cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Execution and Time Models for Pervasive Sensor Networks

Sensor-actuator networks and interactive ubiquitous environments are distributed systems in which the sensor-actuators communicate with each other by message-passing. This paper makes three contributions. First, it gives a general system and execution model for such sensor-actuator networks in pervasive environments. Second, it examines the range of time models that are useful for specifying properties, and for implementation, in such distributed networks, and places approaches and limitations in perspective. Third, it shows that although the partial order time model has not been seen to be useful as a specification tool in real applications of sensornets, yet, it is useful for real applications in pervasive sensornets because (under certain conditions) it can serve as a viable alternative to physically synchronized clocks that provide the linear order time model.
The long underestimated carbonyl function of carbohydrates – an organocatalyzed shot into carbohydrate chemistry

The aggressive and strong development of organocatalysis provides several protocols for the convenient utilization of the carbonyl function of unprotected carbohydrates in C–C-bond formation processes. These amine-catalyzed mechanisms enable multiple cascade-protocols for the synthesis of a wide range of carbohydrate-derived compound classes. Several, only slightly different protocols, have been developed for the application of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in the stereoselective chain-elongation of unprotected carbohydrates and the synthesis of highly functionalized C-glycosides of defined configuration. In addition, C-glycosides can also be accessed by amine-catalyzed reactions with methyl ketones. By a one-pot cascade reaction of isocyanides with unprotected aldoses and amino acids access to defined configured glycopeptide mimetics is achieved. Depending on the reaction conditions different origins to control the installation of configuration during the bond-formation process were observed.
Rare $B$ Decays Potential at Super$B$

We present a short overview of the most important rare $B$ decay analyses which will be performed using $75~{\rm ab}^{-1}$ dataset which is expected to be provided by Super$B$ Factory within five years from its starting date.
Distributional impacts of energy cross-subsidization in transition economies : evidence from Belarus

Subsidies and cross-subsidies in the energy sector are common throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In Belarus, revenues from an industrial tariff on electricity are used to cross-subsidize heating for households. Input-output (IO) data and a household consumption survey are used to analyze the distributional impacts of this cross-subsidization. This paper illustrates cost shares and electricity-intensity of different sectors and consumption categories and uses the IO data to obtain first-order estimates of the distributional incidence of policy reform. The paper then analyzes distributional impacts of subsidy reform with a Computable General Equilibrium model. Although poorer households benefit from reduced heating costs, the increase in prices of other consumer goods due to higher electricity prices more than offsets the benefits they receive from the subsidies. The analysis finds that the current cross-subsidies are regressive, and policy reform would be highly progressive.
Cosmology with standard sirens: the importance of the shape of the lensing magnification distribution

The gravitational waves (GWs) emitted by inspiralling binary black holes, expected to be detected by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), could be used to determine the luminosity distance to these sources with the unprecedented precision of ≤ 1 per cent. We study cosmological parameter constraints from such standard sirens, in the presence of gravitational lensing by large-scale structure. Lensing introduces magnification with a probability distribution function (PDF) whose shape has significant skewness and kurtosis, and depends on cosmological parameters. We use Monte Carlo simulations to generate mock samples of standard sirens, including a small intrinsic scatter, as well as the additional, larger scatter from lensing, in their inferred distances. We derive constraints on cosmological parameters, by simultaneously fitting the mean and the distribution of the residuals on the distance versus redshift (d L-z ) Hubble diagram. We find that for standard sirens at redshift z ≈ 1, the sensitivity to a single cosmological parameter, such as the matter density Ωm, or the dark energy equation of state w, is ~50-80 per cent tighter when the lensing PDF is used, compared to the sensitivity derived from a Gaussian PDF with the same variance. When these two parameters are constrained simultaneously, the non-Gaussian shape yields a further enhanced improvement (by ~120 per cent), owing to the correlation between the parameters. The sensitivity to the amplitude of the matter power spectrum, σ 8 from the cosmological dependence of the PDF alone, however, is ~20 per cent worse than that from the Gaussian PDF. The improvements for Ω m and w arise purely from the non-Gaussian shape of the lensing PDF and can be attributed specifically to the sharpness of the peak of this PDF (i.e. to a finite kurtosis); the dependence of the PDF on these parameters does not improve constraints relative to those available from the mean d L-z relation. At higher redshifts, the PDF resembles a Gaussian more closely, and the effects of the non-Gaussianities become less prominent. These results highlight the importance of obtaining an accurate and reliable PDF of the lensing convergence, in order to realize the full potential of standard sirens as cosmological probes.
Periodic mass extinctions and the Planet X model reconsidered

The 27 Myr periodicity in the fossil extinction record has been confirmed in modern data bases dating back 500 Myr, which is twice the time interval of the original analysis from thirty years ago. The surprising regularity of this period has been used to reject the Nemesis model. A second model based on the sun's vertical galactic oscillations has been challenged on the basis of an inconsistency in period and phasing. The third astronomical model originally proposed to explain the periodicity is the Planet X model in which the period is associated with the perihelion precession of the inclined orbit of a trans-Neptunian planet. Recently, and unrelated to mass extinctions, a trans-Neptunian super-Earth planet has been proposed to explain the observation that the inner Oort cloud objects Sedna and 2012VP113 have perihelia that lie near the ecliptic plane. In this Letter we reconsider the Planet X model in light of the confluence of the modern palaeontological and outer solar system dynamical evidence.
The role of somatosensory information in a constrained locomotor task.

