cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Knowledge-Based Tuning Method for Injection Molding Machines

Complexity of manufacturing processes has hindered methodical specification of machine setpoints for improving productivity. Traditionally in injection molding, the machine setpoints are assigned either by trial and error, based on heuristic knowledge of an experienced operator, or according to an empirical model between the inputs and part quality attributes, which is obtained from statistical design of experiments (DOE). In this paper, a Knowledge-Based Tuning (KBT) Method is presented which takes advantage of the a priori knowledge of the process, in the form of a qualitative model, to reduce the demand for experimentation. The KBT Method provides an estimate of the process feasible region (process window) as the basis of finding the suitable setpoints, and updates its knowledge-base using the data that become available during tuning. As such, the KBT Method has several advantages over conventional tuning methods: (1) the qualitative model provides a generic form of representation for linear and nonlinear processes alike, therefore, there is no need for selecting the form of the empirical model through trial and error, (2) the use of a priori knowledge eliminates the need for initial trials to construct an empirical model, so an initial feasible region can be identified as the basis of search for the suitable setpoints, and (3) the search within the feasible region leads to a higher fidelity model of this region when the input/output data from consecutive process iterations are used for learning. The KBT Method's utility is demonstrated in production of digital video disks (DVDs).
Temperature dependence of vertical transport in quantum Hall multilayers

Abstract We study the temperature dependence of vertical transport in GaAs/Al 0.1 Ga 0.9 As multilayers, in the regime of the integer quantum Hall effect. At low temperatures, vertical transport in quantum Hall states occurs on a two-dimensional chiral sheath of edge states near the sidewalls of the sample mesas. At higher temperatures, variable-range hopping through the bulk of the sample dominates. To extend the temperature range of sheath-dominated transport, we increase the device perimeters using fractal-shaped mesas defined by e-beam lithography. We report on the freeze-out of bulk transport and the nearly linear increase of the sheath conductivity with temperature.
Financial Incentives: Only One Piece of the Workplace Wellness Puzzle; Comment on “Corporate Wellness Programs: Implementation Challenges in the Modern American Workplace”

In this commentary, we argue that financial incentives are only one of many key components that employers should consider when designing and implementing a workplace wellness program. Strategies such as social encouragement and providing token rewards may also be effective in improving awareness and engagement. Should employers choose to utilize financial incentives, they should tailor them to the goals for the program as well as the targeted behaviors and health outcomes.
A solvable version of the Baer--Suzuki theorem

Suppose that G is a finite group and x ∈ G has prime order p > 5. Then x is contained in the solvable radical of G, O ∞ (G), if (and only if) 〈x, x g 〉 is solvable for all g ∈ G. If G is an almost simple group and x ∈ G has prime order p > 5, then this implies that there exists g ∈ G such that 〈x, x g 〉 is not solvable. In fact, this is also true when p = 3 with very few exceptions, which are described explicitly.
Deoxygenation of epoxides by fluorenylidene

Abstract Irradiation of 9-diazofluorene in the presence of epoxides yields fluorenone and an equimolar concentration of the alkene formed from the stereospecific deoxygenation of the epoxide.
Phase-space matching in a 5 m wiggler using optical-transition radiation

Abstract Free electron lasers (FELs) operating at optical wavelengths and using long wigglers require precise electron-beam position and size measurements in front of and inside the wiggler. Currently used electron-beam view screens using either a fluorescent material (such as alumina, Al2O3) or a radiating Cherenkov medium (like quartz) both have resolution limitations, since the light is produced in the volume of the screen material. To improve our screen resolution we have investigated the use of optical-transition radiation (OTR) as an electron-beam diagnostic inside the Boeing/Spectra Technology 5 m wiggler. Thin sheets of polished aluminum were used for the screens and thin shadow shields were placed in front of the screens to block the spontaneous light produced upstream in the wiggler. Beam-size data taken using these screens is presented and compared to that determined with the original alumina screens. A first-order beam matrix formula for electron-beam matching to the wiggler is derived and applied to the data.
Are the Best Small Companies the Best Investments

Previous research finds that large companies previously judged to be excellent growth companies have subsequently been poor investments. We examine small companies selected by Business Week on the basis of multiple criteria used in annual articles featuring highly rated growth companies. We study the investment performance over the three years before eleven annual Business Week publications and the three years after publication. We find positive excess returns in the pre-publication period, but negative excess returns in the post-publication period. This reversal in investment performance appears to be due to a mean-reversion tendency in operating performance, in which the earnings and the past rates of return on capital of such companies subsequently decrease significantly.
The play pyramid: a play classification and ideation tool for toy design

Toy designers and students may benefit from a universal classification system to communicate and ideate new toy concepts. In this paper, we present two graphical tools that help designers to classify and manipulate toy product concepts. The play pyramid is a three-dimensional map that allows designers to classify a toy concept by placing it in a space between what we believe to be four independent axes of play (sensory, fantasy, construction and challenge). The sliding scales of play are modifiers or adjectives that one can use to further describe the play of a toy concept. By taking a toy design and moving it around inside the play pyramid or along the scales of play, the design can take on new and unforeseen play affordances. Both of these tools have been tested and applied in industry sponsored research and design education settings and were successful in expanding upon toy ideas.
The synchronization of periodic routing messages

