cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relative performance of the grid, nearest neighbor, and OLS estimators

This article provides various paradigms for the grid estimator, the most useful being a representation of the grid estimator as a combination of the nonparametric nearest neighbor estimator and a parametric estimator. Hence, the grid estimator falls into the class of semiparametric estimators. The article used this representation to derive the relative efficiency of the nearest neighbor, grid, and OLS estimators. Under statistically perfect conditions, the OLS estimator dominated the grid estimator, which in turn dominated the nearest neighbor estimator. A Monte Carlo experiment verified the theoretical results. A second Monte Carlo experiment showed the fragility of the OLS superiority to misspecification. The results cast light upon appraisal practice.
Molecular Architecture: Coordination as the Motif in the Rational Design and Assembly of Discrete Supramolecular Species—Self-Assembly of Metallacyclic Polygons and Polyhedra

The rational design and self-assembly of complex metallacyclic supermolecules is simply achieved by the use of a strategy based on coordination. The methodology is described, discussed, and illustrated here by various two- and three-dimensional examples, such as the molecular square on the right.
Scattering Resonances of Convex Obstacles for General Boundary Conditions

We study the distribution of resonances for smooth strictly convex obstacles under general boundary conditions. We show that under a pinched curvature condition for the boundary of the obstacle, the resonances are separated into cubic bands and the distribution in each band satisfies Weyl’s law.
Action–index relations for perfect Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms

We show that the actions and indexes of fixed points of a Hamiltonian diffeomorphism with finitely many periodic points must satisfy certain relations, provided that the quantum cohomology of the ambient manifold meets an algebraic requirement satisfied for projective spaces, Grassmannians and many other manifolds. We also refine a previous result on the Conley conjecture for negative monotone symplectic manifolds, due to the second and third authors, and show that a Hamiltonian diffeomorphism of such a manifold must have simple periodic orbits of arbitrarily large period whenever its fixed points are isolated.
Error-Correcting Codes for Flash Coding

Flash memory is a nonvolatile computer storage device which consists of blocks of cells. While increasing the voltage level of a single cell is fast and simple, reducing the level of a cell requires the erasing of the entire block containing the cell. Since block-erasures are costly, flash coding schemes have been developed to maximize the number of writes before a block-erasure is needed. A novel coding scheme based on error-correcting codes is presented that allows the cell levels to increase as evenly as possible and as a result, increases the number of writes before a block-erasure. The scheme is based on the premise that cells whose levels are higher than others need not be increased. This introduces errors in the recorded data which can be corrected by an error-correcting code provided that the number of erroneous cells is within the error-correcting capability of the code. The scheme is also capable of combating noise, causing additional errors and erasures, in flash memories in order to enhance data reliability. For added flexibility, the scheme can be combined with other flash codes to yield concatenated schemes of high memory rates.
Symplectic tracking using point magnets and a reference orbit made of circular arcs and straight lines

Symplectic tracking of beam particles with point magnets is achieved using a reference orbit made of circular arcs and straight lines that join smoothly with each other. For this choice of the reference orbit, results are given for the transfer functions, transfer matrices, and the transit times of the magnets and drift spaces. These results provide a symplectic integrator, and allow the linear orbit parameters to be computed by multiplying transfer matrices. It is shown that this integrator is a second-order integrator, and that the transfer functions can be derived from a Hamiltonian.
The Effect of Investment Banking Relationships on Financial Analysts' Earnings Forecasts and Investment Recommendations*

Abstract. This study shows that financial analysts of brokerage firms that provide investment banking services to a company (investment banker analysts) are optimistic, relative to other (noninvestment banker) analysts, in their earnings forecasts and investment recommendations. Returns earned by following the investment recommendations of investment banker analysts, however, are not significantly different from those of non-investment banker analysts. Given that information regarding the investment banking relationships of brokerage firms is publicly available, we find evidence that capital market participants rely relatively less on the investment banker analysts in forming their earnings expectations. Although we find a significant capital market reaction around the noninvestment banker analysts' research report dates and not around the investment banker analysts' research report dates, the difference between the two market reactions is not statistically significant. Finally, we find that investment banker analysts' earnings forecasts are, on average, as accurate as those of noninvestment banker analysts. Resume. Les auteurs mettent en evidence le fait que les analystes financiers des maisons de courtage qui offrent des services de prise ferme aux entreprises (les analystes de courtiers preneurs ferme) sont optimistes dans leurs previsions de benefices et leurs recommandations de placements, par comparaison aux autres analystes (c'est-a-dire aux analystes de courtiers qui ne sont pas preneurs ferme). Les rendements obtenus par les investisseurs qui observent les recommandations de placements des analystes de courtiers preneurs ferme ne sont cependant pas sensiblement differents de ceux qu'obtiennent les investisseurs qui se fient aux analystes des courtiers qui ne sont pas preneurs ferme. Compte tenu du fait que l'information relative aux relations qu'entretiennent les maisons de courtage en matiere de prise ferme est du domaine public, les constatations des auteurs confirment que les participants au marche financier s'appuient relativement moins sur le verdict des analystes des courtiers preneurs ferme dans le calcul de leur esperance de gains. Bien que les auteurs observent une reaction marquee du marche financier a proximite des dates de publication des rapports de recherche des analystes des courtiers qui ne sont pas preneurs ferme, ce qui n'est pas le cas a proximite des dates de publication des rapports de recherche des analystes des courtiers preneurs ferme, la difference entre ces deux reactions n'est pas statistiquement significative. Enfin, les auteurs constatent que les previsions de benefices des analystes des courtiers preneurs ferme sont, en moyenne, aussi exactes que celles des analystes des courtiers qui ne sont pas preneurs ferme.
Shock Wave Lithotripsy Targeting of the Kidney and Pancreas Does Not Increase the Severity of Metabolic Syndrome in a Porcine Model

