cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supporting region-of-interest cropping through constrained compression

The ability to create super high-resolution video is becoming relative easy to do either through a single high-definition video camera or panoramic video that automatically stitches multiple views together. As an example of the former, the motion picture industry now has 6000 × 4000 pixel full-rate video cameras available. This means that supporting region-of-interest cropping will become more important in the future. In this article, we propose a mechanism to support region-of-interest adaptation of stored video. The proposed approach creates a compression-compliant stream (e.g., MPEG-2), while still allowing it to be cropped. Fortunately, video standards like MPEG-2 specify the format of a compliant stream, and not the algorithm to get there. As a result, there is an opportunity to allow system researchers and implementers ways to optimize for applications. We show various fundamental tradeoffs that are made in order to support region-of-interest cropping with super high-resolution video which we received from a local motion-picture firm.
Approach to saturation in inhomogeneous magnetic materials

The Neel theory of the approach to saturation in inhomogeneous magnetic materials is critically reviewed. It is found that the theory is rigorously applicable when the local saturation magnetization differs only slightly from its spatial average, but that this condition is not satisfied in porous materials or in material containing inclusions of a second magnetic phase having a saturation magnetization twice that of the host material or larger. The Neel theory is extended by (i) calculating the high‐field behavior of the magnetization curve for arbitrary inhomogeneity, and (ii) calculating the magnetization curve for arbitrary field strength to a higher order of approximation than in Neel's theory. The results show that for porous materials, as well as for materials containing a second magnetic phase, the higher‐order corrections are quite significant. The higher‐order corrections to the Neel theory are found to depend quite strongly on the shape of the inclusions, being smallest for spherical inclusions and approximately six times larger for layerlike inclusions.
Cosmological Origin for Cosmic Rays above 10 19 eV

The cosmic-ray spectrum at 1019-1020 eV, reported by the Fly's Eye and the AGASA experiments, is shown to be consistent with a cosmological distribution of sources of protons, with a power-law generation spectrum d ln N/d ln E = -2.3 ± 0.5 and energy production rate of 4.5 ± 1.5 × 1044 ergs Mpc-3 yr-1. The two events measured above 1020 eV are not inconsistent with this model. Verifying the existence of a "blackbody cutoff," currently observed with low significance, would require ~30 observation years with existing experiments, but only ~1 year with the proposed ~5000 km2 detectors. For a cosmological source distribution, no anisotropy is expected in the angular distribution of events with energies up to ~5 × 1019 eV.
Strategic Bidding in a Multiunit Auction: An Empirical Analysis of Bids to Supply Electricity in England and Wales

I consider bidding behavior in the daily electricity auction in England and Wales. Theoretical work on uniform-price multiunit procurement auctions suggests that bidders offering more than one unit have an incentive to increase their bids at high quantities. If a bid sets a high equilibrium price, it applies to all inframarginal units. I find evidence of strategic bid increases in the electricity auctions. First, plants that are likely to be used after other plants are already operating bid more. Second, the larger supplier submits higher bids for similar plants. Last, bids for a given plant are slightly higher on days when more of the capacity that is typically inframarginal to that plant is available.
When Informationists Get Involved: The CHICA-GIS Project

Child Health Improvement through Computer Automation (CHICA) is a computer decision support system (CDSS) that interfaces with existing electronic medical record systems (EMRS) and delivers "just-in-time" patientrelevant guidelines to physicians during the clinical encounter and accurately captures structured data from all who interact with the system. “Delivering Geospatial Intelligence to Health Care Professionals (CHICAGIS)” (1R01LM010923-01) expands the medical application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) by integrating a geographic information system with CHICA. To provide knowledge management support for CHICA-GIS, three informationists at the Indiana University School of Medicine were awarded a supplement from the National Library Medicine. The informationists will enhance CHICA-GIS by: improving the accuracy and accessibility of information, managing and mapping the knowledge which undergirds the CHICA-GIS decision support tool, supporting community engagement and consumer health information outreach, and facilitating the dissemination of new CHICA-GIS research results and services.
Optimum consumption and portfolio rules in a continuous-time model☆

Publisher Summary A common hypothesis about the behavior of limited liability asset prices in perfect markets is the random walk of returns or in its continuous-time form the geometric Brownian motion hypothesis, which implies that asset prices are stationary and log-normally distributed. A number of investigators of the behavior of stock and commodity prices have questioned the accuracy of the hypothesis. In an earlier study described in the chapter, it was examined that the continuous-time consumption-portfolio problem for an individual whose income is generated by capital gains on investments in assets with prices assumed to satisfy the “geometric Brownian motion” hypothesis. Under the additional assumption of a constant relative or constant absolute risk-aversion utility function, explicit solutions for the optimal consumption and portfolio rules were derived. The changes in these optimal rules with respect to shifts in various parameters such as expected return, interest rates, and risk were examined by the technique of comparative statics. This chapter presents an extension of these results for more general utility functions, price behavior assumptions, and income generated also from noncapital gains sources. If the geometric Brownian motion hypothesis is accepted, then a general separation or mutual fund theorem can be proved such that, in this model, the classical Tobin mean-variance rules hold without the objectionable assumptions of quadratic utility or of normality of distributions for prices. Hence, when asset prices are generated by a geometric Brownian motion, the two-asset case can be worked on without loss of generality.
Understanding the dynamic evolution of the relativistic electron slot region including radial and pitch angle diffusion

