cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Renal Stones in a Population-Based Study With Dietary Calcium, Oxalate, and Medication Exposures

Little is known about the epidemiology of renal stones, in spite of the relative frequency of this painful condition. This population-based study examined reported renal stone diagnosis in 1,309 women aged 20-92 years to determine whether renal stones are associated with 1) food or water exposures or 2) lower bone mineral density and an increased likelihood of fractures. Results indicated a renal stone prevalence of 3.4%. The average age at diagnosis was 42 years. Renal stone formation was not associated with community of residence, hypertension, bone mineral density, fractures, high-oxalate food consumption, or ascorbic acid from food supplements. Women with renal stones consumed almost 250 mg/day less dietary calcium (p < 0.01) than did women without stones and had a lower energy intake (p < 0.04). The authors' findings do not support the hypothesis that increased dietary calcium is associated with a greater prevalence of renal stones, nor do they identify renal stones as a risk factor for low bone mineral density. Furthermore, lack of other identifiable environmental correlates and the relatively young age at initial diagnosis suggest that genetic components of renal stone formation need further study.
Empirical Relation Between Self‐Diffusion and Electrical Conduction in Mixed‐Alkali Glasses

An empirically modified Nernst-Einstein-type equation is proposed to relate the electrical conductivity of mixed-alkali glasses to the self-diffusivities of the alkali ions. Conductivities were calculated for 3 glass systems using measured self-diffusivities and the proposed equation. These calculated conductivities and those measured directly agree quite well.
Measurements of VOC Adsorption/Desorption Characteristics of Typical Interior Building Materials

The adsorption/desorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on interior building material surfaces (i.e., the sink effect) can affect the VOC concentrations in a building, and thus need to be accounted for in an indoor air quality (IAQ) prediction model. In this study, the VOC adsorption/desorption characteristics (sink effect) were measured for four typical interior building materials including carpet, vinyl floor tile, painted drywall, and ceiling tile. The VOCs tested were ethylbenzene, cyclohexanone, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, benzaldehyde, and dodecane. These five VOCs were selected because they are representative of hydrocarbons, aromatics, ketones, aldehydes, and chlorine substituted compounds. The first order reversible adsorption/desorption model was based on the Langmuir isotherm was used to analyze the data and to determine the equilibrium constant of each VOC-material combination. It was found that the adsorption/desorption equilibrium constant, which is a measure of the sink capacity, increased ...
Selective deprotection of phthalyl protected amines

Abstract Phthalyl amidase selectively deprotects phthalimido groups under very mild aqueous conditions in a one-pot reaction to produce phthalic acid and the free amine. The enzyme has been shown to deprotect several primary amines of distinctly different structure, and exhibits chiral selectivity when the substrate contains extensive β-branching. The enzyme has a definite requirement for ortho positioning of the functional groups on a fixed axis of rotation.
Zero and one-dimensional probes with N = 8 supersymmetry

Abstract We study the symmetry structure of N = 8 quantum mechanics, and apply it to the physics of D0-brane probes in type I′ string theory. We focus on the theory with a global Spin (8) R symmetry which arises upon dimensional reduction from 2d field theory with (0,8) supersymmetry. There are several puzzles involving supersymmetry which we resolve. In particular, by taking into account the gauge constraint and central charge we explain how the system preserves supersymmetry despite having different numbers of bosonic and fermionic variables. The resulting zero-point energy leads to a linear potential consistent with supersymmetry, and the metric is largely unconstrained. We discuss implications for type I′ string theory and the matrix model proposal for M theory.
A dopamine-acetylcholine cascade: Simulating learned and lesion-induced behavior of striatal cholinergic interneurons

The giant cholinergic interneurons of the striatum are tonically active neurons (TANs) that respond with pauses to appetitive and aversive cues and to novel events. Whereas tonic activity emerges from intrinsic properties of these neurons, glutamatergic inputs from intralaminar thalamic nuclei and dopaminergic inputs from midbrain are required for genesis of pause responses. No prior computational models encompass both intrinsic and synaptically gated dynamics. We present a mathematical model that robustly accounts for behavior-related electrophysiological properties of TANs in terms of their intrinsic physiological properties and known afferents. In the model, balanced intrinsic hyperpolarizing and depolarizing currents engender tonic firing and glutamatergic inputs from thalamus (and cortex) both directly excite and indirectly inhibit TANs. If this inhibition, probably mediated by GABAergic nitric oxide synthase interneurons, exceeds a threshold, a persistent K+ conductance current amplifies its effect to generate a prolonged pause. Dopamine (DA) signals modulate both the intrinsic mechanisms and the external inputs of TANs. Simulations revealed that many learning-dependent behaviors of TANs, including acquired pauses to task-relevant cues, are explicable without recourse to learning-dependent changes in synapses onto TANs, due to a tight coupling between DA bursts and TAN pauses. These interactions imply that reward-predicting cues often cause striatal projection neurons to receive a cascade of signals: an adaptively scaled DA burst, a brief acetylcholine (ACh) burst, and an ACh pause. A sensitivity analysis revealed a unique TAN response surface, which shows that DA inputs robustly cooperate with thalamic inputs to control cue-dependent pauses of ACh release, which strongly affects performance- and learning-related dynamics in the striatum.
Cation disorder in ringwoodite and its effects on wave speeds in the Earth's transition zone