Abstract The purpose of this project was to study the role of somatosensory information in the performance of a constrained locomotor task by rats and to further examine the influence of structural recovery in the somatosensory thalamus, specifically the ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL). Groups of rats were trained to traverse an elevated, one inch bar for a reward. The time taken to run across the bar (run time) was used as a measure of the success of the goal-directed behavior. The movement pattern of the hindlimb during the swing phase of the locomotor task was quantified from videotape on Preoperative (PRE) Day 15 and during the 46-day postoperative period. The movement pattern was characterized using six different parameters: the area, the X and Y values of the centroid under the normalized curve of the hindlimb trajectory, the vertical displacement of the hindlimb in the flexion and extension phases of the swing cycle, the maximum instantaneous hindlimb velocity, and the proportion of time spent in the acceleration versus deceleration phases of the swing cycle. In order to disrupt the central pathways for somatosensory information, lesions were made in (i) the right gracile nucleus (GN) (n = 18), (ii) bilateral GN (n = 7), (iii) the right GN and the left VPL (n = 6), and (iv) bilateral VPL (n = 8), and (v) sham-operated animals (n = 5). The run time and the pattern of the hindlimb swing cycle were used as measures of loss and recovery of function. Only the bilateral VPL group showed an impairment in run time and they recovered by Postoperative (POST) Week 4. All groups demonstrated an impairment in initial flexion of the hindlimb during the swing cycle that recovered in the right GN group only. On POST Day 49, the right GN, bilateral GN, and the sham groups received injections of 5% WGA-HRP into both CN to determine the location of these projections in VPL. The CN projections were not redistributed into the gracile area of VPL after GN lesions. Since our previous study (24) had shown the number of synpases in VPL returned to normal after dorsal column nuclei (DCN) lesions by POST Day 50, the recovery of the number of synapses alone was not sufficient to restore the normal gait pattern, while the recovery of the run time preceded the complete recovery of the number of synapses. The recovery of the hindlimb movement pattern during this constrained locomotor task may require the central processing of specific lemniscal information bilaterally by the VPL while behavioral recovery may be subserved by other neural mechanisms, such as the disinhibition of VPL neurons as a result of DCN lesions, allowing the VPL neurons to be more responsive to alternative inputs or physiological adaptations in other ascending systems.
Photoproduction of calcium-47

The irradiation of highly enriched Ca/sup 48/ CO/sub 3/ with a bremsstrahlung beam of maximum energy 46 Mev produced Ca/sup 47/ with a yield of 1.1 to 3.0 mu c/mg Ca/sup 48/ at half saturation. The half life of a sample measured through aluminum absorber to eliminate the contribution by the Sc/sup 47/ daughter was 4.51 plus or minus 6.02 days. By comparison with the Cu/sup 63/ ( gamma ,n)Cu/sup 62/ reaction the integrated cross section from 0 to 46 Mev for the sum of the reactions Ca/sup 48/( gamma ,n)Ca/sup 47/ and Ca/sup 48/( gamma ,p)K/sup 47/ was calculated to be 29 Mev-mbarn. The Ca/sup 45/ content of the sample calculated to the end of the bombardment was approximately 0.04%, probably the result of the Ca/sup 48/( gamma ,3n) and ( gamma ,p2n) reactions. (auth)
THE ROLE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL IN HELPING SIGNIFICANT OTHERS OF PERSONS WHO ARE ASSISTED IN DEATH

The involvement of mental health professionals with people who are considering assisted death due to a terminal illness is beginning to be discussed more frequently in the professional literature; however , one neglected area is working with the significant others of the person who is suffering. This article covers ways both before and after the death that counselors can help significant others cope with the dying process , the decision to request assisted death , and the death itself .
Spectrum of the Dirac operator and inversion algorithms with dynamical staggered fermions

Complete spectra of the staggered Dirac operator D are determined in four-dimensional SU(2) gauge fields with and without dynamical fermions. An attempt is made to relate the performance of multigrid and conjugate gradient algorithms for propagators with the distribution of the eigenvalues of D.
Morse Novikov theory and cohomology with forward supports

We present a new approach to Morse and Novikov theories, based on the deRham Federer theory of currents, using the finite volume flow technique of Harvey and Lawson [HL]. In the Morse case, we construct a noncompact analogue of the Morse complex, relating a Morse function to the cohomology with compact forward supports of the manifold. This complex is then used in Novikov theory, to obtain a geometric realization of the Novikov Complex as a complex of currents and a new characterization of Novikov Homology as cohomology with compact forward supports. Two natural ``backward-forward'' dualities are also established: a Lambda duality over the Novikov Ring and a Topological Vector Space duality over the reals.
The Ionization of Nearby Interstellar Gas