The paper considers a network with many apparently-independent periodic processes and discusses one method by which these processes can inadvertently become synchronized. In particular, the authors study the synchronization of periodic routing messages, and offer guidelines on how to avoid inadvertent synchronization. Using simulations and analysis, they study the process of synchronization and show that the transition from unsynchronized to synchronized traffic is not one of gradual degradation but is instead a very abrupt 'phase transition': in general, the addition of a single router will convert a completely unsynchronized traffic stream into a completely synchronized one. They show that synchronization can be avoided by the addition of randomization to the traffic sources and quantify how much randomization is necessary. In addition, they argue that the inadvertent synchronization of periodic processes is likely to become an increasing problem in computer networks. >
General Gauge Mediation

We give a general definition of gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking which encompasses all the known gauge mediation models. In particular, it includes both models with messengers as well as direct mediation models. A formalism for computing the soft terms in the generic model is presented. Such a formalism is necessary in strongly-coupled direct mediation models where perturbation theory cannot be used. It allows us to identify features of the entire class of gauge mediation models and to distinguish them from specific signatures of various subclasses.
Fuzzy subband decomposition for low-bit-rate image compression

At low bit rates, the linear subband coders are susceptible to the ringing effect, which causes rippling and blurring around the edges in the images. On the other hand, the nonlinear coders are affected by the smearing effect wherein the detail regions are removed. In this paper, we introduce fuzzy subband coding system. This system uses fuzzy median filters in the analysis and synthesis stage of the coder. The motivation for this study is to determine if this novel system can reduce both ringing and smearing effect. Experimental results show that this new subband coder does out-perform linear and median filter subband coders, both in PSNR and visually.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Low energy probes of PeV scale sfermions

We derive bounds on squark and slepton masses in mini-split supersymmetry scenario using low energy experiments. In this setup gauginos are at the TeV scale, while sfermions are heavier by a loop factor. We cover the most sensitive low energy probes including electric dipole moments (EDMs), meson oscillations and charged lepton flavor violation (LFV) transitions. A leading log resummation of the large logs of gluino to sfermion mass ratio is performed. A sensitivity to PeV squark masses is obtained at present from kaon mixing measurements. A number of observables, including neutron EDMs, μ to e transitions and charmed meson mixing, will start probing sfermion masses in the 100 TeV-1000 TeV range with the projected improvements in the experimental sensitivities. We also discuss the implications of our results for a variety of models that address the flavor hierarchy of quarks and leptons. We find that EDM searches will be a robust probe of models in which fermion masses are generated radiatively, while LFV searches remain sensitive to simple-texture based flavor models.
Conversion of a Ketone to a Geminal Bisacetamide: Synthesis of 1,1-Bisacetamidocyclohexane

The synthesis of the title compound (6) is described. A key step in the novel sequence is the Hofmann rearrangement of an α,α-dialkyl-α-aminocarboxamide mediated by hypervalent iodine reagent.
Inhibition of hyaluronan synthase-3 decreases subcutaneous colon cancer growth in mice.

PURPOSE Hyaluronan and hyaluronan synthases have been implicated in cancer progression. Hyaluronan synthase-3 is up-regulated in metastatic colon cancer cells (SW620), and its expression mediates cellular growth in vitro. We hypothesized that inhibition of hyaluronan synthase-3 would decrease tumor formation and/or alter the pattern of metastasis in mouse models of colon cancer growth. METHODS Hyaluronan synthase-3 was inhibited in SW620 cells by transfection with small interfering RNA (silenced cells); a scrambled sequence served as a negative control. To study primary tumor growth, transfected cells were injected into the flanks of BALB/c nude mice. To study metastasis, an orthotopic model was used. Metastases were confirmed histologically. Student t test and Fisher exact probability test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Inhibition of hyaluronan synthase-3 significantly decreased subcutaneous tumor growth; tumor weight was 0.94 +/- 0.17 g in the hyaluronan synthase-3-silenced group vs 1.70 +/- 0.26 g in the control scrambled group (P < .01). In contrast, metastases were similar in both groups: liver metastases were present in 22% of the silenced group vs 11% of the scrambled group; lung metastases were present in 6% of the silenced group vs 0% of the scrambled group (P = not significant). CONCLUSION Inhibition of hyaluronan synthase-3 expression in SW620 colon cancer cells decreases subcutaneous tumor growth in mice, but has less of an effect on lung and liver metastases. This observation suggests that hyaluronan synthase-3 may enhance primary colon cancer growth.
Correlated Protein Function Prediction via Maximization of Data-Knowledge Consistency.