[1] It has been suggested that the equilibrium structure of the slot region, which separates the inner and outer radiation belts, forms as the result of a balance between inward radial diffusion and pitch angle scattering of relativistic electrons by interactions with three types of whistler mode waves: plasmaspheric hiss, lightening-generated whistlers, and ground-based Very Low Frequency (VLF) transmitters. In this study, using the time-dependent 3D Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB) code, we examine how effectively the slot can be formed by a combination of radial diffusion and pitch angle diffusion, together with Coulomb scattering, and compare the simulations with the CRRES MEA 1 MeV electron observations to examine the viability of the various scattering mechanisms. The results show that the overall time evolution of the observed two-zone structure is in a good agreement with our model simulations, which suggests a balance between inward radial diffusion due to Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) electromagnetic fluctuations and pitch angle scattering due to plasmaspheric hiss and lightning-generated whistlers. However, when inward radial diffusion due to the electrostatic fluctuations is included, agreement between the observed and simulated fluxes becomes weaker, suggesting that it is important to understand and quantify the radial diffusion rates in the slot region.
Ru-Catalyzed Alkene−Alkyne Coupling. Total Synthesis of Amphidinolide P

A coordinatively unsaturated ruthenium complex catalyzed the formation of a carbon−carbon bond between two judiciously chosen alkene and alkyne partners in good yield, and in a chemo- and regioselective fashion, despite the significant degree of unsaturation of the substrates. The resulting 1,4-diene forms the backbone of the cytotoxic marine natural product amphidinolide P. The alkene partner was rapidly assembled from (R)-glycidyl tosylate, which served as a linchpin in a one-flask, sequential three-components coupling process using vinyllithium and a vinyl cyanocuprate. The synthesis of the alkyne partner made use of an unusual anti-selective addition under chelation-control conditions of an allyltin reagent derived from tiglic acid. In addition, a remarkably E-selective E2 process using the azodicarboxylate−triphenylphosphine system is featured. Also featured is the first example of the use of a β-lactone as a thermodynamic spring to effect macrolactonization. The oxetanone ring was thus used as a pro...
The fluctuation-induced Hall effect

The fluctuation induced Hall term, <J×B≳, has been measured in the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) [R. N. Dexter et al., Fusion Technol. 19, 131 (1991)], reversed‐field pinch. The term is of interest as a possible source of current self‐generation (dynamo). It is found to be non‐negligible, but small in that it can account for less than 25% of the dynamo driven current.
Piece-wise analytic evaluation of the radiative tail from elastic and inelastic electron scattering

Abstract We consider here the calculation of the radiative tail from the elastic peak in medium and high energy scattering as well as from a discrete inelastic level of the recoiling nucleus. We examine the method generally used for this calculation, viz., a numerical integration of the differential cross section over the angles of the unobserved photon, and discuss the difficulties inherent in this numerical integration due to the sharp peaking of the integrand. We present an alternative method for calculating the radiative tail, in which the region of integration is divided into an arbitrary number of subintervals, the structure functions are filled by cubic spline functions in each subinterval, and the integrations are then performed analytically in closed form. This method has the advantages of greatly increased accuracy and a reduction of the computation time by a factor which can vary between 10 and 103, depending on the kinematics.
The lack of concordance between subretinal drusenoid deposits and large choroidal blood vessels.

Purpose To evaluate the concordance between pseudodrusen as manifested by subretinal drusenoid deposits and large choroidal blood vessels using stereological analysis of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) images. Design Retrospective, observational case series. Methods The SD OCT images of 31 consecutive patients with the clinical appearance of pseudodrusen from a private-referral retinal clinic were retrospectively reviewed. A grid of 19 evenly spaced vertical lines was randomly superimposed on each SD OCT image using ImageJ to perform systematic uniform random sampling. The main outcome measure was the likelihood of association between subretinal drusenoid deposits and large choroidal vessels. Results Uniform random systematic sampling of 589 samples found the proportion of geometric probes intersecting subretinal drusenoid deposits to be 0.28, large choroidal vessel 0.65, and both 0.19. This value was nearly identical to the product of the joint probabilities and was within the 95% confidence interval (0.15–0.21) of the point estimate as calculated by the binomial theorem, indicating mutual independence. The subretinal drusenoid deposits were associated with neither large choroidal vessels nor the intervals in between. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that there is no concordance between subretinal drusenoid deposits and large choroidal vessels or the stroma in between. As a consequence, hypotheses postulating that subretinal drusenoid deposits are associated with large choroidal vessels or the choroidal stromal spaces should be abandoned. Stereological techniques are powerful methods used in image evaluation in other fields of study and appear to have utility in analyzing OCT findings of the retina and choroid.
A Convenient Preparation of a Bicyclo[3.3.3]undecane Derivative Containing Heteroatoms Through a Rearrangement Step

