cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE EFFECT OF MAGNETIC FIELD TILT AND DIVERGENCE ON THE MASS FLUX AND FLOW SPEED IN A LINE-DRIVEN STELLAR WIND

We carry out an extended analytic study of how the tilt and faster-than-radial expansion from a magnetic field affect the mass flux and flow speed of a line-driven stellar wind. A key motivation is to reconcile results of numerical MHD simulations with previous analyses that had predicted nonspherical expansion would lead to a strong speed enhancement. By including finite-disk correction effects, a dynamically more consistent form for the nonspherical expansion, and a moderate value of the line-driving power index α, we infer more modest speed enhancements that are in good quantitative agreement with MHD simulations and also are more consistent with observational results. Our analysis also explains simulation results that show the latitudinal variation of the surface mass flux scales with the square of the cosine of the local tilt angle between the magnetic field and the radial direction. Finally, we present a perturbation analysis of the effects of a finite gas pressure on the wind mass-loss rate and flow speed in both spherical and magnetic wind models, showing that these scale with the ratio of the sound speed to surface escape speed, a/vesc, and are typically 10%-20% compared to an idealized, zero-gas-pressure model.
What is the Value of Agricultural Economics Research

The output of agricultural economics research is information, much of it aimed at designing or improving institutions. Bayesian decision theory and economic surplus analysis have been suggested as possible approaches to evaluate that information. This article takes a critical look at the strengths and weaknesses of combining those approaches for empirical evaluation of agricultural economics research. It presents three case studies, utilizing prior and posterior probabilities elicited from key decision makers. Direct application of the probabilities to a simple set of states and actions is best suited to situations involving a single policy-making center, or a consensus decision-making process. Most economists feel their work has value, but few can say how much. Economists have made significant contributions to our understanding of the value of technology-oriented research, but have devoted little attention to assessing the benefits of social science research (SSR), including agricultural economics research (AER). As accountability concerns have increased, federal and state officials increasingly ask for evidence of research impacts. Many professional associations in the production sciences have drawn on quantitative estimates provided by economists to bolster their claims that research in their areas is a good investment; social sciences make do with anecdotal evidence. A nascent literature on evaluating social science research, including agricultural economics, includes studies by Gardner,
Cavitation and the state of stress in a flowing liquid

The problem of the inception of cavitation is formulated in terms of a comparison of the breaking strength or cavitation threshold at each point in a liquid sample with the principal stresses there. A criterion of maximum tension is proposed which unifies the theory of cavitation, the theory of maximum tensile strength of liquid filaments and the theory of fracture of amorphous solids. Liquids at atmospheric pressure which cannot withstand tension will cavitate when and where tensile stresses due to motion exceed one atmosphere. A cavity will open in the direction of the maximum tensile stress which is 45° from the plane of shearing in pure shear of a Newtonian fluid. Experiments which support these ideas are discussed and some new experiments are proposed.
Media Reputation as a Strategic Resource: An Integration of Mass Communication and Resource-Based Theories

The resource-based view proposes that reputation is a resource leading to competitive advantage. Past research tested this by using Fortune ratings to measure reputation, but these ratings are theoretically weak. This paper integrates mass communication theory into past research to develop a concept called media reputation, defined as the overall evaluation of a firm presented in the media. Theoretical and empirical analyses indicate that media reputation is a resource that increases the performance of commercial banks.
Flow induced by a randomly vibrating boundary

We study the flow induced by random vibration of a solid boundary in an otherwise quiescent fluid. The analysis is motivated by experiments conducted under the low level and random effective acceleration field that is typical of a microgravity environment. When the boundary is planar and is being vibrated along its own plane, the variance of the velocity field decays as a power law of distance away from the boundary. If a low-frequency cut-off is introduced in the power spectrum of the boundary velocity, the variance decays exponentially for distances larger than a Stokes layer thickness based on the cut-off frequency. Vibration of a gently curved boundary results in steady streaming in the ensemble average of the tangential velocity. Its amplitude diverges logarithmically with distance away from the boundary, but asymptotes to a constant value instead if a low-frequency cut-off is considered. This steady component of the velocity is shown to depend logarithmically on the cut-off frequency. Finally, we consider the case of a periodically modulated solid boundary that is being randomly vibrated. We find steady streaming in the ensemble average of the first-order velocity, with flow extending up to a characteristic distance of the order of the boundary wavelength. The structure of the flow in the vicinity of the boundary depends strongly on the correlation time of the boundary velocity.
Long nonbinary codes exceeding the Gilbert-Varshamov bound for any fixed distance