We present new calculations of the photoionization of interstellar matter within ~5 pc of the Sun (which we refer to as the complex of local interstellar clouds, or CLIC) by directly observed radiation sources, including nearby hot stars and the diffuse emission of the soft X-ray background (SXRB). In addition, we model the important, unobserved extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) emission both from the hot gas responsible for the SXRB and from a possible evaporative boundary between the CLIC and the hot gas. We carry out radiative transfer calculations and show that these radiation sources can provide the ionization and heating of the cloud required to match a variety of observations. The ionization predicted in our models shows good agreement with pickup ion results, interstellar absorption-line data toward CMa, and EUV opacity measurements of nearby white dwarf stars. Including the radiation from the conductive boundary improves agreement with data on the temperature and electron density in the cloud. The presence of dust in the cloud, or at least depleted abundances, is necessary to maintain the heating/cooling balance and reach the observed temperature. Using the column density observations as inputs, we derive the gas-phase abundances of C, N, O, Mg, Si, S, and Fe. Based on these inferred depletions, it appears that silicate and iron dust exists in the CLIC, while carbonaceous dust has been destroyed. In addition, we find evidence that the Ne abundance in the CLIC is larger than solar.
Imaging a Quasar Accretion Disk with Microlensing

We show how analysis of a quasar high-magnification microlensing event may be used to construct a map of the frequency-dependent surface brightness of the quasar accretion disk. The same procedure also allows determination of the disk inclination angle, the black hole mass (modulo the caustic velocity), and possibly the black hole spin. This method depends on the validity of one assumption: that the optical and ultraviolet continuum of the quasar is produced on the surface of an azimuthally symmetric, flat equatorial disk, whose gas follows prograde circular orbits in a Kerr spacetime (and plunges inside the marginally stable orbit). Given this assumption, we advocate using a variant of first-order linear regularization to invert multifrequency microlensing light curves to obtain the disk surface brightness as a function of radius and frequency. The other parameters can be found by minimizing χ2 in a fashion consistent with the regularized solution for the surface brightness. We present simulations for a disk model appropriate to the Einstein Cross quasar, an object uniquely well suited to this approach. These simulations confirm that the surface brightness can be reconstructed quite well near its peak and that there are no systematic errors in determining the other model parameters. We also discuss the observational requirements for successful implementation of this technique.
Tritium separation effects during heavy water electrolysis: implications for reported observations of cold fusion

Les effets de la separation electrolytique des impuretes de tritium contenues dans l'eau lourde sont etudies. L'accumulation de tritium lors de l'electrolyse de l'eau sur une cathode de palladium est examinee
Black hole attractors and pure spinors

We construct black hole attractor solutions for a wide class of N = 2 compactifications. The analysis is carried out in ten dimensions and makes crucial use of pure spinor techniques. This formalism can accommodate non-Kaehler manifolds as well as compactifications with flux, in addition to the usual Calabi-Yau case. At the attractor point, the charges fix the moduli according to {Sigma}f{sub k} = Im(C{Phi}), where {Phi} is a pure spinor of odd (even) chirality in IIB (A). For IIB on a Calabi-Yau, {Phi} = {Omega} and the equation reduces to the usual one. Methods in generalized complex geometry can be used to study solutions to the attractor equation.
Deposit insurance as private club - Is Germany a model?

The author describes, and evaluates the deposit insurance scheme set-up by private commercial banks in Germany in 1975. The scheme's funding, and management are completely private, with no pubic supervision. Where other schemes rely on monitoring by depositors to decrease moral hazard problems, the German scheme relies on peer monitoring by its member banks. The system has weathered several small bank crises, but has not yet been exposed to a major bank failure, or a systemic crisis. To what extent can it serve as a model for other countries? The success of the German scheme has to be judged against an institutional environment that fosters contract enforcement, and the rule of law, and discourages corruption. In a country with weaker institutions, the voluntary membership might quickly lead to adverse selection, with strong banks leaving the scheme. The high coverage limit might induce bank managers, and owners to abuse the scheme. Banks might intentionally under-fund the scheme, counting on additional government resources in times of crisis. And the secrecy of funds might decrease fund managers' accountability in societies with little transparency, and much corruption. In Germany's highly concentrated commercial banking sector, the small number of banks facilitates a club atmosphere, and quick resolution of banking crises. But it could also prevent the entry of new, innovative market participants, so that the club becomes a cartel. Germany's anti-bankruptcy bias might help prevent moral hazard, but can also stifle entrepreneurship. There is a tradeoff between the efficiency gain of a privately run deposit insurance scheme, and its potentially negative impact on competition, and entrepreneurship. Although the scheme cannot easily be transplanted to developing countries, it offers lessons for other economies. Schemes with a club-like character, reinforce peer monitoring, and minimize the risk of free riding. Risk-based premiums, based on auditing by the deposit insurance scheme, create a healthy link between the protection an insurance offers, and the moral hazard it aims to prevent. One compromise might be a combination of ex-ante funding, that guarantees credibility, with depositors, and ex-post bank funding, that gives banks an incentive to monitor one another to minimize costs.
Force networks and elasticity in granular silos

