cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for nursing home placement following major nonemergent surgery

Abstract Purpose To determine the association between self-reported exercise tolerance and the risk of unanticipated postoperative nursing home placement in adults undergoing major surgery. Methods Consecutive community-dwelling adults (N = 586) referred to a medical clinic for evaluation before undergoing major nonemergent surgery at a tertiary care academic medical center were prospectively followed between 1995 and 1997. The main outcome measure was unanticipated postoperative nursing home placement. Results Overall, 12% (40/324) of patients with poor preoperative exercise tolerance (inability to walk four blocks and climb two flights of stairs without symptomatic limitation) had unanticipated nursing home placement compared with 4% (10/262) of patients with good exercise tolerance. Patient and surgical characteristics associated with nursing home placement in univariate analyses included poor preoperative exercise tolerance, increasing age, living alone, history of heart failure, taking five or more preoperative medications, longer anesthesia duration, and orthopedic surgery. Patients who were married were at lower risk. After adjusting for all other patient and surgical factors, poor preoperative exercise tolerance (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3 to 6.2) and serious postoperative complications (OR = 4.7; 95% CI: 2.1 to 10.5) remained associated with postoperative nursing home placement. Conclusion Poor preoperative exercise tolerance was an independent predictor of unanticipated nursing home placement following major nonemergent surgery.
Indole diterpenoid synthetic studies. The total synthesis of (+)-nodulisporic acid F.

A stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-nodulisporic acid F, the simplest member of a family of novel ectoparasiticidal agents, has been achieved. Highlights of the effective modular synthetic strategy include anionic union of a tricyclic lactone with o-toluidine via our 2-substituted indole synthetic protocol, an optimized C-ring construction protocol, and a late-stage installation of the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid side chain via the B-alkyl Suzuki−Miyaura cross-coupling tactic.
CLEO Results: B Decays

Measurements of many Standard Model constants are clouded by uncertainties in nonperturbative QCD parameters that relate measurable quantities to the underlying parton-level processes. Generally these QCD parameters have been obtained from model calculations with large uncertainties that are difficult to quantify. The CLEO Collaboration has taken a major step towards reducing these uncertainties in determining the CKM matrix elements |Vcb| and |Vub| using new measurements of the branching fraction and photon energy spectrum of b → s γ decays. This report includes: the new CLEO measurements of b → s γ decays, |Vcb|, and |Vub|; the first results from CLEO III data - studies of B → Kπ, ππ, and decays; mention of some other recent CLEO B decay results; and plans for operating CESR and CLEO in the charm threshold region.
Development of practical methodologies for the synthesis of functionalized benzoboroxoles

2-Formylphenylboronic acids upon reaction with activated olefins such as acrylates, methyl vinyl ketone, and acrylonitrile, etc. provide functionalized benzoboroxoles. The corresponding homologated benzoboroxoles were synthesized via the reaction of 2-formylphenylboronic acids with α-bromomethylacrylates.
Cutoff for the Ising model on the lattice

Introduced in 1963, Glauber dynamics is one of the most practiced and extensively studied methods for sampling the Ising model on lattices. It is well known that at high temperatures, the time it takes this chain to mix in L 1 on a system of size n is O(logn). Whether in this regime there is cutoff, i.e. a sharp transition in the L 1-convergence to equilibrium, is a fundamental open problem: If so, as conjectured by Peres, it would imply that mixing occurs abruptly at (c+o(1))logn for some fixed c>0, thus providing a rigorous stopping rule for this MCMC sampler. However, obtaining the precise asymptotics of the mixing and proving cutoff can be extremely challenging even for fairly simple Markov chains. Already for the one-dimensional Ising model, showing cutoff is a longstanding open problem. We settle the above by establishing cutoff and its location at the high temperature regime of the Ising model on the lattice with periodic boundary conditions. Our results hold for any dimension and at any temperature where there is strong spatial mixing: For ℤ2 this carries all the way to the critical temperature. Specifically, for fixed d≥1, the continuous-time Glauber dynamics for the Ising model on (ℤ/nℤ) d with periodic boundary conditions has cutoff at (d/2λ ∞)logn, where λ ∞ is the spectral gap of the dynamics on the infinite-volume lattice. To our knowledge, this is the first time where cutoff is shown for a Markov chain where even understanding its stationary distribution is limited. The proof hinges on a new technique for translating L 1-mixing to L 2-mixing of projections of the chain, which enables the application of logarithmic-Sobolev inequalities. The technique is general and carries to other monotone and anti-monotone spin-systems, e.g. gas hard-core, Potts, anti-ferromagentic Ising, arbitrary boundary conditions, etc.
Characteristic-eddy decomposition of turbulence in a channel