Abstract Conventional computational approaches for protein function prediction usually predict one function at a time, fundamentally. As a result, the protein functions are treated as separate target classes. However, biological processes are highly correlated in reality, which makes multiple functions assigned to a protein not independent. Therefore, it would be beneficial to make use of function category correlations when predicting protein functions. In this article, we propose a novel Maximization of Data-Knowledge Consistency (MDKC) approach to exploit function category correlations for protein function prediction. Our approach banks on the assumption that two proteins are likely to have large overlap in their annotated functions if they are highly similar according to certain experimental data. We first establish a new pairwise protein similarity using protein annotations from knowledge perspective. Then by maximizing the consistency between the established knowledge similarity upon annotations and ...
Steady-state Kalman filtering with an H ∞ error bound

Abstract An estimator design problem is considered which involves both L 2 (least squares) and H ∞ (worst-case frequency-domain) aspects. Specifically, the goal of the problem is to minimize an L 2 state-estimation error criterion subject to a prespecified H ∞ constraint on the state-estimation error. The H ∞ estimation-error constraint is embedded within the optimization process by replacing the covariance Lyapunov equation by a Riccati equation whose solution leads to an upper bound on the L 2 state-estimation error. The principal result is a sufficient condition for characterizing fixed-order (i.e., full- and reduced-order) estimators with bounded L 2 and H ∞ estimation error. The sufficient condition involves a system of modified Riccati equations coupled by an oblique projection, i.e., idempotent matrix. When the H ∞ constraint is absent, the sufficient condition specializes to the L 2 state-estimation result given in [2].
Ecological Character Displacement

Some morphological differences between closely related species living in the same environment have been enhanced by natural selection resulting from competition between the species or the negative effects of interbreeding. These evolutionary changes are known as ecological and reproductive character displacement, respectively. Ecological character displacement, the subject of this article, helps us to understand how complex communities are built up from simpler ones through ecological adjustments of the constituent species. It also may be involved in the late stages in speciation when formerly allopatric populations come together in sympatry. Examples are given from studies of birds in nature and sticklebacks in experiments. There are few cases of ecological character displacement in nature where the evidence is sufficiently strong to demonstrate evolution by natural selection and to rule out alternative explanations of the causes. These have been supplemented by experiments: there is scope and need for more. Key Concepts: Character displacement is a process of evolutionary divergence of coexisting species. Competition for resources, such as food, is reduced as a result of divergence. Natural selection causes the evolutionary change. Closely related species differ in morphology more in sympatry than in allopatry. Experiments attempt to recreate conditions that are conducive to character displacement in nature. Solitary species are released from competition and broaden their ecological niches. Character displacement helps to explain how complex communities of potential competitors develop from simple ones. Character displacement is one of several types of evolutionary adjustments made by coexisting species. Its signature should be seen most clearly in young adaptive radiations. The main question about character displacement is not whether it occurs but how important it is. Keywords: divergence; competition; food; natural selection; evolution; adaptive radiation
Online Estimation of the State of Charge of a Lithium Ion Cell

A procedure to predict the state of charge of a lithium ion cell using experimental data (cell potential versus time), as it becomes available, is presented. The procedure is based on the physics of the system and provides a realistic estimate of the state of charge of the cell as a function of time, for a given set of properties of the electrodes. An electrochemical cell model is used to obtain an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for estimating the state of charge (SOC) of a lithium ion cell in which the negative electrode is the limiting electrode. The method could also be used for a cell in which the positive electrode is limiting.
The complexity of the max word problem and the power of one-way interactive proof systems

We study the complexity of the max word problem for matrices, a variation of the well-known word problem for matrices. We show that the problem is NP-complete, and cannot be approximated within any constant factor, unless P=NP. We describe applications of this result to probabilistic finite state automata, rational series andk-regular sequences. Our proof is novel in that it employs the theory of interactive proof systems, rather than a standard reduction argument. As another consequence of our results, we characterize NP exactly in terms ofone-way interactive proof systems.
Memory impairment and alterations in prefrontal cortex gamma band activity following methamphetamine sensitization

Rationale Repeated methamphetamine (MA) use leads to increases in the incentive motivational properties of the drug as well as cognitive impairments. These behavioral alterations persist for some time following abstinence, and neuroadaptations in the structure and function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are particularly important for their expression. However, there is a weak understanding of the changes in neural firing and oscillatory activity in the PFC evoked by repeated drug use, thus complicating the development of novel treatment strategies for addiction.
A combinatorial proof of symmetry among minimal star factorizations

The number of minimal transitive star factorizations of a permutation was shown by Irving and Rattan to depend only on the conjugacy class of the permutation, a surprising result given that the pivot plays a very particular role in such factorizations. Here, we explain this symmetry and provide a bijection between minimal transitive star factorizations of a permutation π having pivot k and those having pivot k ' .
Microemboli‐Free Blood Detoxification Utilizing Plasma Filtration