[1] Inclusion of the effects of point defects on ringwoodite's elasticity helps reconcile mineralogical models of the transition zone with seismic observations of the impedance contrast at 520-km depth. This study uses density functional theory to calculate the disorder and its effects on the elasticity of Mg2SiO4-spinel (ringwoodite) in the Earth's transition zone. Spinel-structured Mg2SiO4, ringwoodite, also can contain significant amounts of thermally activated coupled point defects between Mg sites and Si sites. The energetics of Mg2SiO4-spinel, inverse spinel, and disordered structures show ∼4% Mg-Si disorder in the mantle's transition zone, where 100-K lateral temperature variations can cause approximately 1.2% change in disorder. Lateral temperature variations in the transition zone lead to wave speed changes because of the minerals' intrinsic temperature-related elasticity changes. Independent of temperature, 1% cation disorder causes an additional decrease in c11 and c44 of 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively. Since the structure and stability of the Mg2SiO4 polymorphs play a key role in the density and impedance contrasts across the boundaries in the Earth's transition zone, the effect of defects has to be taken into account.
Numerical Simulation of Heat Pipe-Assisted Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage Unit for Dish-Stirling Systems

A two-dimensional model is developed to simulate the transient response of a heat pipe-assisted latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) unit that is combined with dish-Stirling solar power generation systems. The unit consists of a container which houses a phase change material (PCM) and two sets of interlaced input and output heat pipes (HPs) embedded in the PCM. The LHTES unit is exposed to time-varying concentrated solar irradiance. A three-stage operating scenario is investigated that includes: (i) charging only, (ii) simultaneous charging and discharging, and (iii) discharging only. In general, it was found that the PCM damps the temporal variations of the input solar irradiance, and provides relatively smooth thermal power to the engine over a time period that can extend to after-sunset hours. Heat pipe spacing was identified as a key parameter to control the dynamic response of the unit. The system with the greatest (smallest) heat pipe spacing was found to have the greatest (smallest) temperature drops across the LHTES, as well as the maximum (minimum) amount of PCM melting and solidification. Exergy analyses were also performed, and it was found that the exergy efficiencies of all the systems considered were greater than 97%, with the maximum exergy efficiency associated with the system having the minimum heat pipe spacing.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The smallest Haken hyperbolic polyhedra

We determine the lowest volume hyperbolic Coxeter polyhedron whose corresponding hyperbolic polyhedral 3-orbifold contains an essential 2-suborbifold, up to a canonical decomposition along essential hyperbolic triangle 2-suborbifolds.
Kodaira dimension of fiber sums along spheres

In this note we discuss the effect of the symplectic sum along spheres in symplectic four-manifolds on the Kodaira dimension of the underlying symplectic manifold. We find that the Kodaira dimension is non-decreasing. Moreover, we are able to obtain precise results on the structure of the manifold obtained from the blow down of an embedded symplectic $$-4$$ -sphere.
Cobalt Porphyrin Catalyzed Reduction of CO2. Radiation Chemical, Photochemical, and Electrochemical Studies

Several cobalt porphyrins (CoP) have been reduced by radiation chemical, photochemical, and electrochemical methods, in aqueous and organic solvents. In aqueous solutions, the CoIP state is stable at high pH but is shorter lived in neutral and acidic solutions. Stable CoIP is also observed in organic solvents and is unreactive toward CO2. One-electron reduction of CoIP leads to formation of a species that is observed as a transient intermediate by pulse radiolysis in aqueous solutions and as a stable product following reduction by Na in tetrahydrofuran solutions. The spectrum of this species is not the characteristic spectrum of a metalloporphyrin π-radical anion and is ascribed to Co0P. This species binds and reduces CO2. Catalytic formation of CO and HCO2- is confirmed by photochemical experiments in acetonitrile solutions containing triethylamine as a reductive quencher. Catalytic reduction of CO2 is also confirmed by cyclic voltammetry in acetonitrile and butyronitrile solutions and is shown to occur ...
Painterly rendering with coherence for augmented reality

A seamless blending of the real and virtual worlds is key to increased immersion and improved user experiences for augmented reality (AR). Photorealistic and non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) are two ways to achieve this goal. Non-photorealistic rendering creates an abstract version of both the real and virtual world by stylization to make them indistinguishable. We presented a painterly rendering algorithm for AR applications. This algorithm paints composed AR video frames with bump-mapping curly brushstrokes. Tensor fields are created for each frame to define direction for brushstrokes. The anchor point of a brushstroke is tracked or warped from frame to frame. Brushstrokes are also reshaped to provide better temporal coherence. The major difference between our algorithm and existing NPR work in general graphics and AR/VR areas is we use feature points across composed AR video frames to maintain coherence in the rendering.
Multicomponent Synthesis of α-Branched Amides