Let A(q,n,d) denote the maximum size of a q-ary code of length n and distance d. We study the minimum asymptotic redundancy as n grows while q and d are fixed. For any d and q/spl ges/d-1, long algebraic codes are designed that improve on the Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) codes and have the lowest asymptotic redundancy known to date. Prior to this work, codes of fixed distance that asymptotically surpass BCH codes and the Gilbert-Varshamov bound were designed only for distances 4,5, and 6.
International Variation in Return on Equity in the Food and Beverage Industries

The objective is to analyze the effects of country- and firm-specific factors on the return on equity in the beverage and tobacco and food and consumer-products industries for 11 industrialized nations. The results indicate that country- and firm-specific factors are important in explaining variation in return on equity within countries but not generally across countries or time.
Distributed Algorithms for Learning and Cognitive Medium Access with Logarithmic Regret

The problem of distributed learning and channel access is considered in a cognitive network with multiple secondary users. The availability statistics of the channels are initially unknown to the secondary users and are estimated using sensing decisions. There is no explicit information exchange or prior agreement among the secondary users and sensing and access decisions are undertaken by them in a completely distributed manner. We propose policies for distributed learning and access which achieve order-optimal cognitive system throughput (number of successful secondary transmissions) under self play, i.e., when implemented at all the secondary users. Equivalently, our policies minimize the sum regret in distributed learning and access, which is the loss in secondary throughput due to learning and distributed access. For the scenario when the number of secondary users is known to the policy, we prove that the total regret is logarithmic in the number of transmission slots. This policy achieves order-optimal regret based on a logarithmic lower bound for regret under any uniformly-good learning and access policy. We then consider the case when the number of secondary users is fixed but unknown, and is estimated at each user through feedback. We propose a policy whose sum regret grows only slightly faster than logarithmic in the number of transmission slots.
Computing the spectrum of a heterotic flux vacuum

We compute the massless spectra of a set of flux vacua of the heterotic string. The vacua we study include well-known non-Kahler T 2-fibrations over K3 with SU(3) structure and intrinsic torsion. Following gauged linear sigma models of these vacua into phases governed by asymmetric Landau-Ginzburg orbifolds allows us to compute the spectrum using generalizations of familiar LG-orbifold techniques. We study several four- and six-dimensional examples with spacetime $ \mathcal{N} = 2 $ supersymmetry in detail.
Mechanical proofs about computer programs

The Gypsy verification environment is a large computer program that supports the development of software systems and formal, mathematical proofs about their behaviour. The environment provides conventional development tools, such as a parser for the Gypsy language, an editor and a compiler. These are used to evolve a library of components that define both the software and precise specifications about its desired behaviour. The environment also has a verification condition generator that automatically transforms a software component and its specification into logical formulas that are sufficient to prove that the component always runs according to specification. Facilities for constructing formal, mechanical proofs of these formulas also are provided. Many of these proofs are completed automatically without human intervention. The capabilities of the Gypsy system and the results of its application are discussed.
Patient Safety—Incorporating Drawing Software into Root Cause Analysis Software

Drawing software from Lassalle Technologies[1][1] (France) designed for Visual Basic is the tool we used to standardize the creation, storage, and retrieval of flow diagrams containing information about adverse events and close calls. [1]: #ref-1
Information theoretic adaptive tracking of epidemics in complex networks

Adaptively monitoring the states of nodes in a large complex network is of interest in domains such as national security, public health, and energy grid management. Here, we present an information theoretic adaptive tracking and sampling framework that recursively selects measurements using the feedback from performing inference on a dynamic Bayesian Network. We also present conditions for the existence of a network specific, observation dependent, phase transition in the updated posterior of hidden node states resulting from actively monitoring the network. Since traditional epidemic thresholds are derived using observation independent Markov chains, the threshold of the posterior should more accurately model the true phase transition of a network. The adaptive tracking framework and epidemic threshold should provide insight into modeling the dynamic response of the updated posterior to active intervention and control policies while monitoring modern complex networks.
Diazoniapentaphenes. Synthesis from pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde and structural verifications

Reactions of pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde (9) with α,α′-dibromo-o- and p-xylenes led to the corresponding bis-pyridinium aldehydes 10 and 14. These aldehydes were quite reactive and the respective hydrates 11 and 15 were also formed. Cyclization of 10 or 11 with 48% HBr led to 12 while cyclization with PPA followed by conversion to the bis tribromide and loss of bromine led to 1. Cyclization of 14 or 15 with 48% HBr led to 3. Attempts to react α,α′-dibromo-m-xylene with pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde (9) were not successful for the preparation of the bis-pyridinium aldehyde 13. The bis-pyridinium acetals 4, 5 and 6 were prepared and cyclized to afford 1, 2 and 3, respectively, by the previously reported procedures. The structures of 1 and 2 were verified by 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy while that of 3 was confirmed by X-ray analysis.
1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of trimethylsilyldiazomethane revisited: steric demand of the dipolarophile and the influence on product distribution.