Abstract A convenient method for the preparation of a bicyclo[3,3,3]undecane derivative via the Beckmann rearrangement of bicyclo[3,3,2]decane-9-one is described.
Progress of laser fusion at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory

The Shiva and Nova programs are briefly reviewed. Some target diagnostics are described. Some laser-plasma interaction experiments are discussed. (MOW)
Impulse switching of ferrites

Memory designs at present reflect either the applications, size, or environment of the memory. Many desired memory characteristics oppose each other in the determination of the memory design and there has been no general solution to the basic problems associated with magnetic storage. Lincoln Laboratory's concern primarily has been to improve the memory speed, and hopefully obtain improved efficiency and design freedom. It has only recently become clear that these three factors, speed, efficiency, and design flexibility, are closely related and in fact lead to generalized memory designs.
PIQL: success-tolerant query processing in the cloud

Newly-released web applications often succumb to a "Success Disaster," where overloaded database machines and resulting high response times destroy a previously good user experience. Unfortunately, the data independence provided by a traditional relational database system, while useful for agile development, only exacerbates the problem by hiding potentially expensive queries under simple declarative expressions. As a result, developers of these applications are increasingly abandoning relational databases in favor of imperative code written against distributed key/value stores, losing the many benefits of data independence in the process. Instead, we propose PIQL, a declarative language that also provides scale independence by calculating an upper bound on the number of key/value store operations that will be performed for any query. Coupled with a service level objective (SLO) compliance prediction model and PIQL's scalable database architecture, these bounds make it easy for developers to write success-tolerant applications that support an arbitrarily large number of users while still providing acceptable performance. In this paper, we present the PIQL query processing system and evaluate its scale independence on hundreds of machines using two benchmarks, TPC-W and SCADr.
The Transparency of Galaxy Clusters

If galaxy clusters contain intracluster dust, the spectra of galaxies lying behind clusters should show attenuation by dust absorption. We compare the optical (3500-7200 A) spectra of 60,267 luminous, early-type galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to search for the signatures of intracluster dust in -->z ~ 0.05 clusters. We select massive, quiescent (i.e., non-star-forming) galaxies using an -->EW (H α) ≤ 2 A cut and consider galaxies in three bins of velocity dispersion ranging from 150 to 300 km s−1. The uniformity of early-type galaxy spectra in the optical allows us to construct inverse-variance-weighted composite spectra with high signal-to-noise ratios (ranging from 102 to 103). We compare the composite spectra of galaxies that lie behind and adjacent to galaxy clusters and find no convincing evidence of dust attenuation on scales of ~0.15-2 Mpc; we derive a generic limit of -->E(B − V) E(B − V) < 8 × 10−3 mag.
Transitions in spectral statistics

We present long-range statistical properties of a recently introduced unitary random matrix ensemble, whose short-range correlations were found to describe a transition from Wigner to Poisson-type as a function of a single parameter. We argue, by evaluating the two-level correlation function of a different solvable model, that the transition is perhaps a quite general feature for a class of models. Our analytic results compare well with numerical studies on a variety of physical systems. We discuss the possibility of observing experimentally the signature of such transitions.
Obama and the New Age of Reform

This Article is an initial effort following Barack Obama's election in 2008 to assess his basic account of politics, and its likely implications for policy efforts during his Administration. Rather than a new brand of politician, Obama actually represents an historical throwback. In particular, his belief in the capacity of competence and expertise to help people achieve social consensus and to transcend the petty differences of ordinary politics touch upon essential elements of Progressive Era reformism. And, like many Progressives from the early 20th century – such as Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson – Obama structured his campaign around a message deeply tied to the ideal of professionalism and its distinctive vision of the American dream. His personal story suggests the possibilities of success through meritocracy, educational achievement, and high status employment. In today’s climate, it is a story especially compelling to upper status voters, students, and African Americans, and has allowed him to create a powerful political coalition. Each group sees Obama’s election as fulfilling the promise of the civil rights movement and as proof of the continued vitality of equal opportunity.Nonetheless, one wonders whether or not an Obama Administration can transcend the limitations that plagued earlier Progressives. Such reformers were deeply wary of viewing social problems as the product of fundamental differences between haves and have-nots and therefore structural in nature. Instead, many argued that professional elites with the right training and know-how could rule both efficiently and wisely. This progressive vision failed to appreciate the extent to which American life remained subject to real political disagreements – disagreements that could not be papered over by talk of consensus. It also dramatically elevated the role of professionals in collective decision-making, and, in the process, diminished non-professional and blue-collar accounts of respectability and middle class achievement.
Detection of node group membership in networks with group overlap