The proper orthogonal decomposition technique (Lumley's decomposition) is applied to the turbulent flow in a channel to extract coherent structures by decomposing the velocity field into characteristic eddies with random coefficients. In the homogeneous spatial directions, a generaliztion of the shot-noise expansion is used to determine the characteristic eddies. In this expansion, the Fourier coefficients of the characteristic eddy cannot be obtained from the second-order statistics. Three different techniques are used to determine the phases of these coefficients. They are based on: (1) the bispectrum, (2) a spatial compactness requirement, and (3) a functional continuity argument. Results from these three techniques are found to be similar in most respects. The implications of these techniques and the shot-noise expansion are discussed. The dominant eddy is found to contribute as much as 76 percent to the turbulent kinetic energy. In both 2D and 3D, the characteristic eddies consist of an ejection region straddled by streamwise vortices that leave the wall in the very short streamwise distance of about 100 wall units.
Beyond AOP: toward naturalistic programming

Software understanding for documentation, maintenance or evolution is one of the longest-standing problems in Computer Science. The use of "high-level" programming paradigms and object-oriented languages helps, but fundamentally remains far from solving the problem. Most programming languages and systems have fallen prey to the assumption that they are supposed to capture idealized models of computation inspired by deceptively simple metaphors such as objects and mathematical functions. Aspect-oriented programming languages have made a significant breakthrough by noticing that, in many situations, humans think and describe in crosscutting terms. In this paper we suggest that the next breakthrough would require looking even closer to the way humans have been thinking and describing complex systems for thousand of years using natural languages. While natural languages themselves are not appropriate for programming, they contain a number of elements that make descriptions concise, effective and understandable. In particular, natural languages referentiality is a key factor in supporting powerful program organizations that can be easier understood by humans.
Synthesis of fused heterocycles via Pd-catalyzed multiple aromatic C–H activation reactions

Recent developments in the synthesis of fused heterocycles using Pd-catalyzed multiple aromatic C–H activation is discussed in this highlight.
System implications of aperture-shade design for the SIRTF Observatory

The 1-m-aperture Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) will operate with a sensitivity limited only by the zodiacal background. This sensitivity requirement places severe restrictions on the amount of stray light which can reach the focal plane from off-axis sources such as the sun or earth limb. In addition, radiation from these sources can degrade the lifetime of the telescope and instrument cryogenic system which is now planned for two years before the first servicing. Since the aperture of the telescope represents a break in the telescope insulation system and is effectively the first element in the optical train, the aperture shade is a key system component. The mass, length, and temperature of the shade should be minimized to reduce system cost while maximizing the telescope lifetime and stray light performance. The independent geometric parameters that characterize an asymmetrical shade for a 600 km, 28 deg orbit were identified, and the system sensitivity to the three most important shade parameters were explored. Despite the higher heat loads compared to previously studied polar orbit missions, the analysis determined that passive radiators of a reasonable size are sufficient to meet the system requirements. An optimized design for the SIRTF mission, based on the sensitivity analysis, is proposed.
Ground State Energy of Dilute Bose Gas in Small Negative Potential Case

It is well known that the ground state energy of a three dimensional dilute Bose gas in the thermodynamic limit is E=4πaρN when the particles interact via a non-negative, finite range, spherically symmetric, two-body potential. Here, N is the number of particles, ρ is the density of the gas, and a is the scattering length of the potential. In this paper, we prove the same result without the non-negativity condition on the potential, provided the negative part is small.
Keck Spectroscopy of Redshift z ~ 3 Galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field

We have obtained spectra with the 10 m Keck telescope of a sample of 24 galaxies having colors consistent with star-forming galaxies at redshifts 2 z 4.5 in the Hubble deep field (HDF). Eleven of these galaxies are confirmed to be at high redshift (zmed = 3.0), one is at z = 0.5, and the other 12 have uncertain redshifts but have spectra consistent with their being at z > 2. The spectra of the confirmed high-redshift galaxies show a diversity of features, including weak Ly? emission, strong Ly? breaks or damped Ly? absorption profiles, and the stellar and interstellar rest-UV absorption lines common to local starburst galaxies and high-redshift star-forming galaxies reported recently by others. The narrow profiles and low equivalent widths of C IV, Si IV, and N V absorption lines may imply low stellar metallicities. Combined with the five high-redshift galaxies in the HDF previously confirmed with Keck spectra by Steidel et al. (1996a), the 16 confirmed sources yield a comoving volume density of n ? 2.4 ? 10-4 h -->503 Mpc-3 for q0 = 0.05, or n ? 1.1 ? 10-3 h -->503 Mpc-3 for q0 = 0.5. These densities are 3-4 times higher than the recent estimates of Steidel et al. (1996b) based on ground-based photometry with slightly brighter limits and are comparable to estimates of the local volume density of galaxies brighter than L*. The high-redshift density measurement is only a lower limit and could be almost 3 times higher still if all 29 of the unconfirmed candidates in our original sample, including those not observed, are indeed also at high redshift. The galaxies are small but luminous, with half-light radii 1.8 50?1 kpc and absolute magnitudes -21.5 > MB > -23. The HST images show a wide range of morphologies, including several with very close, small knots of emission embedded in wispy extended structures. Using rest-frame UV continuum fluxes with no dust correction, we calculate star formation rates in the range 7-24 or 3-9 h -->50?2 M? yr-1 for q0 = 0.05 and q0 = 0.5, respectively. These rates overlap those for local spiral and H II galaxies today, although they could be more than twice as high if dust extinction in the UV is significant. If the objects at z = 3 were simply to fade by 5 mag (assuming a 107 yr burst and passive evolution) without mergers in the 14 Gyr between then and now (for q0 = 0.05, h50 = 1.0), they would resemble average dwarf elliptical/spheroidal galaxies in both luminosity and size. However, the variety of morphologies and the high number density of z = 3 galaxies in the HDF suggest that they represent a range of physical processes and stages of galaxy formation and evolution, rather than any one class of object, such as massive ellipticals. A key issue remains the measurement of masses. These high-redshift objects are likely to be the low-mass, starbursting building blocks of more massive galaxies seen today.
Complexity reduction for overlapped block motion compensation (OBMC)