We have made experimental observations of the force networks within a two-dimensional granular silo similar to the classical system of Janssen. Models like that of Janssen predict that pressure within a silo saturates with depth as the result of vertical forces being redirected to the walls of the silo where they can then be carried by friction. We use photoelastic particles to obtain information not available in previous silo experiments --the internal force structure. We directly compare various predictions with the results obtained by averaging ensembles of experimentally obtained force networks. We identify several differences between the mean behavior in our system and that predicted by Janssen-like models: We find that the redirection parameter describing how the force network transfers vertical forces to the walls varies with depth. We find that changes in the preparation of the material can cause the pressure within the silo to either saturate or to continue building with depth. Most strikingly, we observe a nonlinear response to overloads applied to the top of the material in the silo. For larger overloads we observe the previously reported “giant overshoot” effect where overload pressure decays only after an initial increase (G. Ovarlez et al., Phys. Rev. E 67, 060302(R) (2003)). For smaller overloads we find that additional pressure propagates to great depth. Analysis of the differences between the inter-grain contact and force networks suggests that, for our system, when the load and the particle weight are comparable, particle elasticity acts to stabilize the force network, allowing deep propagation. For larger loads, the force network rearranges, resulting in the expected, Janssen-like behavior. Thus, a meso-scale network phenomenon results in an observable nonlinearity in the mean pressure profile.
Differentiating SIADH from Cerebral/Renal Salt Wasting: Failure of the Volume Approach and Need for a New Approach to Hyponatremia

Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality. Its diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are in a state of flux. It is evident that hyponatremic patients are symptomatic with a potential for serious consequences at sodium levels that were once considered trivial. The recommendation to treat virtually all hyponatremics exposes the need to resolve the diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma of deciding whether to water restrict a patient with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) or administer salt and water to a renal salt waster. In this review, we briefly discuss the pathophysiology of SIADH and renal salt wasting (RSW), and the difficulty in differentiating SIADH from RSW, and review the origin of the perceived rarity of RSW, as well as the value of determining fractional excretion of urate (FEurate) in differentiating both syndromes, the high prevalence of RSW which highlights the inadequacy of the volume approach to hyponatremia, the importance of changing cerebral salt wasting to RSW, and the proposal to eliminate reset osmostat as a subtype of SIADH, and finally propose a new algorithm to replace the outmoded volume approach by highlighting FEurate. This algorithm eliminates the need to assess the volume status with less reliance on determining urine sodium concentration, plasma renin, aldosterone and atrial/brain natriuretic peptide or the BUN to creatinine ratio.
A Millisecond Pulsar Optical Counterpart with Large-Amplitude Variability in the Globular Cluster 47 Tucanae

Using extensive Hubble Space Telescope imaging, combined with Chandra X-ray and Parkes radio data, we have detected the optical binary companion to a second millisecond pulsar (MSP) in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae. This faint (V = 22.3) blue (V-I = 0.7) star shows a large-amplitude (60%-70%) sinusoidal variation in both V and I. The period (3.19066 hr) and phase of the variation match those of the MSP 47 Tuc W (which does not have an accurate radio timing position) to within 0.5 s and 1.2 minutes, respectively, well within the 1 σ errors. The phase dependence of the intensity and color implies that heating of a tidally locked companion causes the observed variations. The eclipsing nature of this MSP in the radio, combined with the relatively large companion mass (greater than 0.13 M☉) and the companion's position in the color-magnitude diagram, suggests that the companion is a main-sequence star, a rare circumstance for an MSP companion. This system is likely to have had a complex evolution and represents an interesting case study in MSP irradiation of a close companion. We present evidence for another optical variable with similar properties to the companion of 47 Tuc W. This variable also may be an MSP companion, although no radio counterpart has yet been detected.
Highly substituted 2-amido-furans from Rh(II)-catalyzed cyclopropenations of ynamides.

