cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulating the Pulling of Stalled Elongated Peptide from the Ribosome by the Translocon

The nature of the coupling between the stalling of the elongated nascent peptide chain in the ribosome and its insertion through the translocon is analyzed, focusing on the recently discovered biphasic force that overcomes the stalling barrier. The origin of this long-range coupling is explored by coarse-grained simulations that combine the translocon (TR) insertion profile and the effective chemical barrier for the extension of the nascent chain in the ribosome. Our simulation determined that the inserted H segment is unlikely to climb the TR barrier in parallel with the peptide synthesis chemical step and that the nascent chain should first overcome the chemical barriers and move into the ribosome-TR gap region before the insertion into the TR tunnel. Furthermore, the simulations indicate that the coupled TR-chemistry free energy profile accounts for the biphasic force. Apparently, although the overall elongation/insertion process can be depicted as a tug-of- war between the forces of the TR and the ribosome, it is actually a reflection of the combined free-energy landscape. Most importantly, the present study helps to relate the experimental observation of the biphasic force to crucial information about the elusive path and barriers of the TR insertion process.
The Bergman complex of a matroid and phylogenetic trees

We study the Bergman complex B(M) of a matroid M: a polyhedral complex which arises in algebraic geometry, but which we describe purely combinatorially. We prove that a natural subdivision of the Bergman complex of M is a geometric realization of the order complex of the proper part of its lattice of flats. In addition, we show that the Bergman fan B˜(Kn) of the graphical matroid of the complete graph Kn is homeomorphic to the space of phylogenetic trees Tn × R. This leads to a proof that the link of the origin in Tn is homeomorphic to the order complex of the proper part of the partition lattice Πn.
On nonperturbative exactness of Konishi anomaly and the Dijkgraaf-Vafa conjecture

In this paper we study the nonperturbative corrections to the generalized Konishi anomaly that come from the strong coupling dynamics of the gauge theory. We consider U(N) gauge theory with adjoint and Sp(N) or SO(N) gauge theory with symmetric or antisymmetric tensor. We study the algebra of chiral rotations of the matter field and show that it does not receive nonperturbative corrections. The algebra implies Wess-Zumino consistency conditions for the generalized Konishi anomaly which are used to show that the anomaly does not receive nonperturbative corrections for superpotentials of degree less than 2l+1 where 2l = 3c(Adj)−c(R) is the one-loop beta function coefficient. The superpotentials of higher degree can be nonperturbatively renormalized because of the ambiguities in the UV completion of the gauge theory. We discuss the implications for the Dijkgraaf-Vafa conjecture.
Hopf-Hochschild (co)homology of module algebras

We define a version of Hochschild homology and cohomology suitable for a class of algebras admitting compatible actions of bialgebras, called module algebras. We show that this (co)homology, called Hopf-Hochschild (co)homology, can also be defined as a derived functor on the category of representations of an equivariant analogue of the enveloping algebra of a crossed product algebra. We investigate the relationship of our theory with Hopf cyclic cohomology and also prove Morita invariance of the Hopf-Hochschild (co)homology.
A technique for computer-guided stereotaxis without preoperative head fixation

A CT-guided stereotactic method is described which uses a standard BRW frame for probe insertion but which does not require frame fixation to the skull during the localizing scan. The patient is instead scanned wearing three radiopaque scalp markers, and new software utilized to obtain BRW coordinates. Acceptable accuracy for targets greater than one centimeter in diameter was obtained in phantom trials and in three case reports. This technique may be helpful for stereotactic targets greater than one centimeter in diameter and when preoperative head fixation is not desirable or possible.
Magnetic monopoles in string theory

Abstract Magnetic monopole solutions to heterotic string theory are discussed in toroidal compactifications to four spacetime dimensions. Particular emphasis is placed on the relation to previously studied five-brane solutions in ten dimensions and on the possibility of constructing exact monopole solutions related to symmetric five-branes.
Weakly secure regenerating codes for distributed storage

We consider the problem of securing distributed storage systems (DSS) against an eavesdropper Eve that can observe any subset of nodes of bounded size. The goal is to construct a weakly secure DSS that leaks no meaningful information to Eve. More specifically, Eve should not be able to get any information about any individual data file or a small group of files. The key benefit of the weak security paradigm is that it incurs no loss in the storage capacity, which makes it practically appealing. In this paper, we present an explicit construction of a coset coding based outer code to weakly secure a Product-Matrix framework based Minimum Bandwidth Regenerating code (proposed by Rashmi et al.). The proposed scheme is weakly secure against an eavesdropper that can observe any single storage node, even when it has side-information about any g files. We show that the proposed construction has good security properties in terms of the amount of side-information g that Eve can possess, and it requires a small finite field size.
What Did You Do All Day?: Maternal Education and Child Outcomes

