cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Interest Rates and Exchange Rate Stabilization in Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand: An Empirical Investigation of the Traditional and Revisionist Views

The paper seeks to determine whether high interest rates have had the effect of appreciating nominal exchange rates in three Asian countries. The authors use high-frequency data for Korea, Malaysia, and Thai- land during the recent crisis and its aftermath to examine the relationship between the increase in interest rates and the behavior of exchange rates. It is found that raising interest rates has had a small impact on nominal exchange rates during the crisis period. It is entirely possible that in the unique conditions of the midst of a finan- cial panic, raising interest rates could have the perverse effect of weaken- ing the currency .... Creditors understood that highly leveraged borrowers could quickly be pushed to insolvency as a result of several months of high interest rates. Moreover, many kinds of interest-sensitive market partici- pants, such as bond traders, are simply not active in Asia's limited financial markets. The key participants were the existing holders of short term debt, and the important question was whether they would or not roll over their claims. High interest rates did not feed directly into these existing claims (which were generally floating interest rate notes based on a fixed premium over LIBOR). It is possible, however, that by undermining the profitability of their corporate customers, higher interest rates discouraged foreign investors from rolling over their loans.
Examples of Coorbit Spaces for Dual Pairs

In this paper we summarize and give examples of a generalization of the coorbit space theory initiated in the 1980’s by H.G. Feichtinger and K.H. Grochenig. Coorbit theory has been a powerful tool in characterizing Banach spaces of distributions with the use of integrable representations of locally compact groups. Examples are a wavelet characterization of the Besov spaces and a characterization of some Bergman spaces by the discrete series representation of SL2(ℝ). We present examples of Banach spaces which could not be covered by the previous theory, and we also provide atomic decompositions for an example related to a non-integrable representation.
An unexpected reversal of stereochemistry in a modification of the rychnovsky cyanohydrin alkylation

Abstract Alkylation of cyanohydrin 1,3-acetonides with unsaturated substitution at the 2-position is described. The stereochemistry of the products obtained from this reaction was opposite to that anticipated.
Baryonic Collapse within Dark Matter Halos and the Formation of Gaseous Galactic Disks

This paper constructs an analytic framework for calculating the assembly of galactic disks from the collapse of gas within dark matter halos, with the goal of determining the resulting surface density profiles. In this formulation, gas parcels (baryons) fall through the potentials of dark matter halos on nearly ballistic, zero-energy orbits and collect in a rotating disk. The dark matter halos have a nearly universal form, as determined previously through numerical simulations. The simplest scenario starts with a gaseous sphere in slow uniform rotation, follows its subsequent collapse, and determines the surface density of the disk. This calculation is carried out for precollapse mass distributions of the form M(r) ~ rp and for polytropic spheres in hydrostatic equilibrium with the halo potential. The resulting disk surface density profiles have nearly power-law forms σ ~ -q, with well-defined edges determined by the centrifugal barrier RC, the radius to which gas with the highest specific angular momentum falls during the collapse. This scenario is generalized to include nonspherical starting states, alternate rotation profiles, and multiple accretion events (e.g., due to gas added via merger events). This latter complication considers a lognormal distribution for the angular momenta of the precollapse states of the individual components. In the limit where this distribution is wide, the composite surface density approaches a universal form σT ~ -2, independent of the shape of the constituent profiles. When the angular momentum distribution has an intermediate width, however, the composite surface density attains a nearly exponential form, roughly consistent with profiles of observed galaxies.
Precise geodesy with the Very Long Baseline Array

We report on a program of geodetic measurements between 1994 and 2007 which used the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and up to ten globally distributed antennas. One of the goals of this program was to monitor positions of the array at a 1 mm level of accuracy and to tie the VLBA into the international terrestrial reference frame. We describe the analysis of these data and report several interesting geophysical results including measured station displacements due to crustal motion, earthquakes, and antenna tilt. In terms of both formal errors and observed scatter, these sessions are among the very best geodetic very long baseline interferometry experiments.
Platinum Stacking Interactions in Homoleptic Platinum Polymers