Guest Editor's Introduction: This paper was originally presented at the 22nd ASAIO Congress in April 1976 and printed in Volume 22, Trans Am Soc Artif Int Organs, 1976, pages 637–644. It is reprinted with permission in Therapeutic Apheresis Volume 4, Issue 1, as a millennium project of the International Society for Apheresis. This is the first paper describing flat sheet microporous hydrophilic membranes for plasmaseparation. Sixteen membranes of different pore structures and different base polymers were subjected for evaluation. A celanese polypropylene membrane of pore diameters between 0.04–0.2 μ, and a nuclepore polycarbonate membrane of pore diameter between 0.2–0.4 μ were satisfactory as plasma separator flat sheet membranes.
Chromatic polynomials and their zeros and asymptotic limits for families of graphs

Abstract Let P(G,q) be the chromatic polynomial for coloring the n -vertex graph G with q colors, and define W= lim n→∞ P(G,q) 1/n . Besides their mathematical interest, these functions are important in statistical physics. We give a comparative discussion of exact calculations of P and W for a variety of recursive families of graphs, including strips of regular lattices with various boundary conditions and homeomorphic expansions thereof. Generalizing to q∈ C , we determine the accumulation sets of the chromatic zeros, which constitute the continuous loci of points on which W is nonanalytic. Conditions for the chromatic zeros and their accumulation set to (i) include support for Re(q) ; (ii) to bound regions; and (iii) to be noncompact are discussed, and the role of boundary conditions is analyzed. Some corresponding results are presented for Potts model partition functions for nonzero temperature, equivalent to the full Tutte polynomials for various families of graphs.
Advances in the methodology of a multicomponent synthesis of arylnaphthalene lactones

Material and energy inefficiencies in total synthesis can arise from a lack of step economy. Multicomponent syntheses have the potential to optimize step economy and, in turn, to minimize not only waste, but also exposure to hazardous chemicals. Therefore, multicomponent syntheses are of immense interest to the field of Green Chemistry. Herein is described a multicomponent synthesis of arylnaphthalene lignan lactones, which are valuable natural products with promising anticancer and antiviral properties. In an effort to improve our previously reported one-pot, multicomponent synthesis an approach using phenylacetylene, phenylpropargyl chloride, carbon dioxide, catalytic silver iodide, and catalytic 18-crown-6 ether was developed. This methodology was then successfully applied to the preparation of dehydrodimethylconidendrin and its regioisomer, dehydrodimethylretroconidendrin.
Synthesis of novel phenoxy-linked diazirine glycero- and sphingolipid probes via trialkylaryltin intermediates

Abstract Two photoaffinity lipid probes, phosphatidylcholine analog 1 and ceramide analog 2 , were synthesized via trialkylaryltin intermediates 10b , b ′ using a Stille coupling strategy. The latter are stable for months at −20°C. Iododestannylation afforded lipid probes 1 and 2 .
On the detectivity of advanced galactic civilizations

Even with slow rates of technological advance, extraterrestrial civilizations substantially in our future will have technologies and laws of nature currently inaccessible to us, and will probably have minimal interest in communicating with us. If this communication horizon is about 1000 years in our future, other crude estimates previously published imply that only about .0001 of the technical civilizations in the Galaxy are accessible to us. The mean distance to the nearest such society is then about 10,000 light years. Radio detection of extraterrestrial intelligence seems to imply either (1) much larger telescopes or antenna arrays for the detection of civilizations within our Galaxy than now exist; or (2) attention to the nearer extragalactic systems, with smaller radio telescopes, to detect the very small fraction of very advanced societies which may choose to make their presence known to emerging civilizations via antique communication modes.
Time-Resolved Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction on Pulse Laser Heated Iron in Diamond Anvil Cell

We present time-resolved synchrotron x-ray diffraction to probe the ?-? phase transition of iron during pulse-laser heating in a diamond anvil cell. The system utilizes a monochromatic synchrotron x-ray beam, a two-dimensional pixel array x-ray detector and a dual beam, double side laser-heating system. Multiple frames of the diffraction images are obtained in real-time every 22 ms over 500 ms of the entire pulse heating period. The results show the structural evolution of iron phases at 17 GPa, resulting in thermal expansion coefficient 1/V(?V/?T)p = 7.1?10?6 /K for ?-Fe and 2.4?10?5 /K for ?-Fe, as well as the evidence for metastability of ?-Fe at low temperatures below the ?-? phase boundary.
Estimation of Snow Water Equivalent Using Passive Microwave Radiation Data

Abstract A knowledge of the potential volume of water present in snowpacks is vital for estimates of the global water balance. It is estimated that about three quarters of the world’s terrestrial water reserves are locked in snow and ice. The principal objective of this study is to analyze the degree to which passive microwave radiation can be used to interpret snow water equivalent (SWE). The methodology reflects the importance of isolating phenomena other than SWE that may influence the microwave signal. These factors include: snow wetness, depth hoar, complex mountainous terrain, and dense forest cover. Applying these four variables, 16 land-cover categories were identified, and relationships between SWE and brightness temperature were derived for each category. Results show that, for the “simplest” of these categories, a nonforested, nonmountainous terrain, with no depth hoar or melting snow, the SWE can be estimated with 95% confidence within ±44 mm. The confidence limits increase as the complexity of the snowpack, land form, and land cover increases.
The orphan nuclear receptor, shp, mediates bile acid-induced inhibition of the rat bile acid transporter, ntcp.