α-Branched amides are prepared by multicomponent reactions in which nitriles undergo hydrozirconation to form metalloimines that react with acyl chlorides. The resulting acylimines react with a variety of π-nucleophiles in the presence of Lewis acids to form the desired amides.
Trade policy, export expansion, human capital and growth

This paper empirically investigates the impact of trade policy on export expansion and on GDP growth in developing countries while controlling for the human capital stock and the initial level of development. By using a simultaneous system estimation we unite the approach found in the export expansion and growth literature with the approach found in papers that estimate the effect of trade policy on growth, while also making several improvements in the estimation of the underlying relationships. The results obtained from our estimation are more credible because of these improvements and therefore have stronger policy implications. We find that outward-oriented trade policies substantially and significantly impact growth in developing countries not only by directly enhancing exports but also through a feedback (or multiplier) effect.
Development and efficiency of the banking sector in a transitional economy: Hungarian experience

Abstract The paper analyzes the experiences and developments of Hungarian banking sector during the transitional process from a centralized economy to a market-oriented system. The paper identifies that early reorganization initiatives, flexible approaches to privatization, and liberal policies towards foreign banks’ involvement with the domestic institutions helped to build a relatively stable and increasingly efficient banking system. Foreign banks and banks with higher foreign bank ownership involvement were associated with lower inefficiency.
Counting Dyck Paths by Area and Rank

The set of Dyck paths of length 2n inherits a lattice structure from a bijection with the set of noncrossing partitions with the usual partial order. In this paper, we study the joint distribution of two statistics for Dyck paths: area (the area under the path) and rank (the rank in the lattice). While area for Dyck paths has been studied, pairing it with this rank function seems new, and we get an interesting (q, t)-refinement of the Catalan numbers. We present two decompositions of the corresponding generating function: One refines an identity of Carlitz and Riordan; the other refines the notion of γ-nonnegativity, and is based on a decomposition of the lattice of noncrossing partitions due to Simion and Ullman. Further, Biane’s correspondence and a result of Stump allow us to conclude that the joint distribution of area and rank for Dyck paths equals the joint distribution of length and reflection length for the permutations lying below the n-cycle (12· · ·n) in the absolute order on the symmetric group.
Genome-wide localization of small molecules

A vast number of small-molecule ligands, including therapeutic drugs under development and in clinical use, elicit their effects by binding specific proteins associated with the genome. An ability to map the direct interactions of a chemical entity with chromatin genome-wide could provide new and important insights into chemical perturbation of cellular function. Here we describe a method that couples ligand-affinity capture and massively parallel DNA sequencing (Chem-seq) to identify the sites bound by small chemical molecules throughout the human genome. We show how Chem-seq can be combined with ChIP-seq to gain unique insights into the interaction of drugs with their target proteins throughout the genome of tumor cells. These methods provide a powerful approach to enhance understanding of therapeutic action and characterize the specificity of chemical entities that interact with DNA or genome-associated proteins.
Regulation with direct benefits of information disclosure and imperfect monitoring

Abstract We model the optimal design of programs requiring heterogeneous firms to disclose harmful emissions when disclosure yields both direct and indirect benefits. The indirect benefit arises from the internalization of social costs and resulting reduction in emissions. The direct benefit results from the disclosure of previously private information which is valuable to potentially harmed parties. Previous theoretical and empirical analyses of such programs restrict attention to the former benefit while the stated motivation for such programs highlights the latter benefit. When disclosure yields both direct and indirect benefits, policymakers face a tradeoff between inducing truthful self-reporting and deterring emissions. Internalizing the social costs of emissions, such as through an emissions tax, will deter emissions, but may also reduce incentives for firms to truthfully report their emissions.
Evaluation of a multigrid-based Navier-Stokes solver for aerothermodynamic computations

A multigrid acceleration technique developed for solving the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations is used for computing high Mach number flows over configurations of practical interest. An explicit multistage Runge-Kutta type of time-stepping scheme is used as the basic algorithm. Solutions are presented for a spherically blunted cone at Mach 10 and a modified shuttle orbiter at Mach 6. The computed surface heat-transfer distributions are shown to compare favorably with the experimental data. Effect of grid-refinement on computed heat-transfer distributions is also examined to assess the numerical accuracy of the computed solutions. The rapid convergence rate associated with multigrid schemes in previous applications at transonic speeds is observed at the higher Mach number flows investigated here.
Structure and vibrations of the vicinal copper (211) surface