Recent breakthroughs in low-dimensional nanostructures have led to a renewal of interest in polymers composed of platinum complexes. The surge of research into one-dimensional platinum complexes in the 1970s and 1980s has given way to a steady progression of investigations that have explored new ligands, characterization techniques and applications. The ongoing synthesis and characterization of new tetra(cyano)platinate, bis(oxalato)platinate and other homoleptic platinum complexes has allowed examination of the influence of organic and inorganic cations on the Pt–Pt distance and the importance of small molecules in stabilizing the stacking interactions. In particular, complexes of [Pt(C≡NR)4]2+ and [PtI(bipy)2]+ show potential to display short stacking interactions. This microreview focuses on the progress in the synthesis and characterization of homoleptic complexes with short Pt–Pt distances and avenues for the development of new classes of complexes.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Insights into the Second Law of Thermodynamics from Anisotropic Gas-Surface Interactions

Thermodynamic implications of anisotropic gas-surface interactions in a closed molecular flow cavity are examined. Anisotropy at the microscopic scale, such as might be caused by reduced-dimensionality surfaces, is shown to lead to reversibility at the macroscopic scale. The possibility of a self-sustaining nonequilibrium stationary state induced by surface anisotropy is demonstrated that simultaneously satisfies flux balance, conservation of momentum, and conservation of energy. Conversely, it is also shown that the second law of thermodynamics prohibits anisotropic gas-surface interactions in “equilibrium”, even for reduced dimensionality surfaces. This is particularly startling because reduced dimensionality surfaces are known to exhibit a plethora of anisotropic properties. That gas-surface interactions would be excluded from these anisotropic properties is completely counterintuitive from a causality perspective. These results provide intriguing insights into the second law of thermodynamics and its relation to gas-surface interaction physics.
Effects of impurities on alumina–niobium interfacial microstructures

Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were employed to examine the interfacial microstructural effects of impurities in alumina substrates used to fabricate alumina-niobium interfaces via liquid-film-assisted joining. Three types of alumina were used: undoped high-purity single-crystal sapphire; a high-purity, high-strength polycrystalline alumina; and a lower-purity, lower-strength polycrystalline alumina. Interfaces formed between niobium and both the sapphire and high-purity polycrystalline alumina were free of detectable levels of impurities. In the lower-purity alumina, niobium silicides were observed at the alumina-niobium interface and on alumina grain boundaries near the interface. These silicides formed in small-grained regions of the alumina and were found to grow from the interface into the alumina along grain boundaries. Smaller silicide precipitates found on grain boundaries are believed to form upon cooling from the bonding temperature.
Forecasting and stress testing the risk-based capital requirements for revolving retail exposures

This article presents a tractable and empirically sound technique for generating stressed probabilities of default (PDs), which are then used to derive loss rates for the provisioning of a bank's risk-based capital. This work is in response to the recent regulatory findings attributed to the Supervisory Capital Assessment Program (SCAP) stress tests of 2009, which revealed weaknesses in the existing regulatory and economic capital approaches. The SCAP projected losses of approximately US$82.4 billion in banks’ credit card portfolios for 2010, highlighting the need for better forecasting and stress testing of revolving retail exposures. This study proposes a timely model that will improve the ability of banks to determine the capital adequacy of revolving retail exposures. Using options theory, we discuss why an obligor may default and produce estimates of expected losses from our stressed PDs so as to determine loss provisions. This method relies on the simulation of PD distributions via changes in selected macroeconomic variables and the cardholder's debt-to-income ratio. The methodology offers the flexibility of being tractable and scalable to data in the issuer's credit card portfolio by geography and credit quality of the obligor.
Intracellular trafficking of polyamidoamine-poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymers in DNA delivery.