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of trimethylsilyldiazomethane with α,β-unsaturated esters was examined. The resulting 1-pyrazolines isomerize to regioisomeric 2-pyrazolines (a or b) or undergo desilylation (c). Acrylates yield only b or c. β-Substituted dipolarophiles may yield all three types of products. This work demonstrates that the distribution of 2-pyrazoline products is highly dependent on the relative configuration of the substituents on the 1-pyrazoline intermediate.
A high capacity multihop packet CDMA wireless network

Wireless multihop networks overlaid with cellular structure have the potential to support high data rate Internet traffic. In this paper, we consider techniques by which the system capacity of such networks can be increased. First, methods for increasing link capacity in single-user systems are explored. Subsequently, we consider a different set of techniques suitable for multiuser systems. We also investigate the effect of traffic dynamics on system capacity and ways to achieve the maximum throughput. Finally, we present capacity bounds which illustrate how these techniques help in trading off the conserved power for capacity advantage.
OPTION PRICING WITH A LEVY-TYPE STOCHASTIC DYNAMIC MODEL FOR STOCK PRICE PROCESS UNDER SEMI-MARKOVIAN STRUCTURAL PERTURBATIONS

In this work, we consider a stock price process subjected to idiosyncratic Levy jumps and global structural changes attributed to interventions due to a semi-Markov process. The semi-Markov process decomposes both the time and state domains of the price process into sub-intervals and price state sub-domains respectively, where a Levy–Ito process operates. The Levy jumps decompose the space domain of the currently operating Levy process. We derive an infinitesimal generator for a stock price process and a closed form expression for the conditional characteristic function of a log price. The former result is used to derive a PIDE satisfied by option prices, while the latter could be used to retrieve risk neutral densities via Fourier transform and price European vanilla options. In the sequel, we derive the characteristic function of the residence time of a semi-Markov process. Incompleteness of the market is exhibited through a general change of measure. For pricing purpose, the minimum entropy martingale measure is defined as an Esscher transform.
Dirac and Weyl rings in three-dimensional cold-atom optical lattices

Recently three-dimensional topological quantum materials with gapless energy spectra have attracted considerable interest in many branches of physics. Besides the celebrated example, Dirac and Weyl points which possess gapless point structures in the underlying energy dispersion, the topologically protected gapless spectrum, can also occur along a ring, named Dirac and Weyl nodal rings. Ultracold atomic gases provide an ideal platform for exploring new topological materials with designed symmetries and dispersion. However, whether Dirac and Weyl rings can exist in the single-particle spectrum of cold atoms remains elusive. Here we propose a realistic model for realizing Dirac and Weyl rings in the single-particle band dispersion of a cold-atom optical lattice. Our scheme is based on a previously experimentally implemented Raman coupling setup for realizing spin-orbit coupling. Without the Zeeman field, the model preserves both pseudo-time-reversal and inversion symmetries, allowing Dirac rings. The Dirac rings split into Weyl rings with a Zeeman field that breaks the pseudo-time-reversal symmetry. We examine the superfluidity of attractive Fermi gases in this model and also find Dirac and Weyl rings in the quasiparticle spectrum.
Policy process lessons from the Orphan Drug Act: applications for health policy advocates

Purpose – The Orphan Drug Act has provided the pharmaceutical industry with incentives to research and develop drugs for orphan diseases: rare diseases with little profit potential. It is considered very successful legislation by legal scholars, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and orphan drug activists. The policy process of the Act provides an important model of the policy process for future incentive-based pharmaceutical legislation. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the important incentives of the Act and the historical events leading up to the Act. The paper applies three different theoretical models of the public policy process to understand the emergence of the Orphan Drug Act: Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Model, the Advocacy Coalition Framework, and Social Constructionism Theory. The paper then synthesizes the public policy process lessons from each perspective and provides four recommendations for other social activists seeking to propel incentive-based pharmaceutical legislation for...
Confinement control of double integrators using partially periodic leader trajectories

We consider a multi-agent confinement control problem in which a single leader has a purely repulsive effect on follower agents with double-integrator dynamics. By decomposing the leader's control inputs into periodic and aperiodic components, we show that the leader can be driven so as to guarantee confinement of the followers about a time-dependent trajectory in the plane. We use tools from averaging theory and an input-to-state stability type argument to derive conditions on the model parameters that guarantee confinement of the followers about the trajectory. For the case of a single follower, we show that if the follower starts at the origin, then the error in trajectory tracking can be made arbitrarily small depending on the frequency of the periodic control components and the rate of change of the trajectory. We validate our approach using simulations and experiments with a small mobile robot.
Regionalization and Home Bias: The Case of Canada