Female education levels are very low in many developing countries. Does maternal education have a causal impact on children's educational outcomes even at these very low levels of education? By combining a nationwide census of schools in Pakistan with household data, the authors use the availability of girls' schools in the mother's birth village as an instrument for maternal schooling to address this issue. Since public schools in Pakistan are segregated by gender, the instrument affects only maternal education rather than the education levels of both mothers and fathers. The analysis finds that children of mothers with some education spend 75 minutes more on educational activities at home compared with children whose mothers report no education at all. Mothers with some education also spend more time helping their children with school work; the effect is stronger (an extra 40 minutes per day) in families where the mother is likely the primary care-giver. Finally, test scores for children whose mothers have some education are higher in English, Urdu (the vernacular), and mathematics by 0.24-0.35 standard deviations. There is no relationship between maternal education and mothers time spent on paid work or housework - a posited channel through which education affects bargaining power within the household. And there is no relationship between maternal education and the mother's role in educational decisions or in the provision of other child-specific goods, such as expenditures on pocket money, uniforms, and tuition. The data therefore suggest that at these very low levels of education, maternal education does not substantially affect a mother's bargaining power within the household. Instead, maternal education could directly increase the mother's productivity or affect her preferences toward childrens education in a context where her bargaining power is low.
On the Fractal Dimension of Computer Programs and its Application to the Prediction of the Cache Miss Ratio

Fractals are complex, nonsmooth functions with simple recursive characterizations. Many complex phenomena resemble fractals, and may therefore be analyzable. Intuitively the repetition structures of a computer program should produce patterns of fractal behavior. This paper shows fractal characteristics of cache-miss and memory-reference patterns across four program traces. It should be interesting to those wanting a simple classification of program behavior; cache designers should use more exact methods, such as trace-driven simulation.
Cavity-containing, backbone-rigidified foldamers and macrocycles

This Feature Article gives an account for a host of readily available foldamers and macrocycles with well-defined shapes and non-deformable cavities that appeared over the last decade. Efforts to create porous molecular structures have led to the establishment of an effective strategy for enforcing the folding of unnatural aromatic oligoamide strands based on an especially robust three-center (bifurcated) hydrogen-bonding interaction. Based on such a strategy, aromatic oligoamides adopting crescent and helical conformations that contain non-collapsible cavities of tunable diameters have been created. Extending the same folding principle to the preparation of aromatic polyamides that would adopt pore-containing helical conformation instead led to the discovery of a highly efficient, one-pot macrocyclization process. Such a one-pot macrocyclization process has been successfully applied to the preparation of macrocycles with aromatic amide, hydrazide, urea and other backbones. Mechanistic study indicates that the high efficiencies observed for the formation of these macrocycles are due to the folding of the corresponding uncyclized oligomeric precursors of the corresponding macrocycles. Oligoamide macrocycles, along with their uncyclized, cavity-containing counterparts, i.e., crescent oligoamides, bind guests such as guanidinium (G) and octylguanidinium (OG) ions with tunable selectivity. Recent studies revealed that these rigid macrocycles tend to engage in extraordinarily strong, directional aggregation, leading to nanotubular assemblies containing pores of fixed sizes. Consistent with the presence of self-assembling nanopores, oligoamide macrocycles were found to assemble into transmembrane channels with high conductance.
Prediction of aircraft-propeller-induced, structure-borne interior noise

Coupled analytical and empirical structural-acoustic models of an aircraft fuselage and wing structure driven by propeller wake/vortex-induced loading are developed to predict structure-borne noise transmission into the aircraft cabin. Free-interface component coupling functions are used to couple the system components for structure-borne noise prediction. Predicted interior noise levels for the first two propeller tones are compared to laboratory-based test results to assess the predictive procedures. The results of the study indicate that accurate prediction of structure-borne noise transmission requires detail finite element modeling of wing panel motion.
A fast algorithm for ICP-based 3D shape biometrics

In a biometrics scenario, gallery images are enrolled into the database ahead of the matching step, which gives us the opportunity to build related data structures before the probe shape is examined. In this paper, we present a novel approach, called ''Pre-computed Voxel Nearest Neighbor'', to reduce the computational time for shape matching in a biometrics context. The approach shifts the heavy computation burden to the enrollment stage, which is done offline. Experiments in 3D ear biometrics with 369 subjects and 3D face biometrics with 219 subjects demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Inherited Control and Firm Performance

I use data from chief executive officer (CEO) successions to examine the impact of inherited control on firms' performance. I find that firms where incoming CEOs are related to the departing CEO, to a founder, or to a large shareholder by either blood or marriage underperform in terms of operating profitability and market-to-book ratios, relative to firms that promote unrelated CEOs. Consistent with wasteful nepotism, lower performance is prominent in firms that appoint family CEOs who did not attend "selective" undergraduate institutions. Overall, the evidence indicates that nepotism hurts performance by limiting the scope of labor market competition.
The surface science of heterogeneous catalysis

