides speed and direction recommendations based on the current status of the robot. In addition, recommendations from two sensor-based reactive behaviors, local avoid-obstacle and regional traverse-terrain, are fused with the map-based regional behavior to construct a comprehensive navigation system. The algorithms are tested both in graphical simulations and in the field using a commercial Pioneer 2AT robot to demonstrate traversal over rough natural terrain.
Substorm cycle dependence of various types of aurora

[1] We combine 4861 identifications of substorm onsets from satellite global imagers (Polar UVI and IMAGE FUV) with DMSP particle data to investigate the substorm cycle dependence of the diffuse aurora (electrons and ions), monoenergetic aurora (produced by quasi-static electric fields), and broadband aurora (associated with Alfvenic acceleration). Although all types of aurora increase at substorm onset, broadband aurora shows a particular association with substorms and, especially, substorm onset. While diffuse electron and monoenergetic auroral precipitating power rises by 79% and 90%, respectively, following an onset, wave aurora rises by 182%. In the first 10–15 min following onset, the power associated with Alfvenic acceleration is comparable to monoenergetic acceleration (also called “inverted V” events). In general, this is not the case before onset, or indeed, during recovery. The rise time of the electron diffuse aurora following onset is much slower, about 50 min, and thus presumably extends into recovery. Discrete acceleration, which rises over just a few minutes, is already deep into decline, while diffuse auroral power is still rising. Most of the sharp increase in Alfvenic precipitating power at onset is associated with a 132% jump in the characteristic energy associated with broadband acceleration. Previous work has associated PiB signatures (which are compressional) in the magnetotail with dipolarization. More recently, FAST observations near the auroral zone have been used to show that there are nearly simultaneous sharp increases in Alfven waves, apparently created by mode coupling. The present work strongly supports the idea that the Alfvenic aurora has a particular connection to substorm onsets, with much of the auroral power over a substorm cycle concentrated shortly after onset. Finally, a superposed epoch analysis of commonly used coupling functions indicates a drop in the mean solar wind driving starting 20 min before substorm onset. However, the distribution of increases and decreases in solar wind driving is roughly symmetric about a peak at zero (no change) but with (rare) large drops in solar wind driving (“northward turnings”) outweighing large increases. Comparison with the distribution of random changes in solar wind driving leads us to suggest that probably only a minority of substorms are externally driven.
CHARACTERIZING THE EFFECTS OF DRIVER VARIABILITY ON REAL-WORLD VEHICLE EMISSIONS

Recent studies on real-world automobile emissions measurements have not adequately addressed the question of whether driving style affects emission levels. In this study, we hypothesized that given the same experimental conditions and a random selection of drivers, the variability associated with individual driving styles (e.g. intensity or duration of acceleration events) would produce statistically significant differences in measured emissions. To test this driver variability hypothesis, we conducted a field study on 24 drivers in a single vehicle on a specified route under low traffic conditions using on-board exhaust emission and engine operating data analyzers and tested for statistically significant differences in CO and NOx emissions between drivers. Our data show significant (95% level) variations in carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions among the 24 drivers under driving conditions where we have controlled for driving route, traffic density and vehicle type. Since the ANOVA tests showed significant differences in emissions between drivers but the frequency of driving modes were very similar, this suggests that the intensity of vehicle operation within a give mode, not the modal frequency, explains the emissions variability between drivers.
ATMOSPHERIC RETRIEVAL FOR SUPER-EARTHS: UNIQUELY CONSTRAINING THE ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION WITH TRANSMISSION SPECTROSCOPY

We present a retrieval method based on Bayesian analysis to infer the atmospheric compositions and surface or cloud-top pressures from transmission spectra of exoplanets with general compositions. In this study, we identify what can unambiguously be determined about the atmospheres of exoplanets from their transmission spectra by applying the retrieval method to synthetic observations of the super-Earth GJ 1214b. Our approach to inferring constraints on atmospheric parameters is to compute their joint and marginal posterior probability distributions using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique in a parallel tempering scheme. A new atmospheric parameterization is introduced that is applicable to general atmospheres in which the main constituent is not known a priori and clouds may be present. Our main finding is that a unique constraint of the mixing ratios of the absorbers and two spectrally inactive gases (such as N2 and primordial H2+ He) is possible if the observations are sufficient to quantify both (1) the broadband transit depths in at least one absorption feature for each absorber and (2) the slope and strength of the molecular Rayleigh scattering signature. A second finding is that the surface pressure or cloud-top pressure can be quantified if a surface or cloud deck is present at low optical depth. A third finding is that the mean molecular mass can be constrained by measuring either the Rayleigh scattering slope or the shapes of the absorption features, thus enabling one to distinguish between cloudy hydrogen-rich atmospheres and high mean molecular mass atmospheres. We conclude, however, that without the signature of molecular Rayleigh scattering—even with robustly detected infrared absorption features (>10σ)—there is no reliable way to tell from the transmission spectrum whether the absorber is a main constituent of the atmosphere or just a minor species with a mixing ratio of X abs < 0.1%. The retrieval method leads us to a conceptual picture of which details in transmission spectra are essential for unique characterizations of well-mixed exoplanet atmospheres.
Transition or transformation? Emerging freight transportation intermediaries