Purpose: We determined whether shock wave lithotripsy of the kidney of pigs with metabolic syndrome would worsen glucose tolerance or increase the risk of diabetes mellitus.Materials and Methods: Nine-month-old female Ossabaw miniature pigs were fed a hypercaloric atherogenic diet to induce metabolic syndrome. At age 15 months the pigs were treated with 2,000 or 4,000 shock waves (24 kV at 120 shock waves per minute) using an unmodified HM3 lithotripter (Dornier MedTech, Kennesaw, Georgia). Shock waves were targeted to the left kidney upper pole calyx to model treatment that would also expose the pancreatic tail to shock waves. The intravenous glucose tolerance test was done in conscious fasting pigs before lithotripsy, and 1 and 2 months after lithotripsy with blood samples taken for glucose and insulin measurement.Results: Pigs fed the hypercaloric atherogenic diet were obese, dyslipidemic, insulin resistant and glucose intolerant, consistent with metabolic syndrome. Assessments of insulin resistance, g...
A possible method to produce a polarized antiproton beam at intermediate energies

The lack of existence of polarized antiproton beams has severely limited the detailed understanding of the antinucleon‐nucleon (NN) interaction at low and intermediate energies. Several methods have been discussed to produce polarized p beams at momenta up to a few GeV/c. One such method to produce a polarized p beam is discussed in this paper. (AIP)
Piazza: mediation and integration infrastructure for Semantic Web data

The SemanticWeb envisions a World Wide Web in which data is described with rich semantics and applications can pose complex queries. To this point, researchers have defined new languages for specifying meanings for concepts and developed techniques for reasoning about them, using RDF as the data model. To flourish, the Semantic Web needs to provide interoperability both between sites with different terminologies and with existing data and the applications operating on them. To achieve this, we are faced with two problems. First, most of the world's data is available not in RDF but in XML; XML and the applications consuming it rely not only on the domain structure of the data, but also on its document structure. Hence, to provide interoperability between such sources, we must map between both their domain structures and their document structures. Second, data management practitioners often prefer to exchange data through local point-to-point data translations, rather than mapping to common mediated schemas or ontologies. This paper describes the system, which addresses these challenges. Piazza offers a language for mediating between data sources on the SemanticWeb, and it maps both the domain structure and document structure. Piazza also enables interoperation of XML data with RDF data that is accompanied by rich OWL ontologies. Mappings in Piazza are provided at a local scale between small sets of nodes, and our query answering algorithm is able to chain sets mappings together to obtain relevant data from across the Piazza network. We also describe an implemented scenario in Piazza and the lessons we learned from it.
Symmetric Group Modules with Specht and Dual Specht Filtrations

The author and Nakano recently proved that multiplicities in a Specht filtration of a symmetric group module are well-defined precisely when the characteristic is at least five. This result suggested the possibility of a symmetric group theory analogous to that of good filtrations and tilting modules for GL n (k). This article is an initial attempt at such a theory. We obtain two sufficient conditions that ensure a module has a Specht filtration, and a formula for the filtration multiplicities. We then study the categories of modules that satisfy the conditions, in the process obtaining a new result on Specht module cohomology. Next we consider symmetric group modules that have both Specht and dual Specht filtrations. Unlike tilting modules for GL n (k), these modules need not be self-dual, and there is no nice tensor product theorem. We prove a correspondence between indecomposable self-dual modules with Specht filtrations and a collection of GL n (k)-modules which behave like tilting modules under the t...
Exact black string solutions in three dimensions

A family of exact conformal field theories is constructed which describe charged black strings in three dimensions. Unlike previous charged black hole or extended black hole solutions in string theory, the low-energy space-time metric has a regular inner horizon (in addition to the event horizon) and a timelike singularity. As the charge to mass ratio approaches unity, the event horizon remains but the singularity disappears.
Facile synthesis of 4-vinyl- and 4-fluorovinyl-1,2,3-triazoles via bifunctional “click-olefination” reagents