The bilateral trade flows between Canada and the US have grown rapidly in the 1990s. Are they evidence of an emerging North American trading bloc? A gravity model of trade finds that while economic size and proximity can explain much of the substantial trade between Canada and the US, the US bias in Canada’s merchandise trade has grown since the formation of the Canada-US Free Trade Area. The rise in the US bias reflects an emerging gap between Canada's home bias relative to the US and its home bias relative to the other major industrial countries.
Using Categorization of Problems as an Instructional Tool to Help Introductory Students Learn Physics

The ability to categorize problems based upon underlying principles, rather than contexts, is considered a hallmark of expertise in physics problem solving. With inspiration from a classic study by Chi, Feltovich, and Glaser, we compared the categorization of 25 introductory mechanics problems based upon similarity of solution by students in large calculus-based introductory courses with physics faculty and PhD students. Here, we summarize the study and suggest that a categorization task, especially when conducted with students working with peers in small groups, can be an effective pedagogical tool to help students in introductory physics courses learn to discern the underlying similarity between problems with diverse contexts but the same underlying physics principles.
Assessing The Impact Of Manufacturer Power On Private Label Success In An Equilibrium Framework.

Private brand growth in emerging markets has not kept pace with the growth in private brands elsewhere. For instance in Europe and North America, private brands now constitute an average of 35% of total retail market share, compared to emerging markets, where market shares vary between 1% and 8 %. This study, examines the possibility that variation in private brand performance between developed and emerging economies is due to manufacturers’ market power. In most emerging economies, national brand manufacturers tend to be the sole producers of private brands. This supply arrangement implies that they have inherent market power and can deter retailers from pursing aggressive private brand strategies.
Measuring tax incidence: a natural experiment in the hybrid vehicle market

This study measures the economic incidence of the hybrid vehicle tax credit implemented in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. By comparing hybrids with gasoline-powered counterparts as the credit was phased out and expired, we are able to isolate the impact of the credit on the market price of hybrid vehicles. We conclude that hybrid prices increase by $0.75 on average for every additional dollar of credit. Thus, the majority of the subsidy accrues to sellers, potentially encouraging producers to increase the variety and availability of hybrid models on the market.
9-Fluorenylmethyl (Fm) Disulfides: Biomimetic Precursors for Persulfides.

The development of a functional disulfide, FmSSPy-A (Fm = 9-fluorenylmethyl; Py = pyridinyl), is reported. It can effectively convert small molecule and protein thiols (−SH) to form −S-SFm adducts under mild conditions. This method allows for a H2S-free and biomimetic protocol to generate highly reactive persulfides (in their anionic forms). The high nucleophilicity of persulfides toward a number of thiol-blocking reagents is also demonstrated. The method holds promise for further understanding the chemical biology of persulfides and S-sulfhydration.
Colonoscopy surveillance after colorectal cancer resection: recommendations of the US multi-society task force on colorectal cancer

2 The US Multi-Society Task Force has developed updated recommendations to guide health care providers with the surveillance of patients after colorectal cancer (CRC) resection with curative intent. This document is based on a critical review of the literature regarding the role of colonoscopy, fl exible sigmoidoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, fecal testing and CT colonography in this setting. The document addresses the effect of surveillance, with focus on colonoscopy, on patient survival after CRC resection, the appropriate use and timing of colonoscopy for perioperative clearing and for postoperative prevention of metachronous CRC, specifi c considerations for the detection of local recurrence in the case of rectal cancer, as well as the place of CT colonography and fecal tests in post-CRC surveillance. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL is linked to the online version of the paper at http://www.nature.com/ajg
Programming in Scratch Using Inquiry-Based Approach

Inquiry-based learning has recently become one of the much advocated methodologies used especially in teaching of natural sciences. This of course opens the question whether it is suitable also for teaching informatics, or even more specifically for teaching programming in a didactical programming environment. In action research conducted within teaching practice of pre-service informatics teachers we tried to explore if any of the approaches and types of activities used by these pre-service teachers correspond to the principles of inquiry-based learning. In the research we study how pre-service teachers cope with these approaches to teaching, what contemporary pupils’ attitudes to learning programming are, how this topic and the different activities used in the lessons appeal to them and how this type of lessons is perceived by teachers themselves – pre-service informatics teachers.
Optimizing energy storage participation in emerging power markets