ABSTRACT A novel idea to reduce OBMC search complexity based on checkerboard block grouping is proposed in thiswork. We call the proposed new scheme GOBMC (Grouped OBMC). No iteration is required in the proposedscheme for encoding, since the obtained OBMC motion vector set nearly reaches a local optimal solution in oneiteration step and, therefore, the complexity is significantly reduced. The distortion measures, both in termsof PSNR and visual quality, remain about the same as those obtained from iterative OBMC motion search. In decoding, we propose an OBMC reconstruction which reduces the complexity of multiplication by a factor of 38%while preserving the visual quality as obtained from BMC search with OBMC reconstruction. Keywords: overlapped block motion compensation (OBMC) , motionestimation, video coding. 1 INTRODUCTION Motion compensation [1], [2], [3] is a powerful technique to compress video signals. If there is no rapid scenechange in two consecutive image frames, motion compensation can effectively remove the temporal redundancy
Application of quadratic optimization to supersonic inlet control

This paper describes the application of linear stochastic optimal control theory to the design of the control system for the air intake, the inlet, of a supersonic air-breathing propulsion system. The controls must maintain a stable inlet shock position in the presence of random airflow disturbances and prevent inlet unstart. Two different linear time invariant controllers are developed. One is designed to minimize a nonquadratic index, the expected frequency of inlet unstart, and the other is designed to minimize the mean square value of inlet shock motion. The quadratic equivalence principle is used to obtain a linear controller that minimizes the nonquadratic index. The two controllers are compared on the basis of unstart prevention, control effort requirements, and frequency response. It is concluded that while controls designed to minimize unstarts are desirable in that the index minimized is physically meaningful, computation time required is longer than for the minimum mean square shock position approach. The simpler minimum mean square shock position solution produced expected unstart frequency values which were not significantly larger than those of the nonquadratic solution.
SocialCDN: Caching techniques for distributed social networks

Distributed online social networks (DOSN) have been proposed as an alternative to centralized Online Social Networks (OSN). In contrast to centralized OSN, DOSNs do not have central repository of all user data, neither impose control regarding how users data will be accessed. Therefore, users can keep control of their private data and are not at the mercy of the social network providers. However, one of the main problems in DOSNs is how to efficiently disseminate social updates among peers. In our previous work, we proposed Social Caches for social updates dissemination in DOSN. However, the selection of social caches requires knowledge about the entire social graph. In this paper, we propose four fully distributed social cache selection algorithms, and evaluate their performance on five well known graphs. Using simulations we show that these algorithms perform almost as good as the centralized best known approximation algorithm would do. These distributed caching techniques can be used as a basis for various applications such as those that represent fusions of social and vehicular networks.
Massive fields in AdS(3) and compactification in AdS spacetime

Abstract Massive arbitrary spin fields in AdS(3) spacetime are discussed in a framework of light-cone gauge formulation. We also consider compactification of AdS spacetime on manifold which is warped product of AdS space and sphere. Mass spectra of massless and massive fields upon such compactification are found.
A one-step preparation of functionalized 3-cyano-2-pyridones

Abstract Reaction of various enones and enals with cyanoacetamide in DMSO-tBuOK under an oxygen atmosphere furnishes 3-cyanopyridones directly and in good yield.
A deterministic sub-linear time sparse fourier algorithm via non-adaptive compressed sensing methods

We study the problem of estimating the best B term Fourier representation for a given frequency-sparse signal (i.e., vector) A of length N G B. More precisely, we investigate how to deterministically identify B of the largest magnitude frequencies of Â, and estimate their coefficients, in polynomial (B, log N) time. Randomized sub-linear time algorithms, which have a small (controllable) probability of failure for each processed signal, exist for solving this problem. However, for failure intolerant applications such as those involving mission-critical hardware designed to process many signals over a long lifetime, deterministic algorithms with no probability of failure are highly desirable. In this paper we build on the deterministic Compressed Sensing results of Cormode and Muthukrishnan (CM) [26, 6, 7] in order to develop the first known deterministic sub-linear time sparse Fourier Transform algorithm suitable for failure intolerant applications. Furthermore, in the process of developing our new Fourier algorithm, we present a simplified deterministic Compressed Sensing algorithm which improves on CM's algebraic compressibility results while simultaneously maintaining their results concerning exponential decay.
The discriminant of a space curve is stable