We report a first-principles theoretical study of the surface relaxation and lattice dynamics of the $\mathrm{Cu}(211)$ surface using the plane-wave pseuodopotential method. We find large atomic relaxations for the first several atomic layers near the step edges on this surface, and a substantial step-induced renormalization of the surface harmonic force constants. We use the results to study the harmonic fluctuations around the equilibrium structure and identify three new step-derived features in the zone-center vibrational spectrum. Comparisons of these results with previous theoretical work and with experimental studies using inelastic He-atom scattering are reported.
A REFINED ESTIMATE OF THE IONIZING EMISSIVITY FROM GALAXIES AT z ≃ 3: SPECTROSCOPIC FOLLOW-UP IN THE SSA22a FIELD*

We investigate the contribution of star-forming galaxies to the ionizing background at z ~ 3, building on previous work based on narrowband (NB3640) imaging in the SSA22a field. We use new Keck/LRIS spectra of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) and narrowband-selected Lyα emitters (LAEs) to measure redshifts for 16 LBGs and 87 LAEs at z > 3.055, such that our NB3640 imaging probes the Lyman-continuum (LyC) region. When we include the existing set of spectroscopically confirmed LBGs, our total sample with z > 3.055 consists of 41 LBGs and 91 LAEs, of which 9 LBGs and 20 LAEs are detected in our NB3640 image. With our combined imaging and spectroscopic data sets, we critically investigate the origin of NB3640 emission for detected LBGs and LAEs. We remove from our samples three LBGs and three LAEs with spectroscopic evidence of contamination of their NB3640 flux by foreground galaxies and statistically model the effects of additional, unidentified foreground contaminants. The resulting contamination and LyC-detection rates, respectively, are 62% ± 13% and 8% ± 3% for our LBG sample, and 47% ± 10% and 12% ± 2% for our LAE sample. The corresponding ratios of non-ionizing UV to LyC flux density, corrected for intergalactic medium (IGM) attenuation, are 18.0^(+34.8)_(–7.4) for LBGs and 3.7^(+2.5)_(–1.1) for LAEs. We use these ratios to estimate the total contribution of star-forming galaxies to the ionizing background and the hydrogen photoionization rate in the IGM, finding values larger than, but consistent with, those measured in the Lyα forest. Finally, the measured UV to LyC flux-density ratios imply model-dependent LyC escape fractions of f^(LyC)_(esc) ~ 5%-7% for our LBG sample and f^(LyC)_(esc) ~ 10%-30% for our fainter LAE sample.
The Effect of Quantitative Materiality Approach on Auditors' Adjustment Decisions

Two alternative approaches are used in audit practice to provide quantitative materiality assessments about proposed audit adjustments. The cumulative approach compares to net income the total amount of misstatement existing at the end of the current period, while the current‐period approach compares to net income the amount of misstatement added in the current period. Depending on the relation between total misstatement and current‐period misstatement, either the cumulative approach or the current‐period approach can calculate higher quantitative materiality. This paper reports an experiment that varies materiality approach between auditors by providing auditors with either the current‐period or cumulative formats used by their firm to summarize proposed audit adjustments. Results indicate that, across a variety of experimental contexts (varying misstatement size, subjectivity, precision, and income effect, and varying whether auditors document effects on their client's quality of earnings), auditors are...
Solar neutrino decay

Abstract We re-examine the neutrino decay solution to the solar neutrino problem in light of the new data from GALLEX II and Kamiokande III. We compare the experimental data with the solar models of Bahcall and Pinsonneault and Turck-Chieze and find that neutrino decay is ruled out as a solution to the solar neutrino problem at better than the 98% CL even when solar model uncertainties are taken into account.
The buffer value of groundwater with stochastic surface water supplies

When utilized with a stochastic source of surface water for irrigation, groundwater may serve to mitigate fluctuations in the supply of water. The benefit corresponding to this service is the buffer value of groundwater. We show that the buffer value is positive. Numerical studies reveal that its magnitude can be significant. The paper also offers a characterization of groundwater extraction in such a setting.
Passivity and parametric robustness of a new class of adaptive systems

Abstract A recently proposed recursive design of adaptive controllers for minimum phase linear systems with known but arbitrary relative degree is presented from a passivity perspective and stability is deduced from the well-known links between passivity and Lyapunov stability. With adaptation switched off, the feedback system is linear and has an additional parametric robustness property.
Bandwidth theorem for random graphs

A graph G is said to have bandwidth at most b, if there exists a labeling of the vertices by 1,2,...,n, so that |i-j|=
Endocrine disorders and osteoporosis.