The growing amount of intermittent renewables in power generation creates challenges for real-time matching of supply and demand in the power grid. Emerging ancillary power markets provide new incentives to consumers (e.g., electrical vehicles, data centers, and others) to perform demand response to help stabilize the electricity grid. A promising class of potential demand response providers includes energy storage systems (ESSs). This paper evaluates the benefits of using various types of novel ESS technologies for a variety of emerging smart grid demand response programs, such as regulation services reserves (RSRs), contingency reserves, and peak shaving. We model, formulate and solve optimization problems to maximize the net profit of ESSs in providing each demand response. Our solution selects the optimal power and energy capacities of the ESS, determines the optimal reserve value to provide as well as the ESS real-time operational policy for program participation. Our results highlight that applying ultra-capacitors and flywheels in RSR has the potential to be up to 30 times more profitable than using common battery technologies such as LI and LA batteries for peak shaving.
Common zeroes of families of smooth vector fields on surfaces

Let Y and X denote $$C^k$$ vector fields on a possibly noncompact surface with empty boundary, $$1\le k <\infty $$ . Say that Y tracks X if the dynamical system it generates locally permutes integral curves of X. Let K be a locally maximal compact set of zeroes of X. Theorem Assume the Poincare–Hopf index of X at K is nonzero, and the k-jet of X at each point of K is nontrivial. If $$\mathfrak {g}$$ is a supersolvable Lie algebra of $$C^k$$ vector fields that track X, then the elements of $$\mathfrak {g}$$ have a common zero in K. Applications are made to the dynamics of attractors and transformation groups.
Systemic Risk in Wheat Yields

In 2011 and 2012 severe droughts caused extensive damage in crops throughout the Midwest. These conditions combined with concerns for climate change have led to a growing focus on risk management in agriculture. The increasing emphasis on risk management is reflected in the 2014 Farm Bill, which replaces direct payments with shallow loss programs. For this paper we turn our attention to winter wheat production in Kansas and explore the ratings of the crop insurance policies as well as predicted payouts from the new Agricultural Risk Coverage program established under the 2014 Farm Bill. Using spatial models we simulate yields of non-irrigated winter wheat and irrigated winter wheat to estimate crop insurance premium rates as well as payouts from the Agricultural Risk Coverage program.
Variable Selection in Predictive Regressions

Abstract This chapter reviews methods for selecting empirically relevant predictors from a set of N potentially relevant ones for the purpose of forecasting a scalar time series. First, criterion-based procedures in the conventional case when N is small relative to the sample size, T , are reviewed. Then the large N case is covered. Regularization and dimension reduction methods are then discussed. Irrespective of the model size, there is an unavoidable tension between prediction accuracy and consistent model determination. Simulations are used to compare selected methods from the perspective of relative risk in one period ahead forecasts.
Construction of Seven-Membered Carbocycles via Cyclopropanols

A new method for seven-membered ring annulation has been devised by an intramolecular cross-coupling of cyclopropanols and aryl/alkenyl halides. This cyclization reaction is broad in scope and provides easy access to not only fused but also bridged bicyclic compounds.
Beam debunching due to ISR-induced energy diffusion

One of the options for increasing longitudinal coherency of X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) is seeding with a microbunched electron beam. Several schemes leading to significant amplitude of the beam bunching at X-ray wavelengths were recently proposed. All these schemes rely on beam optics having several magnetic dipoles. While the beam passes through a dipole, its energy spread increases due to quantum effects of synchrotron radiation. As a result, the bunching factor at small wavelengths reduces since electrons having different energies follow different trajectories in the bend. We rigorously calculate the reduction in the bunching factor due to incoherent synchrotron radiation while the beam travels in an arbitrary beamline. We apply general results to estimate reduction of harmonic current in common schemes proposed for XFEL seeding.
Information sharing for care coordination

Teamwork and care coordination are of increasing importance to health care delivery and patient safety and health. My research aims at developing agents that are able to make intelligent information sharing decisions to support a diverse, evolving team of care providers in constructing and maintaining a shared plan that operates in uncertain environments.
When Passionate Advocates Meet Research on Diversity, Does the Honest Broker Stand a Chance?

In an ideal world, social science research would provide a strong basis for advocacy and social policy. However, advocates sometimes misunderstand or even ignore scientific research in pursuit of their goals, especially when research pertains to controversial questions of social inequality. To illustrate the chasm that can develop between research findings and advocates’ claims, this article addresses two areas: (a) the effects of the gender diversity of corporate boards of directors on firms’ financial performance and (b) the effects of the gender and racial diversity of workgroups on group performance. Despite advocates’ insistence that women on boards enhance corporate performance and that diversity of task groups enhances their performance, research findings are mixed, and repeated meta-analyses have yielded average correlational findings that are null or extremely small. Therefore, social scientists should (a) conduct research to identify the conditions under which the effects of diversity are positive or negative and (b) foster understanding of the social justice gains that can follow from diversity. Unfortunately, promulgation of false generalizations about empirical findings can impede progress in both of these directions. Rather than ignoring or furthering distortions of scientific knowledge to fit advocacy goals, scientists should serve as honest brokers who communicate consensus scientific findings to advocates and policy makers in an effort to encourage exploration of evidence-based policy options.
Sacrifice and Sorting in Clubs