Rh(II)-catalyzed cyclopropenations of ynamides are described. Although an actual amido−cyclopropene intermediate may not be involved, these reactions provide a facile entry to highly substituted 2-amido-furans, thereby formerly constituting a [3 + 2] cycloaddition. An application of these de novo 2-amido-furans in N-tethered intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloadditions is also illustrated, leading to dihydroindoles and tetrahydroquinolines.
Four-quark interactions in finite-temperature, SU(2), lattice gauge theory

Non-Gaussian critical exponents for the confinement-deconfinement phase transition in SU(2) lattice gauge theory indicate that the associated three-dimensional field theory of Wilson lines has nontrivial interactions. A numerical approximation to the first derivative of the effective potential for the lines is used to estimate the strength of the four-line interaction. Moderate to strong coupling is found. This indicates that at the scale of the string tension, the four-quark free energy differs substantially from the contribution made by pairwise strings.
Mortgage Pricing: What Have We Learned So Far?†

Much progress has been achieved in the valuation of call options and mortgages. Preliminary evidence suggests that the observed term structure of interest rates (the full structure, not just the end-points) and a reasonable estimate of the volatility of spot rates is sufficient for pricing purposes. Knowledge of the precise nature of the interest-rate process and the exact market price of interest-rate risk, the not-well-identified determinants of the term structure, are not necessary for pricing. Moreover, the number of interest-rate state variables is also of little import, again holding the term structure and rate volatility constant.
Aging Adversely Affects the Cigarette Smoke Induced Glutathione Adaptive Response in the Lung

Rationale: Cigarette smoke (CS) is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, accounting for more than 90% of cases. The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is much higher in the elderly, suggesting an age dependency. A prominent defense against the oxidant burden caused by CS is the glutathione (GSH) adaptive response in the lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and tissue. However, as one ages the ability to maintain GSH levels declines. Objectives:ExaminetheeffectofagingontheGSHadaptiveresponse toCSandresultinglungsensitizationtoinflammationandoxidation. Methods: Both young (2 mo old) and aged (8, 13, 19, and 26 mo old) mice were used to study the effects of age on the GSH adaptive response after an acute exposure to CS. Measurements and Main Results: Young mice had a robust sixfold
Cool Subdwarf Investigations. II. Multiplicity

Cool subdwarfs of types K and M are the fainter counterparts of cool main-sequence dwarfs that dominate the Galactic population. In this paper, we present the results of an optical speckle survey of 62 confirmed cool subdwarf systems within 60 pc. We have resolved two new companions and confirmed two previously known companions with separations 0.''13-3.''29. After including previously known wide companions and all known spectroscopic binaries, we determine the multiplicity rate of cool subdwarfs to be 26% {+-} 6%, which is somewhat lower than comparable main-sequence stars that have a multiplicity rate of 37% {+-} 5%. We find that only 3% of the cool subdwarfs surveyed have companions within 10 AU, 3% have companions between 10 and 100 AU, and 14% have companions beyond 100 AU. The other 6% of cool subdwarfs are spectroscopic binaries. This is very different from K/M dwarfs that have most companions (13%) at separations closer than 10 AU. However, because a search for close binaries among a large sample of nearby cool subdwarfs remains elusive, it is not yet settled whether or not the multiplicity rates are significantly different. Nonetheless, several different observational results and theories pointing to a possible dearth of subdwarf multiplesmore » are discussed.« less
TRAVELER RESPONSE TO INNOVATIVE PERSONALIZED DEMAND-RESPONSIVE TRANSIT IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

Urban sprawl makes conventional transit less competitive and points to the need for more innovative and flexible demand-responsive transit systems in the future. To increase their efficiency, such systems can take advantage of the emerging advanced public transportation systems technologies, e.g., vehicle location and information systems. However, little is known about how consumers might respond to such systems and what they desire. This paper explores the demand for a consumer-oriented Personalized Demand-Responsive Transit (PDRT) service in the San Francisco Bay Area. Such a system could provide services to the traveling public for journeys to work and to nonwork destinations. Results from six focus group meetings and a computer-assisted telephone survey of commuters and noncommuters are reported. While about 60% of those surveyed were willing to consider PDRT as an option, about 12% reported that they were “very likely” to use PDRT (\iN = 1,000). Many were willing to pay for the service and valued highly the flexibility in scheduling the service. Spatial analysis of the survey responses suggests localities where a PDRT may be field-tested.
Kinetic simulation of heterogeneous catalytic processes: Ethane hydrogenolysis over supported group VIII metals

A kinetic model for ethane hydrogenolysis over Pt, Pd, Ir, and Co was formulated in terms of essentially two chemical parameters: the strength of bonding between atomic hydrogen and the metal surface and the strength of carbon-metal bonding between hydrocarbon fragments and the surface. These two surface bond strengths were estimated by calorimetric measurements of the heats of H{sub 2} and CO adsorption, combined with bond order conservation calculations. The results of the kinetic simulations suggest that ethane hydrogenolysis over Pt, Pd, Ir and Co takes place through irreversible C-C rupture of C{sub 2}H{sub 4} and C{sub 2}H{sub 3} surface species. Hydrogenation of monocarbon CH{sub y} fragments is kinetically insignificant. Dissociative adsorption of hydrogen is an equilibrated process, while dissociative adsorption of ethane is slow and reversible. Finally, the role of kinetic modeling in the formulation, interpretation, and generalization of experimental research in heterogeneous catalysis is discussed.
Relict grains in chondrules