Modular synthesis of vinyl and fluorovinyl triazoles can be achieved from bifunctional propargyl and fluoropropargyl sulfones by Cu-catalyzed azide–alkyne ligation and Julia–Kocienski olefination. Competitive click reactions of the protio and fluoropropargyl sulfones show higher reactivity of the latter, and a preliminary DFT analysis was performed.
On the pluricanonical maps of varieties of intermediate Kodaira dimension

In this paper we will prove a uniformity result for the Iitaka fibration $$f:X\rightarrow Y$$ , provided that the generic fiber has a good minimal model and the Prokhorov–Shokurov conjecture holds. In particular, the result holds if the variation of $$f$$ is zero or $$\kappa (X)=\text{ dim}X-1$$ .
What about the "Self" is Processed in the Posterior Cingulate Cortex?

In the past decade, neuroimaging research has begun to identify key brain regions involved in self-referential processing, most consistently midline structures such as the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). The majority of studies have employed cognitive tasks such as judgment about trait adjectives or mind-wandering, that have been associated with increased PCC activity. Conversely, tasks that share an element of present centered attention (being “on task”), ranging from working memory to meditation, have been associated with decreased PCC activity. Given the complexity of cognitive processes that likely contribute to these tasks, the specific contribution of the PCC to self-related processes still remains unknown. Building on this prior literature, recent studies have employed sampling methods that more precisely link subjective experience to brain activity, such as real-time fMRI neurofeedback. This recent work suggests that PCC activity may represent a sub-component cognitive process of self-reference – “getting caught up in” one’s experience. For example, getting caught up in a drug craving or a particular viewpoint. In this paper, we will review evidence across a number of different domains of cognitive neuroscience that converges in activation and deactivation of the PCC including recent neurophenomenological studies of PCC activity using real-time fMRI neurofeedback.
Newly Discovered Planets Orbiting HD 5319, HD 11506, HD 75784 and HD 10442 from the N2K Consortium

Initially designed to discover short-period planets, the N2K campaign has since evolved to discover new worlds at large separations from their host stars. Detecting such worlds will help determine the giant planet occurrence at semi-major axes beyond the ice line, where gas giants are thought to mostly form. Here we report four newly discovered gas giant planets (with minimum masses ranging from 0.4 to 2.1 M_(Jup)) orbiting stars monitored as part of the Next 2000 target stars (N2K) Doppler Survey program. Two of these planets orbit stars already known to host planets: HD 5319 and HD 11506. The remaining discoveries reside in previously unknown planetary systems: HD 10442 and HD 75784. The refined orbital period of the inner planet orbiting HD 5319 is 641 days. The newly discovered outer planet orbits in 886 days. The large masses combined with the proximity to a 4:3 mean motion resonance make this system a challenge to explain with current formation and migration theories. HD 11506 has one confirmed planet, and here we confirm a second. The outer planet has an orbital period of 1627.5 days, and the newly discovered inner planet orbits in 223.6 days. A planet has also been discovered orbiting HD 75784 with an orbital period of 341.7 days. There is evidence for a longer period signal; however, several more years of observations are needed to put tight constraints on the Keplerian parameters for the outer planet. Lastly, an additional planet has been detected orbiting HD 10442 with a period of 1043 days.
Nonlinear feature identification of impedance-based structural health monitoring

The impedance-based structural health monitoring technique, which utilizes electromechanical coupling properties of piezoelectric materials, has shown feasibility for use in a variety of structural health monitoring applications. Relying on high frequency local excitations (typically>20 kHz), this technique is very sensitive to minor changes in structural integrity in the near field of piezoelectric sensors. Several damage sensitive features have been identified and used coupled with the impedance methods. Most of these methods are, however, limited to linearity assumptions of a structure. This paper presents the use of experimentally identified nonlinear features, combined with impedance methods, for structural health monitoring. Their applicability to for damage detection in various frequency ranges is demonstrated using actual impedance signals measured from a portal frame structure. The performance of the nonlinear feature is compared with those of conventional impedance methods. This paper reinforces the utility of nonlinear features in structural health monitoring and suggests that their varying sensitivity in different frequency ranges may be leveraged for certain applications.
Microarray study of temperature-dependent sensitivity and selectivity of metal/oxide sensing interfaces