Abstract The development of a high pressure cell that can be incorporated into ultrahigh vacuum chambers permitted surface science studies of active catalysts. Model catalysts, usually single-crystal surfaces of ~1 cm2 surface area, can be used to study important catalytic reactions ranging from hydrocarbon conversion over platinum to ammonia synthesis over iron. The new concepts, or phenomena, uncovered by the surface science investigations of heterogeneous catalysis of these model systems include: (1) high reaction rates and strong bonding at defects and on rough surfaces; (2) adsorbate-induced restructuring of metal surfaces that control the reaction rates; (3) the presence of a strongly chemisorbed overlayer which covers much of the active metal surface; (4) the bonding and reaction rate modifying influence of coadsorbates; and (5) the unique activity of certain oxide-metal interfaces.
Directions of Decommodification: Gender and Generosity in 12 OECD Nations, 1980–2000

Although the decommodifying capacity of states (effort to provide a standard of living independent of the market) has been a key focus of welfare state research, its relevance for gender has been less clear. Given large scale changes in gender relations with growing economic, political, and familial equality I suggest the need to reevaluate decommodification from the perspective of gender. Results from descriptive and regression analyses reveal that gender influences are significantly linked to decommodification outcomes. Increases in women's employment and political representation and declining fertility are positively associated with decommodification. Most variation is between nations, yet, a consistent effect of women's labour force participation suggests its influence both within and across welfare states. Outcomes roughly correspond to accepted welfare typologies, and implications for future research on decommodification are discussed.
Employee stock options, EPS dilution, and stock repurchases

Abstract We investigate whether corporate executives’ stock repurchase decisions are affected by their incentives to manage diluted earning per share (EPS). We find that executives increase the level of their firms’ stock repurchases when: (1) the dilutive effect of outstanding employee stock options (ESOs) on diluted EPS increases, and (2) earnings are below the level required to achieve the desired rate of EPS growth. We also find that executives’ repurchase decisions are not associated with actual ESO exercises, suggesting that they are driven by incentives to manage diluted but not basic EPS, and strengthening our earnings management interpretation.
Higher order multipoles and splines in plasma simulations

Abstract The reduction of spatial grid effects in plasma simulations has been studied numerically using higher order multipole expansions and the spline method in one dimension. It is found that, while keeping the higher order moments such as quadrupole and octopole moments substantially reduces the grid effects, quadratic and cubic splines in general have better stability properties for numerical plasma simulations when the Debye length is much smaller than the grid size. In particular the spline method may be useful in three-dimensional simulations for plasma confinement where the grid size in the axial direction is much greater than the Debye length.
Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective α-Arylation and α-Vinylation of Oxindoles Facilitated by an Axially Chiral P-Stereogenic Ligand

The enantioselective α-arylation and α-vinylation of oxindoles catalyzed by Pd and a biarylmonophosphine ligand with both axial and phosphorus-based chirogenicity is reported. The resultant quaternary carbon stereocenters are formed in high enantiomeric excess, and the conditions tolerate a range of substitution on both the oxindole and the aryl/vinyl coupling partners.
On $p$-adic convergence of perturbative invariants of some rational homology spheres

R.~Lawrence has conjectured that for rational homology spheres, the series of Ohtsuki's invariants converges p-adicly to the SO(3) Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariant. We prove this conjecture for Seifert rational homology spheres. We also derive it for manifolds constructed by a surgery on a knot in S^3. Our derivation is based on a conjecture about the colored Jones polynomial that we have formulated in our previous paper. We also present numerical examples of p-adic convergence for some simple manifolds.
Uniqueness of warped product Einstein metrics and applications

We prove that complete warped product Einstein metrics with isometric bases, simply connected space form fibers, and the same Ricci curvature and dimension are isometric. In the compact case we also prove that the warping functions must be the same up to scaling, while in the non-compact case there are simple examples showing that the warping function is not unique. These results follow from a structure theorem for warped product Einstein spaces which is proven by applying the results in our earlier paper He et al. (Asian J Math 2011) to a vector space of virtual Einstein warping functions. We also use the structure theorem to study gap phenomena for the dimension of the space of warping functions and the isometry group of a warped product Einstein metric.
Adaptive Downsampling for High-Definition Video Coding

Previous research has shown that downsampling prior to encoding and upsampling after decoding can improve the rate-distortion (R-D) performance compared with directly coding the original video using standard technologies, e.g., JPEG and H.264/AVC, especially at low bit rates. This paper proposes a practical algorithm to find the optimal downsampling ratio that balances the distortions caused by downsampling and coding, thus achieving the overall optimal R-D performance. Given the optimal sampling ratio, dedicated filters for down- and upsampling are also designed. Simulations show this algorithm improves the R-D performance over a wide range of bit rates.
The Fiscal Impacts of College Attainment