Attention is given to the fact that a significant fraction of the chondrules from ordinary chondrites contain silicate grains that survived the chondrule formation process without melting. Typically, these grains consist of coarse olivine, rarely orthopyroxene, crystals located in the core of chondrules and displaying a zoning that is inconsistent with crystallization from a silicate melt. It is noted that the relict grains still preserve the imprint of processes that occurred in the solar nebula and, in some cases, may include the isotopic record of interstellar grains. Information is presented on the chondrule precursor materials and the process of chondrule formation which was acquired by a compositional and textural study of three of the most unequilibrated type 3 ordinary chondrites.
The International Space Station: A Question of Federal Funding and Policy Implications

A summary form is given of the author's full paper (ibid. vol. 33, p. 7, 1998). The ISS program is a huge investment by the U.S. government. It is estimated by NASA that the program will cost the American public more than $70 billion over a period of 30 years. Since the scientific impact of this program is relatively unknown (and uncertain), the question that policy makers will have to struggle with is whether the federal government should continue to fund the program, or to pull out from the program altogether, thus saving American taxpayers close to $30 billion. Although funding is a major concern, since the inclusion of Russia in the program, the ISS has also become a foreign policy tool. Therefore, additional questions about policy implications of the ISS program need to be addressed.
The beneficial effects of diphosphonate and piroxicam on the osteolytic and metastatic spread of rat prostate carcinoma cells.

Transplantable rat prostate adenocarcinoma III cells produce local tumors and osteolytic and osteoplastic lesions and they metastasize through defined lymphatic channels to the lungs in which they produce expanding focal tumors. The bone lesions were prevented by treatments with dichloromethane diphosphonate (C12MDP). Treatment of rats with piroxicam, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, suppressed to some extent tumor growth, bone destruction, and metastasis. However, simultaneous treatments of rats with both drugs (C12MDP and piroxicam) prevented bone damage and suppressed tumor growth and metastatic spread very significantly without evidence of toxicity.
A cost-effectiveness analysis of conservative versus surgical management for the initial treatment of stress urinary incontinence

Objective We sought to determine whether conservative or surgical therapy is more cost effective for the initial treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Study Design We created a decision tree model to compare costs and cost effectiveness of 3 strategies for the initial treatment of SUI: (1) continence pessary, (2) pelvic floor muscle therapy (PFMT), and (3) midurethral sling (MUS). We identified probabilities of SUI after 12 months of use of a pessary, PFMT, or MUS using published data. Parameter estimates included Health Utility Indices of no incontinence (.93) and persistent incontinence (0.7) after treatment. Morbidities associated with MUS included mesh erosion, retention, de novo urge incontinence, and recurrent SUI. Cost data were derived from Medicare in 2012 US dollars. One- and 2-way sensitivity analysis was used to examine the effect of varying rates of pursuing surgery if conservative management failed and rates of SUI cure with pessaries and PFMT. The primary outcome was an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio threshold Results Compared to PFMT, initial treatment of SUI with MUS was the more cost-effective strategy with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $32,132/quality-adjusted life year. Initial treatment with PFMT was also acceptable as long as subjective cure was >35%. In 3-way sensitivity analysis, subjective cure would need to be >40.5% for PFMT and 43.5% for a continence pessary for the MUS scenario to not be the preferred strategy. Conclusion At 1 year, MUS is more cost effective than a continence pessary or PFMT for the initial treatment for SUI.
Explicit solutions for some simple decentralized detection problems

A decentralized detection problem is considered in which a number of identical sensors transmit a finite-valued function of their observations to a fusion center which makes a final decision on one of M alternative hypotheses. The authors consider the case in which the number of sensors is large, and they derive (asymptotically) optimal rules for determining the messages of the sensors when the observations are generated from a simple and symmetrical set of discrete distributions. They also consider the tradeoff between the number of sensors and the communication rate of each sensor when there is a constraint on the total communication rate from the sensors to the fusion center. The results suggest that it is preferable to have several independent sensors transmitting low-rate (coarse) information instead of a few sensors transmitting high-rate (very detailed) information. They also suggest that an M-ary hypothesis testing problem can be viewed as a collection of M(M-1)/2 binary hypothesis testing problems. From this point of view the most useful messages (decision rules) are those that provide information to the fusion center that is relevant to the largest possible numbers of these binary hypothesis testing problems. >
Intensional polymorphism in type-erasure semantics

Intensional polymorphism, the ability to dispatch to different routines based on types at run time, enables a variety of advanced implementation techniques for polymorphic languages, including tag-free garbage collection, unboxed function arguments, polymorphic marshalling and attened data structures. To date, languages that support intensional polymorphism have required a type-passing (as opposed to type-erasure) interpretation where types are constructed and passed to polymorphic functions at run time. Unfortunately, type-passing suffers from a number of drawbacks: it requires duplication of run-time constructs at the term and type levels, it prevents abstraction, and it severely complicates polymorphic closure conversion. We present a type-theoretic framework that supports intensional polymorphism, but avoids many of the disadvantages of type passing. In our approach, run-time type information is represented by ordinary terms. This avoids the duplication problem, allows us to recover abstraction, and avoids complications with closure conversion. In addition, our type system provides another improvement in expressiveness; it allows unknown types to be refined in place, thereby avoiding certain beta-expansions required by other frameworks.
High Density Thermal Energy Storage With Supercritical Fluids