Conductometric gas microsensors offer the benefits of ppm-level sensitivity, real-time data, simple interfacing to electronics hardware, and low power consumption. The type of device we have been exploring consists of a sensor film deposited on a "microhotplate"- a 100 micron platform with built-in heating (to activate reactions on the sensing surface) and thermometry. We have been using combinatorial studies of 36-element arrays to characterize the relationship between sensor film composition, operating temperature, and response, as measured by the device’s sensitivity and selectivity. Gases that have been tested on these arrays include methanol, ethanol, dichloromethane, propane, methane, acetone, benzene, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide, and are of interest in the management of environmental waste sites. These experiments compare tin oxide films modified by catalyst overlayers, and ultrathin metal seed layers. The seed layers are used as part of a chemical vapor deposition process that uses each array element’s microheater to activate the deposition of SnO2, and control its microstructure. Low coverage (2 nm) catalytic metals (Pd, Cu, Cr, In, Au) are deposited on the oxides by masked evaporation or sputtering. This presentation demonstrates the value of an array-based approach for developing film processing methods, measuring performance characteristics, and establishing reproducibility. It also illustrates how temperature-dependent response data for varied metal/oxide compositions can be used to tailor a microsensor array for a given application.
Clarifying some remaining questions in the anomaly puzzle

We discuss several points that may help to clarify some questions that remain about the anomaly puzzle in supersymmetric theories. In particular, we consider a general \(\mathcal{N}=1\) supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory. The anomaly puzzle concerns the question of whether there is a consistent way in the quantized theory to put the R-current and the stress tensor in a single supermultiplet called the supercurrent, even though in the classical theory they are in the same supermultiplet. It was proposed that the classically conserved supercurrent bifurcates into two supercurrents having different anomalies in the quantum regime. The most interesting result we obtain is an explicit expression for the lowest component of one of the two supercurrents in 4-dimensional spacetime, namely the supercurrent that has the energy-momentum tensor as one of its components. This expression for the lowest component is an energy-dependent linear combination of two chiral currents, which itself does not correspond to a classically conserved chiral current. The lowest component of the other supercurrent, namely, the R-current, satisfies the Adler–Bardeen theorem. The lowest component of the first supercurrent has an anomaly, which we show is consistent with the anomaly of the trace of the energy-momentum tensor. Therefore, we conclude that there is no consistent way to construct a single supercurrent multiplet that contains the R-current and the stress tensor in the straightforward way originally proposed. We also discuss and try to clarify some technical points in the derivations of the two supercurrents in the literature. These latter points concern the significance of infrared contributions to the NSVZ β-function and the role of the equations of motion in deriving the two supercurrents.
REIT Open-Market Stock Repurchases and Profitability

This study examines whether the announcement of real estate investment trust (REIT) open-market stock repurchase programs contain information content about future operating performance over the period 1990–2001. We find no evidence that REIT stock buybacks are positively related to the operating performance. In fact, the operating performance of our sample REIT firms peak at the repurchase announcement year and deteriorate in the years following the announcement of share repurchases. Nevertheless, the sample REITs show higher levels of post-repurchase operating performance when compared to those of the pre-repurchase period. Additionally, our regression analysis shows that changes in future operating performance can explain the positive announcement effect.
Effective field theory of anomalous gauge-boson couplings at high-energy pp colliders

Abstract We compute the effects of anomalous gauge-boson couplings at high-energy hadron colliders using next-to-leading order SU(2) × SU(2) chiral perturbation theory. By comparing the yields from the universal p 2 terms with those arising from new physics at order p 4 , we estimate the sensitivity of the SSC and LHC to the indirect effects of electroweak symmetry breaking.
Inhibition of CD1d‐mediated antigen presentation by the transforming growth factor‐β/Smad signalling pathway

Summary CD1d-mediated lipid antigen presentation activates a subset of innate immune lymphocytes called invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells that, by virtue of their potent cytokine production, bridge the innate and adaptive immune systems. Transforming growth factor (TGF-β) is a known immune modulator that can activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38; we have previously shown that p38 is a negative regulator of CD1d-mediated antigen presentation. Several studies implicate a role for TGF-β in the activation of p38. Therefore, we hypothesized that TGF-β would impair antigen presentation by CD1d. Indeed, a dose-dependent decrease in CD1d-mediated antigen presentation and impairment of lipid antigen processing was observed in response to TGF-β treatment. However, it was found that this inhibition was not through p38 activation. Instead, Smads 2, 3 and 4, downstream elements of the TGF-β canonical signalling pathway, contributed to the observed effects. In marked contrast to that observed with CD1d, TGF-β was found to enhance MHC class II-mediated antigen presentation. Overall, these results suggest that the canonical TGF-β/Smad pathway negatively regulates an important arm of the host's innate immune responses – CD1d-mediated lipid antigen presentation to NKT cells.
Ethylene metathesis of sulfur-containing alkynes

Abstract Enyne metathesis of sulfur-containing alkynes and ethylene has been achieved. High yields were obtained by use of thiol esters in the alkyne partner for the cross metathesis with ethylene. The necessary reactivity and functional group compatibility were achieved through the use of the Grubbs’ second generation benzylidene carbene catalyst.
Geometry effects of small MOSFET devices