Background & Aims: Hepatic bile acid homeostasis is regulated by negative feedback inhibition of genes involved in the uptake and synthesis of bile acids. Bile acids down-regulate the rate-limiting gene for bile acid synthesis, cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (cyp7a), via bile acid receptor (fxr) activation of an inhibitory nuclear receptor, shp. We hypothesized that shp would also mediate negative feedback regulation of ntcp, the principal hepatic bile acid transporter. Methods: Primary rat hepatocytes or transfected HepG2 and Cos cells were treated with retinoids with or without bile acids, and effects on bile acid transport and ntcp and shp gene expression and promoter activity were determined. Gel shift assays were performed using synthetic fxr, rxr, and rar proteins. Results: Bile acid treatment of primary rat hepatocytes prevented retinoid activation of ntcp gene expression and function; this corresponded temporally with shp gene activation. Bile acid-mediated down-regulation occurred via fxr-dependent suppression of the ntcp RXR:RAR response element. Moreover, cotransfected shp directly inhibited retinoid activation of the ntcp promoter. Conclusions: These studies show negative feedback regulation of ntcp by bile acid-activated fxr via induction of shp. This novel regulatory pathway provides a means for coordinated down-regulation of bile acid import and synthesis, thereby protecting the hepatocyte from bile acid-mediated damage in cholestatic conditions.
Brown and the Contemporary Brazilian Struggle Against Racial Inequality: Some Preliminary Comparative Thoughts

We are told by both ancient scripture and popular song that there is a time for every purpose under Heaven. Last year, 2004, was the occasion to reflect on the fiftieth anniversary of what I would submit was the most important thing the United States Supreme Court has ever done—render its decision in Brown v. Board of Education. As a nation we have spent the past year doing this, and on the whole I think it should be said doing this rather well. There have been numerous symposia and conferences devoted to the 1954 desegregation decision. There have been panels at academic conferences devoted to the topic. News programs and interviews with surviving participants have already taken place and will likely continue into 2005, as we contemplate the fiftieth anniversary of Brown II. The fiftieth anniversary has been the occasion for the publication of a number of books on the case, including one that I have co-authored. More are sure to follow.
Ionic Coulomb blockade in nanopores

An understanding of the dynamics of ions in nanopores is essential for applications ranging from single-molecule detection to DNA sequencing. We show both analytically and by means of molecular dynamics simulations that under specific conditions ion-ion interactions in nanopores lead to the phenomenon of ionic Coulomb blockade, namely the build up of ions inside a nanopore with specific capacitance impeding the flow of additional ions due to Coulomb repulsion. This is the counterpart of electronic Coulomb blockade observed in mesoscopic systems. We discuss the analogies with and differences from the electronic case as well as experimental situations in which this phenomenon could be detected.
Observations of a double-layer in a hot-cathode discharge

Abstract We examine the effects of the ponderomotive force in the meniscus region of a hot-cathode discharge. A potential step is predicted to result, the magnitude of which is in good agreement with the measured value.
A high pressure model for the oxidation of toluene

Abstract A detailed chemical kinetic model has been developed to predict the oxidation of toluene in the high temperature regime (1200–1500 K) over wide pressure ranges (25–610 bar) based on experimental data obtained in the high pressure single pulse shock tube at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The experimental data were obtained at pressures of 25, 50, and 610 bar over the temperature range from 1210 to 1480 K for stoichiometries of Φ = 1 and Φ = 5. The proposed model is derived from an earlier literature model for toluene oxidation that had been validated against experimental data obtained at 1 atm and at lower temperatures ( Φ = 5 (fuel-rich) data set and forms the first step in the development of a more comprehensive model for toluene combustion for fuel-rich oxidation and pyrolysis.
EGRET gamma-ray blazars: luminosity function and contribution to the extragalactic gamma-ray background

Abstract We describe the properties of the blazars detected by EGRET and summarize the results on the calculations of the evolution and luminosty function of these sources. Of the large number of possible origins of extragalactic diffuse γ-ray emission, it has been postulated that active galaxies might be one of the most likely candidates. However, some of our recent analysis indicate that only 25% of the diffuse extragalactic emission measured by SAS-2 and EGRET can be attributed to unresolved γ-ray blazars. Therefore, other sources of diffuse extragalactic γ-ray emission must exist. We present a summary of these results in this article.
A Convergent and Enantioselective Synthesis of (+)-Amurensinine via Selective C−H and C−C Bond Insertion Reactions

A convergent and enantioselective synthesis of the natural product amurensinine is described. The synthetic strategy takes advantage of mild and selective C−H and C−C bond insertion reactions, in addition to the palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidative kinetic resolution recently developed in these laboratories.
Limits to the primordial helium abundance in the baryon-inhomogeneous big bang

