cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pedagogical models from a lighting design studio

This paper discusses a pedagogical approach for teaching a lighting design studio. Anderson’s ACT-R theory is utilized to guide the learning process. Anderson’s ACT-R theory focuses on three stages of skill acquisition: cognitive, associative, and autonomous stages. These three stages offer implications for teaching lighting. Early cognitivists offered many theories on how people solve problems. While early theorist focused mainly on explaining how people solve problems, contemporary theorist focus on cognitive strategies and information processes people use to solve problems. Knowledge is a key component of information processing in problem-solving. Cognitive Psychologist identified two distinct types of knowledge: declarative and procedural. Anderson notes “declarative knowledge is explicit knowledge which we can report and of which we are consciously aware”. Procedural knowledge involves knowing how to execute tasks. Anderson notes “human cognition is always purposeful, directed to achieving goals and to removing obstacles to those goals”. ACT-R’s main assumption is that knowledge can be classified as declarative and procedural. Declarative knowledge is factual knowledge, while procedural knowledge is how to perform cognitive tasks. Students are taught accurate and elaborate knowledge of lighting design principles to help them problem-solving. Learning is achieved through expository and discovery methods. Expository are teacher centered examples of which include lectures and interactive presentations on lighting systems, as well as field trips to lighting laboratories and showrooms to offer real life context for students. The discovery method is emphasized in hands on experiences. Feedback is given during all three distinct phases of problem solving to correct any disequilibrium students may have. Eventually, students achieve automaticity due to continued practice.
BOSONIZATION AND ITS APPLICATION TO TRANSPORT IN QUANTUM WIRES

This paper reviews the method of bosonization for one-dimensional interacting fermions. Example of its application to mesoscopic systems is presented with an explicit calculation of the spin and charge currents in an interacting quantum wire subject to a uniform magnetic field and alternating voltage source. Special emphasis is given to the details of the calculation using bosonization and Keldysh techniques.
An efficient second order in time scheme for approximating long time statistical properties of the two dimensional Navier–Stokes equations

We investigate the long time behavior of the following efficient second-order in time scheme for the 2D Navier–Stokes equations in a periodic box: $$\begin{array}{ll}{\frac{3\omega^{n+1} - 4\omega^n + \omega^{n-1}}{2k} + \nabla^\perp(2\psi^n - \psi^{n-1}) \cdot \nabla(2\omega^n - \omega^{n-1})- \nu\Delta\omega^{n+1} = f^{n+1},} \\ {\quad -{\Delta} {\psi}^{n} = {\omega}^{n}.}\end{array}$$ The scheme is a combination of a 2nd-order in time backward-differentiation and a particular explicit Adams–Bashforth treatment of the advection term. Therefore only a linear constant coefficient Poisson solver is needed at each time step. We prove uniform in time bounds on this scheme in $${{\dot{L}^2,\, \dot{H}^1_{per}}}$$ and $${{\dot{H}^2_{per}}}$$ provided that the time-step is sufficiently small. These time uniform estimates further lead to the convergence of long time statistics (stationary statistical properties) of the scheme to that of the NSE itself at vanishing time-step.
Degradable polyelectrolyte multilayers that promote the release of siRNA.

We report an approach to the design of degradable polyelectrolyte-based films for the controlled release of siRNA from surfaces. Our approach is based on stepwise, layer-by-layer assembly of multilayered polyelectrolyte films (or “polyelectrolyte multilayers”, PEMs) using siRNA and a hydrolytically degradable poly(β-amino ester) (polymer 1). Fabrication of films using siRNA sequences for green fluorescent protein (GFP) or firefly luciferase resulted in linear growth of ultrathin films (∼50 nm thick) that promoted the surface-mediated release of siRNA upon incubation in physiologically relevant media. Physicochemical characterization of these siRNA-containing films revealed large differences in film growth profiles, physical erosion profiles, and siRNA release profiles as compared to PEMs fabricated using polymer 1 and larger plasmid DNA constructs. For example, whereas films fabricated using plasmid DNA erode gradually and release DNA over a period of ∼48 h, films fabricated using siRNA released ∼65% of i...
TRAUMATIC PERFORATION OF THE PHARYNX IN THE NEWBORN

Two newborn, low-birth-weight infants with traumatic perforation of the pharynx and an additional 18 previously reported cases are presented. Injury produced by pharyngeal suction catheters and nasogastric and endotracheal tubes is generally unrecognized until the baby develops signs of esophageal obstruction or radiographic evidence of pharyngeal perforation, usually in the posterior mediastinum. The catheter may enter the pericardial space. Conservative management with intravenous antibiotics and a feeding gastrostomy is favored, except in instances that require mediastinal decompression. The key to prevention is the use of soft-tipped suction catheters and nasogastric tubes and careful visualization of the cords during endotracheal intubation. The use of metal stylets to direct the endotracheal tube is condemned. Pediatrics, 56:1019-1022, 1977, PHARYNX, PERFORATION, SUCTION CATHETER, NASOGASTRIC TUBE, ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE, METAL STYLET.
Group velocity cones in diverging magnetic reconnection structures