The effects of diminishing MOS inversion channel length or width on device characteristics are discussed. As opposed to the geometric device size, an "electric device size" is established by normalizing all dimensions on an appropriately chosen depletion layer width. It is shown how this "electric size" governs the intensity of geometry effects. DC device modeling methods are reviewed with respect to their ease of application to electrically small devices. Finally, means for reduction of geometry effects are considered.
Deterrence, litigation costs, and the statute of limitations for tort suits

The conventional justification for a statute of limitations on tort suits (or any other legal claim) is that evidence deteriorates over time, thereby increasing the likelihood of legal error. The optimal statute balances this cost of a longer statute length against the dilution in deterrence that results from a shorter length. In this paper I develop a formal model to show that a finite statute length is optimal even in a world without the possibility of legal error. The trade-off involves only litigation costs and deterrence: while a shorter statute reduces deterrence, it also saves on litigation costs by limiting the number of suits that can be filed. I examine this trade-off under both strict liability and under negligence, and show that the optimal statute length is (probably) shorter under strict liability than under negligence. Intuitively, the marginal benefit of lengthening the statute is higher under a negligence rule because, by increasing the length of time over which victims can file suit, deterrence is enhanced, which in turn reduces the likelihood that a given injurer will be found negligent. Thus, fewer victims file suits at each point in time because their chances of winning are reduced. As a result, litigation costs fall, which partially offsets the extra litigation costs when the statute is lengthened. The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 sets up the basic model, Section 3 derives the
Cooperative computing with fragmentable and mergeable groups

This work considers the problem of performing a set of N tasks on a set of P cooperating message-passing processors (P ≤ N). The processors use a group communication service (GCS) to coordinate their activity in the setting where dynamic changes in the underlying network topology cause the processor groups to change over time. GCSs have been recognized as effective building blocks for fault-tolerant applications in such settings. Our results explore the efficiency of fault-tolerant cooperative computation using GCSs. The original investigation of this area by (Dolev et al., Dynamic load balancing with group communication, in: Proc. of the 6th International Colloquium on Structural Information and Communication Complexity, 1999) focused on competitive lower bounds, non-redundant task allocation schemes and work-efficient algorithms in the presence of fragmentation regroupings. In this work we investigate work-efficient and message-efficient algorithms for fragmentation and merge regroupings. We present an algorithm that uses GCSs and implements a coordinator-based strategy. For the analysis of our algorithm we introduce the notion of view-graphs that represent the partially-ordered view evolution history witnessed by the processors. For fragmentations and merges, the work of the algorithm (defined as the worst case total number of task executions counting multiplicities) is not more than min{N ċ f + N, N ċ P}, and the message complexity is no worse than 4(N ċ f + N + P ċ m), where f and m denote the number of new groups created by fragmentations and merges, respectively. Note that the constants are very small and that, interestingly, while the work efficiency depends on the number of groups f created as the result of fragmentations, work does not depend on the number of groups m created as the result of merges.
Nucleosynthesis in Neutrino-Driven Winds. I. The Physical Conditions

During the first 20 s of its life, the enormous neutrino luminosity of a neutron star drives appreciable mass loss from its surface. Previous investigations have shown that this neutrino-driven wind could be the site where the r-process occurs. The nucleosynthesis is sensitive to four physical parameters that characterize the wind: its mass-loss rate, the entropy per baryon, the electron fraction, and the dynamic timescale. Different authors, using numerical models for supernovae, have arrived at qualitatively different values for these key parameters. Here we derive their values analytically and test our analytic results by numerical calculations using an implicit hydrodynamic code. Employing our analytic and numerical methods, we also investigate how various factors can affect our results. The derived entropy typically falls short, by a factor of 2?3, of the value required to produce a strong r-process. Various factors that might give a higher entropy or a more rapid expansion in the wind are discussed.
Observation of the spin-Seebeck effect in a ferromagnetic semiconductor

Reducing the heat generated in traditional electronics is a chief motivation for the development of spin-based electronics, called spintronics. Spin-based transistors that do not strictly rely on the raising or lowering of electrostatic barriers can overcome scaling limits in charge-based transistors. Spin transport in semiconductors might also lead to dissipation-less information transfer with pure spin currents. Despite these thermodynamic advantages, little experimental literature exists on the thermal aspects of spin transport in solids. A recent and surprising exception was the discovery of the spin-Seebeck effect, reported as a measurement of a redistribution of spins along the length of a sample of permalloy (NiFe) induced by a temperature gradient. This macroscopic spatial distribution of spins is, surprisingly, many orders of magnitude larger than the spin diffusion length, which has generated strong interest in the thermal aspects of spin transport. Here, the spin-Seebeck effect is observed in a ferromagnetic semiconductor, GaMnAs, which allows flexible design of the magnetization directions, a larger spin polarization, and measurements across the magnetic phase transition. This effect is observed even in the absence of longitudinal charge transport. The spatial distribution of spin currents is maintained across electrical breaks, highlighting the local nature of this thermally driven effect.
Slow desorption mechanisms of volatile organic chemical mixtures in soil and sediment micropores.