We prove that the discriminant of a nonsingular space curve of genus $g\geq 2$ is stable with respect to the standard action of the special linear group.
On deconvolution problems: numerical aspects

An optimal algorithm is described for solving the deconvolution problem of the form ku := ∫01 k(t-s)u(s) ds = f(t) given the noisy data fδ,||f - fδ||≤δ. The idea of the method consists of the representation k = A (I + S), where S is a compact operator, I + S is injective, I is the identity operator, A is not boundedly invertible, and an optimal regularizer is constructed for A. The optimal regularizer is constructed using the results of the paper MR 40#5130.
A study of the aluminum hydride reduction of unsaturated cyclic epoxides

The aluminum hydride reduction of 3.4-cpoxycyclopentene to 3cyclopentenol has been previously observed' and the complete regiospekfkity of the reaction is confvmed h-. A mechanism is proposed involving initial complexation of the aMminum hydride anion with the Qbuble bond followed by hydride transfer to the 3-Carbon. Analysis of the atomic charges detumined fmm semiempirical electmstaic potentials support the proposed mechanism. Spectroscopic analysis of the resultant alcohol indicates the presence of an OH--rr intramolecular hydrogen bonded interaction. The epoxidation of cyclopeutadiene with peracetic acid yields epoxide 1. Reduction of 1 with Lithium Aluminum Hydride iu ether yields only 3-cyclopentcnol. 2, in 65% yield. Use of a threefold excess of LAH ineased this yield to 85%.
Scanning tunneling microscopy study and nanomanipulation of graphene-coated water on mica.

We study interfacial water trapped between a sheet of graphene and a muscovite (mica) surface using Raman spectroscopy and ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-STM) at room temperature. We are able to image the graphene–water interface with atomic resolution, revealing a layered network of water trapped underneath the graphene. We identify water layer numbers with a carbon nanotube height reference. Under normal scanning conditions, the water structures remain stable. However, at greater electron energies, we are able to locally manipulate the water using the STM tip.
An equation-free approach to coupled oscillator dynamics: the Kuramoto model example

We present an equation-free multiscale approach to the computational study of the collective dynamics of the Kuramoto model [Kuramoto, 1984], a prototypical model for coupled oscillator populations. Our study takes place in a reduced phase space of coarse-grained "observables" of the system: the first few moments of the oscillator phase angle distribution. We circumvent the derivation of explicit dynamical equations (approximately) governing the evolution of these coarse-grained macroscopic variables; instead we use the equation-free framework [Kevrekidis et al., 2003] to computationally solve these equations without obtaining them in closed form. In this approach, the numerical tasks for the conceptually existing but unavailable coarse-grained equations are implemented through short bursts of appropriately initialized simulations of the "fine-scale", detailed coupled oscillator model. Coarse projective integration and coarse fixed point computations are illustrated.
Climatological Atlas of the World Ocean

A project to objectively analyze historical ocean temperature, salinity, oxygen, and percent oxygen saturation data for the world ocean has recently been completed at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey. The results of the project are being made available through distribution of the Climatological Atlas of the World Ocean (NOAA Professional Paper No. 13), and through distribution of magnetic tapes containing the objective analyses. The sources of data used in the project were the Station Data, Mechanical Bathythermograph, and Expendable Bathythermograph files of the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) in Washington, D.C., updated through 1977–1978. The raw data were subjected to quality control procedures, averaged by one-degree squares, and then used as input to an objective analysis procedure that fills in one-degree squares containing no data and smooths the results. Due to the lack of synoptic observations for the world ocean, the historical data are composited by annual, seasonal, and (for temperature) monthly periods.
USE OF QUADRATIC COMPONENTS FOR BUCKLING CALCULATIONS

A buckling calculation procedure based on the method of quadratic components is presented. Recently developed for simulating the motion of rotating flexible structures, the method of quadratic components is shown to be applicable to buckling problems with either conservative or nonconservative loads. For conservative loads, stability follows from the positive definiteness of the system`s stiffness matrix. For nonconservative loads, stability is determined by solving a nonsymmetric eigenvalue problem, which depends on both the stiffness and mass distribution of the system. Buckling calculations presented for a cantilevered beam are shown to compare favorably with classical results. Although the example problem is fairly simple and well-understood, the procedure can be used in conjunction with a general-purpose finite element code for buckling calculations of more complex systems.
Whitehead groups and the Bass conjecture

This paper will be concerned with proving that certain Whitehead groups of torsion-free elementary amenable groups are torsion groups and related results, and then applying these results to the Bass conjecture. In particular we shall establish the strong Bass conjecture for an arbitrary elementary amenable group.
Experimental summary on hadronic decays: A TAU98 review