Most networks found in social and biochemical systems have modular structures. An important question prompted by the modularity of these networks is whether nodes can be said to belong to a single group. If they cannot, we would need to consider the role of “overlapping communities.” Despite some efforts in this direction, the problem of detecting overlapping groups remains unsolved because there is neither a formal definition of overlapping community, nor an ensemble of networks with which to test the performance of group detection algorithms when nodes can belong to more than one group. Here, we introduce an ensemble of networks with overlapping groups. We then apply three group identification methods – modularity maximization, k-clique percolation, and modularity-landscape surveying – to these networks. We find that the modularity-landscape surveying method is the only one able to detect heterogeneities in node memberships, and that those heterogeneities are only detectable when the overlap is small. Surprisingly, we find that the k-clique percolation method is unable to detect node membership for the overlapping case.
An Edge Detector based Integrated Database Framework for Security Applications

In this paper, an integrated framework comprising of computer vision algorithms, Database system and Batch processing techniques has been developed to facilitate effective automatic threat recognition and detection for security applications. The proposed approach is used for automatic threat detection. The novel features of this structure include utilizing the Human Visual System model for segmentation, and a new ratio based edge detection algorithm that includes a new adaptive hysteresis thresholding method. The feature vectors of the baseline images are generated and stored in a relational database system using a batch window. The batch window is a special process where image processing tasks with similar needs are grouped together and effectively processed to save computing and memory requirements. The feature vectors of the segmented objects are generated using the CED method and are classified using a support vector machine (SVM) based classifier to identify threat objects. The experimental results demonstrate the presented framework efficiency in reducing the classification time and provide accurate detection.
The boundary-Wecken classification of surfaces

Let X be a compact 2-manifold with nonempty boundary @X and let f :( X;@X)! (X;@X) be a boundary-preserving map. Denote by MF@ (f) the minimum number of xed point among all boundary-preserving maps that are homotopic through boundary-preserving maps to f .T he relative Nielsen number N@(f ) is the sum of the number of essential xed point classes of the restriction f : @X!@X and the number of essential xed point classes of f that do not contain essential xed point classes of f . We prove that if X is the Mobius band with one (open) disc removed, then MF@ (f ) N@ (f ) 1 for all maps f :( X;@X) ! (X;@X). This result is the nal step in the boundary-Wecken classication of surfaces, which is as follows. If X is the disc, annulus or Mobius band, then X is boundary-Wecken, that is, MF@ (f )= N @ ( f) for all boundary-preserving maps. If X is the disc with two discs removed or the Mobius band with one disc removed, then X is not boundary-Wecken, but MF@ (f ) N@ (f ) 1. All other surfaces are totally non-boundary-Wecken, that is, given an integer k 1, there is a mapfk :( X;@X)! (X;@X) such that MF@ (fk ) N@ (fk )k . AMS Classication 55M20; 54H25, 57N05
Spatial Structure of Stationary Nonequilibrium States in the Thermostatted Periodic Lorentz Gas

We investigate analytically and numerically the spatial structure of the non-equilibrium stationary states (NESS) of a point particle moving in a two dimensional periodic Lorentz gas (Sinai Billiard). The particle is subject to a constant external electric field E as well as a Gaussian thermostat which keeps the speed |v| constant. We show that despite the singular nature of the SRB measure its projections on the space coordinates are absolutely continuous. We further show that these projections satisfy linear response laws for small E. Some of these projections are computed numerically. We compare these results with those obtained from simple models in which the collisions with the obstacles are replaced by random collisions. Similarities and differences are noted.
LUTTINGER THEOREM IN ONE DIMENSIONAL METALS

One dimensional metals are described by Luttinger liquid theory. Recent experiments have addressed the relation between this non-Fermi liquid behavior and the existence of a Fermi surface. We show that Luttinger's theorem, with few modifications, holds for the one dimensional Tomonaga-Luttinger model. The implications for the high temperature superconductors are discussed.
Pot-in-pot reactions: a simple and green approach to efficient organic synthesis

Incompatible organic reactions impede efficient green synthesis by making multi-component or cascade reactions a big challenge. This review highlights pot-in-pot reactions (multiple reactions carried out in one pot by separating key reactions with a thin polymeric membrane) as an efficient, green synthetic alternative to conventional synthesis. We discuss the advantages of homogeneous processes to develop new cascade reaction sequences by reviewing the use of polymeric thimbles as selective semi-permeable walls. These thimbles allow small organic molecules to diffuse through while retaining polar reagents, polar solvents, and/or organometallic catalysts. The dynamic and versatile nature of this technique is demonstrated by performing 2- and 3-step cascade reactions in one glass pot. A pot-in-pot reaction approach to synthesis circumvents the need to isolate intermediates, or handling of toxic/unpleasant by-products, therefore enabling synthesis of otherwise challenging molecules, improving the efficiency, or enabling greener approaches to modular synthesis.
Drag Reduction on Aircraft Configurations with Adaptive Lifting Surfaces