[1] In a typical geometry of magnetic reconnection, the so-called exhaust regions diverge out of the localized diffusion region. The diverging reconnection structure is conical in shape with its apex near the x-line. Such conical regions have been seen in both MHD and kinetic simulations of reconnection as well as in satellite observations. We demonstrate here that depending on the reconnection regime, the cone angle of the exhaust regions found in numerical simulations and as well as in satellite observations compare well with the maximum angles of group-velocity cones associated with the slow MHD mode, or the whistler mode, or the kinetic Alfven wave (KAW). For each of these three reconnection regimes, we give a quantitative description of the group velocity cones. In the MHD case the cone angle is small and increases almost linearly with the plasma β < 2. In the whistler regime the cone angle is a constant of 19.5°. In the KAW regime the cone angle depends on plasma β as well as on the timescale associated with the diffusion process in the current sheet. The close agreement between the observed and simulated exhaust cone angles and the group-velocity cone angles in all the three reconnection regimes is highly suggestive that “at least” the geometrical feature of the exhaust region is determined by the group velocity of the disturbances, which propagate out of the diffusion region.
The Highly Oscillatory Behavior of Automorphic Distributions for SL(2)

Automorphic distributions for SL(2) arise as boundary values of modular forms and, in a more subtle manner, from Maass forms. In the case of modular forms of weight one or of Maass forms, the automorphic distributions have continuous first antiderivatives. We recall earlier results of one of us on the Holder continuity of these continuous functions and relate them to results of other authors; this involves a generalization of classical theorems on Fourier series by S. Bernstein and Hardy and Littlewood. We then show that the antiderivatives are non-differentiable at all irrational points, as well as all, or in certain cases, some rational points. We include graphs of several of these functions, which clearly display a high degree of oscillation. Our investigations are motivated in part by properties of ‘Riemann’s nondifferentiable function’, also known as ‘Weierstrass’ function’.
Technology development for the production of biobased products from biorefinery carbohydrates—the US Department of Energy’s “Top 10” revisited

A biorefinery that supplements its manufacture of low value biofuels with high value biobased chemicals can enable efforts to reduce nonrenewable fuel consumption while simultaneously providing the necessary financial incentive to stimulate expansion of the biorefining industry. However, the choice of appropriate products for addition to the biorefinery's portfolio is challenged by a lack of broad-based conversion technology coupled with a plethora of potential targets. In 2004, the US Department of Energy (DOE) addressed these challenges by describing a selection process for chemical products that combined identification of a small group of compounds derived from biorefinery carbohydrates with the research and technology needs required for their production. The intent of the report was to catalyze research efforts to synthesize multiple members of this group, or, ideally, structures not yet on the list. In the six years since DOE's original report, considerable progress has been made in the use of carbohydrates as starting materials for chemical production. This review presents an updated evaluation of potential target structures using similar selection methodology, and an overview of the technology developments that led to the inclusion of a given compound. The list provides a dynamic guide to technology development that could realize commercial success through the proper integration of biofuels with biobased products.
Rank-Pairing Heaps

We introduce the rank-pairing heap, an implementation of heaps that combines the asymptotic efficiency of Fibonacci heaps with much of the simplicity of pairing heaps. Other heap implementations that match the bounds of Fibonacci heaps do so by maintaining a balance condition on the trees representing the heap. In contrast to these structures but like pairing heaps, our trees can evolve to have arbitrary (unbalanced) structure. Also like pairing heaps, our structure requires at most one cut and no other restructuring per key decrease, in the worst case: the only changes that can cascade during a key decrease are changes in node ranks. Although our data structure is simple, its analysis is not.
On the Mathai-Quillen formalism of topological sigma models

Abstract We present a Mathai-Quillen interpretation of topological sigma models. The key to the construction is a natural connection in a suitable infinite-dimensional vector bundle over the space of maps from a Riemann surface (the world sheet) to an almost complex manifold (the target). We show that the covariant derivative of the section defined by the differential that appears in the equation for pseudo-holomorphic curves is precisely the linearization of the operator itself. We also discuss the Mathai-Quillen formalism of gauged topological sigma models.
Replication based storage systems with local repair

We consider the design of regenerating codes for distributed storage systems that enjoy the property of local, exact and uncoded repair, i.e., (a) upon failure, a node can be regenerated by simply downloading packets from the surviving nodes and (b) the number of surviving nodes contacted is strictly smaller than the number of nodes that need to be contacted for reconstructing the stored file. Our codes consist of an outer MDS code and an inner fractional repetition code that specifies the placement of the encoded symbols on the storage nodes. For our class of codes, we identify the tradeoff between the local repair property and the minimum distance. We present codes based on graphs of high girth, affine resolvable designs and projective planes that meet the minimum distance bound for specific choices of file sizes.
Evidence that three seamounts off southern California were ancient islands