Endocrine disorders constitute the most frequent cause of secondary osteoporosis in men and women. Because endocrine diseases are common (e.g., diabetes mellitus, hyperparathyroidism, and hyperthyroidism), they should be considered in the differential diagnosis and management of osteopenia. The pathogenesis of hormone-induced bone loss involves several components of the bone remodeling cycle and in many cases is not fully elucidated. Identifying an underlying cause and correcting hypo- or hyperfunction of an endocrine gland, however, can often lead to an increase in bone mineral density. This review focuses on recent studies on hormonal disorders that affect the skeleton. In particular, diabetes mellitus, hyperparathyroidism, and hyperthyroidism are considered within the context of both accelerated bone loss and fracture risk.
A Modest Proposal: Privacy as a Flawed Rationale for the Exclusion of Gays and Lesbians from the U.S. Military

The justification for excluding acknowledged homosexuals from the U.S. military is the unit cohesion rationale, the notion that lifting the gay ban would undermine combat performance. As a growing body of evidence has challenged the plausibility of this argument, the ban’s supporters increasingly have justified exclusion by the preservation of heterosexual privacy in the barracks and showers. We argue that lifting the gay ban will not undermine heterosexual privacy. Heterosexual service members already shower with known homosexuals, and lifting the ban is unlikely to increase the number of open gays significantly. Few heterosexual service members are extremely uncomfortable around homosexuals, and discomfort that does exist will diminish after lifting the ban. Finally, same-sex sexual encounters would occur even if all homosexuals were eliminated from the military. We conclude that the ban itself enables systematic invasions of heterosexual privacy. Hence, experts who seek to protect heterosexual privacy should advocate its removal. Aaron Belkin and Melissa Sheridan Embser-Herbert Aaron Belkin is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Melissa Sheridan Embser-Herbert is Associate Professor of Sociology at Hamline University. We are very grateful to the Editors of International Security as well as two anonymous reviewers for extremely helpful and thoughtful reactions. In addition, we appreciate the feedback of Jeffery M. Cleghorn, Michael Clune, Christopher Dandeker, Lynn Eden, Robert Goldich, Gregory Herek, Danny Kaplan, Charles Moskos, C. Dixon Osburn, Stacey Sobel, John Allen Williams and panel participants and audience members at Boston College Law School, Tulane University Law School, the Commonwealth Club of California, and the 2001 meetings of the Inter-University Seminar in Baltimore. For excellent research support, we thank Danielle Brown, Andrea Ebreck, and Maya
Microlensing of Large Sources

We prove an approximate gravitational lensing theorem: the magnification of a source of uniform brightness by a foreground spherical lens is μ = 1 + π(2R - R)/A, where A is the area of the source and RE and RL are the Einstein radius and size of the lens projected into the source plane; this provides an accurate approximation to the exact magnification for R, R A. Remarkably, this result is independent of the shape of the source or position of the lens (except near the edges). We show that this formula can be generalized to include limb darkening of a circular source by simply inserting the surface brightness at the position of the foreground object (divided by the average surface brightness of the star). We also show that similar formulae apply for a point-mass lens contained in a shear field and mass sheet and for an ensemble of point masses, as long as the Einstein radii are much smaller than the source size. This theorem can be used to compute transit or microlensing light curves for which the foreground star or planet has a size and Einstein radius much smaller than the background star.
Techniques for avoiding discrimination errors in the dynamic sampling of condensable vapors

In the mass spectrometric sampling of dynamic systems, measurements of the relative concentrations of condensable and noncondensable vapors can be significantly distorted if some subtle, but important, instrumental factors are overlooked. Even with in situ measurements, the condensables are readily lost to the container walls, and the noncondensables can persist within the vacuum chamber and yield a disproportionately high output signal. Where single pulses of vapor are sampled this source of error is avoided by gating either the mass spectrometer ""on'' or the data acquisition instrumentation ""on'' only during the very brief time-window when the initial vapor cloud emanating directly from the vapor source passes through the ionizer. Instrumentation for these techniques is detailed and its effectiveness is demonstrated by comparing gated and nongated spectra obtained from the pulsed-laser vaporization of several materials.
A highly sensitive fluorogenic probe for cytochrome P450 activity in live cells

Abstract A derivative of rhodamine 110 has been designed and assessed as a probe for cytochrome P450 activity. This probe is the first to utilize a ‘trimethyl lock’ that is triggered by cleavage of an ether bond. In vitro, fluorescence was manifested by the CYP1A1 isozyme with k cat / K M = 8.8 × 10 3 M −1 s −1 and K M = 0.09 μM. In cellulo, the probe revealed the induction of cytochrome P450 activity by the carcinogen 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin, and its repression by the chemoprotectant resveratrol.
Deformation of striped patterns by inhomogeneities

We study the effects of adding a local perturbation in a pattern-forming system, taking as an example the Ginzburg–Landau equation with a small localized inhomogeneity in two dimensions. Measuring the response through the linearization at a periodic pattern, one finds an unbounded linear operator that is not Fredholm due to continuous spectrum in typical translation invariant or weighted spaces. We show that Kondratiev spaces, which encode algebraic localization that increases with each derivative, provide an effective means to circumvent this difficulty. We establish Fredholm properties in such spaces and use the result to construct deformed periodic patterns using the Implicit Function Theorem. We find a logarithmic phase correction, which vanishes for a particular spatial shift only, which we interpret as a phase-selection mechanism through the inhomogeneity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Urban growth boundaries: An effective second-best remedy for unpriced traffic congestion? ☆