AbstractIn club models of religion, sacrifices demanded by religious groups promote efficient production of club goods by screening out free riders. An alternative, complementary view is that religious clubs provide a means of sorting, matching individuals with similar characteristics. Sorting differs from screening in that it operates on traits that do not directly affect club goods production. This article explores the role of sacrifice in sorting among religious clubs when individuals prefer to interact with their own type. Despite this own-type bias, the usual free-rider problem in club goods production can inhibit sorting among groups. Prohibitions and demands for stigmatizing behavior can solve this problem. Costly sacrifices are demanded, not by groups catering to the majority, but by those attracting rare/exotic types. The rarer the type, the more costly the sacrifice required to achieve sorting.
Determining the Pivotal Plane of Fluid Lipid Membranes in Simulations

Each leaflet of a curved lipid membrane contains a surface at which the area strain vanishes, the so-called pivotal plane. Its distance z0 from the bilayer's mid-plane arises in numerous membrane structure related contexts, for instance the connection between monolayer and bilayer moduli, stress-profile moments, or area-difference elasticity theories. Experimentally, the pivotal plane is known to lie close to the glycerol backbone of a lipid, but only very few simulations have tried to locate it. Here we propose two precise methods for determining z0, both of which rely on monitoring the lipid imbalance across a curved bilayer. The first method considers the ratio of lipid number between the two leaflets of cylindrical or spherical vesicles and requires lipid flip-flop for equilibration. The second method looks at the leaflet difference across local sections cut out from a buckled membrane and is free of this limitation. Our simulations rely on two different coarse-grained lipid models. First, the generic three-bead solvent-free Cooke model, which is amenable to both methods and gives results for z0 that agree at the percent level. And second, a ten-bead representation of dimyristoylphosphocholine (DMPC) with the explicit solvent MARTINI model, which can only be analyzed with the buckling method. For the latter, the obtained value z0 = 0.850(11) nm lies about 0.4 nm inwards of the glycerol backbone, essentially in the middle of the leaflet, and is hence unexpectedly small. We attribute this to limitations of the coarse-grained description, suggesting that the location of the pivotal plane might be a novel indicator for how well lipid models capture the microscopic origins of curvature elasticity, especially the relative contributions of head and tail regions to the overall curvature modulus.
Universal scalings for laser acceleration of electrons in ion channels

We analytically investigate the acceleration of electrons undergoing betatron oscillations in an ion channel, driven by a laser beam propagating with superluminal (or luminal) phase velocity. The universal scalings for the maximum attainable electron energy are found for arbitrary laser and plasma parameters by deriving a set of dimensionless equations for paraxial ultra-relativistic electron motion. One of our analytic predictions is the emergence of forbidden zones in the electrons' phase space. For an individual electron, these give rise to a threshold-type dependence of the final energy gain on the laser intensity. The universal scalings are also generalized to the resonant laser interaction with the third harmonic of betatron motion and to the case when the laser beam is circularly polarized.
Kuwaiti Female Leaders' Perspectives: The Influence Of Culture On Their Leadership

This research revealed the interactions between the Kuwaiti culture, gender, and leadership from the perspective of five Kuwaiti female leaders. Within a qualitative design approach and narrative inquiry methodology, the researcher interviewed five Kuwaiti females who shared their stories of their personal and professional experiences about the interactions between culture, gender, and leadership. The analysis and interpretation of this research uncovered two key findings: 1) the influence of Kuwaiti culture on female leadership and 2) the commitment of these female leaders to have a positive impact on their culture. The development of female leadership within Kuwait represented a collaborative effort by all the country’s female leaders. As this research showed, these female leaders took advantage of every opportunity to prove their capabilities as leaders who deserve to serve effectively beside male leaders. The research data included some recommendations that could provide significant support for the development of female leaders, not only in the State of Kuwait, but also in other countries that could benefit from such progress. In addition, this project included some implications for further research studies focused on issues related to the interactions between female leadership and cultural influences.
An attributional analysis of the rejection of information technology

The major relationships depicted by attributional models of the process by which individuals accept or reject new information technologies were tested with path analyses in a field setting. The results confirmed that attributions regarding ability were directly related to efficacy expectations, whereas attributions regarding task difficulty and effort were related to outcome expectations. The results further confirmed that both efficacy and outcome expectations were directly related to outcomes including both job performance and end-user satisfaction. In addition, the research showed how attributions affected outcome measures indirectly through expectations.
A REMINDER OF TREATMENTS PAST

The Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome was initially described in 1930 as a clinical syndrome of paroxysmal tachycardias in healthy young people that demonstrated “bundle-branch block and short P-R interval”. These tachycardias were eventually determined to be macro-reentrant arrhythmias utilizing accessory pathways. Surgical approaches for transecting these accessory pathways were being developed as early as the 1960s. Since 1984, catheter ablation has developed into a safe and highly effective therapy option, and the treatment of choice for WPW syndrome today. We present a unique case of a patient with previous surgically treated WPW syndrome that serves as a reminder of treatments past and caution for current therapies. A 54-year-old man with a remote history of WPW syndrome, treated in 1989 with surgical cryoablation of a left ventricular free wall accessory pathway, now presented with an hour of sustained palpitations after a triathlon practice session. He was found to have ventricular tachycardia at a rate of 180 bpm on EKG requiring external cardioversion. The troponin I level peaked at 2.59 ng/mL. Left heart catheterization revealed a peculiar truncated 100% occlusion of the proximal circumflex artery with extensive bridging collaterals to the mid circumflex artery, and also confirmed an infero-basal aneurysm. The cause of the ventricular tachycardia (VT) was deemed non-ischemic and he was referred for electrophysiology study. 3D electroanatomic mapping of the left ventricular (LV) endocardial surface was performed, revealing a discrete posterior wall scar. Reentrant VT was repeatedly induced utilizing a zone of slow conduction along the border zone of the scar. Radiofrequency ablation of Purkinje potentials on the LV septum, running alongside the scar border zone, eliminated the VT. The entire endocardial surface of the postero-basal scar was electrically silenced to prevent further VT events. Typically, during the surgical approach of WPW, a wide endocardial (rarely an epicardial) incision was made along the atrial surface of the mitral valve annulus, dissecting deeply and caudally until ventricular myocardium was exposed. Despite the close proximity of the circumflex artery to the epicardial incision line during these surgeries, there are only rare reports of coronary artery complications, generally considered to be either catheter-induced dissections or embolic events. The development of a network of extensive bridging collaterals in our patient supports progressive stenosis of the left circumflex artery from cryoablation thermic injury, leading to scar formation and VT years later. In conclusion, this case reminds us that current ablative therapies are still relatively new, and long-term follow-ups for delayed complications remain a necessity. J Med Cases. 2016;7(6):216-219 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2488w
Personnel Flexibility and Red Tape in Public and Nonprofit Organizations: Distinctions Due to Institutional and Political Accountability

Academics and journalists have depicted government bureaucracies as particularly subject to administrative constraints, including the infamous red tape and personnel rules that sharply constrain pay, promotion and dismissal and weaken their relations to performance. Research on these topics has often focused on public organizations alone or on comparisons of public and private organizations. The analysis reported here extends this research to include nonprofit organizations. Certain theoretical perspectives would predict sharp differences between public and nonprofit organizations, while others would predict no differences. Using survey data from managerial-level respondents in state government and nonprofit organizations in Georgia and Illinois, this analysis compares perceptions of red tape and personnel rule constraints in public and nonprofit organizations. We investigate whether or not public and nonprofit respondents differ in their perceptions about levels of organizational red tape, and about whether formal rules enable or constrain managers in promoting and rewarding good employees and removing poor performers. The results indicate sharp public and nonprofit differences, with public managers reporting higher perceived organizational red tape and lower levels of personnel flexibility. In addition to public and nonprofit comparisons, the analysis takes into account other factors that might influence public and nonprofit managers’ perceptions of red tape and personnel flexibility in their organizations, including individual motivations to choose the job, the respondent’s state (Georgia or Illinois), and others.
Spectral and polarization modulation of quantum dot emission in a one-dimensional liquid crystal photonic cavity

We demonstrate spectral and polarization modulation of chemically synthesized core-shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a one-dimensional photonic cavity formed by a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) matrix. A Cano-wedge cell varies the pitch of the CLC leading to the formation of Grandjean steps. This spatially tunes the photonic stop band, changing the resonance condition and continuously altering both the emission wavelength and polarization state of the QD ensemble. Using high resolution spatially and spectrally resolved photoluminescence measurements, we find that the emission is elliptically polarized and that the tilt of the ellipse, while dependent on the emission wavelength, additionally varies with distance across the Grandjean steps. This work opens up the possibility of designing new QD based optical devices, such as tunable single photon sources, where spatial control of wavelength and polarization of the embedded QDs would allow great flexibility and added functionalities.
Protonation-Induced Microphase Separation in Thin Films of a Polyelectrolyte-Hydrophilic Diblock Copolymer