Abstract Many seamounts world-wide exhibit features that suggest they were once islands. Rodriguez and San Juan Seamounts and Northeast Bank, within 250 km of the continental margin of the western US, were explored with the ROV Tiburon and found to have guyot morphology, beach deposits and erosional features, degassed volcanic lavas and pyroclasts, and cooling and alteration patterns unusual for submarine erupted lavas. These features are evaluated as evidence that the volcanoes stood above sea level. The summit of Rodriguez Seamount is a smooth, gently domed platform. Rough hills stand above the platform and consist of dense, degassed ‘a‘a flows erupted subaerially. Bedded sandstones and rounded cobbles interpreted to be beach deposits occur near the top of a major break-in-slope at about 700 m depth. The summit of Northeast Bank is also a smooth, gently domed platform. Beach deposits were observed just below the pronounced break-in slope at about 500 m. The summit of San Juan Seamount is a northeast-southwest trending series of rough ridges rather than a dome. However, subaerially exposed ‘a‘a-like lava flows were found above 700 m. Oxidized olivine, degassed volcanic glass, and secondary phosphatization of the lavas are found both shallower and deeper than the breaks-in-slope, and their presence may not be robust indicators of subaerial exposure. Rodriguez stood at least 70 m above sea level and formed a small island 6.8 km 2 in area prior to subsiding at least 700 m. Northeast Bank was a large island perhaps 200 m above sea level and 90 km 2 in area. The summit ridge of San Juan emerged as a line of eight small islands with a total area of about 2.8 km 2 , and the tallest island rose at least 140 m above sea level. The subsidence of Northeast Bank within the California borderland, Rodriguez Seamount on the continental slope, and San Juan Seamount on the adjacent ocean crust occurred since they formed 7 to 11 million years ago. The minimum subsidence is consistent with cooling and contraction of the underlying lithosphere.
Abell 754: A Non--Head-On Collision of Subclusters

We have analyzed spatially resolved spectra of the A754 cluster of galaxies obtained with ASCA. Through earlier observations with HEAO 1, Einstein, and ROSAT as well as optical studies, A754 has been established as the prototype system for a merger in progress. The combination of spectral and spatial resolution over a broad energy band provided by ASCA has set unprecedented constraints on the hydrodynamical effects of a cluster merger. In general agreement with ROSAT (Henry & Briel 1995), we find significant gas temperature variations over the cluster face, indicating shock heating of the atmosphere during the merger. The hottest region, greater than 12 keV (90% confidence), is located in the region of the northwest Galaxy clump though the entire region along the cluster axis appears to be hotter than the mean cluster temperature (~9 keV). The cool, ≤5 keV, gas originally found with the HEAO 1 A-2 experiment, resides in the exterior of the cluster atmosphere and in a plume of gas we identify with a stripped cool atmosphere of the infalling subcluster. We have also attempted to reconstruct an iron abundance map of this merging system. Though poorly constrained, no significant deviations of abundance from the mean value are apparent in the individual regions. A754 is the only cluster so far which shows the significant temperature pattern expected in a subcluster merger, in both the ROSAT and ASCA data, providing the first possibility to compare it with theoretical predictions. The cluster does not feature a hot peak accompanied by two hot lobes perpendicular to the cluster axis, predicted by hydrodynamic simulations of a head-on merger. The observed temperature and surface brightness maps suggest that the two colliding subunits have missed each other by about 1 Mpc and are now moving perpendicular to the cluster axis in the image plane (as, e.g., in the simulations by Evrard, Metzler, & Navarro 1996).
The Mbx Challenge Competition:. a Neutron Matter Model

In this paper I report my solution to MBX Challenge Competition. Namely, the Bertsch, nonparametric model of neutron matter is analyzed and strong indications are found that, in the infinite system limit, the ground state is a Fermi liquid with an effective mass.
Variation of fundamental couplings and nuclear forces

Abstract The dependence of the nuclear force on standard model parameters plays an important role in bounding time and space variations of fundamental couplings over cosmological time scales. We discuss the quark-mass dependence of deuteron and di-neutron binding in a systematic chiral expansion. The leading quark-mass dependence of the nuclear force arises from one-pion exchange and from local quark-mass dependent four-nucleon operators with coefficients that are presently unknown. By varying these coefficients while leaving nuclear observables at the physical values of the quark masses invariant, we find scenarios where two-nucleon physics depends both weakly and strongly on the quark masses. While the determination of these coefficients is an exciting future opportunity for lattice QCD, we conclude that, at present, bounds on time and space variations of fundamental parameters from the two-nucleon sector are much weaker than previously claimed. This brings into question the reliability of coupling-constant bounds derived from more complex nuclei and nuclear processes.
Detection of Silver in Metal-poor Stars