This study quantifies one part of the return to U.S. public investment in college education, namely, the fiscal benefits associated with greater college attainment. College graduates pay much more taxes than those not going to college. Government expenditures are also much less for college graduates than for those without a college education. Indeed, over an average lifetime, total government spending per college degree is negative. That is, direct savings in post-college government expenditures (conservatively, about $85,000 per four-year-equivalent degree over an average lifetime) are greater than government expenditures on higher education (generously, about $74,500 per degree). Plus, the direct extra tax revenues from college graduates alone (roughly $471,000 per degree over a lifetime) are more than six times the gross government cost per college degree. The average real fiscal internal rate of return on government investment in college students is conservatively estimated to be 10.3%.
Expansion, geometry, and gravity

In general-relativistic cosmological models, the expansion history, matter content, and geometry are closely intertwined. In this brief paper, we clarify the distinction between the effects of geometry and expansion history on the luminosity distance. We show that the cubic correction to the Hubble law, measured recently with high-redshift supernovae, is the first cosmological measurement, apart from the cosmic microwave background, that probes directly the effects of spatial curvature. We illustrate the distinction between geometry and expansion with a toy model for which the supernova results already indicate a curvature radius larger than the Hubble distance.
Zero Spacing Distributions for Differenced L-Functions

The paper studies the local zero spacings of deformations of the Riemann ξ-function under certain averaging and differencing operations. For real h we consider the entire functions Ah(s) := 1 (ξ(s + h) + ξ(s − h)) and Bh(s) = 1 2i (ξ(s + h) − ξ(s − h)) . For |h| ≥ 1 2 the zeros of Ah(s) and Bh(s) all lie on the critical line ℜ(s) = 1 and are simple zeros. The number of zeros of these functions to height T has asymptotically the same density as the Riemann zeta zeros. For fixed |h| ≥ 1 the distribution of normalized zero spacings of these functions up to height T converge as T → ∞ to a limiting distribution, which consists of equal spacings of size 1. That is, these zeros are asymptotically regularly spaced. Assuming the Riemann hypothesis, the same properties hold for all nonzero h. In particular, these averaging and differencing operations destroy the (conjectured) GUE distribution of the zeros of the ξ-function, which should hold at h = 0. Analogous results hold for all completed Dirichlet L-functions ξχ(s) having χ a primitive character.
Warped universal extra dimensions

We consider a 5D warped scenario with a KK-parity symmetry, where the nontrivial warping arises from the dynamics that stabilizes the size of the extra dimension. Generically, the lightest Kaluza-Klein (KK) particle is the first excitation of the radion field, while the next-to-lightest Kaluza-Klein particle is either the first excitation of the (RH) top quark or the first KK-parity odd Higgs. All these masses are expected to be of order the electroweak scale. We present simple analytical expressions for the masses and wavefunctions of the lowest lying KK modes, and derive the Feynman rules necessary for phenomenological applications. The framework allows to interpolate between a strongly warped scenario a la Randall-Sundrum (RS), and a weakly warped scenario that shares properties of both RS and Universal Extra Dimensions models.
An efficient asymmetric synthesis of (3S)-3-amino-1-(4-cyanophenyl)-2-oxopyrrolidine hydrochloride salt

Abstract Reaction of 4-aminobenzonitrile with 2-bromo-4-chlorobutyryl bromide in the presence of sodium phosphate followed by treatment of the coupled product with sodium hydroxide followed by ammonium hydroxide in acetonitrile yielded the title compound as the racemic ( R )-(−)-mandelic acid salt in an overall yield of 64%. The title compound was then obtained with an ee >96% and in 78% yield after a dynamic resolution of the racemic salt in IPA using a catalytic amount of salicylaldehyde followed by salt exchange.
Signatures of Interstellar-Intracluster Medium Interactions: Spiral Galaxy Rotation Curves in Abell 2029

We investigate the rich cluster Abell 2029 (z ~ 0.08) using optical imaging and long-slit spectral observations of 52 disk galaxies distributed throughout the cluster field. No strong emission-line galaxies are present within ~400 kpc of the cluster center, a region largely dominated by the similarly shaped X-ray and low surface brightness optical envelopes centered on the giant cD galaxy. However, two-thirds of the galaxies observed outside the cluster core exhibit line emission. Hα rotation curves of 14 cluster members are used in conjunction with a deep I-band image to study the environmental dependence of the Tully-Fisher relation. The Tully-Fisher zero point of Abell 2029 matches that of clusters at lower redshifts, although we do observe a relatively larger scatter around the Tully-Fisher relation. We do not observe any systematic variation in the data with projected distance to the cluster center. We see no environmental dependence of Tully-Fisher residuals, R-I color, Hα equivalent width, or the shape and extent of the rotation curves.
Precision corrections to supersymmetric unification