Abstract Selected results on hadronic decays of the tau lepton from the TAU98 Workshop are reviewed. A comprehensive picture emerges for strange particle branching fractions, and exploration of resonant substructure of both strange and non-strange decays is seen to have matured substantially.
Flow Measurements in Leading-Edge Vortices

An experimental study of the vortex flowfield over slender delta pianforms with sharp leading edges is presented. Complete velocity measurements in this three-dimensional flowfield are obtained by means of a Conrad-type probe used in conjunction with a five-degree-of-freedom traversing mechanism, and flow visualization is achieved by an oil fog technique. Effects of angle of attack, camber, sweep back, etc. are described. A new application of such flows, that of wind energy conversion by means of the Vortex Augmentor Concept (patented and patents pending) developed by the first author, is discussed.
Weak Galerkin finite element methods for Parabolic equations

A newly developed weak Galerkin method is proposed to solve parabolic equations. This method allows the usage of totally discontinuous functions in approximation space and preserves the energy conservation law. Both continuous and discontinuous time weak Galerkin finite element schemes are developed and analyzed. Optimal-order error estimates in both H1 and L2 norms are established. Numerical tests are performed and reported. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2013
Chandra Observations of NGC 4438: An Environmentally Damaged Galaxy in the Virgo Cluster

We present results from a 25 ks Chandra ACIS-S observation of galaxies NGC 4438 and NGC 4435 in the Virgo Cluster. X-ray emission in NGC 4438 is observed in a ~700 pc nuclear region, a ~2.3 kpc spherical bulge, and a network of filaments extending 4-10 kpc to the west and southwest of the galaxy. The X-ray emission in all three regions is highly correlated to similar features observed in Hα. Spectra of the filaments and bulge are well represented by a 0.4 keV MEKAL model with combined 0.3-2 keV intrinsic luminosity LX = 1.24 × 1040 ergs s-1, electron densities ~0.02-0.04 cm-3, cooling times of 400-700 Myr, and X-ray gas mass 3.7 × 108 M☉. In the nuclear region of NGC 4438 X-ray emission is seen from the nucleus and from two outflow bubbles extending 360 pc (730 pc) to the northwest (southeast) of the nucleus. The spectrum of the northwest outflow bubble plus nucleus is well fitted by an absorbed (nH = 1.9 × 1021 cm-2) 0.58 keV MEKAL plasma model plus a heavily absorbed (nH = 2.9 × 1022 cm-2) Γ = 2, power-law component. The electron density, cooling time, and X-ray gas mass in the northwest outflow are ~0.5 cm-3, 30 Myr, and 3.5 × 106 M☉, respectively. Weak X-ray emission is observed in the central region of NGC 4435 with the peak of the hard emission coincident with the galaxy's optical center, while the peak of the soft X-ray emission is displaced 316 pc to the northeast. The spectrum of NGC 4435 is well fitted by a nonthermal power law plus a thermal component from 0.2-0.3 keV diffuse interstellar medium gas. We argue that the X-ray properties of gas outside the nuclear region in NGC 4438 and NGC 4435 favor a high-velocity, off-center collision between these galaxies ~100 Myr ago, while the nuclear X-ray-emitting outflow gas in NGC 4438 has been heated only recently (within ~1-2 Myr) by shocks (vs ~ 600 km s-1) possibly powered by a central active galactic nucleus.
The Deuterium-burning Mass Limit for Brown Dwarfs and Giant Planets

There is no universally acknowledged criterion to distinguish brown dwarfs from planets. Numerous studies have used or suggested a definition based on an object’s mass, taking the �13-Jupiter mass (MJ) limit for the ignition of deuterium. Here, we investigate various deuterium-burning masses for a range of models. We find that, while 13MJ is generally a reasonable rule of thumb, the deuterium fusion mass depends on the helium abundance, the initial deuterium abundance, the metallicity of the model, and on what fraction of an object’s initial deuterium abundance must combust in order for the object to qualify as having burned deuterium. Even though, for most proto-brown dwarf conditions, 50% of the initial deuterium will burn if the object’s mass is �(13.0±0.8)MJ, the full range of possibilities is significantly broader. For models ranging from zero-metallicity to more than three times solar metallicity, the deuterium burning mass ranges from �11.0 MJ (for 3-times solar metallicity, 10% of initial deuterium burned) to �16.3 MJ (for zero metallicity, 90% of initial deuterium burned). Subject headings: radiative transfer – stars: low-mass, brown dwarfs – stars: evolution
Rate constants for the reactions of the OH radical with the propyl and butyl nitrates and 1-nitrobutane at 298 ± 2 K