Abstract This paper evaluates the efficacy of the urban growth boundary (UGB) as a second-best substitute for a first-best toll regime in a congested city. Numerical results show that, while a UGB is welfare-improving, validating previous theoretical results, the utility gain it generates is a very small fraction of that achieved under a toll regime. Thus, the paper suggests that a UGB may not be a useful instrument for attacking the distortions caused by unpriced traffic congestion.
Large-scale structure shocks at low and high redshifts

Cosmological simulations show that, at the present time, a substantial fraction of the gas in the intergalactic medium (IGM) has been shock heated to T 105 K. Here we develop an analytic model to describe the fraction of shocked, moderately overdense gas in the IGM. The model is an extension of the Press & Schechter description for the mass function of halos: we assume that large-scale structure shocks occur at a fixed overdensity during nonlinear collapse. This in turn allows us to compute the fraction of gas at a given redshift that has been shock heated to a specified temperature. We show that if strong shocks occur at turnaround, our model provides a reasonable description of the temperature distribution seen in cosmological simulations at z ~ 0, although it does overestimate the importance of weak shocks. We then apply our model to shocks at high redshifts. We show that before reionization, the thermal energy of the IGM is dominated by large-scale structure shocks (rather than virialized objects). These shocks can have a variety of effects, including stripping 10% of the gas from dark matter minihalos, accelerating cosmic rays, and creating a diffuse radiation background from inverse Compton and cooling radiation. This radiation background develops before the first stars form and could have measurable effects on molecular hydrogen formation and the spin temperature of the 21 cm transition of neutral hydrogen. Finally, we show that shock heating will also be directly detectable by redshifted 21 cm measurements of the neutral IGM in the young universe.
Methodologies for improving Flight Project information Capture, Storage, and Dissemination

As the complexity of Flight Projects continues to grow, the management of information has become the underpinning of effective organizational communication. Documentation is the preferred method for capturing and disseminating information in organizations and at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), there are a series of documents called Gate Products that each Flight Project is required to generate. The goal of these documents is to capture the requirements, concepts, design, and testing plan for a given project such that it is reviewable and can easily be shared across the project. The process for generating these documents on Flight Projects, however, is typically done through a series of informal inquires for older versions of a needed document which is then updated with project specific information. This can present a number of problems which can increase overall cost and risk to the project.
Phase diagram of the dissipative Hofstadter model

Abstract A quantum particle moving in a uniform magnetic field and periodic potential (the Hofstadter model) has an energy band structure which varies in a discontinuous fashion as a function of the magnetic flux per lattice unit cell. In a real system, randomness of various kinds should “smooth out” this behavior in some way. To explore how this happens, we have studied the dissipative quantum mechanics of the Hofstadter model. We find, by virtue of a duality in a two-dimensional space parametrized by the dissipation constant and the magnetic field strength, that there are an infinite number of phase transition lines, whose density grows without limit as the dissipation goes to zero and the model reduces to the original Hofstadter model. The measurable quantity of greatest interest, the mobility, can be determined exactly in most of parameter space. The critical theory on the phase transition lines has yet to be characterized in any detail, but it has reparametrization invariance and defines a set of nontrivial backgrounds for open string theory.
Deep learning for detecting robotic grasps

We consider the problem of detecting robotic grasps in an RGB-D view of a scene containing objects. In this work, we apply a deep learning approach to solve this problem, which avoids time-consuming hand-design of features. This presents two main challenges. First, we need to evaluate a huge number of candidate grasps. In order to make detection fast and robust, we present a two-step cascaded system with two deep networks, where the top detections from the first are re-evaluated by the second. The first network has fewer features, is faster to run, and can effectively prune out unlikely candidate grasps. The second, with more features, is slower but has to run only on the top few detections. Second, we need to handle multimodal inputs effectively, for which we present a method that applies structured regularization on the weights based on multimodal group regularization. We show that our method improves performance on an RGBD robotic grasping dataset, and can be used to successfully execute grasps on two different robotic platforms.
Everything you've always wanted to know about an ultrashort pulse but thought was immeasurable

We describe two techniques for measuring the complete spatio-temporal intensity and phase, E(x,y,z,t) , of an ultrashort pulse. The first technique is an experimentally simple and high-spectral resolution version of spectral interferometry, which uses fiber optics to introduce the pulse that is to be characterized into the device. By scanning the fiber around the focus, this device can be used to measure the spatio-temporal field of a focusing ultrashort pulse. We illustrate this technique by measuring the spatio-temporal filed for several different focused pulses. The other technique measures the complete spatio-temporal field of a pulse using a very simple experimental setup. While this technique will not work at the focus, it is single shot and requires only a single camera frame to reconstruct the complete filed versus space and time. This technique involves measuring multiple holograms, each at a different wavelength, and all in a single camera frame. To test this technique we show that it can accurately measure the spectral phase. We also illustrate this technique by measuring, E(x,y,t) of a single laser pulse.
Decidability and Expressiveness for First-Order Logics of Probability