We compute the full set of weak-scale gauge and Yukawa threshold corrections in the minimal supersymmetric standard model, including all finite (non-logarithmic) corrections, which we show to be important. We use our results to examine the effects of unification-scale threshold corrections in the minimal and missing-doublet SU(5) models. We work in the context of a unified mass spectrum, with scalar mass M0 and gaugino mass M12, and find that in minimal SU(5) with squark masses less than one TeV, successful gauge and Yukawa coupling unification requires M12 ⪡ M0 and M0 ⋍ 1 TeV. In contrast, we find that the missing-doublet model permits gauge and Yukawa unification for a wide range of supersymmetric masses.
Experimental investigation of unsteady fan flow interaction with downstream struts

In the present study of the unsteady pressure field produced on fan rotor blades by interaction with downstream struts, a single stage, low speed axial-flow fan was instrumented with blade-mounted high frequency pressure transducers. In addition, stationary pressure problems were used to map out the flowfield. Fluctuating pressure measurements are presented for blade midspan and 85-percent span on both the suction and pressure surfaces of the rotor blades at several positions of the downstream struts, and for two different flow coefficients. The strut is found to produce an effect on the unsteady pressure field on the rotor blades; this effect exceeds that due to the stator at design rotor-stator-strut spacing, but it rapidly declines as the struts are moved downstream.
Ballgown bridges the gap between transcriptome assembly and expression analysis.

We have built a statistical package called Ballgown for estimating differential expression of genes, transcripts, or exons from RNA sequencing experiments. Ballgown is designed to work with the popular Cufflinks transcript assembly software and uses well-motivated statistical methods to provide estimates of changes in expression. It permits statistical analysis at the transcript level for a wide variety of experimental designs, allows adjustment for confounders, and handles studies with continuous covariates. Ballgown provides improved statistical significance estimates as compared to the Cuffdiff differential expression tool included with Cufflinks. We demonstrate the flexibility of the Ballgown package by re-analyzing 667 samples from the GEUVADIS study to identify transcript-level eQTLs and identify non-linear artifacts in transcript data. Our package is freely available from: https://github.com/alyssafrazee/ballgown
Time to absorption in discounted reinforcement models

Reinforcement schemes are a class of non-Markovian stochastic processes. Their non-Markovian nature allows them to model some kind of memory of the past. One subclass of such models are those in which the past is exponentially discounted or forgotten. Often, models in this subclass have the property of becoming trapped with probability 1 in some degenerate state. While previous work has concentrated on such limit results, we concentrate here on a contrary effect, namely that the time to become trapped may increase exponentially in 1/x as the discount rate, 1−x, approaches 1. As a result, the time to become trapped may easily exceed the lifetime of the simulation or of the physical data being modeled. In such a case, the quasi-stationary behavior is more germane. We apply our results to a model of social network formation based on ternary (three-person) interactions with uniform positive reinforcement.
Permeability enhancement using explosive techniques

A problem common to all in situ georesource recovery techniques is creation or enhancement of permeability within the bed to allow a uniform and predictable flow of fluid. A new branch of rock mechanics, devoted to computer prediction of fracture patterns, void distributions, particle size distributions, and path permeabilities resulting from explosive loading, has developed in response to these needs. The method requires step-wise solution of the non-linear equations of compressible flow, with the initial and boundary conditions defined by the detonation properties of the explosive, and the material wave propagation and dynamic fracture constitutive relations determined by high strain rate mechanical tests of the resource bed material. Large-scale field tests are necessary to establish confidence in the results, but once this has been attained the codes may be used as a predictive tool on a production basis. This new branch of rock mechanics is developing and expanding rapidly, and is proving a useful tool as guidance for technical and economic optimization of explosive technology.
The Synthesis and Chelation Chemistry of DOTA−Peptide Conjugates

Metal complexes of DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid)-peptide conjugates are increasingly used as targeted imaging and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals and MRI contrast agents. This review covers the bifunctional derivatives of DOTA, the solution and solid-phase synthesis of DOTA-peptide conjugates, their coordination and chelation chemistry, and the biomedical applications of various DOTA-peptide conjugate metal complexes.
Domestic support and the WTO negotiations

In their attempt to maximise trade benefits, agricultural trade negotiators must allocate scarce resources and consider trade-offs across issues such as liberalising foreign border measures or reducing foreign domestic subsidies. Analysis and examples support the notion that more liberalisation will be achieved in the new WTO round by emphasis on lowering border barriers and export subsidies rather than attempting to discipline domestic farm subsidies directly. Analyses of EU grain policy, Korean rice policy and US sugar policy show how reduced export subsidy or more import access have substantial trade benefits, even if farmers are compensated with payments or price supports.
Local variable scoping and Kleene algebra with tests

Abstract We explore the power of relational semantics and equational reasoning in the style of Kleene algebra for analyzing programs with mutable, statically scoped local variables. We provide (i) a fully compositional relational semantics for a first-order programming language with constructs for local variable declaration and destructive update; and (ii) an equational proof system based on Kleene algebra with tests for proving the equivalence of programs in this language. We show that the proof system is sound and complete relative to the underlying equational theory without local variables. We illustrate the use of the system with several examples.
Scientific computing on the Itanium® processor