Using a relative rate method, rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of the OH radical with 1- and 2-propyl nitrate, 1- and 2-butyl nitrate and 1-nitrobutane have been determined in the presence of one atmosphere of air 298±2K Using rate constants for the reactions of the OH radical with propane and cyclohexane of 1.15×10 −12 and 7.49×10 −12 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 , respectively, following rate constants (in units of 10 −12 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 ) were obtained: 1-propyl nitrate, 0.62; 2-propyl nitrate, 0.41; 1-butyl nitrate, 1.78; 2-butyl nitrate, 0.93; and 1-nitrobutane, 1.35. These rate constants are compared and discussed with the literature data
Low-Energy Path to Dense HfO2 Thin Films with Aqueous Precursor

New, stable aqueous solutions have been developed for the deposition of high-quality HfO2 thin films. The low ionic strength of the solution relative to a stoichiometric salt provides the means to directly spin coat a film without organic additives. Peroxide mediates particle interaction in the solution, while enabling relatively low-energy pathways for condensation of the precursor species to a film. Film structure, chemistry, and density are investigated by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, electron-probe microanalysis, SEM, and X-ray reflectivity. Results from these measurements collectively reveal that smooth and dense HfO2 films are readily produced from the precursors with annealing at moderate temperatures. Optical properties of the films are studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission/reflection measurements. The observed refractive indices (1.89−1.93) are comparable to those achieved via vapor deposition techniques. Dielectric properties are evaluated through integration of the films into capa...
Chemical Reactions During the Thermal Processing of Borazene Polymers

A class of borazene polymers has been developed which consist of a twodimensional array of six-membered borazene rings with the borons of adjacent borazene rings separated by -NH- groups. Pyrolysis of these polymers above ≈1000 C leads to crystalline graphite-like boron nitride (h-BN). The thermal chemistry of thin films of one polymer deposited on KOH etched Al has been examined by thermal decomposition mass spectroscopy (TDMS) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and the gas evolution chemistry is found to be essentially complete by temperatures of less than 400 C. All products desorb with the same temperature profile and the major desorbing species are NH3 and N2 consistent with a loss of excess nitrogen and hydrogen in the polymer, ang HCI from decomposition of by-products of the synthesis step. Isotope labeling shows that complete exchange occurs below 400 C between the ring and amino bridge nitrogens. Since the formation of ordered crystalline h-BN films requires heating to temperatures of the order of 1000 C, whereas the gas evolution and ring opening chemistry is complete by roughly 400 C, it is concluded that gas evolution chemical Processes are not rate limiting in BN ceramic production.
Secure outsourcing of sequence comparisons

Internet computing technologies, like grid computing, enable a weak computational device connected to such a grid to be less limited by its inadequate local computational, storage, and bandwidth resources. However, such a weak computational device (PDA, smartcard, sensor, etc.) often cannot avail itself of the abundant resources available on the network because its data are sensitive. This motivates the design of techniques for computational outsourcing in a privacy-preserving manner, i.e., without revealing to the remote agents whose computational power is being used either one’s data or the outcome of the computation. This paper investigates such secure outsourcing for widely applicable sequence comparison problems and gives an efficient protocol for a customer to securely outsource sequence comparisons to two remote agents. The local computations done by the customer are linear in the size of the sequences, and the computational cost and amount of communication done by the external agents are close to the time complexity of the best known algorithm for solving the problem on a single machine.
Evidence of decoupled lattice distortion and ferroelectric polarization in the relaxor system PMN-xPT

We report high q-resolution neutron scattering data on $\mathrm{PMN}\ensuremath{-}x\mathrm{PT}$ single crystals with $x=20%$ and $27%.$ No rhombohedral distortion occurs in the 20PT sample for temperatures as low as 50 K. On the other hand, the 27PT sample transforms into a rhombohedral phase below ${T}_{C}\ensuremath{\sim}375\mathrm{K}.$ Our data provide conclusive evidence that a phase with an average cubic lattice is present in the bulk of this relaxor system at low PT concentration, in which the ferroelectric polarization and lattice distortion are decoupled. The rhombohedral distortion is limited to the outermost tens of microns of the crystal.
List coloring triangle-free hypergraphs

A triangle in a hypergraph is a collection of distinct vertices u, v, w and distinct edges e, f, g with , and . Johansson [Tech. report (1996)] proved that every triangle-free graph with maximum degree Δ has list chromatic number . Frieze and Mubayi (Electron J Comb 15 (2008), 27) proved that every linear (meaning that every two edges share at most one vertex) triangle-free triple system with maximum degree Δ has chromatic number . The restriction to linear triple systems was crucial to their proof. We provide a common generalization of both these results for rank 3 hypergraphs (edges have size 2 or 3). Our result removes the linear restriction from [8], while reducing to the (best possible) result [Johansson, Tech. report (1996)] for graphs. In addition, our result provides a positive answer to a restricted version of a question of Ajtai Erdős, Komlos, and Szemeredi (combinatorica 1 (1981), 313–317) concerning sparse 3-uniform hypergraphs. As an application, we prove that if is the collection of 3-uniform triangles, then the Ramsey number satisfies for some positive constants a and b. The upper bound makes progress towards the recent conjecture of Kostochka, Mubayi, and Verstraete (J Comb Theory Ser A 120 (2013), 1491–1507) that where C3 is the linear triangle. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 47, 487–519, 2015
Long-Time Asymptotics for Solutions of the NLS Equation with a Delta Potential and Even Initial Data