A novel approach to storing thermal energy with supercritical fluids is being investigated, which if successful, promises to transform the way thermal energy is captured and utilized. The use of supercritical fluids allows cost-affordable high-density storage with a combination of latent heat and sensible heat in the two-phase as well as the supercritical state. This technology will enhance penetration of several thermal power generation applications and high temperature water for commercial use if the overall cost of the technology can be demonstrated to be lower than the current state-of-the-art molten salt using sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate eutectic mixtures. An additional attraction is that the volumetric storage density of a supercritical fluid can be higher than a two-tank molten salt system due to the high compressibilities in the supercritical state.This paper looks at different elements for determining the feasibility of this storage concept — thermodynamics of supercritical state with a specific example, naphthalene, fluid and system cost and a representative storage design. A modular storage vessel design based on a shell and heat exchanger concept allows the cost to be minimized as there is no need for a separate pump for transferring fluid from one tank to another as in the molten salt system. Since the heat exchangers are internal to the tank, other advantages such as lower parasitic heat loss, easy fabrication can be achieved.Results from the study indicate that the fluid cost can be reduced by a factor of ten or even twenty depending on the fluid and thermodynamic optimization of loading factor. Results for naphthalene operating between 290 °C and 475 °C, indicate that the fluid cost is approximately $3/kWh compared with $25-$50/kWh for molten salt. When the storage container costs are factored in, the overall system cost is still very attractive. Studies for a 12-hr storage indicate that for operating at temperatures between 290–450 °C, the cost for a molten salt system can vary between $66/kWh to $184/kWh depending on molten salt cost of $2/kg or a more recent quote of $8/kg. In contrast, the cost for a 12-hr supercritical storage system can be as low as $40/kWh. By using less expensive materials than SS 316L, it is possible to reduce the costs even further.© 2012 ASME
Functional test generation for delay faults in combinational circuits

We propose a functional fault model for delay faults in combinational circuits and describe a functional test generation procedure based on this model. The proposed method is most suitable when a gate-level description of the circuit-under-test, necessary for employing existing gate-level delay fault test generators, is not available or does not accurately describe the circuit. It is also suitable for generating tests in early design stages of a circuit, before a gate-level implementation is selected. In addition, it can potentially be employed to supplement conventional test generators for gate-level circuits to reduce the cost of handling large numbers of paths. A parameter called D is used to control the number of funtional faults targeted and thus the number of tests generated. If D is unlimited, the functional test set detects every robustly testable path delay fault in any gate-level implementation of the given ciruit. An appropriate subset of tests can be selected once the implentation is known. The test sets generated for various values of D are fault simulated on gate-level realizations to demonstrate their effectiveness. The experiments indicate that functional test sets may be able to identify functions whose realizations have low path delay fault coverage.
Theory of CP Violation in the B-Meson System

Recent developments in the theory of CP violation in the B-meson system are reviewed, with focus on the determination of sin 2β from B → J/ψ K decays, its implications for tests of the Standard Model and searches for New Physics, and the determination of γ and α from charmless hadronic B decays.
Kinetics and mechanism for the iodination of methylmalonic acid

The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically at 353 nm and 470 nm at 25°C under various conditions of pH and methylmalonic acid concentration. The equilibrium constant for the reaction is 0.11 ± 0.02. An iterative technique was used to integrate postulated rate equations. Agreement between experimental and calculated absorbance versus time curves was generally better than 0.005 A (approximately 5% of maximum) at both wavelengths for a mechanism where the rate-determining step is formation of an enolate (k = 1.63 Θ 10−4 ± 0.03 Θ 10−4 sec−1). The enolate may be rapidly transformed to the enol or enol carboxylate anion depending on the pH. All three forms are rapidly iodinated. The mechanism of general base catalysis is supported by rate increases proportional to base concentration in buffer solutions. The bases, acetate ion, chloracetate ion, sulfate ion, dichloracetate ion, and water, follow a Bronsted relationship with β = 0.7.
Reductive routes to rigid peptide building blocks: The dependence of a regioselective imide reduction on the nature of an α-alkoxy substituent

Abstract The reduction of several N-acylpyrrolidinones has been studied. The regioselectivity of the reductions was found to depend on the nature of the N-acyl group. In one example, the use of a sterically bulky triisopropylsiloxy substituent alpha to the N-acyl carbonyl led to exclusive reduction of the pyrrolidinone carbonyl and the formation of a product that could be used in the synthesis of the 1-azabicyclo[5.3.0]decane ring skeleton found in a key bicyclic Pro-Phe building block.
Effects of Static Friction on the Forced Response of Frictionally Damped Turbine Blades