The 64-bit Intel® Itanium® architecture is designed for high-performance scientific and enterprise computing, and the Itanium processor is its first silicon implementation. Features such as extensive arithmetic support, predication, speculation, and explicit parallelism can be used to provide a sound infrastructure for supercomputing. A large number of high-performance computer companies are offering Itanium® -based systems, some capable of peak performance exceeding 50 GFLOPS. In this paper we give an overview of the most relevant architectural features and provide illustrations of how these features are used in both low-level and high-level support for scientific and engineering computing, including transcendental functions and linear algebra kernels.
Perverse cohomology and the vanishing index theorem

Abstract The characteristic cycle of a complex of sheaves on a complex analytic space provides weak information about the complex; essentially, it yields the Euler characteristics of the hypercohomology of normal data to strata. We show how perverse cohomology actually allows one to extract the individual Betti numbers of the hypercohomology of normal data to strata, not merely the Euler characteristics. We apply this to the “calculation” of the vanishing cycles of a complex, and relate this to the work of Parusinski and Briancon, Maisonobe, and Merle on Thom's a f condition.
Indolinyl-Thiazole Based Inhibitors of Scavenger Receptor-BI (SR-BI)-Mediated Lipid Transport

A potent class of indolinyl-thiazole based inhibitors of cellular lipid uptake mediated by scavenger receptor, class B, type I (SR-BI) was identified via a high-throughput screen of the National Institutes of Health Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository (NIH MLSMR) in an assay measuring the uptake of the fluorescent lipid DiI from HDL particles. This class of compounds is represented by ML278 (17-11), a potent (average IC50 = 6 nM) and reversible inhibitor of lipid uptake via SR-BI. ML278 is a plasma-stable, noncytotoxic probe that exhibits moderate metabolic stability, thus displaying improved properties for in vitro and in vivo studies. Strikingly, ML278 and previously described inhibitors of lipid transport share the property of increasing the binding of HDL to SR-BI, rather than blocking it, suggesting there may be similarities in their mechanisms of action.
Learning Probabilistic Systems from Tree Samples

We consider the problem of learning a non-deterministic probabilistic system consistent with a given finite set of positive and negative tree samples. Consistency is defined with respect to strong simulation conformance. We propose learning algorithms that use traditional and a new stochastic state-space partitioning, the latter resulting in the minimum number of states. We then use them to solve the problem of active learning, that uses a knowledgeable teacher to generate samples as counterexamples to simulation equivalence queries. We show that the problem is undecidable in general, but that it becomes decidable under a suitable condition on the teacher which comes naturally from the way samples are generated from failed simulation checks. The latter problem is shown to be undecidable if we impose an additional condition on the learner to always conjecture a minimum state hypothesis. We therefore propose a semi-algorithm using stochastic partitions. Finally, we apply the proposed (semi-) algorithms to infer intermediate assumptions in an automated assume-guarantee verification framework for probabilistic systems.
Proper Scoring Rules for General Decision Models

If a decision maker whose behavior conforms to the max-min expected utility model is faced with a scoring rule for a subjective expected utility decision maker, she will always announce a probability belonging to her set of priors; moreover, for any prior in the set, there is a scoring rule inducing the agent to announce that prior. We also show that on the domain of Choquet expected utility preferences with risk neutral lottery evaluation and totally monotone capacities, proper scoring rules do not exist. This implies the non-existence of proper scoring rules for any larger class of preferences (CEU with convex capacities, multiple priors).
Mask Similarity Impacts Short-term Consolidation in Visual Working Memory

Short-term consolidation is the process by which perceptual representations are stabilized into visual working memory (VWM) representations to prevent interference from subsequent visual input. The present article reports how short-term consolidation is affected by the similarity of the subsequent visual items (i.e., visual masks) by using a color change detection task. In the task, masks were either similar or dissimilar to the memory stimuli and were displayed at varying intervals following the memory array. The similar masks were made up of the same colored squares as the to-be-remembered stimuli, whereas the dissimilar masks were black-and-white grids. The results showed more interference from similar than from dissimilar masks: Similar masks required more time to consolidate and elicited lower overall performance than did dissimilar masks. These results suggest that a simple overwriting process cannot fully account for the impact of mask type on short-term consolidation performance and that other cognitive mechanisms are involved (e.g., controlled attention).
Television, walking, and diet: associations with postpartum weight retention.