The resonance lines of neutral silver appearing at 3280, 3382 in the near-ultraviolet spectral region " have been identi-ed on Keck I HIRES spectra of four halo stars with metallicities (1.3 " (Fe/H) " (2.2. This represents the -rst detection in metal-poor stars of an element in the atomic number range 41 " Z " 55. The mean relative silver abundance is S(Ag/Fe)T ^ )0.2, with little star-to- star variation. Silver abundance upper limits in three other metal-poor stars are consistent with this mean value. The modest overabundance of silver is similar to the overabundances in this metallicity range exhibited by other neutron-capture elements whose primary nucleosynthesis origin is the r-process (such as europium and dysprosium).
COMPLEX ORGANIC MOLECULES DURING LOW-MASS STAR FORMATION: PILOT SURVEY RESULTS*

Complex organic molecules (COMs) are known to be abundant toward some low-mass young stellar objects (YSOs), but how these detections relate to typical COM abundance are not yet understood. We aim to constrain the frequency distribution of COMs during low-mass star formation, beginning with this pilot survey of COM lines toward six embedded YSOs using the IRAM 30 m Telescope. The sample was selected from the Spitzer c2d ice sample and covers a range of ice abundances. We detect multiple COMs, including CH3CN, toward two of the YSOs, and tentatively toward a third. Abundances with respect to CH3OH vary between 0.7% and 10%. This sample is combined with previous COM observations and upper limits to obtain a frequency distributions of CH3CN, HCOOCH3, CH3OCH3, and CH3CHO. We find that for all molecules more than 50% of the sample have detections or upper limits of 1%-10% with respect to CH3OH. Moderate abundances of COMs thus appear common during the early stages of low-mass star formation. A larger sample is required, however, to quantify the COM distributions, as well as to constrain the origins of observed variations across the sample.
Rh2(II)-Catalyzed Intramolecular Aliphatic C–H Bond Amination Reactions Using Aryl Azides as the N-Atom Source

Rhodium(II) dicarboxylate complexes were discovered to catalyze the intramolecular amination of unactivated primary, secondary, or tertiary aliphatic C–H bonds using aryl azides as the N-atom precursor. While a strong electron-withdrawing group on the nitrogen atom is typically required to achieve this reaction, we found that both electron-rich and electron-poor aryl azides are efficient sources for the metal nitrene reactive intermediate.
Separation and detection of sugars and alditols on thin layer chromatograms

Abstract A thin-layer chromatographic method has been developed to separate aldoses and their corresponding alditols. Two ascents of acetonitrile–ethyl acetate–1-propanol–water (85:20:20:15, v/v/v/v) at 20 °C on Whatman K6 plates were used. A dipping detection system using alkaline silver nitrate–sodium thiosulfate was used to detect the alditols in the 500 ng to 1 μg range. The aldoses and their corresponding alditols were d -glucose, d -glucitol, d -mannose, d -mannitol, d -galactose, galactitol, d -xylose, xylitol, d -ribose, ribitol, d -arabinose, d -arabinitol, maltose, and maltitol.
The Effects of Alternative Justification Memos on the Judgments of Audit Reviewees and Reviewers

Prior research on justification has typically focused on the differences in judgments between auditors required, or not required, to justify their decisions. However, justification memos can be prepared using different approaches. In this study we examine the impact of using three justification memos: supporting, balanced, and component. Using a comprehensive control environment case based on an actual client that experienced fraud, we find that the justification memo used can affect the judgments of auditors preparing the memos as well as the judgments of auditors who review their work. Specifically, the results indicate that auditors using an unrestricted component memo, who were required to write memos for components of their task by providing important positive and negative evidence, thought that the firm's control environment was more likely to prevent fraud as compared with the supporting and balanced memo groups. Additional analyses suggest that the reason for this result is that an unrestricted component memo focuses auditors’ attention on a larger percentage of positive control environment characteristics when a firm's underlying evidence set is mostly positive. This may be problematic because firms can have more positive than negative control environment characteristics, even when fraud is present.
Anelastic and Compressible Simulations of Stellar Oxygen Burning

In this paper we compare fully compressible (Meakin & Arnett 2006, 2007 ) and anelastic (Kuhlen et al. 2003) simulations of stellar oxygen shell burning. It is found that the two models are in agreement in terms of the velocity scale (vc ~ 107 cm s-1) and thermodynamic fluctuation amplitudes (e.g., ρ'/ρ ~ 2 × 10-3) in the convective flow. Large fluctuations (~11%) arise in the compressible model, localized to the convective boundaries, and are due to internal waves excited in stable layers. Fluctuations on the several percent level are also present in the compressible model due to composition inhomogeneities from ongoing entrainment events at the convective boundaries. Comparable fluctuations (with amplitudes greater than ~1%) are absent in the anelastic simulation, because they are due to physics not included in that model. We derive an analytic estimate for the expected density fluctuation amplitudes at convective boundaries by assuming that the pressure fluctuations due to internal waves at the boundary, p, balance the ram pressure of the convective motions, ρv. The predicted amplitudes agree well with the simulation data. The good agreement between the anelastic and the compressible solution within the convection zone and the agreement between the stable layer dynamics and analytic solutions to the nonradial wave equation indicate that the compressible hydrodynamic techniques used are robust for the simulated stellar convection model, even at the low Mach numbers found, M ~ 0.01.
Broadband frequency ECR ion source concepts with large resonant plasma volumes