During the past 2 years, traditional freight transportation intermediaries, which include freight forwarders, brokers, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers, have been joined by new intermediaries. The main drivers in the development of these new companies are advances in information and communications technologies, development of web-based or online freight transportation marketplaces, and worldwide emergence of business-to-business electronic marketplaces and business-to-consumer e-tailers. Advances in information technology enable many new operational paradigms and, potentially, the efficient integration of supply chains. These new companies are examined, including their potential benefits and costs of shifting from traditional 3PL to these online service providers. Also addressed is the extent to which changes in the industries appear to be more of a transition than a large-scale transformation.
Rotational dynamics and internal structure of Titan

Estimates of the moments of inertia of Titan, as separately deduced from its gravitational field and spin pole orientation, are quite different. This discrepancy can be resolved if Titan is either not precessing as a rigid body (e.g. if the shell is decoupled from the interior by an ocean), or if the spin pole is not fully damped (e.g. due to atmospheric excitation). By the end of the Cassini mission, continued monitoring of the changing spin pole orientation, by Cassini radar observations, will determine which effect dominates.
A latent photoreaction predominates within water-soluble calixarenes: photochemistry of benzoin alkyl ethers

Benzoin alkyl ethers encapsulated in a cisoid conformation within water-soluble p-sulfonatocalix[8]arenes preferentially yield the Norrish Type II reaction product deoxybenzoin.
E-MiLi: Energy-Minimizing Idle Listening in Wireless Networks

WiFi interface is known to be a primary energy consumer in mobile devices, and idle listening (IL) is the dominant source of energy consumption in WiFi. Most existing protocols, such as the 802.11 power-saving mode (PSM), attempt to reduce the time spent in IL by sleep scheduling. However, through an extensive analysis of real-world traffic, we found more than 60 percent of energy is consumed in IL, even with PSM enabled. To remedy this problem, we propose Energy-Minimizing idle Listening (E-MiLi) that reduces the power consumption in IL, given that the time spent in IL has already been optimized by sleep scheduling. Observing that radio power consumption decreases proportionally to its clock rate, E-MiLi adaptively downclocks the radio during IL, and reverts to full clock rate when an incoming packet is detected or a packet has to be transmitted. E-MiLi incorporates sampling rate invariant detection, ensuring accurate packet detection and address filtering even when the receiver's sampling clock rate is much lower than the signal bandwidth. Further, it employs an opportunistic downclocking mechanism to optimize the efficiency of switching clock rate, based on a simple interface to existing MAC-layer scheduling protocols. We have implemented E-MiLi on the USRP software radio platform. Our experimental evaluation shows that E-MiLi can detect packets with close to 100 percent accuracy even with downclocking by a factor of 16. When integrated with 802.11, E-MiLi can reduce energy consumption by around 44 percent for 92 percent of users in real-world wireless networks.
Affine Hecke algebras and the Schubert calculus

Using a combinatorial approach that avoids geometry, this paper studies the structure of KT(G/B), the T-equivariant K-theory of the generalized flag variety G/B. This ring has a natural basis {[Oxw] | w ∈ W} (the double Grothendieck polynomials), where Oxw is the structure sheaf of the Schubert variety Xw. For rank two cases we compute the corresponding structure constants of the ring KT(G/B) and, based on this data, make a positivity conjecture for general G which generalizes the theorems of M. Brion (for K(G/B)) and W. Graham (for HT* (G/B)). Let [Xλ] ∈ KT (G/B) be the class of the homogeneous line bundle on G/B corresponding to the character of T indexed by λ. For general G we prove "Pieri-Chevalley formulas" for the products [Xλ][OXw], [X-λ][OXw], [Xw0λ] [OXw], and [OXw0si] [Oxw], where λ is dominant. By using the Chern character and comparing lowest degree terms the products which are computed in this paper also give results for the Grothendieck polynomials, double Schubert polynomials, and ordinary Schubert polynomials in, respectively K(G/B), HT* (G/B) and H*(G/B).
Listing Specialization and Pricing Precision