Desorption profiles of trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and a TCE-PCE mixture were measured for three natural solids and four zeolites. Initial sorbed mass (M i ) in slow desorbing sites of natural solids and in micropores of zeolites were obtained from desorption profiles. In natural solids, M i increases with recalcitrant organic matter content. In zeolites, M i generally increases with decreasing micropore width and increasing micropore hydrophobicity, but the effect of hydrophobicity is stronger. In both natural solids and zeolites, competition between TCE and PCE causes M i for each sorbate in the mixture to be less than or similar to that for each sorbate alone. Zeolite results indicate that micropore width affects this competition more than micropore hydrophobicity for the solids examined. Desorption in all solids was simulated with the radial diffusion model, either alone or coupled with the advection-dispersion equation when necessary; diffusion rate constants (D/R 2 ) were obtained. In natural solids, mean values of D/R 2 increase with decreasing recalcitrant organic matter content. In zeolites, values of D/R 2 generally increase with increasing micropore width, while they are a weak function of hydrophobicity. In both natural solids and zeolites, competition between TCE and PCE causes D/R 2 for each sorbate in the mixture to generally be larger than that for each sorbate alone. Zeolite results indicate that the effects of competition on D/R 2 generally decrease with decreasing micropore width for the solids examined; a trend with micropore hydrophobicity is not apparent. For the three natural solids and four zeolites examined in this study, the similar effects of competition between TCE and PCE on values of M i and D/R 2 and the overlapping range of D/R 2 values support the hypothesis that diffusion through hydrophobic micropores affects and may control slow mass transfer processes in the recalcitrant organic matter of natural solids. These results contribute to the fundamental understanding of slow mass transfer processes in natural solids, and they indicate that characterization of micropore width and polarity may be necessary to predict organic chemical transport and fate.
ON MATRICES FOR WHICH NORM BOUNDS ARE ATTAINED

Abstract Let | A | p , q be the norm induced on the matrix A with n rows and m columns by the Holder l p and l q norms on R n and R m (or C n and C m ), respectively. It is easy to find an upper bound for the ratio |A| r,s |A| p,q . In this paper we study the classes of matrices for which the upper bound is attained. We shall show that for fixed A , attainment of the bound depends only on the signs of r − p and s − q . Various criteria depending on these signs are obtained. For the special case p = q = 2, the set of all matrices for which the bound is attained is generated by means of singular value decompositions.
COMPUTING THE BREAKPOINT DISTANCE BETWEEN PARTIALLY ORDERED GENOMES

The total order of genes or markers on a chromosome is crucial for most comparative genomics studies. However, current gene mapping efforts might only suffice to provide a partial order of the genes on a chromosome. Several different genes or markers might be mapped at the same position due to the low resolution of gene mapping or missing data. Moreover, conflicting datasets might give rise to the ambiguity of gene order. In this paper, we consider the reversal distance and breakpoint distance problems for partially ordered genomes. We first prove that these problems are nondeterministic polynomial-time (NP)-hard, and then give an efficient heuristic algorithm to compute the breakpoint distance between partially ordered genomes. The algorithm is based on an efficient approximation algorithm for a natural generalization of the well-known feedback vertex set problem, and has been tested on both simulated and real biological datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm is quite effective for estimating the breakpoint distance between partially ordered genomes and for inferring the gene (total) order.
Divergent Expectations as a Cause of Disagreement in Bargaining: Evidence from a Comparison of Arbitration Schemes

The fact that settlement rates are much higher, where final-offer arbitration rather than conventional arbitration is the dispute settlement procedure, is used as the basis of a test of the role of divergent and relatively optimistic expectations in causing disagreement in negotiations. Calculations of identical-expectations contract zones using existing estimates of models of arbitrator behavior yield larger identical-expectations contract zones in conventional arbitration than in final-offer arbitration. This evidence clearly suggests that divergent expectations alone are not an adequate explanation of disagreement in labor-management negotiations. A number of alternative explanations for disagreement are suggested and evaluated.
Synthesis, Properties, and Ternary Phase Stability of M6X Compounds in the Ti─Cu─O System