Abstract New techniques are proposed for enhancing the performances of ECR ion sources. The techniques are based on the use of high-power, variable-frequency, multiple-discrete-frequency, or broadband microwave radiation, derived from standard TWT technology, to effect large resonant “volume” ECR sources. The creation of a large ECR plasma “volume” permits coupling of more power into the plasma, resulting in the heating of a much larger electron population to higher energies, the effect of which is to produce higher charge state distributions and much higher intensities within a particular charge state than possible in present forms of the ECR ion source. If successful, these developments could significantly impact future accelerator designs and accelerator-based, heavy-ion-research programs by providing multiply-charged ion beams with the energies and intensities required for nuclear physics research from existing ECR ion sources. The methods described in this article can be used to retrofit any ECR ion source predicted on B-minimum plasma confinement techniques.
NMR Based Quantum Information Processing: Achievements and Prospects

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provides an experimental setting to explore physical implementations of quantum information processing (QIP). Here we introduce the basic background for understanding applications of NMR to QIP and explain their current successes, limitations and potential. NMR spectroscopy is well known for its wealth of diverse coherent manipulations of spin dynamics. Ideas and instrumentation from liquid state NMR spectroscopy have been used to experiment with QIP. This approach has carried the field to a complexity of about 10 qubits, a small number for quantum computation but large enough for observing and better understanding the complexity of the quantum world. While liquid state NMR is the only present-day technology about to reach this number of qubits, further increases in complexity will require new methods. We sketch one direction leading towards a scalable quantum computer using spin 1/2 particles. The next step of which is a solid state NMR-based QIP capable of reaching 10-30 qubits.
Parallel adaptive discontinuous Galerkin approximation for thin layer avalanche modeling

This paper describes the development of highly accurate adaptive discontinuous Galerkin schemes for the solution of the equations arising from a thin layer type model of debris flows. Such flows have wide applicability in the analysis of avalanches induced by many natural calamities, e.g. volcanoes, earthquakes, etc. These schemes are coupled with special parallel solution methodologies to produce a simulation tool capable of very high-order numerical accuracy. The methodology successfully replicates cold rock avalanches at Mount Rainier, Washington and hot volcanic particulate flows at Colima Volcano, Mexico.
Development of a Nazarov cyclization/Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement sequence for the stereoselective synthesis of spirocycles.

A stereoselective Nazarov cyclization/Wagner−Meerwein rearrangement sequence for the synthesis of spirocyclic compounds was developed. While a range of different substrate types engaged in the cyclization/rearrangement sequence, it was found that different substrates underwent different reaction pathways. Depending on the substitution pattern of the substrate, the sequence was terminated by either a hydride shift or the shift of a vinyl or aryl group. It was also possible to install adjacent quaternary stereocenters using this protocol. The efficiency of the Wagner−Meerwein rearrangement was found to be dependent upon both the type and the amount of promoter used to generate the intermediate oxyallyl cation.
Growth in Japanese lending and direct investment in the United States: are they related?

Abstract Studies on the growth of foreign banks in the United States ascribe foreign banks' operations, in particular those of Japanese banks, to growth in foreign trade and direct investment in this country. We find, however, that data do not support this hypothesis. Local borrowing by affiliates of Japanese firms does not account for the majority of Japanese lending in the United States. Rather, US-owned firms have increasingly become customers of Japanese banks in the United States. Given the current credit tightening by capital-constrained Japanese banks, it is particularly important to establish who their customers really are.
LIE G-TORI OF SYMPLECTIC TYPE

We classify centerless Lie G-tori of type Cr including the most difficult caser = 2 by applying techniques due to Seligman. In particular, we show that the coordinate algebra of a Lie G-torus of type C2 is either an associative G-torus with involution or a Clifford G-torus. Our results generalize the classification of the core of the extended affine Lie algebras of type Cr by Allison and Gao.
Waste degradation and mobilization in performance assessments for the Yucca Mountain disposal system for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste

Abstract This paper summarizes modeling of waste degradation and mobilization in performance assessments (PAs) conducted between 1984 and 2008 to evaluate feasibility, viability, and assess compliance of a repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada. As understanding of the Yucca Mountain disposal system increased, the waste degradation module, or succinctly called the source-term, evolved from initial assumptions in 1984 to results based on process modeling in 2008. In early PAs, waste degradation had significant influence on calculated behavior but as the robustness of the waste container was increased and modeling of the container degradation improved, waste degradation had much less influence in later PAs. The variation of dissolved concentrations of radionuclides progressed from simple probability distributions in early PAs to functions dependent upon water chemistry in later PAs. Also, transport modeling of radionuclides in the waste, container, and invert were added in 1995; and, colloid-facilitated transport of radionuclides was added in 1998.
On diversity reception over fading channels with impulsive noise