We consider decidability and expressiveness issues for two first-order logics of probability. In one, the probability is on possible worlds, while in the other, it is on the domain. It turns out that in both cases it takes very little to make reasoning about probability highly undecidable. We show that when the probability is on the domain, if the language contains only unary predicates then the validity problem is decidable. However, if the language contains even one binary predicate, the validity problem is ?21 complete, as hard as elementary analysis with free predicate and function symbols. With equality in the language, even with no other symbol, the validity problem is at least as hard as that for elementary analysis, ?1∞ hard. Thus, the logic cannot be axiomatized in either case. When we put the probability on the set of possible worlds, the validity problem is ?21 complete with as little as one unary predicate in the language, even without equality. With equality, we get ?1∞ hardness with only a constant symbol. We then turn our attention to an analysis of what causes this overwhelming complexity. For example, we show that if we require rational probabilities then we drop from ?21 to ?11. In many contexts it suffices to restrict attention to domains of bounded size; fortunately, the logics are decidable in this case. Finally, we show that, although the two logics capture quite different intuitions about probability, there is a precise sense in which they are equi-expressive.
Linear Independence of a Finite Set of Dilations by a One-parameter Matrix Lie Group

Let G = {etA : t ∈ R} be a closed one-parameter subgroup of the general linear group of matrices of order n acting on Rn by matrix-vector multiplication. We assume that all eigenvalues of A are rationally related. We study conditions for which the set { f ( et1A· ) , · · · , f ( etmA· )} is linearly dependent in Lp (Rn) with 1 ≤ p <∞. AMS Subject Classification: 39B52
The Challenges of Ensuring Protection to Unaccompanied and Separated Children in Composite Flows in Europe

To identify and ensure the protection of persons in need of international protection in the context of composite flows of people is one of the major challenges facing Governments in Europe today. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cooperates closely with national authorities throughout Europe, in particular in the Mediterranean region, in designing comprehensive strategies within multilateral and bilateral frameworks aimed at identifying those in need of protection, as well as, developing practical mechanisms and burden-sharing arrangements to ensure protection. Unaccompanied and separated children seeking asylum represent one of the most vulnerable categories of people in mixed movements. They tend to be neglected when strategies are adopted to address this problem. In the last couple of years, disturbing reports have been released by human rights organizations on the hazards facing children who are smuggled or trafficked to Europe, who endure deplorable living conditions upon arrival and often do not have access to asylum or migration procedures or simply disappear. The purpose of this article is to outline the legal obligations of states to protect this category of children in accordance with international and European standards and to propose how child-sensitive migration management systems could be designed to accord this group an adequate level of protection.
Isotope effect for cation diffusion in CoO

The simultaneous diffusion of /sup 55/Co and /sup 60/Co has been measured in CoO as a function of equilibrium oxygen pressure in the range 10/sup -9/ < P/sub O/sub 2// < 1 atm at 1200/sup 0/C. The scope of the log D/sub Co/* vs log P/sub O/sub 2// plot changes from a value of about 1/4 at high P/sub O/sub 2// to about 1/5 at low P/sub O/sub 2// in agreement with the extensive measurements of Dieckmann. The isotope effect is independent of P/sub O/sub 2//, which suggests that diffusion by defect clusters, interstitial Co ions and impurity-induced defects is not important in the present measurements. Conductivity diffusion, stoichiometry, and isotope-effect results are consistent with diffusion by neutral, singly charged, and doubly charged vacancies; the relative contributions from the various vacancies varies with P/sub O/sub 2//.
Primary steps in the photolysis of cis‐1,2‐dichloroethylene

The photolysis of cis-1,2-dichloroethylene has been investigated in the presence of I2 as a function of incident wavelength and as a function of initial cis pressure. The results indicate that at ± > 2200A the following primary processes occur: The lifetime of the excited state yielding the above products is estimated at about 2.4×10−9 sec. At shorter wavelengths additional C2H2 is produced by decomposition of a vibrationally excited C2H2Cl radical. Scavenging of the CHClCH radical by I2 produced trans and cis-CHClCHl in a ratio of 4 to 1, respectively.
MAGNETIC BODY FORCE

We have studied magnetic force on sperical magnetic fluid samples with a wide range of concentrations by pendulum method. The results demonstrate good agreement with Kelvin body force and show that other force expressions clearly deviate from experimental data for large sussceptibility values.
Dynamic Salience with Intermittent Billing: Evidence from Smart Electricity Meters

Abstract Digital tracking and the proliferation of automated payments have made intermittent billing more commonplace, and the frequency at which consumers receive price, quantity, or total expenditure signals may distort their choices. While this category of goods has expanded from household utilities, toll road access and software downloads to standard consumption goods paid by credit card or other “bill-me-later”-type systems, we know surprisingly little about how these payment patterns affect decisions. This paper exploits hourly household electricity consumption data collected by “smart” electricity meters to examine dynamic consumer behavior under intermittent expenditure signals. Households reduce consumption by 0.6–1% following receipt of an electricity bill, but the response varies considerably by household type and season. Our results also suggest that spending “reminders” can reduce peak demand, particularly during summer months. We discuss the implications for energy policy when intermittent billing combined with inattention induces consumption cycles.
A Constitutive Equation for Magnetorheological Fluid Characterization