Background For many women, pregnancy begets long-term weight gain. Modifiable behaviors that contribute to postpartum weight retention have not been well studied. Methods Prospective cohort study of 902 women enrolled in Project Viva, examining associations of postpartum television viewing, walking, and trans fat intake with weight retention equal to or greater than 5 kg at 12 months postpartum. Data were collected in 1999–2003 and analyzed in 2005–2006. Results At 6 months postpartum, women reported a mean (SD) of 1.7 (1.3) hours of television viewing, 0.7 (0.7) hours of walking, and 1.1% (0.5) of energy intake from trans fat per day. At 1 year, participants retained a mean of 0.6 kg (range: −17.3 to 25.5), and 12% retained at least 5 kg. In multivariate logistic regression models, adjusting for maternal sociodemographics, parity, prepregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, breastfeeding, and smoking, the odds ratio of retaining at least 5 kg was 1.24 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06–1.46) per daily hour of television viewing, 0.66 (95% CI: 0.46–0.94) per daily hour of walking, and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.09–1.62) per 0.5% increment in daily energy intake from trans fat. Women who watched less than 2 hours of television, walked at least 30 minutes, and consumed trans fat below the median had an odds ratio of 0.23 (95% CI: 0.08–0.66) of retaining at least 5 kg. Conclusions Postpartum television viewing, walking, and trans fat intake were associated with weight retention. Interventions to modify these behaviors may help reduce excess postpartum weight gain and prevent obesity among women.
Modular forms and special cubic fourfolds

Abstract We study the degrees of special cubic divisors on moduli space of cubic fourfolds with at worst ADE singularities. In this paper, we show that the generating series of the degrees of such divisors is a level three modular form.
The 2005 Neyman Lecture: Dynamic Indeterminism in Science.

Jerzy Neyman's life history and some of his contributions to applied statistics are reviewed. In a 1960 article he wrote: "Currently in the period of dynamic indeterminism in science, there is hardly a serious piece of research which, if treated realistically, does not involve operations on stochastic processes. The time has arrived for the theory of stochastic processes to become an item of usual equipment of every applied statistician." The emphasis in this article is on stochastic processes and on stochastic process data analysis. A number of data sets and corresponding substantive questions are addressed. The data sets concern sardine depletion, blowfly dynamics, weather modification, elk movement and seal journeying. Three of the examples are from Neyman's work and four from the author's joint work with collaborators.
Efficient parallel algorithms and VLSI architectures for manipulator Jacobian computation

The real-time computation of the Jacobian that relates the manipulator joint velocities to the linear and angular velocities of the manipulator end-effector is pursued. Since the Jacobian can be expressed in the form of a first-order linear recurrence, the time lower bound for computing the Jacobian can be proved to be of order O(N) on uniprocessor computers and of order O(log/sub 2/ N) on both single-instruction-stream-multiple-data-stream (SIMD) and VLSI pipelined parallel processors, where N is the number of links of the manipulator. To achieve the lower bound, the authors developed a generalized-k method for uniprocessor computers, a parallel forward and backward recursive doubling algorithm (PFABRD) for SIMD computers, and a parallel systolic architecture for VLSI pipelines. All the methods are capable of computing the Jacobian at any desired reference coordinate frame k from the base coordinate frame to the end-effector coordinate frame. The computational effort in terms of floating-point operations is minimal when k is in the range (4,N-3) for the generalized-k method, and k=(N+1)/2 for both the PFABRD algorithm and the parallel pipeline. >
Principal Components and Independent Component Analysis of Solar and Space Data

Principal components analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA) are used to identify global patterns in solar and space data. PCA seeks orthogonal modes of the two-point correlation matrix constructed from a data set. It permits the identification of structures that remain coherent and correlated or that recur throughout a time series. ICA seeks for maximally independent modes and takes into account all order correlations of the data. We apply PCA to the interplanetary magnetic field polarity near 1 AU and to the 3.25R ⊙ source-surface fields in the solar corona. The rotations of the two-sector structures of these systems vary together to high accuracy during the active interval of solar cycle 23. We then use PCA and ICA to hunt for preferred longitudes in northern hemisphere Carrington maps of magnetic fields.
IRF-4 Suppresses BCR/ABL Transformation of Myeloid Cells in a DNA Binding-independent Manner

Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF-4) is essential for B and T cell development and immune response regulation, and has both nuclear and cytoplasmic functions. IRF-4 was originally identified as a proto-oncogene resulting from a t(6;14) chromosomal translocation in multiple myeloma and its expression was shown to be essential for multiple myeloma cell survival. However, we have previously shown that IRF-4 functions as a tumor suppressor in the myeloid lineage and in early stages of B cell development. In this study, we found that IRF-4 suppresses BCR/ABL transformation of myeloid cells. To gain insight into the molecular pathways that mediate IRF-4 tumor suppressor function, we performed a structure-function analysis of IRF-4 as a suppressor of BCR/ABL transformation. We found that the DNA binding domain deletion mutant of IRF-4, which is localized only in the cytoplasm, is still able to inhibit BCR/ABL transformation of myeloid cells. IRF-4 also functions as a tumor suppressor in bone marrow cells deficient in MyD88, an IRF-4-interacting protein found in the cytoplasm. However, IRF-4 tumor suppressor activity is lost in IRF association domain (IAD) deletion mutants. These results demonstrate that IRF-4 suppresses BCR/ABL transformation by a novel cytoplasmic function involving its IAD domain.
Chemical Differentiation of the Central Nervous System in Invertebrates.