In this paper, we analyze the performance of different diversity combining techniques over fading channels with impulsive noise. We use Middleton's Class A model for the noise distribution and adopt two noise models, which assume dependent and independent noise components on each branch. We systematically analyze the performance of maximum ratio combing (MRC), equal gain combining (EGC), selection combining (SC), and post-detection combining (PDC) under these impulsive noise models, and derive insightful lower and upper bounds. We show that even under impulsive noise, the diversity order is retained for each combining scheme. However, we also show that under both models, there is a fundamental tradeoff between diversity gain and coding gain. Under the independent noise model, PDC is shown to combat impulsive noise more effectively than MRC, EGC, and SC. Our simulation results also corroborate our analysis.
There Is No Basis Ambiguity in Everett Quantum Mechanics

The Everett-interpretation description of isolated measurements, i.e., measurements involving interaction between a measuring apparatus and a measured system but not interaction with the environment, is shown to be unambiguous, claims in the literature to the contrary notwithstanding. The appearance of ambiguity in such measurements is engendered by the fact that, in the Schrodinger picture, information on splitting into Everett copies must be inferred from the history of the combined system. In the Heisenberg picture this information is contained in mathematical quantities associated with a single time.
Thermal radiation absorption by particle-seeded gases

Extinction parameters of submicron carbon, tungsten and Si particles in hydrogen measured at various temperatures, discussing scattering amplitude functions and Monte Carlo calculations
Improved accuracy with higher protection of a biometric system using image and decision fusion techniques

Fingerprint recognition applications as means of identity authentication that deals with accuracy and security are becoming more acceptable in areas such as financial transactions, access to secured buildings, commercial driver license and identity check at entry borders, to mention a few. This paper presented a new approach of using two patterns of the same person, intelligently fused, to form a new unique pattern of the same person. The Laplacian pyramid (LP) level 7 image fusion approach and the logical "OR" and logical "AND" operators for the decision fusion approach were tested with respect to their performance in accuracy, security and processing speed of the recognition system. The concept of receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve to indicate any improvement in accuracy and security of the process was used. Finally, an overall comparison and analysis of performance between traditional systems that used a single pattern and our proposed system that used two fused fingerprint patterns in the biometric system was presented.
Quantitative analysis with the aid of calculated X-ray powder patterns☆

Abstract High-speed computers permit the calculation of the X-ray powder patterns of substances whose structures are reasonably well known. The calculated patterns provide absolute intensities for quantitative interpretations. When the observed relative intensities derived from a mixture are divided by the absolute values and corrected for absorption, they are proportional to the quantities of components present. An approximate composition is first calculated by neglecting the absorption effect and then refined by successive approximation. The reliability of the analysis increases with the number of lines available for each component.
Application of Halide Molten Salts as Novel Reaction Media for O‐Glycosidic Bond Formation

In this study we have explored the application of halide molten salts as reaction media for O-glycosidic bond formation under basic conditions and mild heating. Eighteen different room-temperature ionic liquids and molten salts, representing four different classes of cations (i.e. imidazolium, pyridinium, pyrrolidinium and ammonium), were screened in the glycosidation reaction of p-nitrophenol with aceto-bromo-α-D-galactose. 1-Butyl-4-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIM·Cl) gave the best results and was applied in the reactions of other phenolic substrates to give the products with up to 80 % yields. All the reactions were highly selective to give the β-anomers, and the molten salt BMIM·Cl could easily be reused with no apparent loss in activity.
ANGULAR MOMENTUM TRANSPORT IN ACCRETION DISKS: SCALING LAWS IN MRI-DRIVEN TURBULENCE

We present a scaling law that predicts the values of the stresses obtained in numerical simulations of saturated MRI-driven turbulence in nonstratified shearing boxes. It relates the turbulent stresses to the strength of the vertical magnetic field, the sound speed, the vertical size of the box, and the numerical resolution and predicts accurately the results of 35 numerical simulations performed for a wide variety of physical conditions. We use our result to show that the saturated stresses in simulations with zero net magnetic flux depend linearly on the numerical resolution and would become negligible if the resolution were set equal to the natural dissipation scale in astrophysical disks. We conclude that in order for MRI-driven turbulent angular momentum transport to be able to account for the large value of the effective alpha viscosity inferred observationally, the disk must be threaded by a significant vertical magnetic field and the turbulent magnetic energy must be in near equipartition with the thermal energy. This result has important implications for the spectra of accretion disks and their stability.
Globalization and the Sustainability of Large Current Account Imbalances: Size Matters *

This paper evaluates the sustainability of large current account imbalances in the era when the Chinese GDP growth rate and current account/GDP exceed 10%. We investigate the size distribution and the durability of current account deficits during 1966-2005, and report the results of a simulation that relies on the adding-up property of global current account balances. Excluding the US, we find that size does matter: the length of current account deficit spells is negatively related to the relative size of the countries’ GDP. We conclude that the continuation of the fast growth rate of China, while maintaining its large current account/GPD surpluses, would be constrained by the limited sustainability of the larger current account deficits/GDP of courtiers that grow at a much slower rate. Consequently, short of the emergence of a “new demander of last resort,” the Chinese growth path would be challenged by its own success.
Kirkman Equiangular Tight Frames and Codes