This paper investigates the relationship between property pricing precision (deviation from an expected property value) and specialization in the listing process by agents. It is hypothesized that financially constrained, risk-averse sellers prefer finer gradations of pricing precision, i.e., less deviation from expected property value, and that a set of agents will rise to meet this preference. The findings in this work indicate that agents specializing in listing properties increase pricing precision. The contributions of this work are twofold: (a) it provides a unique and heretofore uninvestigated metric as its dependent variable, thus allowing for further investigation into the brokerage intermediation process beyond the scope of price and marketing time, and (b) it provides an identifiable agent trait that can allow for a better matching of sellers’ preferences with agents’ abilities.
Pharmaceutical innovation and longevity growth in 30 developing and high-income countries, 2000–2009

Abstract I examine the impact of pharmaceutical innovation, as measured by the vintage (world launch year) of prescription drugs used, on longevity using longitudinal, country-level data on 30 developing and high-income countries during the period 2000–2009. I control for fixed country and year effects, real per capita income, the unemployment rate, mean years of schooling, the urbanization rate, real per capita health expenditure (public and private), the DPT immunization rate among children ages 12–23 months, HIV prevalence and tuberculosis incidence. The estimates indicate that life expectancy at all ages and survival rates above age 25 increased faster in countries with larger increases in drug vintage (measured in three different ways), ceteris paribus, and that the increase in life expectancy at birth due to the increase in the fraction of drugs consumed that were launched after 1990 was 1.27 years—73% of the actual increase in life expectancy at birth.
Some properties of optimal thresholds in decentralized detection

A decentralized Bayesian hypothesis testing problem is considered. It is analytically demonstrated that for the known signal in the Gaussian noise binary hypothesis problem, when there are two sensors with statistically independent identically distributed Gaussian observations (conditioned on the true hypothesis), there is no loss in optimality in using the same decision rule at both sensors. Also, a multiple hypothesis problem is considered; some structure is analytically established for an optimal set of decision rules. >
Partial-state stabilization and optimal feedback control

Summary In this paper, we develop a unified framework to address the problem of optimal nonlinear analysis and feedback control for partial stability and partial-state stabilization. Partial asymptotic stability of the closed-loop nonlinear system is guaranteed by means of a Lyapunov function that is positive definite and decrescent with respect to part of the system state, which can clearly be seen to be the solution to the steady-state form of the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation and hence guaranteeing both partial stability and optimality. The overall framework provides the foundation for extending optimal linear-quadratic controller synthesis to nonlinear nonquadratic optimal partial-state stabilization. Connections to optimal linear and nonlinear regulation for linear and nonlinear time-varying systems with quadratic and nonlinear nonquadratic cost functionals are also provided. Finally, we also develop optimal feedback controllers for affine nonlinear systems using an inverse optimality framework tailored to the partial-state stabilization problem and use this result to address polynomial and multilinear forms in the performance criterion. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An improvement on eigenfunction restriction estimates for compact boundaryless Riemannian manifolds with nonpositive sectional curvature

Let $(M,g)$ be an $n$-dimensional compact boudaryless Riemannian manifold with nonpositive sectional curvature, then our conclusion is that we can give improved estimates for the $L^p$ norms of the restrictions of eigenfunctions to smooth submanifolds of dimension $k$, for $p>\dfrac{2n}{n-1}$ when $k=n-1$ and $p>2$ when $k\leq n-2$, compared to the general results of Burq, Gerard and Tzvetkov \cite{burq}. Earlier, Berard \cite{Berard} gave the same improvement for the case when $p=\infty$, for compact Riemannian manifolds without conjugate points for $n=2$, or with nonpositive sectional curvature for $n\geq3$ and $k=n-1$. In this paper, we give the improved estimates for $n=2$, the $L^p$ norms of the restrictions of eigenfunctions to geodesics. Our proof uses the fact that, the exponential map from any point in $x\in M$ is a universal covering map from $\mathbb{R}^2\backsimeq T_{x}M$ to $M$, which allows us to lift the calculations up to the universal cover $(\mathbb{R}^2,\tilde{g})$, where $\tilde{g}$ is the pullback of $g$ via the exponential map. Then we prove the main estimates by using the Hadamard parametrix for the wave equation on $(\mathbb{R}^2,\tilde{g})$, the stationary phase estimates, and the fact that the principal coefficient of the Hadamard parametrix is bounded, by observations of Sogge and Zelditch in \cite{SZ}. The improved estimates also work for $n\geq 3$, with $p>\frac{4k}{n-1}$. We can then get the full result by interpolation.
OMP peptides modulate the activity of DegS protease by differential binding to active and inactive conformations