Block copolymers composed of poly(oligo ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate) and poly(2-vinylpyridine) are disordered in the neat state but can be induced to order by protonation of the P2VP block, demonstrating a tunable and responsive method for triggering assembly in thin films. Comparison of protonation with the addition of salts shows that microphase separation is due to selective protonation of the P2VP block. Increasing acid incorporation and increasing 2-vinylpyridine content for P2VP minority copolymers both promote increasingly phase-separated morphologies, consistent with protonation increasing the effective strength of segregation between the two blocks. The self-assembled nanostructures formed after casting from acidic solutions may be tuned based on the amount and type of acid incorporation as well as the annealing treatment applied after casting, where both aqueous and polar organic solvents are shown to be effective. Therefore, POEGMA-b-P2VP is a novel ion-containing block copolymer ...
NaBa2Cu3S5: a doped p-type degenerate semiconductor.

Mixed S(2-/)S(1-) oxidation states have been discovered in the new quaternary compound NaBa2Cu3S5. Synthesized from the reaction of Cu in a molten alkali metal/polysulfide flux, the compound crystallizes in monoclinic space group C2/m with a = 16.5363(7) A, b = 5.5374(5) A, c = 10.3717(10) A, β = 98.535(8)°. The Na(+) Ba2(+2) [Cu(+)3S3](3-)S2(2-) crystal structure contains layers of edge sharing CuS4 tetrahedra and sheets of S2(2-) dimers. These layers are separated by mixed Ba/Na cation layers. The conductivity of the single crystals of NaBa2Cu3S5 is ∼450 S cm(-1) at room temperature, and increasing conductivity with decreasing temperature is observed, indicating metallic behavior despite the optical band gap of 0.45 eV. A small positive thermopower (45-55 μV K(-1) from 300 K to 500 K) and Hall effect measurements also confirm p-type conductivity with carrier concentration at 200 K of ∼1.6 × 10(21) cm(-3) and a hole mobility of ∼2 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). NaBa2Cu3S5 exhibits temperature-independent Pauli paramagnetism.
Phase-change behavior and nonlinear optical second and third harmonic generation of the one-dimensional K(1- x)CsxPSe6 and metastable β-CsPSe6

The APSe6 (A = K, K(1–x)Csx, Cs) family of one-dimensional (1D) materials was studied to examine the effects of the cation size on the nonlinear optical (NLO) response. The family has high-performing NLO properties with the noncentrosymmetric parent material, KPSe6, having infinite 1D chains of 1/∞[PSe6–]. This structure has been successfully substituted with cesium up to K0.6Cs0.4PSe6 while retaining the polar character. All compounds crystallize in the space group Pca21 and have band gaps of 2.1 eV. In situ powder X-ray diffraction experiments using synchrotron radiation were used to determine the specifics of the amorphous to crystalline behavior and the crystallization and melting kinetics of the APSe6 system. These measurements revealed a new phase, β-CsPSe6, which is metastable and crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric tetragonal space group P 421c with a = 12.526(2) A, c = 12.781(3) A, V = 2005.3(6) A3, and Z = 8. The structure is composed of 2 sets of mutually perpendicular 1/∞[PSe6–] chains cha...
Value Investing: Smart Beta versus Style Indexes

The active shares of traditional value style indexes are dominated by industry bets. They also capture less than the entire value premium; because they weight constituents on the basis of capitalization, they tend to hold large positions in overpriced stocks and small positions in underpriced (i.e., value) stocks. Smart beta strategies, in comparison, are better diversified, and they systematically buy low and sell high by periodically rebalancing to non-price-related target weights. In addition to exploiting mean reversion in prices, smart beta strategies profit from mean reversion in the value premium by effectively implementing a dollar cost averaging program.
Determination of the elasticity of parachute materials under dynamic loading conditions

In the design of parachute systems it is important to use material properties that have been acquired under representative strain rates expected in flight. Without such data the designer is potentially forced to incorporate unrealistic safety margins resulting in a heavier and costlier than required design. Laboratory test data has generally been limited to that which can be acquired at quasi-steady strain rates. This paper investigates a technique, which takes advantage of advances in solid state electronics in the past ten years, to achieve an economical means of acquiring material properties under dynamic strain conditions. Data obtained with this technique is compared to standard test data for representative parachute materials.
Visible-light-mediated, nitrogen-centered radical amination of tertiary alkyl halides under metal-free conditions to form α-tertiary amines

A mild and operationally convenient amino-functionalization of a range of tertiary alkyl halides by reaction with iminoiodinanes (PhINNs) and I2 has been developed. According to the mechanistic experiments described within, the reaction is speculated to proceed through a light-promoted, N-centered radical pathway involving a N,N-diiodosulfonamide reactive species. This method of direct N-incorporation offers an attractive alternative to the production of α-tertiary amines, a synthetically challenging structural class found in a variety of bioactive molecules.