An approach, applicable to multiple-lifting-surface fixed-wing aircraft operating at subcritical Mach numbers, is presented for minimizing induced and profile drag with a constraint on the pitching moment. The approach allows the designer to select surface incidence, twist, and flap angles as variables for the optimization. The numerical formulation uses superposition to construct the spanwise lift distribution from basic and additional loadings, and decomposes the flap-angle distributions for each surface into mean and variation distributions. Together, these elements enable the solution of the problem using semi-analytical methods that also provide insight. Results are presented for a three surface aircraft which highlights low drag possibilities with positive static margins, presents the trade-offs between induced and profile drag, and provides insight into the aerodynamics of multiple lifting surface configurations.
A note on the Verlinde bundles on elliptic curves

We study the splitting properties of the Verlinde bundles over elliptic curves. Our methods rely on the explicit description of the moduli space of semistable vector bundles on elliptic curves, and on the analysis of the symmetric powers of the Schrodinger representation of the Theta group.
Mirror symmetry in three-dimensional gauge theories, SL(2,Z) and D-brane moduli spaces

We construct intersecting D-brane configurations that encode the gauge groups and field content of dual N = 4 supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions. The duality which exchanges the Coulomb and Higgs branches and the Fayet-Iliopoulos and mass parameters is derived from the SL (2, Z) symmetry of the type IIB string. Using the D-brane configurations we construct explicitly this mirror map between the dual theories and study the instanton corrections in the D-brane world-volume theory via open string instantons. A general procedure to obtain mirror pairs is presented and illustrated. We encounter transitions among different field theories that correspond to smooth movements in the D-brane moduli space. We discuss the relation between the duality of the gauge theories and the level-rank duality of affine Lie algebras. Examples of other dual theories are presented and explained via T-duality and extremal transitions in type II string compactifications. Finally we discuss a second way to study instanton corrections in the gauge theory, by wrapping 5-branes around six-cycles in M-theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau 4-fold.
Fluctuations and correlations in STAR

The study of correlations and fluctuations can provide evidence for the production of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Various theories predict that the production of a QGP phase in relativistic heavy-ion collisions could produce significant event-by-event correlations and fluctuations in transverse momentum, multiplicity, etc. Some of the recent results using STAR at RHIC will be presented along with results from other experiments at RHIC. The focus is on forward-backward multiplicity correlations, balance function, charge and transverse-momentum fluctuations, and correlations.
Stereoselective synthesis of imidazolidin-2-ones via Pd-catalyzed alkene carboamination. Scope and limitations.

A method for the synthesis of imidazolidin-2-ones from N-allylureas and aryl or alkenyl bromides via Pd-catalyzed carboamination reactions is described. The N-allylurea precursors are prepared in one step from readily available allylic amines and isocyanates, and the Pd-catalyzed reactions effect the formation of a C–C bond, a C–N bond, and up to two stereocenters in a single step. Good diastereoselectivities are obtained for the conversion of substrates bearing allylic substituents to 4,5-disubstituted imidazolidin-2-ones, and excellent selectivity for the generation of products resulting from syn-addition across the alkene is observed when substrates derived from cyclic alkenes or E-1,2-disubstituted alkenes are employed. A brief discussion of reaction mechanism and product stereochemistry is presented.
Looking Like a State: Techniques of Persistent Failure in State Capability for Implementation

In many nations today the state has little capability to carry out even basic functions like security, policing, regulation or core service delivery. Enhancing this capability, especially in fragil...
The Generalized Peierls Bracket

Abstract We first extend the Peierls algebra of gauge-invariant functions from the space S of classical solutions to the space H of histories used in path integration and some studies of decoherence. We then show that it may be generalized in a number of ways to act on gauge-dependent functions on H . These generalizations (referred to as class I) depend on the choice of an "invariance-breaking term," which must be chosen carefully so that the gauge-dependent algebra is a Lie algebra. Another class of invariance-breaking terms is also found that leads to an algebra of gauge-dependent functions, but only on the space S of solutions. By the proper choice of invariance-breaking term, we can construct a generalized Peierls algebra that agrees with any gauge-dependent algebra constructed through canonical or gauge-fixing methods, as well as Feynman and Landau "gauge." Thus, generalized Peierls algebras present a unified description of these techniques. We study the properties of generalized Peierls algebras and their pullbacks to spaces of partial solutions and find that they may possess constraints similar to the canonical case. Such constraints are always first class, and quantization may proceed accordingly.
Transmetalation of organic groups from zirconacycles to haloboranes: A new route to borolane compounds