Upon sensing misfolded outer-membrane porins (OMPs) in the periplasm, the E. coli DegS protease cleaves RseA, a transmembrane regulator, transmitting a signal to activate cytoplasmic gene expression. Misfolding is detected by binding of normally inaccessible OMP sequences to the DegS-PDZ domain, which relieves allosteric inhibition and activates proteolysis. Here we show that DegS stimulation can be regulated by OMP peptide affinity for the active and for the inactive protease conformations, as well as by preferential substrate binding to active DegS. Based on the effects of mutations in the peptide-binding pocket of the PDZ domain and elsewhere, we suggest an allosteric pathway that links peptide binding to DegS activation. These results explain fast responses to envelope stress; demonstrate that the protein-unfolding response, even under catastrophic conditions, can be tailored by the peptide sequences that become accessible to DegS; and suggest strategies for control of related PDZ proteases by allosteric effectors.
Highly Enantioselective Cycloisomerization of Enynes Catalyzed by Rhodium for the Preparation of Functionalized Lactams

The rising demand for chiral raw materials, intermediates, and active ingredients in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, food additives, and fragrances provides the impetus for rapid developments in chiral technology.[1] It remains a huge challenge for organic chemists to develop highly enantioselective reactions for the preparation of enantiomerically pure compounds in a cost-effective manner. Lactams are a versatile motif in organic chemistry and when functionalized, lactams often either show biological activity themselves, or are important building blocks for biologically active molecules such as (þ)-a-allokainic acid, (þ)-a-kainic acid,[2] acromelic
Modeling the Impact of Convective Entrainment on the Tropical Tropopause

Abstract Simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) cloud-resolving model of deep moist convective events reveal net cooling near the tropopause (∼15–18 km above ground), caused by a combination of large-scale ascent and small-scale cooling by the irreversible mixing of turbulent eddies overshooting their level of neutral buoyancy. The turbulent cooling occurred at all CAPE values investigated (local peak values ranging from 1900 to 3500 J kg−1) and was robust to grid resolution, subgrid-scale turbulence parameterization, horizontal domain size, model dimension, and treatment of ice microphysics. The ratio of the maximum downward heat flux in the tropopause to the maximum tropospheric upward heat flux was close to 0.1. This value was independent of CAPE but was affected by changes in microphysics or subgrid-scale turbulence parameterization. The convective cooling peaked roughly 1 km above the cold point in the background input sounding and the mean cloud- and (turbulent kinetic energy) T...
A new battery-charging method suggested by molecular dynamics simulations

Based on large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we propose a new charging method that should be capable of charging a lithium-ion battery in a fraction of the time needed when using traditional methods. This charging method uses an additional applied oscillatory electric field. Our simulation results show that this charging method offers a great reduction in the average intercalation time for Li(+) ions, which dominates the charging time. The oscillating field not only increases the diffusion rate of Li(+) ions in the electrolyte but, more importantly, also enhances intercalation by lowering the corresponding overall energy barrier.
Universal logic modules implemented using LSI memory techniques

Large arrays of read only storage (ROS, ROM) are currently available from semiconductor vendors; however, there is a lack of material describing potential uses of these blocks of memory. This is due in part to the haste with which the semiconductor manufacturers place these devices on the market and in part to the fact that engineers have not yet realized the full potential presented by these devices for use as logic.
“Midnight Confessions”: The Effect of Chronotype Asynchrony on Admissions of Wrongdoing

Confession evidence is highly incriminating in court. We examined the interaction between chronotype and time of day on the confession decisions of 60 participants using an experimental paradigm. Pre-identified morning- and evening-type people were randomly assigned to participate in morning or evening sessions. Results supported an interactional asynchrony hypothesis that individuals are more likely to confess during “off-peak” periods (i.e., evening-types in the morning and morning-types in the evening). This interaction was obtained for both high- and low-seriousness transgressions. These results suggest that chronotype asynchrony constitutes a significant risk factor for false confessions and the wrongful convictions that often follow.
Asymptotic analysis of two reduction methods for systems of chemical reactions