The delivery of nucleic acids has the potential to revolutionize medicine by allowing previously untreatable diseases to be clinically addressed. Viral delivery systems have shown immunogenicity an...
Reliability in Source Coding With Side Information

We study error exponents for source coding with side information. Both achievable exponents and converse bounds are obtained for the following two cases: lossless source coding with coded information and lossy source coding with full side information (Wyner-Ziv). These results recover and extend several existing results on source-coding error exponents and are tight in some circumstances. Our bounds have a natural interpretation as a two-player game between nature and the code designer, with nature seeking to minimize the exponent and the code designer seeking to maximize it. In the Wyner-Ziv problem, our analysis exposes a tension in the choice of test channel with the optimal test channel balancing two competing error events. The Gaussian and binary-erasure cases are examined in detail.
5H-oxazol-4-ones as building blocks for asymmetric synthesis of α-hydroxycarboxylic acid derivatives

5H-Alkyl-2-phenyl-oxazol-4-ones, a little-known heterocyclic ring system, are readily available via a microwave-assisted, sodium fluoride catalyst cyclization of mono-alpha-haloimides, which in turn are accessed by N-acylation of benzamides with alpha-bromo acid halides. Terminally substituted allyl systems serve as excellent substrates for Mo-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation. The resultant products are formed with excellent ees involving a catalyst derived from N,N'-bis-picolinamide of trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane and cycloheptatriene molybdenum tris(carbonyl). In addition to benzenoid, nonbenzenoid aromatic and vinyl substituents on the allyl carbonate moiety provide good to excellent regio- and diastereoselectivity as well as excellent enantioselectivity. Substituents on the heterocycle include methyl, n-butyl, allyl, isobutyl, isopropyl, and cyclohexyl. The presence of a double bond in the product allows them to be further modified via the chemistry of the double-bond, including metathesis. The products are hydrolyzed under basic conditions to provide alpha-hydroxyamides.
Proposed molecular structures for 3-butenenitrile, 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile, and 3-methyl-3-butenenitrile

Abstract Molecular structures are proposed for the two conformers, s- cis and gauche , existing for 3-butenenitrile and 3-methyl-3-butenenitrile, and for the three predicted conformers of 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile, using structural parameters transferred from related molecules. The proposed structures for the two conformers of 3-butenenitrile have principal moments of inertia which agree well with experimental values obtained by microwave spectroscopy, except for the gauche I A moment. The experimental value of I A for the gauche conformer of 3-butenenitrile could only be determined at the time with a low degree of precision, hence the microwave spectrum of this conformer should probably be reexamined.
Writing for publication: writing a book.

Many midwives feel they would like to write a book but do not know where to begin. In this article a publisher provides a useful step-by-step guide.
Are big basins just the sum of small catchments

Many challenges remain in extending our understanding of how hydrologic processes within small catchments scale to larger river basins. In this study we examine how low-flow runoff varies as a function of basin scale at 11 catchments, many of which are nested, in the 176 km2 Neversink River watershed in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Topography, vegetation, soil and bedrock structure are similar across this river basin, and previous research has demonstrated the importance of deep groundwater springs for maintaining low-flow stream discharge at small scales in the basin. Therefore, we hypothesized that deep groundwater would contribute an increasing amount to low-flow discharge as basin scale increased, resulting in increased runoff. Instead, we find that, above a critical basin size of 8 to 21 km2, low-flow runoff is similar within the Neversink watershed. These findings are broadly consistent with those of a previous study that examined stream chemistry as a function of basin scale for this watershed. However, we find physical evidence of self-similarity among basins greater than 8 km2, whereas the previous study found gradual changes in stream chemistry among basins greater than 3 km2. We believe that a better understanding of self-similarity and the subsurface flow processes that affect stream runoff will be attained through simultaneous consideration of both chemical and physical evidence. We also suggest that similar analyses of stream runoff in other basins that represent a range of spatial scales, geomorphologies and climate conditions will further elucidate the issue of scaling of hydrologic processes. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Highly Active and Air-Stable Ruthenium Complex for the Ambient Temperature Anti-Markovnikov Reductive Hydration of Terminal Alkynes