The parameter space for baryon inhomogeneous big bang models is explored with the goal of determining the minimum helium abundance obtainable in such models while still satisfying the other light-element constraints. We find that the constraint of (D + He-3)/H less than 10 exp -4 restricts the primordial helium mass fraction from baryon-inhomogeneous big bang models to be greater than 0.231 even for a scenario which optimizes the effects of the inhomogeneities and destroys the excess lithium production. Thus, this modification to the standard big bang as well as the standard homogeneous big bang model itself would be falsifiable by observation if the primordial He-4 abundance were observed to be less than 0.231. Furthermore, a present upper limit to the observed helium mass fraction of Y(obs)(p) less than 0.24 implies that the maximum baryon-to-photon ratio allowable in the inhomogeneous models corresponds to eta less than 2.3 x 10 exp -9 (omega(b) h-squared less than 0.088) even if all conditions are optimized.
The effect of disorder on the wave propagation in one-dimensional periodic optical systems

The influence of disorder on the transmission through periodic waveguides is studied. Using a canonical form of the transfer matrix, we investigate the dependence of the Lyapunov exponent γ on the frequency ν and magnitude of the disorder σ. It is shown that in the bulk of the bands γ ∼ σ2, while near the band edges it has order γ ∼ σ2/3. This dependence is illustrated by numerical simulations.
The effect of long acting glucocorticoids on menstrual abnormalities in patients with virilizing congenital adrenal hyperplasia

Amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea occurs in more than 25% of young women with virilizing congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency who are treated with conventional glucocorticoid therapy. In four such patients, we studied the variation in plasma concentration of ACTH, 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), estradiol (E2), estrone, testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate, androstenedione, and progesterone before and at frequent intervals after the administration of the patients' usual dose of oral glucocorticoids. We found that plasma ACTH, 17-OHP, and T were usually increased above the normal range early in the morning before the first daily dose of medication; plasma dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate were decreased below the normal range for the patient's pubertal stage; and androstenedione, estrone, and E2 were within the normal range. Two of the four patients had low basal plasma LH and impaired LH response to LRF. Administration of a long acting glucocorticoid (dexame...
A Convenient Synthesis of 3-Alkyltetronic Acids from 3-Acyltetronic Acids

Abstract Reductive deoxygenation of 3-acyltetronic acids provides 3-alkyltetronic acids in high yields under mild reaction conditions.
Fault testing for reversible circuits

Applications of reversible circuits can be found in the fields of low-power computation, cryptography, communications, digital signal processing, and the emerging field of quantum computation. Furthermore, prototype circuits for low-power applications are already being fabricated in CMOS. Regardless of the eventual technology adopted, testing is sure to be an important component in any robust implementation. We consider the test-set generation problem. Reversibility affects the testing problem in fundamental ways, making it significantly simpler than for the irreversible case. For example, we show that any test set that detects all single stuck-at faults in a reversible circuit also detects all multiple stuck-at faults. We present efficient test-set constructions for the standard stuck-at fault model, as well as the usually intractable cell-fault model. We also give a practical test-set generation algorithm, based on an integer linear programming formulation, that yields test sets approximately half the size of those produced by conventional automatic test pattern generation.
A Short Method to Compute Nusselt Numbers in Rectangular and Annular Channels With Any Ratio of Constant Heat Rate

An analytic investigation of the thermal exchanges in channels is conducted with the prospect of building a simple method to determine the Nusselt number in steady, laminar or turbulent and monodimensional flow through rectangular and annular spaces with any ratio of constant and uniform heat rate. The study of the laminar case leads to explicit laws for the Nusselt number, while the turbulent case is solved using a Reichardt turbulent viscosity model resulting in an easy to solve one-dimensional ordinary differential equation system. This differential equation system is solved using a matlab based boundary value problems solver (bvp4c). A wide range of Reynolds, Prandtl, and radius ratios is explored with the prospect of building correlation laws allowing the computing of Nusselt numbers for any radius ratio. Those correlations are in good agreement with the literature. The correlations are also compared with a CFD analysis made on a case extracted from the Reacteur Jules Horowitz.
Does Head Start Help Hispanic Children

Abstract Poor educational attainment is a persistent problem among US hispanic children, relative to non-hispanics. Many of these children are immigrants and/or come from households that use a minority language in the home. This paper examines the effects of participation in a government sponsored preschool program called Head Start on these children. We find that large and significant benefits accrue to Head Start children when we compare them to siblings who did not participate in the program. On average, Head Start closes at least 1/4 of the gap in test scores between hispanic children and non-hispanic white children, and 2/3 of the gap in the probability of grade repetition. However, we find that the benefits of Head Start are not evenly distributed across sub-groups.
Anti-vascular endothelial cell antibodies in severe preeclampsia.