A microstructural model of the motion of particle pairs in MR fluids is proposed that accounts for both hydrodynamic and magnetic field forces. A fluid constitutive equation is derived, from the model that allows the prediction of velocity and particle structure fields. The analysis is similar to that of bead-spring models of polymeric liquids with replacement of the elastic connector force by a magnetic force. Results for simple shear flow are presented for the case when the two particles remain in close contact so they are hydrodynamically equivalent to an ellipsoid with an aspect ratio of two and only the component of the magnetic force normal to the connecting vector between the centers of the two particles affects motion. The model predicts oscillatory motion of the particle pairs at low magnetic fields. The fluid reaches a steady state at high magnetic fields. The time required to reach the steady state for a given shear rate reduces significantly as the field increases.
The Spectroscopic Detectability of Argon in the Lunar Atmosphere

Direct measurements of the abundance of argon in the lunar atmosphere were made in 1973 by instruments placed on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission, but the total daytime abundance is unknown because of instrument saturation effects; thus, until we are able to return to the Moon for improved direct measurements, we must use remote sensing to establish the daytime abundance. In this Letter, we present a complete analysis of the potential for measuring argon in the lunar atmosphere via emission-line or absorption-line observations. We come to the surprising conclusion that the lower limit established by the in situ lunar argon measurements implies that any absorption-line measurement of argon in the lower, dayside lunar atmosphere requires analysis in the optically thick regime. In light of this result, we present the results of our extreme-ultraviolet spectrograph sounding rocket observations of the lunar occultation of Spica, which provide a new upper limit on the abundance of argon in the daytime lunar atmosphere. We also reanalyze a recently reported weak detection by the ORFEUS satellite of lunar atmospheric Ar I λ1048 in emission and show that those data are inconsistent with the emission being due to argon over a wide range of temperatures (up to at least 2000 K). This result is primarily due to our use of a more complete curve-of-growth analysis and improved values for the argon fluorescent emission rates from radiation and solar wind interactions. We find that the detection reported by ORFEUS would imply an argon surface density significantly greater than the total surface density of the lunar atmosphere for argon accommodated to typical daytime surface temperatures (~400 K) and also is inconsistent with a high-density transient event. Therefore, we conclude that the reported argon detection is untenable.
Fuzzy systems as universal approximators

An additive fuzzy system can uniformly approximate any real continuous function on a compact domain to any degree of accuracy. An additive fuzzy system approximates the function by covering its graph with fuzzy patches in the input-output state space and averaging patches that overlap. The fuzzy system computes a conditional expectation E|Y|X| if we view the fuzzy sets as random sets. Each fuzzy rule defines a fuzzy patch and connects commonsense knowledge with state-space geometry. Neural or statistical clustering systems can approximate the unknown fuzzy patches from training data. These adaptive fuzzy systems approximate a function at two levels. At the local level the neural system approximates and tunes the fuzzy rules. At the global level the rules or patches approximate the function. >
The Number Density of Intermediate- and High-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei at z ~ 2-3

We use the combination of the 2 Ms Chandra X-ray image, new J and H band images, and the Spitzer IRAC and MIPS images of the Chandra Deep Field-North to obtain high spectroscopic and photometric redshift completeness of high and intermediate X-ray luminosity sources in the redshift interval z = 2-3. We measure the number densities of z = 2-3 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and broad-line AGNs in the rest-frame 2-8 keV luminosity intervals 1044-1045 and 1043-1044 ergs s-1 and compare these with previous lower redshift results. We confirm a decline in the number densities of intermediate-luminosity sources at z > 1. We also measure the number density of z = 2-3 AGNs in the luminosity interval 1043-1044.5 ergs s-1 and compare it with previous low- and high-redshift results. Again, we find a decline in the number densities at z > 1. In both cases, we can rule out the hypothesis that the number densities remain flat to z = 2-3 at above the 5 σ level.
Coarsening of fractal viscous fingering patterns.

We have measured the coarsening due to surface tension of radially grown fractal viscous fingering patterns. The patterns at late times depend on the structural form at the onset of coarsening, providing information on the age of the fractal. The coarsening process is not dynamically scale invariant, exhibiting two dynamic length scales that grow as ${L}_{1}(t)\ensuremath{\sim}{t}^{0.22\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02}$ and ${L}_{2}(t)\ensuremath{\sim}{t}^{0.31\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02}$. The measured exponents are in agreement with the results of recent numerical studies of diffusion-controlled coarsening of a diffusion-limited aggregation fractal [Lipshtat et al., Phys. Rev. E 65, 050501 (2002)].