A section of the Ti─Cu─O ternary phase diagram was investigated at 925°C. The system contains two M6X-type compounds, Ti4Cu2O and Ti3Cu3O, which are isostructural with the η-carbides and are stabilized by O. The presence of two of these compounds and the size of their single-phase fields contradict earlier predictions in the literature based on the valence and location of the elements in the periodic table. It is proposed that the atomic radii of the elements may also be a factor, especially for compounds containing Ti. The two observed M6X-type compounds occur as products of reaction at the Ag─Cu─Ti/Al2O3 interface. The compounds were synthesized in bulk for characterization of their properties which influence the performance of the brazed joints. The compounds are stable in inert atmospheres up to their melting points, but are easily oxidized in ambients containing even trace amounts of O and form a coherent layer of reaction products. The values of elastic coefficients, thermal expansion, and resistivity of these compounds are intermediate between those of Al2O3 and Cu and would therefore provide a gradual transition across the interface.
The Role of the North American Topography on the Maintenance of the Great Plains Summer Low-Level Jet*

Abstract Summer precipitation over the central United States depends strongly on the strength of the Great Plains low-level jet (LLJ). The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory’s new generation of the atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) and the linear and nonlinear stationary wave models are used in this study to examine the role of North American topography in maintaining the Great Plains summer mean LLJ and precipitation. Atmospheric GCM experiments were first performed with and without the North American topography and with prescribed climatological sea surface temperatures. Results show that the Great Plains LLJ disappears completely in the experiment when the North American topography is removed, while the summer seasonal mean LLJ is well simulated in the experiment with full earth topography. In the absence of the North American topography, the summer precipitation is significantly reduced over the central United States and increased along the Gulf States and northeast Mexico. Linear and non...
A Modified Kolmogorov–Smirnov Test for Normality

In this article we propose an improvement of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality. In the current implementation of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, given data are compared with a normal distribution that uses the sample mean and the sample variance. We propose to select the mean and variance of the normal distribution that provide the closest fit to the data. This is like shifting and stretching the reference normal distribution so that it fits the data in the best possible way. A study of the power of the proposed test indicates that the test is able to discriminate between the normal distribution and distributions such as uniform, bimodal, beta, exponential, and log-normal that are different in shape but has a relatively lower power against the student's, t-distribution that is similar in shape to the normal distribution. We also compare the performance (both in power and sensitivity to outlying observations) of the proposed test with existing normality tests such as Anderson–Darling and Shapiro–Francia.
Behavior of Inert Gas Bubbles in Forced Convective Liquid Metal Circuits

Conservation equations are derived for the motion of a small inert gas bubble in a large flowing liquid-gas solution subjected to large thermal gradients. Terms which are of the second order of magnitude under less severe and steady-state conditions are retained, thus resulting in an expanded form of the Rayleigh equation. The bubble dynamics is a function of opposing mechanisms tending to increase or decrease bubble volume while being transported with the solution. Diffusion of inert gas between the bubble and the solution is one of the most important of these mechanisms included in the analysis. The analytical model is applied to an argon gas bubble flowing in a weak solution of argon gas in liquid sodium. Calculations are performed for these fluids under conditions typical of normal and abnormal operation of a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) core and the resulting bubble radius, internal gas pressure, and mass of inert gas are presented in each case. An important result obtained indicates that inert gas bubbles reaching the core inlet of an LMFBR will always grow as they traverse the core under normal and extreme abnormal conditions and that the rate of growth is quite small in all cases.
A low power scheduling scheme with resources operating at multiple voltages

This paper presents resource and latency constrained scheduling algorithms to minimize power/energy consumption when the resources operate at multiple voltages (5 V, 3.3 V, 2.4 V, and 1.5 V). The proposed algorithms are based on efficient distribution of slack among the nodes in the data-flow graph. The distribution procedure tries to implement the minimum energy relation derived using the Lagrange multiplier method in an iterative fashion. Two algorithms are proposed, 1) a low complexity O(n/sup 2/) algorithm and 2) a high complexity O(n/sup 2/ log(L)) algorithm, where n is the number of nodes and L is the latency. Experiments with some HLS benchmark examples show that the proposed algorithms achieve significant power/energy reduction. For instance, when the latency constraint is 1.5 times the critical path delay, the average reduction is 39%.
The Incentive to Sell Financial Market Information

Abstract Investment advisory firms and brokerage firms hire analysts to uncover profitable securities investment opportunities. Then these firms sell the information (either directly or indirectly) to others. Why? Given that the information has value, why do these firms not keep the information to themselves and trade solely for their own accounts? Because of competition, information is more valuable when fewer people trade on the information. This paper shows that selling information is a strategic response by competing informed traders. Specifically, it is a means for informed traders to commit to trade aggressively, thereby inducing other informed traders to trade less aggressively. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: G10, D82.
Abducting nystagmus in the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) syndrome- internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO).