Abstract The reaction of styrene and “Cp 2 Zr” forms the trans-2,5-diphenylzirconacycle. Transmetalation of this zirconacyle with an equivalent of boron trichloride forms the 1-chloro-trans-2,5-diphenylborolane with retention of stereochemistry. This B-chloroborolane is converted into other boranes and can be oxidized to the diol.
General analysis of decay chains with three-body decays involving missing energy

A model-independent analysis of decays of the form C → l + l − A (l = e, μ) is presented, including the possibility that this three-body decay is preceded by an additional decay step D → jC. Here A, C and D are heavy new-physics particles and j stands for a quark jet. It is assumed that A escapes direct detection in a collider experiment, so that one cannot kinematically reconstruct the momenta of the new particles. Instead, information about their properties can be obtained from invariant-mass distributions of the visible decay products, i.e. the di-lepton (ll) and jet-lepton (jl) invariant-mass distributions. All possible spin configurations and renormalizable couplings of the new particles are considered, and explicit expressions for the invariant-mass distributions are derived, in a formulation that separates the coupling parameters from the spin and kinematic information. In a numerical analysis, it is shown how these properties can be determined independently from a fit to the m ll and m jl distributions.
The Evaluation of Teaching and the State of the University

THE university generally professes to have two main functions: teaching, that is, the imparting of knowl edge, skills, and critical tools; and research, ordinarily defined in some variation of the cliche "advancing the frontiers of knowledge." At certain points in the career of every faculty member, it becomes necessary to assess that person's performance and make decisions on his or her future. We all know how one goes about evaluating a faculty member's research when it comes time for promotion or a merit increase, and I need not talk about this aspect. Usually, however, and increasingly, evidence must also be submitted to deans and review committees on the person's teaching effectiveness. This need seems basically to have developed in the past ten to fifteen years, since students came to be more assertive of their right to receive competent instruction. It used to be assumed, more or less, that an effective researcher is also an effective teacher, and scholarship was the chief evidence adduced to demonstrate a person's worthiness of a faculty position. This is in fact still the assumption when we seek to appoint those who are recognized as "stars" in their disciplines?Nobel Prize winners, for example. In a system such as the University of California's, where assistant professors and associate professors must be considered for increases every two years and full professors every three years, the only way to get a raise comparable to the rise in the cost of living is to receive a merit increase in the base scale (this require ment will become even more rigid in the post Proposition 13 climate). As a result, pressure has grown for evidence of the quality of teaching in every course offered, and each time it is offered. There are signs that even the students, who were such avid course evaluators in the beginning, are bored with the process and feel put upon when asked to express their opinions. We tend to assume, as a point of ideology, that the purpose of this evaluation is both to pass judgment on the teacher's effort and to provide an incentive and an input for improving it in the future. But whereas our judgment of a faculty member's scholarly efforts can, at least for purposes of argument and review, be based on objectified grounds, judgment of the teaching effort remains elusively subjective. The masses of material compiled on each faculty member do not always speak for themselves. In fact, we have tended in practice to abandon the evaluation of teaching to the immediate consumers of the product, the students, while remaining reluctant to intrude our own supposedly expert opinions in the matter. Since the evaluation of teaching became a hot issue during the 1960s, it has remained more a student than a faculty Thomas P. Saine
To be or not to be : Very young globular clusters in M31

We present observations made with the newly commissioned Keck laser guide star adaptive optics (LGSAO) system of six objects in M31 that are alleged in multiple recent studies to be young globular clusters (GCs); all are supposed to have ages ≤5 Gyr. The resulting FWHM of the PSF core in our images is ~70 mas. The four youngest of these objects are asterisms; they are with certainty not young GCs in M31. Based on their morphology, the two oldest are GCs in M31. While the M31 GCs with ages 5-8 Gyr appear to be mostly genuine, it appears that many of the alleged very young GCs in M31 are spurious identifications. This problem will be even more severe in studies now underway of the GC systems of more distant spiral galaxies, for which imaging at the spatial resolution of our observations in M31 may not be adequate to detect sample contamination by asterisms.
Asymmetric trifluoromethylation of aldehydes and ketones with trifluoromethyltrimethylsilane catalyzed by chiral quaternary ammonium fluorides

Abstract The trifluoromethylation of aldehydes and ketones with trifluoromethyltrimethylsilane catalyzed by chiral quarternary ammonium fluorides was carried out enantioselectively to give optically active 1-substituted-2,2,2-trifluoroethanols.
Adaptive control with finite time persistency of excitation

An adaptive control algorithm for discrete-time SISO systems is presented. The main feature is the fact that it requires an external persistently exciting signal for a finite interval of time. In this way tracking of a class of signals (such as set points) can be achieved within an arbitrarily small error.
Reasoning about programs in continuation-passing style.