Abstract This paper concerns two methods for reducing large systems of chemical kinetics equations, namely, the method of intrinsic low-dimensional manifolds (ILDMs) due to Maas and Pope [Combust. Flame 88 (1992) 239] and an iterative method due to Fraser [J. Chem. Phys. 88 (1988) 4732] and further developed by Roussel and Fraser [J. Chem. Phys. 93 (1990) 1072]. Both methods exploit the separation of fast and slow reaction time scales to find low-dimensional manifolds in the space of species concentrations where the long-term dynamics are played out. The asymptotic expansions of these manifolds (e↓0, where e measures the ratio of the reaction time scales) are compared with the asymptotic expansion of M e , the slow manifold given by geometric singular perturbation theory. It is shown that the expansions of the ILDM and M e agree up to and including terms of O (e) ; the former has an error at O (e 2 ) that is proportional to the local curvature of M 0 . The error vanishes if and only if the curvature is zero everywhere. The iterative method generates, term by term, the asymptotic expansion of M e . Starting from M 0 , the ith application of the algorithm yields the correct expansion coefficient at O (e i ) , while leaving the lower-order coefficients invariant. Thus, after l applications, the expansion is accurate up to and including the terms of O (e l ) . The analytical results are illustrated on a planar system from enzyme kinetics (Michaelis–Menten–Henri) and a model planar system due to Davis and Skodje.
A Comparison of Measures for Detecting Natural Shapes in Cluttered Backgrounds

We propose a new measure of perceptual saliency and quantitatively compare its ability to detect natural shapes in cluttered backgrounds to five previously proposed measures. As defined in the new measure, the saliency of an edge is the fraction of closed random walks which contain that edge. The transition-probability matrix defining the random walk between edges is based on a distribution of natural shapes modeled by a stochastic motion. Each of the saliency measures in our comparison is a function of a set of affinity values assigned to pairs of edges. Although the authors of each measure define the affinity between a pair of edges somewhat differently, all incorporate the Gestalt principles of good-continuation and proximity in some form. In order to make the comparison meaningful, we use a single definition of affinity and focus instead on the performance of the different functions for combining affinity values. The primary performance criterion is accuracy. We compute false-positive rates in classifying edges as signal or noise for a large set of test figures. In almost every case, the new measure significantly outperforms previous measures.
Communication in a Poisson Field of Interferers-Part II: Channel Capacity and Interference Spectrum

In Part I of this paper, we presented a mathematical model for communication subject to both network interference and noise, where the interferers are scattered according to a spatial Poisson process, and are operating asynchronously in a wireless environment subject to path loss, shadowing, and multipath fading. We determined the distribution of the aggregate interference and the error performance of the link. In this second part, we characterize the capacity of the link subject to both network interference and noise. Then, we put forth the concept of spectral outage probability (SOP), a new characterization of the aggregate radio-frequency emission generated by communicating nodes in a wireless network. We present some applications of the SOP, namely the establishment of spectral regulations and the design of covert military networks. The proposed framework captures all the essential physical parameters that affect the aggregate network emission, yet is simple enough to provide insights that may be of value in the design and deployment of wireless networks.
Chemical recycling of carbon dioxide to methanol and dimethyl ether: from greenhouse gas to renewable, environmentally carbon neutral fuels and synthetic hydrocarbons.

Nature’s photosynthesis uses the sun’s energy with chlorophyll in plants as a catalyst to recycle carbon dioxide and water into new plant life. Only given sufficient geological time can new fossil fuels be formed naturally. In contrast, chemical recycling of carbon dioxide from natural and industrial sources as well as varied human activities or even from the air itself to methanol or dimethyl ether (DME) and their varied products can be achieved via its capture and subsequent reductive hydrogenative conversion. The present Perspective reviews this new approach and our research in the field over the last 15 years. Carbon recycling represents a significant aspect of our proposed Methanol Economy. Any available energy source (alternative energies such as solar, wind, geothermal, and atomic energy) can be used for the production of needed hydrogen and chemical conversion of CO2. Improved new methods for the efficient reductive conversion of CO2 to methanol and/or DME that we have developed include bireformin...
Impact of high-κ dielectric and metal nanoparticles in simultaneous enhancement of programming speed and retention time of nano-flash memory

Abstract A methodology to simulate memory structures with metal nanocrystal islands embedded as floating gate in a high-κ dielectric material for simultaneous enhancement of programming speed and retention time is presented. The computational concept is based on a model for charge transport in nano-scaled structures presented earlier, where quantum mechanical tunneling is defined through the wave impedance that is analogous to the transmission line theory. The effects of substrate-tunnel dielectric conduction band offset and metal work function on the tunneling current that determines the programming speed and retention time is demonstrated. Simulation results confirm that a high-κ dielectric material can increase programming current due to its lower conduction band offset with the substrate and also can be effectively integrated with suitable embedded metal nanocrystals having high work function for efficient data retention. A nano-memory cell designed with silver (Ag) nanocrystals embedded in Al2O3 has been compared with similar structure consisting of Si nanocrystals in SiO2 to validate the concept.