We consider the one-dimensional focusing nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation (NLS) with a delta potential and even initial data. The problem is equivalent to the solution of the initial/boundary problem for NLS on a half-line with Robin boundary conditions at the origin. We follow the method of Bikbaev and Tarasov which utilizes a B\"acklund transformation to extend the solution on the half-line to a solution of the NLS equation on the whole line. We study the asymptotic stability of the stationary 1-soliton solution of the equation under perturbation by applying the nonlinear steepest-descent method for Riemann-Hilbert problems introduced by Deift and Zhou. Our work strengthens, and extends, earlier work on the problem by Holmer and Zworski.
On the Possibility of Enrichment and Differentiation in Gas Giants During Birth by Disk Instability

We investigate the coupling between rock-size solids and gas during the formation of gas giant planets by disk fragmentation in the outer regions of massive disks. In this study, we use three-dimensional radiative hydrodynamic simulations and model solids as a spatial distribution of particles. We assume that half of the total solid fraction is in small grains and half in large solids. The former are perfectly entrained with the gas and set the opacity in the disk, while the latter are allowed to respond to gas drag forces, with the back reaction on the gas taken into account. To explore the maximum effects of gas-solid interactions, we first consider 10 cm size particles. We then compare these results to a simulation with 1 km size particles, which explores the low-drag regime. We show that (1) disk instability planets have the potential to form large cores due to aerodynamic capturing of rock-size solids in spiral arms before fragmentation; (2) temporary clumps can concentrate tens of M ⊕ of solids in very localized regions before clump disruption; (3) the formation of permanent clumps, even in the outer disk, is dependent on the grain-size distribution, i.e., the opacity; (4) nonaxisymmetric structure in the disk can create disk regions that have a solids-to-gas ratio greater than unity; (5) the solid distribution may affect the fragmentation process; (6) proto-gas giants and proto-brown dwarfs can start as differentiated objects prior to the H2 collapse phase; (7) spiral arms in a gravitationally unstable disk are able to stop the inward drift of rock-size solids, even redistributing them to larger radii; and (8) large solids can form spiral arms that are offset from the gaseous spiral arms. We conclude that planet embryo formation can be strongly affected by the growth of solids during the earliest stages of disk accretion.
A New Method to Calibrate the Magnitudes of Type Ia Supernovae at Maximum Light

We present a new empirical method for fitting multicolor light curves of Type Ia supernovae (SNe). Our method combines elements from two widely used techniques in the literature: the Δm15 template fitting method (Phillips et al.) and the Multicolor Light-Curve Shape method (MLCS; Riess et al.). An advantage of our technique is the ease of adding new colors, templates, or parameters to the fitting procedure. We use a large sample of published light curves to calibrate the relations between the absolute magnitudes at maximum and the postmaximum decline rate Δm15 in BVRI filters. If we perform a cut in reddening and compare an unreddened with a reddened sample, we find that the two samples produce relations that are marginally consistent with each other. We find that individual subsamples from a given survey or publication have significantly tighter relationships between light-curve shape and luminosity than the relationship derived from the sum of all the samples, pointing to uncorrected systematic errors in the photometry, mainly in BV filters. Using our method, we calculate luminosity distances and host galaxy reddening to 89 SNe in the Hubble flow and construct a low-z Hubble diagram. The dispersion of the SNe in the Hubble diagram is σ = 0.20 mag, or an error of ~9% in distance to a single SN. Our technique produces similar or smaller dispersion in the low-z Hubble diagram than other techniques in the literature.
Accountability and emissions allowance trading: Lessons learned from the U.S. electric utility industry

Abstract This research concerns accountability by companies in the U.S. electric utility industry for the financial impacts of cap‐and‐trade emissions allowance activity. We report findings from an extensive examination of disclosure practices for more than 100 facilities that were required to curb pollutant discharges and participate in a government‐mandated emission permits distribution and trading program. We can report conclusions from this empirical analysis in two domains of interest. With respect to the actual focus of the cap‐and‐trade program, this study shows that sulfur dioxide emissions have been reduced (whether the replaced command‐and‐control system would have been as effective in this connection is not possible to determine) and that firms have been able to delay implementation of costly pollution‐control technology by acquiring allowances. As regards the financial accounting and reporting for this activity, it is not known what the real cost to the firms was for using allowances since lit...
Cyclotron mode frequency shifts in multi-species ion plasmas

Abstract In trapped plasmas, electric fields and collective effects shift the cyclotron mode frequencies away from the “bare” cyclotron frequency for each species s . Here, these shifts are measured on a set of cyclotron modes ( m = 0 , 1 , and 2 ) with cos ( m θ ) azimuthal dependence in near rigid-rotor multi-species ion plasmas. We observe that these frequency shifts are dependent on the plasma density, through the E × B rotation frequency f E , and on the “local” charge concentration δ s of species s , in close agreement with theory.
Isolated chemotherapeutic perfusion as neoadjuvant therapy for advanced/unresectable pelvic malignancy