Plotkin's l-value calculus is sound but incomplete for reasoning about beegr;-transformations on programs in continuation-passing style (CPS). To find a complete extension, we define a new, compactifying CPS transformation and an “inverse”mapping, un-CPS, both of which are interesting in their own right. Using the new CPS transformation, we can determine the precise language of CPS terms closed under b7eegr;-transformations. Using the un-CPS transformation, we can derive a set of axioms such that every equation between source programs is provable if and only if be can prove the corresponding equation between CPS programs. The extended calculus is equivalent to an untyped variant of Moggi's computational l-calculus.
Automatic recognition of primitive changes in manufacturing process signals

Abstract Manufacturing processes are generally monitored by observing sampled process signals. The purpose of this monitoring is to ensure process and, thereby, product consistency and to help diagnose causes of process instability. The interpretation of process signals requires the recognition of primitive variations, or changes, in signal values which are typically buried in a background of other process related variations and random noise. These primitive variations include changes such as positive or negative sharp peaks, sudden step-like increases or decreases, or gradual ramp-like variations in the signals. Such changes in a given signal indicate a process change which when combined with corresponding changes in other signals could lead to the identification of the cause, or at least a rank order of possible causes, which produced these changes. In this paper, we discuss a two-level knowledge-based procedure for automatic recognition of these primitive changes. This procedure essentially involves applying syntactic analysis either directly to the raw process signals or, whenever not possible, to a filtered version of them. The first level, therefore, involves applying special purpose nonlinear filters which are designed to enhance or isolate a particular primitive variation in the signal. The second level consists of a Signal Interpreter process, written in LISP, which analyzes the filtered signals and produces a data structure to represent the primitive variations. A description of the entire interpretation system will be presented, and an example illustrating the application of the method to a process signal of an actual aluminum strip rolling mill will be shown.
Understanding the Internet's relevance to media ownership policy: a model of too many choices

Does the Internet provide a failsafe against media consolidation in the wake of an easing of media ownership rules? This paper posits a model of news outlet selection on the Internet in which consumers experience cognitive costs that increase with the number of options faced. Consistent with psychological evidence, these costs may be reduced by constraining one’s choice set to “safe bets” familiar from offline (e.g., CNN.com). It is shown that, as the number of outlets grows, dispersion of consumer visitation across outlets inevitably declines. Consequently, independent Internet outlets may fail to mitigate lost outlet independence on other media.
Methods to Calculate the Heat Index as an Exposure Metric in Environmental Health Research

Background: Environmental health research employs a variety of metrics to measure heat exposure, both to directly study the health effects of outdoor temperature and to control for temperature in s...
Asymmetric halogenation of chiral imide enolates. A general approach to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure α-amino acids.

Abstract The chiral N-acyl oxazolidones 2 , as the derived dibutyl boron enolates, have been demonstrated to undergo diastereoselective bromination and subsequent azide displacement to give the α-azido carboximides 4a (5 cases). These adducts may be hydrolyzed under mild conditions to the enantiomerically pure α-azido carboxylic acids 5a .
Dynamic critical behavior of a Swendsen-Wang-Type algorithm for the Ashkin-Teller model

We study the dynamic critical behavior of a Swendsen-Wang-type algorithm for the Ashkin-Teller model. We find that the Li-Sokal bound on the autocorrelation time (τint.δ≥ const xC H ) holds along the self-dual curve of the symmetric Ashkin-Teller model, and is almost, but not quite sharp. The ratio τint.δ/C H appears to tend to infinity either as a logarithm or as a small power (0.05≲p≲0.12). In an appendix we discuss the problem of extracting estimates of the exponential autocorrelation time.
Nonlinear Propagation of Planet-Generated Tidal Waves

The propagation and evolution of planet-generated density waves in protoplanetary disks is considered. The evolution of waves, leading to shock formation and wake dissipation, is followed in the weakly nonlinear regime. The 2001 local approach of Goodman and Rafikov is extended to include the effects of surface density and temperature variations in the disk as well as the disk cylindrical geometry and nonuniform shear. Wave damping due to shocks is demonstrated to be a nonlocal process spanning a significant fraction of the disk. Torques induced by the planet could be significant drivers of disk evolution on timescales of approx. 10(exp 6)-10(exp 7) yr, even in the absence of strong background viscosity. A global prescription for angular momentum deposition is developed that could be incorporated into the study of gap formation in a gaseous disk around the planet.
Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of (14R)-14-hydroxy-4,14-retro-retinol from retinyl acetate

Abstract A simple and efficient synthesis of the biologically important vitamin A-derived retinoid (14R)-14-hydroxy-4,14-retro-retinol ( 1 ) from retinyl acetate in four steps is described.
Unsteady aerodynamic loading produced by a sinusoidally oscillating delta wing