The effect of static friction on the design of flexible blade-to-ground vibration dampers used in gas turbine engines is investigated. It is found that for γ (ratio of dynamic and static friction coefficients) less than 1, the steady-state response is essentially harmonic when the damper slip load, S, is small. However, as S increases beyond a certain value, the steady-state response ceases to be simply harmonic and, while still periodic, is a more complex waveform. The transition slip load is found to be lower for smaller γ. The maximum possible reduction in vibratory stresses increases as γ decreases. These analytical results are compared with those from the conventional numerical time integration method. In addition, an efficient time integration algorithm is described which can be used to predict the peak displacements of the transition solution without tracing the whole waveform, a useful procedure when no harmonic steady-state solution exists. The conditions under which blade response can be adequately modeled by simulating only dynamic friction are established.
A Case for Adopting Appellate Review into AAEA Editorial Policy: Counterpoint

Huffaker and Mittelhammer (H&M) argue for a formal appeal process for authors submitting manuscripts to an American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA) publication for the cases where an author feels his/her manuscript was rejected for insufficient grounds. H&M maintain that in these cases, the editor necessarily becomes an advocate for one side in the adversarial process between authors and reviewers. They further contend that power in the final decision point is biased against the author when the editor is persuaded by a reviewer's negative (but erroneous) assessment. Given this imbalance of power, they conclude that the author is at a competitive disadvantage and should have some recourse to appeal a decision that is based on an incorrect reviewer evaluation, which the editor buys in to. H&M imply that the current system does not permit an author to question an editorial decision and seek redress. At present, authors who feel their manuscript received an unfair hearing at a journal have two options:1 asking for a reconsideration of the manuscript's suitability for publication, and taking the manuscript to another journal. H&M's suggestion for an appellate review board is a heavy-handed version of the option to a request to rereview. By not finding the remedy of requesting the editor to rereview the submission sufficiently acceptable, H&M's policy recommendation to institute an appellate review board suggests an editor cannot objectively handle an appeal, which questions the integrity of the editor. By not even mentioning the remedy to take a rejected manuscript to another publication outlet, H&M imply this remedy is an inferior option which begs the question, why is making sure a particular submission gets accepted into the specific AAEA publication in question so important?
Insolation on exoplanets with eccentricity and obliquity

Abstract The pattern of insolation on an extrasolar planet has profound implications for its climate and habitability. A planet’s insolation regime depends on its orbital eccentricity, the obliquity of its spin axis, its rotation rate, and its longitude of vernal equinox. For example, although a planet receives the same time-averaged insolation at both poles, the peak insolation at its poles can differ by a factor up to 27, depending on its eccentricity and equinox. This is of particular interest for planets with polar icecaps (or lakes and seas), like Mercury, Earth, and Mars (or Titan). The nearly 600 exoplanets now with known eccentricities span a wide range of eccentricity from essentially zero up to near unity; but their obliquities are still unknown, and also may range widely. Including both non-zero eccentricity and obliquity together vastly broadens the variety of global insolation patterns on extrasolar planets. This applies especially to planets in synchronous rotation, or in other spin–orbit resonances (like Mercury), which can exhibit quite complicated and unusual insolation patterns. For example, regions of eternal daylight and endless night occur only on synchronous exoplanets, whose rotation periods equal their orbital periods; but the peak and time-averaged insolation can vary by factors of at least 32 and 88, respectively, over a planet with a rotation period of half its orbital period, an eccentricity of 0.20, and an obliquity of 60°. Patterns of both mean and peak insolation display various symmetries with respect to latitude and longitude on the planet’s surface. Most of these are relatively simple and easily understood; for example, a resonant planet whose orbital period is half of an odd multiple of its rotation period (as in Mercury’s 3/2 resonance) experiences identical insolation patterns at longitudes 180° apart. However, such half-odd resonances also exhibit a totally unexpected symmetry of the time-averaged insolation with respect to the planet’s equator, not shared by the peak insolation, or by any whole-number resonances. This emergent symmetry can be understood by Fourier analysis of the time-varying insolation.
A characterization of the convexity of cyclic polygons in terms of the central angles

Let \({\mathcal{P}}\) be a cyclic n-gon with n ≥ 3, the central angles θ0∈(−π, π], ... , θn−1 ∈ (−π,π], and the winding number w := (θ0 +...+ θn−1)/(2π). The vertices of \({\mathcal{P}}\) are assumed to be all distinct from one another. It is then proved that \({\mathcal{P}}\) is convex if and only if one of the following four conditions holds: (I) w = 1 and θ0,..., θn−1 > 0; (II) w = −1 and θ0,..., θn−1 < 0; (III) w = 0 and exactly one of the angles θ0,...,θn−1 is negative; (IV) w = 0 and exactly one of the angles θ0,..., θn−1 is positive.