2555 Background: Isolated pelvic perfusion (IPP) provides higher tissue drug levels than high-dose systemic therapy and may enhance resectability and survival in patients failing chemo radiation ± ...
Combined Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Variability for Computational Network Design with Application to Synthetic Biology

Biological systems are inherently variable, with their dynamics influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic sources. These systems are often only partially characterized, with large uncertainties about specific sources of extrinsic variability and biochemical properties. Moreover, it is not yet well understood how different sources of variability combine and affect biological systems in concert. To successfully design biomedical therapies or synthetic circuits with robust performance, it is crucial to account for uncertainty and effects of variability. Here we introduce an efficient modeling and simulation framework to study systems that are simultaneously subject to multiple sources of variability, and apply it to make design decisions on small genetic networks that play a role of basic design elements of synthetic circuits. Specifically, the framework was used to explore the effect of transcriptional and post-transcriptional autoregulation on fluctuations in protein expression in simple genetic networks. We found that autoregulation could either suppress or increase the output variability, depending on specific noise sources and network parameters. We showed that transcriptional autoregulation was more successful than post-transcriptional in suppressing variability across a wide range of intrinsic and extrinsic magnitudes and sources. We derived the following design principles to guide the design of circuits that best suppress variability: (i) high protein cooperativity and low miRNA cooperativity, (ii) imperfect complementarity between miRNA and mRNA was preferred to perfect complementarity, and (iii) correlated expression of mRNA and miRNA – for example, on the same transcript – was best for suppression of protein variability. Results further showed that correlations in kinetic parameters between cells affected the ability to suppress variability, and that variability in transient states did not necessarily follow the same principles as variability in the steady state. Our model and findings provide a general framework to guide design principles in synthetic biology.
Differential prognostic effect of IDH1 versus IDH2 mutations in myelodysplastic syndromes: A Mayo Clinic Study of 277 patients

Unlike the case with acute myeloid leukemia, there is limited information on the prognostic impact of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In the current study of 277 patients with MDS, IDH mutations were detected in 34 (12%) cases: 26 IDH2 (all R140Q) and 8 IDH1 (6 R132S and 2 R132C). Mutational frequency was 4% (2 of 56) in refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts, 12% (16 of 130) in refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia, 14% (2 of 14) in MDS-unclassifiable, 14% (6 of 42) in refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB)-1 and 23% (8 of 35) in RAEB-2. Normal karyotype was noted in all but one IDH1-mutated cases and 13 IDH2-mutated cases. Multivariable analysis identified presence of mutant IDH1 (P=0.0004; hazard ration 4.0, 95% confidence interval 1.9-8.8), revised International Prognostic Scoring System risk category (P<0.0001), and red cell transfusion need (P=0.002) as independent predictors of inferior survival. In a similar multivariable analysis, mutant IDH1 was the only variable associated with shortened leukemia-free survival (P=0.001; hazard ration 7.0, 95% confidence interval 2.3-20.8). The presence of IDH2R140Q did not affect the overall (P=0.54) or leukemia-free (P=0.81) survival. The current study suggests a powerful adverse prognostic effect for mutant IDH1 in MDS.
The paradigms of programming

The 1978 ACM Turing Award was presented to Robert W. Floyd by Walter Carlson, Chairman of the Awards Committee, at the ACM Annual Conference in Washington, D. C., December 4. In making the selection, the General Technical Achievement Award Subcommittee (formerly the Turing Award Subcommittee) cited Professor Floyd for "helping to found the following important subfields of computer science: the theory of parsing, the semantics of programming languages, automatic program verification, automatic program synthesis, and analysis of algorithms." Professor Floyd, who received both his A.B. and B.S. from the University of Chicago in 1953 and 1958, respectively, is a selftaught computer scientist. His study of computing began in 1956, when as a night-operator for an IBM 650, he found the time to learn about programming between loads of card hoppers. Floyd implemented one of the first Algol 60 compilers, finishing his work on this project in 1962. In the process, he did some early work on compiler optimization. Subsequently, in the years before 1965, Floyd systematized the parsing of programming languages. For that he originated the precedence method, the bounded context method, and the production language method of parsing. In 1966 Professor Floyd presented a mathematical method to prove the correctness of programs. He has offered, over the years, a number of fast useful algorithms. These include (1) the tree-sort algorithm for in-place sorting, (2) algorithms for finding the shortest paths through networks, and (3) algorithms for finding medians and convex hulls. In addition, Floyd has determined the limiting speed of digital addition and the limiting speeds for permuting information in a computer memory. His contributions to mechanical theorem-proving and automatic spelling checkers have also been numerous. In recent years Professor Floyd has been working on the design and implementation of a programming language primarily for student use. It will be suitable for teaching structured programming systematically to novices and will be nearly universal in its capabilities.