The unsteady aerodynamic loading produced by an oscillating delta wing was examined for a range of reduced frequencies and mean angles of attack. A three degree of freedom force balance recorded normal and tangential force data. These data were then reduced to provide unsteady lift and drag force coefficient values. The resultant aerodynamic loads were highly transient in nature and lift enhancement up to twice that of steady-state values was achieved for limiting test cases. The delta wing also experienced lift reduction during portions of the pitching cycle. Reduced dynamic drag was seen for instantaneous wing angles of attack below static stall. Hysteresis loops demonstrated the unsteadiness of the resultant flowfields and were seen for all test cases. Force balance measurements supported hypotheses on both unsteady separation mechanisms and dynamics for a delta wing. Unsteady lift integrations over time highlighted relations between reduced frequency and mean angle of attack for total bounded vorticity throughout the pitching cycle.
Variant design for mechanical artifacts: A state-of-the-art survey

Variant design refers, to the technique of adapting existing design specifications to satisfy new design goals and constraints. Specific support of variant design techniques in current computer aided design systems would help to realize a rapid response manufacturing environment. A survey of approaches supporting variant design is presented. Capabilities used in current commercial computer aided design systems are discussed along with approaches used in recent research efforts. Information standards applicable to variant design are also identified. Barriers to variant design in current systems are identified and ideas are presented for augmentation of current systems to support variant design.
A modified Prins reaction for the facile synthesis of structurally diverse substituted 5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3,3-dihydrofurane-2(3H)-ones

Furanones are important synthetic intermediates commonly found in natural products, receptor ligands, and drug molecules. Unacceptable yields of substituted furanones obtained using a previously reported Prins reaction led to the development of a modified approach. Readily prepared substituted allylic esters were reacted under Prins reaction conditions catalyzed by a protic acid to provide structurally diverse substituted furanones in modest to good yields. The reaction goes through a protected caprolactone intermediate that was isolated and characterized for selected compounds. The approach supplies an efficient, versatile, and higher yield method for the synthesis of these important heterocyclic intermediates.
Normal reference bandwidths for the general order, multivariate kernel density derivative estimator

Abstract This note derives the general form of the asymptotic approximate mean integrated squared error for the q -variate, ν th -order kernel density r th derivative estimator. This formula allows for normal reference rule-of-thumb bandwidths to be derived. We give tables for some of the most common cases in the literature.
Mineralogy of the Ibitira eucrite and comparison with other eucrites and lunar samples

The mineralogy of the Ibitira meteorite is studied using single-crystal X-ray and energy-dispersive electron-probe techniques. It is shown that this strongly metamorphosed unbrecciated vesicular eucrite has a primary variolitic and secondary hornfelsic texture dominated by equant grains of pale-brown pyroxene (60%) set in an irregular matrix of plagioclase (30%). Minor phases are detected which indicate igneous crystallization, a prolonged metamorphic history, and vapor deposition. The following sequence of events is suggested as the simplest explanation for the mineralogical features observed: (1) crystallization of the meteorite in a lava flow; (2) prolonged annealing, reduction of primary spinel, and vapor deposition; (3) strong shock sufficient to modify the texture of the plagioclase grains; and (4) sufficient annealing to allow crystallization of the plagioclase as a subparallel mosaic and partial conversion to the low structural state. Evidence for this sequence is examined in detail, particularly in relation to the general features of eucrites, howardites, and mesosiderites
Geomagnetic activity and Hale sector boundaries

The variation of the geomagnetic activity index Ap at the IMF sector boundaries (+ to - and - to +) has been studied for three solar cycles, separating data into vernal and autumnal equinoxes. It was found that a reported increase in Ap as an effect of a Hale boundary can be better attributed to the occurrence of a negative IMF Bz component in the geocentric solar magnetospheric coordinate system and to the occurrence of high speed solar wind streams.
Markov processes with product-form stationary distribution

We consider a continuous time Markov process $(X,L)$, where $X$ jumps between a finite number of states and $L$ is a piecewise linear process with state space $\mathbb{R}^d$. The process $L$ represents an "inert drift" or "reinforcement." We find sufficient and necessary conditions for the process $(X,L)$ to have a stationary distribution of the product form, such that the marginal distribution of $L$ is Gaussian. We present a number of conjectures for processes with a similar structure but with continuous state spaces.
Picolinic acid as a partner in the Mitsunobu reaction: Subsequent hydrolysis of picolinate esters under essentially neutral conditions with copper acetate in methanol

Abstract The use of picolinic acid and 6-methyl picolinic acid in the Mitsunobu reaction has been studied. These substrates are excellent partners in the Mitsunobu reaction, and offer the added advantage that the resulting esters can be cleaved under essentially neutral conditions using Cu(OAc)2 and methanol.