An equiangular tight frame (ETF) is a set of unit vectors in a Euclidean space whose coherence is as small as possible, equaling the Welch bound. Also known as Welch-bound-equality sequences, such frames arise in various applications, such as waveform design and compressed sensing. At the moment, there are only two known flexible methods for constructing ETFs: harmonic ETFs are formed by carefully extracting rows from a discrete Fourier transform; Steiner ETFs arise from a tensor-like combination of a combinatorial design and a regular simplex. These two classes seem very different: the vectors in harmonic ETFs have constant amplitude, whereas Steiner ETFs are extremely sparse. We show that they are actually intimately connected: a large class of Steiner ETFs can be unitarily transformed into constant-amplitude frames, dubbed Kirkman ETFs. Moreover, we show that an important class of harmonic ETFs is a subset of an important class of Kirkman ETFs. This connection informs the discussion of both types of frames: some Steiner ETFs can be transformed into constant-amplitude waveforms making them more useful in waveform design; some harmonic ETFs have low spark, making them less desirable for compressed sensing. We conclude by showing that real-valued constant-amplitude ETFs are equivalent to binary codes that achieve the Grey-Rankin bound, and then construct such codes using Kirkman ETFs.
Accelerated Arctic land warming and permafrost degradation during rapid sea ice loss

[1] Coupled climate models and recent observational evidence suggest that Arctic sea ice may undergo abrupt periods of loss during the next fifty years. Here, we evaluate how rapid sea ice loss affects terrestrial Arctic climate and ground thermal state in the Community Climate System Model. We find that simulated western Arctic land warming trends during rapid sea ice loss are 3.5 times greater than secular 21st century climate-change trends. The accelerated warming signal penetrates up to 1500 km inland and is apparent throughout most of the year, peaking in autumn. Idealized experiments using the Community Land Model, with improved permafrost dynamics, indicate that an accelerated warming period substantially increases ground heat accumulation. Enhanced heat accumulation leads to rapid degradation of warm permafrost and may increase the vulnerability of colder permafrost to degradation under continued warming. Taken together, these results imply a link between rapid sea ice loss and permafrost health.
Complete analysis of phase transitions and ensemble equivalence for the Curie-Weiss-Potts model

Using the theory of large deviations, we analyze the phase transition structure of the Curie–Weiss–Potts spin model, which is a mean-field approximation to the nearest-neighbor Potts model. It is equivalent to the Potts model on the complete graph on n vertices. The analysis is carried out both for the canonical ensemble and the microcanonical ensemble. Besides giving explicit formulas for the microcanonical entropy and for the equilibrium macrostates with respect to the two ensembles, we analyze ensemble equivalence and nonequivalence at the level of equilibrium macrostates, relating these to concavity and support properties of the microcanonical entropy. The Curie–Weiss–Potts model is the first statistical mechanical model for which such a detailed and rigorous analysis has been carried out.
Thermodynamic and structural characterization of the Mg–Li–N–H hydrogen storage system

Abstract The Mg–Li–N–H system is a very promising hydrogen storage material due to its high capacity, reversibility and moderate operating conditions. Some of thermodynamic and structural properties for this system are characterized here. Pressure-composition isotherms are measured and presented in this paper for absorption–desorption at 220, 200 and 180 °C. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis were carried out for samples at various degrees of hydrogenation. These results provide information about the structural changes during absorption/desorption. The mixture of (2LiNH 2 + MgH 2 ) partially converts to (Mg(NH 2 ) 2 + 2LiH) when heated at 220 °C and 100 bar of hydrogen without undergoing desorption. Based on two distinct parts which appear in all of the pressure-composition isotherms (180–220 °C), two reactions taking place isothermally in hydrogen absorption/desorption are proposed for the material starting with (2LiNH 2 + MgH 2 ) or (Mg(NH 2 ) 2 + 2LiH). These reactions include a single solid-phase reaction, corresponding to the sloping region for hydrogen weight percent (Hwt%) smaller than 1.5%, and a multiple-phase reaction, corresponding to a plateau region for Hwt.% > 1.5 in the isotherms. During hydrogen absorption/desorption, the single-solid-phase reaction corresponds to the forming/consuming of NH 2 which is bonded to Li and the multiple-solid-phase reaction corresponds to forming/consuming Mg(NH 2 ) 2 and LiH. A mechanism for the sorption reactions has been proposed.
Template-Directed Synthesis of Oxide Nanotubes: Fabrication, Characterization, and Applications†