There is mounting evidence to suggest that vascular endothelial cell injury plays an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. In this study an enzyme-linked immunoassay was used to demonstrate increased binding of immunoglobulins G and M to human umbilical vein endothelial cells by sera from women with severe preeclampsia as compared with normal pregnant control women. Fifty percent of women with preeclampsia versus 15.4% of control women had either immunoglobulin G or immunoglobulin M binding. In addition, immunofluorescent staining of normal renal cortical tissue with preeclamptic sera showed increased binding of immunoglobulin G to arterioles in patients with anti-vascular endothelial cell antibodies. These antibodies were not directed at HLA antigens and did not cross react with platelets. Interferon--y stimulation did not increase immunoglobulin binding. Antibodies to antigens expressed on vascular endothelial cells may be important in mediating the endothelial damage seen in preeclampsia. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOI. 1990;162:138-46.)
Excited-State Interactions for [Au(CN)2-]n and [Ag(CN)2-]n Oligomers in Solution. Formation of Luminescent Gold−Gold Bonded Excimers and Exciplexes

Solutions of K[Au(CN)(2)] and K[Ag(CN)(2)] in water and methanol exhibit strong photoluminescence. Aqueous solutions of K[Au(CN)(2)] at ambient temperature exhibit luminescence at concentration levels of > or =10(-2) M, while frozen methanol glasses (77 K) exhibit strong luminescence with concentrations as low as 10(-5) M. The corresponding concentration limits for K[Ag(CN)(2)] solutions are 10(-1) M at ambient temperature and 10(-4) M at 77 K. Systematic variations in concentration, solvent, temperature, and excitation wavelength tune the luminescence energy of both K[Au(CN)(2)] and K[Ag(CN)(2)] solutions by >15 x 10(3) cm(-1) in the UV-visible region. The luminescence bands have been individually assigned to *[Au(CN)(2)(-)](n) and *[Ag(CN)(2)(-)](n) excimers and exciplexes that differ in "n" and geometry. The luminescence of Au(I) compounds is related for the first time to Au-Au bonded excimers and exciplexes similar to those reported earlier for Ag(I) compounds. Fully optimized unrestricted open-shell MP2 calculations for the lowest-energy triplet excited state of staggered [Au(CN)(2)(-)](2) show the formation of a Au-Au sigma single bond (2.66 A) in the triplet excimer, compared to a weaker ground-state aurophilic bond (2.96 A). The corresponding frequency calculations revealed Au-Au Raman-active stretching frequencies at 89.8 and 165.7 cm(-1) associated with the ground state and lowest triplet excited state, respectively. The experimental evidence of the exciplex assignment includes the extremely large Stokes shifts and the structureless feature of the luminescence bands, which suggest very distorted excited states. Extended Huckel (EH) calculations for [M(CN)(2)(-)](n) and *[M(CN)(2)(-)](n) models (M = Au, Ag; n = 2, 3) indicate the formation of M-M bonds in the first excited electronic states. From the average EH values for staggered dimers and trimers, the excited-state Au-Au and Ag-Ag bond energies are predicted to be 104 and 112 kJ/mol, respectively. The corresponding bond energies in the ground state are 32 and 25 kJ/mol, respectively.
Decoherence in rf SQUID qubits

We report measurements of coherence times of an rf SQUID qubit using pulsed microwaves and rapid flux pulses. The modified rf SQUID, described by an double-well potential, has independent, in situ, controls for the tilt and barrier height of the potential. The decay of coherent oscillations is dominated by the lifetime of the excited state and low frequency flux noise and is consistent with independent measurement of these quantities obtained by microwave spectroscopy, resonant tunneling between fluxoid wells and decay of the excited state. The oscillation's waveform is compared to analytical results obtained for finite decay rates and detuning and averaged over low frequency flux noise.
Flavor “conservation” and hierarchy in TeV-scale supersymmetric standard model

Recently a TeV-scale Supersymmetric Standard Model (TSSM) was proposed in which the gauge coupling unification is as precise (at one loop) as in the MSSM, and occurs in the TeV range. Proton stability in the TSSM is due to an anomaly free z3 ⊗ z3 discrete gauge symmetry, which is also essential for successfully generating neutrino masses in the desirable range. In this paper we show that the TSSM admits anomaly free non-Abelian discrete flavor gauge symmetries (based on a left-right product tetrahedral group) which together with a “vector-like” Abelian (discrete) flavor gauge symmetry suppresses dangerous higher dimensional operators corresponding to flavor changing neutral currents (FCNCs) to an acceptable level. Discrete flavor gauge symmetries are more advantageous compared with continuous flavor gauge symmetries as the latter must be broken, which generically results in unacceptably large gauge mediated flavor violation. In contrast, in the case of discrete flavor gauge symmetries the only possibly dangerous sources of flavor violation either come from the corresponding “bulk” flavon (that is, flavor symmetry breaking Higgs) exchanges, or are induced by flavon VEVs. These sources of flavor violation, however, are adequately suppressed by the above flavor gauge symmetries for the string scale ∼ 10–100 TeV.
Skein theory for SU(n)-quantum invariants