prove to be more sensitive to explosive shocks than those without swimbladders, and experiments showed that a half stick of dynamite may be exploded within 3 feet of a small shark, which has no swim-bladder, without producing any apparent injury. This also applies to a lesser degree to such teleosts as lack swim-bladders. Dr. S. C. Ball kindly dissected some of the fishes with swim-bladders which had been killed by the explosions, and found that the swim-bladder had burst, and the tissues were crushed in around it, often breaking the vertebral column of the fish. Moreover, Prof. W. H. Longley, who has had much experience in the use of dynamite, tells me that echinoderms, and crustacea, if not mechanically torn apart, show no apparent ill effects but however move away from the site of the explosion. It appears, then, that the nervous system of these lower forms is extraordinarily insensitive to shock due to explosion of dynamite, and that the injurious effects of the explosion if present are due to mechanical lacerations of tissues and especially the crushing inward of air-filled cavities. It seems possible, therefore, that the cavities of the middle ear and eustachean tubes may be a source of danger to men standing near exploding shells. It has been suggested that the sudden reduction in atmospheric pressure in the close proximity of an exploding shell might set free dissolved gases in the blood and elsewhere, thus vacuolating the tissues and producing pressure and other effects upon the nerves; but our experiments with pulsating rings of Cassiopea seem to negative this hypothesis for no injurious effects other than those of simple asphyxiation were produced by sudden exhaustion of the air surrounding the animals; and recovery, when replaced in normal sea water, was almost immediate. These results are in accord with the conclusion of Grasset, Eder, Babinski et Froment, and others that war shock is predominantly a psychic phenomenon, and being hysteria it can be cured by hypnotic suggestion.
The past and future of the earth-moon system

Abstract The lunar orbit is presently expanding due, we believe, to tidal friction, i.e. the attraction of the moon for the tides it raises on the rotating Earth. The Moon may therefore have been significantly closer to the Earth in the distant past, a point of great interest to those studying the lunar origin. This work presents the results of the integration of the equations which govern the rates of change of the lunar orbit elements and the angular momentum of the Earth. Results are presented for both the past and future of the Earth-Moon system.
Heavy quark symmetry

Abstract We review the current status of heavy-quark symmetry and its applications to weak decays of hadrons containing a single heavy quark. After an introduction to the underlying physical ideas, we discuss in detail the formalism of the heavy-quark effective theory, including a comprehensive treatment of symmetry breaking corrections. We then illustrate some nonperturbative approaches, which aim at a dynamical, QCD-based calculation of the universal form factors of the effective theory. The main focus is on results obtained using QCD sum rules. Finally, we perform an essentially model-independent analysis of semileptonic B meson decays in the context of the heavy-quark effective theory.
A Proposal for a Framework Convention on Global Health

This article searches for solutions to the most perplexing problems in global health--problems so important that they affect the fate of millions of people, with economic, political, and security ramifications for the world's population. No State, acting alone, can insulate itself from major health hazards. It is for this reason that safeguarding the world's population requires cooperation and global governance. What is truly needed, and what richer countries instinctively do for their own citizens, is to meet what I call basic survival needs.' By focusing on the major determinants of health, the international community could dramatically improve prospects for good health. A vehicle such as a Framework Convention on Global Health (FCGH) could powerfully improve global health governance. Such a Framework Convention would commit States to a set of targets, both economic and logistic, and dismantle barriers to constructive engagement by the private and charitable sectors. It would stimulate creative public/private partnerships and actively engage civil society stakeholders. A FCGH could set achievable goals for global health spending; define areas of cost effective investment to meet basic survival needs; build sustainable health systems; and create incentives for scientific innovation for affordable vaccines and essential medicines.
CP-VIOLATION AND MIXING IN CHARMED MESONS

The Standard Model contribution to D0 D 0 mixing is dominated by the contributions of light s and d quarks. Neglecting the tiny effects due to b quark, both mass and lifetime differences vanish in the limit of SU(3)F symmetry. Thus, the main challenge in the Standard Model calculation of the mass and width difference in the D0 D 0 system is to estimate the size of SU(3) breaking effects. We prove that D meson mixing occurs in the Standard Model only at second order in SU(3) violation. We consider the possibility that phase space effects may be the dominant source of SU(3) breaking. We find that y = (�) /(2) of the order of one percent is natural in the Standard Model, potentially reducing the sensitivity to new physics of measurements of D meson mixing. We also discuss the possibility of observing lifetime differences and CP violation in charmed mesons both at the currently operating and proposed facilities.