A template-directed synthesis strategy is an ideal tool to fabricate oxide nanotubes in that their physical dimensions can be precisely controlled and monodisperse samples can be harvested in large quantity. The wall thickness of the oxide nanotubes is controllable by varying the deposition conditions, and the length and diameter can be tailored in accordance with the templates used. A wealth of functional oxide materials with the controlled polymorphs can be deposited to be nanotubular structures by various synthesis methods. This short review article describes the recent progress made in the field of the template synthesis of oxide nanotubes. We begin this review with the comprehensive survey on the research activities of the template-directed oxide nanotubes. We then focus on the template synthesis that combines porous membrane templates with various deposition techniques and discuss the processing issues associated with coating inside nanoscale pores, selective etching of oxide nanotubes from the temp...
Error analysis of a ratio pyrometer by numerical simulation

A numerical method has been devised to evaluate measurement errors for a three-channel ratio pyrometer as a function of temperature. The pyrometer is simulated by computer codes, which can be used to explore the behavior of various designs. The influence of the various components in the system can be evaluated. General conclusions can be drawn about what makes a good pyrometer, and an existing pyrometer was evaluated, to predict its behavior as a function of temperature. The results show which combination of two channels gives the best precision.
Three Epochs of Star Formation in the High-Redshift Universe

We investigate the impact of an early population of massive stars on their surroundings. Dissociation of molecular hydrogen by strong UV emission from such stars is expected to produce a global transition in the cooling mechanism of minihalos at a redshift of approximately 30, strongly inhibiting star formation until more massive halos can collapse. Furthermore, chemical enrichment from Population III supernovae produces a second transition at z ~ 15-20, when the mean metallicity of the universe exceeds a critical threshold and Population III star formation gives way to Population II. We show that observations of high-redshift supernovae with the Next Generation Space Telescope have the potential to trace the cosmic star formation rate out to z 20, provided that Population III supernovae are at least as bright as, and ideally brighter than, Type Ia supernovae. We also propose a mechanism for the formation of a novel population of extremely low metallicity stars of intermediate mass at very high redshifts, which we term Population II.5. In our model shock compression, heating, and subsequent cooling to high density reduces the fragment mass in primordial gas to ~10 M☉, allowing low-mass stars to form. We predict the number density of relic Population II.5 stars in the Milky Way halo today and find that, with certain assumptions, there should be ~10 kpc-3 in the solar neighborhood.
Efficacy of treatment for somatoform disorders: a review of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE To review the evidence from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that have focused on the treatment of patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4(th) Edition (DSM-IV) somatoform disorders. Although somatoform disorders are among the most common mental disorders presenting in the general medical setting, the strength of evidence for specific treatments has not been well synthesized. METHODS MEDLINE search of articles published in English from 1966 to 2006, using the following search terms: randomized clinical trial, somatoform disorders, somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder, hypochrondriasis, conversion disorder, pain disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder. RESULTS A total of 34 RCTs involving 3922 patients were included. Two thirds of the studies involved somatization disorder (n = 4 studies) and lower threshold variants, such as abridged somatization disorder (n = 9) and medically unexplained symptoms (n = 10). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was effective in most studies (11 of 13), as were antidepressants in a small number (4 of 5) of studies. RCTs examining a variety of other treatments showed benefit in half (8 of 16) of the studies, the most consistent evidence existing for a consultation letter to the primary care physician. Effective treatments have been established for all somatoform disorders except conversion disorder (1 of 3 studies showing benefit) and pain disorder (no studies reported). CONCLUSION CBT is the best established treatment for a variety of somatoform disorders, with some benefit also demonstrated for a consultation letter to the primary care physician. Preliminary but not yet conclusive evidence exists for antidepressants.
A Theory of Parallelism and the Case of VP Ellipsis

We provide a general account of parallelism in discourse, and apply it to the special case of resolving possible readings for instances of VP ellipsis. We show how several problematic examples are accounted for in a natural and straightforward fashion. The generality of the approach makes it directly applicable to a variety of other types of ellipsis and reference.
The interlibrary loan librarian

Advances the idea that interlibrary lending is the Cinderella of the library service. Shows that it is support staff that frequently perform the tasks associated with interlibrary loan. Argues that a professional librarian should guide this service. Explores the varied roles of the professional interlibrary loan librarian within the context of the US library scene, showing that interlibrary loan service, properly carried out, is both a challenge and stimulus to the professional librarian and an important factor in the satisfaction of user needs.
Time Dilation of BATSE Gamma-Ray Bursts

We perform several nonparametric correlation tests on the BATSE 3B data to search for evidence of cosmological time dilation. These tests account for the effects of data truncation due to threshold effects in both limiting brightness and limiting duration, enabling us to utilize a larger number of bursts than in previous analyses. We find little significant evidence for correlation between various measures of peak intensity and duration, but the tests cannot conclusively rule out time dilation factors of 2 or less without more data. There is stronger evidence for a positive correlation between fluence and duration, which if confirmed would rule out simple no-evolution cosmological models unless there is a strong intrinsic correlation between the total radiant energy and the duration of bursts.