For any n ≥ 2 we define an isotopy invariant, h i n , for a certain set of n-valent ribbon graphs in R 3 , including all framed oriented links. We show that our bracket coincides with the Kauffman bracket for n = 2 and with the Kuperberg's bracket for n = 3. Furthermore, we prove that for any n, our bracket of a link L is equal, up to normalization, to the SUn- quantum invariant of L. We show a number of properties of our bracket extending those of the Kauffman's and Kuperberg's brackets, and we relate it to the bracket of Murakami-Ohtsuki-Yamada. Finally, on the basis of the skein relations satisfied by hi n , we define the SUn-skein module of any 3- manifold M and we prove that it determines the SLn-character variety of π1(M). AMS Classification 57M27; 17B37
Towards Multi-Tenant Performance SLOs

As traditional and mission-critical relational database workloads migrate to the cloud in the form of Database-as-a-Service (DaaS), there is an increasing motivation to provide performance goals in Service Level Objectives (SLOs). Providing such performance goals is challenging for DaaS providers as they must balance the performance that they can deliver to tenants and the data center’s operating costs. In general, aggressively aggregating tenants on each server reduces the operating costs but degrades performance for the tenants, and vice versa. In this paper, we present a framework that takes as input the tenant workloads, their performance SLOs, and the server hardware that is available to the DaaS provider, and outputs a cost-effective recipe that specifies how much hardware to provision and how to schedule the tenants on each hardware resource. We evaluate our method and show that it produces effective solutions that can reduce the costs for the DaaS provider while meeting performance goals.
Noise and the Strong-Signal Limit in Radio Astronomical Measurement

The random error of radio astronomical measurements is usually computed in the weak-signal limit, which assumes that the system temperature is sensibly the same on and off source, or with and without a spectral line. This assumption is often very poor. We give examples of common situations in which it is important to distinguish the system noise in signal-bearing and signal-free regions.
ULTRASOUND ACCELERATED PERMANGANATE OXIDATION : AN IMPROVED PROCEDURE FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF 1,2-CIS DIOLS FROM OLEFINS

Abstract A simple and expeditious method for the preparation of 1,2-cis diols is described from olefins using an inexpensive oxidant potassium permanganate, KMnO4, via sonochemical activation in aqueous media.
Recent developments in algebraic combinatorics

We survey three recent developments in algebraic combinatorics. The first is the theory of cluster algebras and the Laurent phenomenon of Sergey Fomin and Andrei Zelevinsky. The second is the construction of toric Schur functions and their application to computing three-point Gromov-Witten invariants, by Alexander Postnikov. The third development is the construction of intersection cohomology for nonrational fans by Paul Bressler and Valery Lunts and its application by Kalle Karu to the torich-vector of a nonrational polytope. We also briefly discuss the “half hard Lefschetz theorem” of Ed Swartz and its application to matroid complexes.
The symplectic and algebraic geometry of Horn's problem

One version of Horn's problem asks for which λ,μ,ν does Hλ+Hμ+Hν=0 have solutions, where Hλ,μ,ν are Hermitian matrices with spectra λ,μ,ν. This turns out to be a moment map condition in Hamiltonian geometry. Many of the results around Horn's problem proven with great effort “by hand” are in fact simple consequences of the modern machinery of symplectic geometry, and the subtler ones provable via the connection to geometric invariant theory. We give an overview of this theory (which was not available to Horn), including all definitions, and how it can be used in linear algebra.
Imaging of spin dynamics in closure domain and vortex structures

Time-resolved Kerr microscopy is used to study the excitations of individual micron-scale ferromagnetic thin-film elements in their remnant state. Thin (18 nm) square elements with edge dimensions between 1 and $10\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ form closure domain structures with 90 deg N\'eel walls between domains. We identify two classes of excitations in these systems. The first corresponds to precession of the magnetization about the local demagnetizing field in each quadrant, while the second excitation is localized in the domain walls. Two modes are also identified in ferromagnetic disks with thicknesses of 60 nm and diameters from $2\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ down to 500 nm. The equilibrium state of each disk is a vortex with a singularity at the center. As in the squares, the higher-frequency mode is due to precession about the internal field, but in this case the lower-frequency mode corresponds to gyrotropic motion of the entire vortex. These results demonstrate clearly the existence of well-defined excitations in inhomogeneously magnetized microstructures.
Chern-Simons terms in noncommutative geometry and its application to bilayer quantum hall systems

Abstract Considering bilayer systems as extensions of the planar ones by an internal space of two discrete points, we use the ideas of Noncommutative Geometry to construct the gauge theories for these systems. After integrating over the discrete space we find an effective 2 + 1 action involving an extra complex scalar field, which can be interpreted as arising from the tunneling between the layers. The gauge fields are found in different phases corresponding to the different correlations due to the Coulomb interaction between the layers. In a particular phase, when the radial part of the complex scalar field is a constant, we recover the Wen-Zee model [X.G. Wen and A. Zee, Phys. Rev. Lett. 69 (1992) 1811; Phys. Rev. B 47 (1993) 2265] of Bilayer Quantum Hall systems. There are some circumstances, where this radial part may become dynamical and cause dissipation in the oscillating supercurrent between the layers.