We have studied the influence of convergence on the eye movements of patients with the medial longitudinal fasciculus syndrome. The results indicate that the characteristic abducting nystagmus may be derived in part from the interaction of an intact convergence mechanism with an impaired mechanism for horizontal conjugate gaze.
Cyclization of bis-urethanes as a new method for the synthesis of 5-substituted, 6-membered cyclic ureas

Abstract A convenient synthesis of 5-substituted 6-membered cyclic ureas is described. The key step involves intramolecular cyclization of 1,3-diaminopropane derivatives with urethane protecting groups on the nitrogen atoms.
Massive Stars, Relativistic Polytropes, and Gravitational Radiation

The requirements of hydrostatic equilibrium on the binding energy of a massive star, approximated as a relativistic polytrope, are discussed. A possible mechanism of gravitational-energy transfer from the collapsing core to the external surroundings is considered. (M.J.T.)
Analysis and solution of the ill-posed inverse heat conduction problem

Abstract The inverse conduction problem arises when experimental measurements are taken in the interior of a body, and it is desired to calculate temperature and heat flux values on the surface. The problem is shown to be ill-posed, as the solution exhibits unstable dependence on the given data functions. A special solution procedure is developed for the one-dimensional case which replaces the heat conduction equation with an approximating hyperbolic equation. If viewed from a new perspective, where the roles of the spatial and time variables are interchanged, then an initial value problem for the damped wave equation is obtained. Since the formulation is well-posed, both analytic and numerical solution procedures are readily available. Sample calculations confirm that this approach produces consistent, reliable results for both linear and nonlinear problems.
On radial stochastic Loewner evolution in multiply connected domains

Abstract We discuss the extension of radial SLE to multiply connected planar domains. First, we extend Loewner's theory of slit mappings to multiply connected domains by establishing the radial Komatu–Loewner equation, and show that a simple curve from the boundary to the bulk is encoded by a motion on moduli space and a motion on the boundary of the domain. Then, we show that the vector-field describing the motion of the moduli is Lipschitz. We explain why this implies that “consistent,” conformally invariant random simple curves are described by multidimensional diffusions, where one component is a motion on the boundary, and the other component is a motion on moduli space. We argue what the exact form of this diffusion is (up to a single real parameter κ ) in order to model boundaries of percolation clusters. Finally, we show that this moduli diffusion leads to random non-self-crossing curves satisfying the locality property if and only if κ = 6 .
Less hashing, same performance: Building a better Bloom filter

A standard technique from the hashing literature is to use two hash functions h1(x) and h2(x) to simulate additional hash functions of the form gi(x) = h1(x) + ih2(x). We demonstrate that this technique can be usefully applied to Bloom filters and related data structures. Specifically, only two hash functions are necessary to effectively implement a Bloom filter without any loss in the asymptotic false positive probability. This leads to less computation and potentially less need for randomness in practice. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2008 Preliminary versions of this work appeared in [17] and [16].
A critical evaluation of bone weathering as an indication of bone assemblage formation

Abstract Weathering of bones has been defined as chemical and mechanical deterioration and destruction occurring over Time (the periodic system of solar years). Actualistically documented correlations between the years since animal death and weathering stages, and between weathering stages and depositional habitats, lead to hypothesized relationships between prehistoric weathered bones and exposure and accumulation histories of those bones. Detailed review of those hypothesized relationships reveals accumulation and exposure histories are not readily inferred from assemblages of weathered bones. The relationships minimally involve assuming the values of one or more kinds of taphonomic time which can at best be measured at ordinal scales. Simulated accumulation histories and inspection of actualistic data indicate an assemblage of weathered bones may be formed in various ways. Control of skeletal element type and interdependence, taxon, depositional environment, and subsurface weathering are serious analytical challenges seldom fully met, thereby rendering interpretations of weathered bones debatable.
Analysis of ultrasound image texture via generalized rician statistics

Tissue signatures are obtained from the first- and second-order statistics of ultrasonic B-scan texture. Laboratory measurements and early clinical results show that the image may be segmented to discriminate between different normal tissues and to detect abnormal conditions based on a multidimensional feature space. These features describe the intrinsic backscatter properties of the tissues imaged and may be used as the basis of an automatic tissue characterization algorithm.
Is entanglement monogamous

In this paper I discuss some of the early history of quantum information theory. By considering the question of whether entanglement is "monogamous," I illustrate Charles Bennett's influence on modern quantum information theory. Finally, I review our recent answers to this entanglement question and its relation to Bell inequalities.
The role of Fourier modes in extension theorems of Hartogs-Chirka type

We generalize Chirka’s theorem on the extension of functions holomorphic in a neighbourhood of Γ(F)∪(∂D×D) – where D is the open unit disc and Γ(F) is the graph of a continuous D-valued function F – to the bidisc. We extend holomorphic functions by applying the Kontinuitatssatz to certain continuous families of analytic annuli, which is a procedure suited to configurations not covered by Chirka’s theorem.