The conversion of terminal alkynes to functionalized products by the direct addition of heteroatom-based nucleophiles is an important aim in catalysis. We report the design, synthesis, and mechanistic studies of the half-sandwich ruthenium complex 12, which is a highly active catalyst for the anti-Markovnikov reductive hydration of alkynes. The key design element of 12 involves a tridentate nitrogen-based ligand that contains a hemilabile 3-(dimethylamino)propyl substituent. Under neutral conditions, the dimethylamino substituent coordinates to the ruthenium center to generate an air-stable, 18-electron, κ3-complex. Mechanistic studies show that the dimethylamino substituent is partially dissociated from the ruthenium center (by protonation) in the reaction media, thereby generating a vacant coordination site for catalysis. These studies also show that this substituent increases hydrogenation activity by promoting activation of the reductant. At least three catalytic cycles, involving the decarboxylation ...
Inefficiency in selecting products for submission to national research assessment exercises

One of the critical issues in national research assessment exercises concerns the choice of whether to evaluate the entire scientific portfolio of the institutions or a subset composed of the best products. Under the second option, the capacities of the institutions to select the appropriate researchers and their best products (the UK case) or simply the best products of every researcher (the Italian case) becomes critical, both for purposes of correct assessment of the real quality of research in the institutions evaluated, and for the selective funding that follows. In this work, through case studies of three Italian universities, we analyze the efficiency of the product selection that is intended to maximize the universities' scores in the current national research assessment exercise, the results of which will be the basis for assigning an important share of public financing over the coming years.
Morphologic Characteristics and Relating Factors to the Need of Technical Modification in Transcatheter Closure of Large Atrial Septal Defect (≥25 mm)

Background and Objectives: The rigid coupling between the delivery wire and the right atrial disk has been occasionally encountered during transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD). Therefore the device frequently makes a perpendicular angle, and the leading edge of left atrial disk slips through the defect and prolapses into right atrium (RA) before it is properly placed in the septum. The purpose of this study is to investigate relating factors to the need of technical modification in transcatheter closure of large ASD and to evaluate relevant morphologic characteristics of atrial septal rim in this situation. Subjects and Methods: From July, 2003 to May, 2007, 312 patients underwent transcatheter occlusion of ASD with Amplatzer Septal Occluder ® (ASO, AGA medical corporation, Golden Valley, MN, USA) at Yonsei Cardiovascular Center and among them 109 patients had large ASD (≥25 mm) and these patients were enrolled in our study. Patients were divided into two groups according to the deploying methods of the device (Group I: standard method, Group II: modified methods). Assessments of the defects and its surrounding rims were made by echocardiography. Results: There were no differences between 2 groups in age, body weight and height except for balloon-stretched diameter (stop-flow technique) and device size. Group II patients with modified methods showed larger balloon-stretched diameter and device size than group I patients with standard method. The mean length of anterosuperior (AS) rim in group II was significantly shorter than group I (p<0.05). As the size of the device used in procedure increased, there was a trend towards increase in the need of modified methods. Conclusion: This study shows that AS rim deficiency and the size of ASD may be the relating factors to the need of technical modification in transcatheter closure of ASD. Therefore, when the initial try with standard method is not successful in large ASD with deficient AS rim, we suggest that changing strategy of implantation may save time and efforts and possibly reduce the risk of complications associated with prolonged procedure. (Korean Circ J 2010;40:191-196)
Multi-version coding in distributed storage

We investigate an information theoretic problem motivated by storing multiple versions of a data object in distributed storage systems. Specifically, in a storage system with n server nodes, where there are ν independent message versions, each server receives message values corresponding to some arbitrary subset of the versions. The versions are assumed to be totally ordered. Each server is unaware of the set of versions at the other servers, and aims to encode the values corresponding to the versions it has. We investigate codes where, from any set of c nodes (c < n), the value corresponding to the highest common version, as per the version ordering, available at this set of c nodes is decodable. We aim to design codes that minimize the storage cost. We present two main results in this paper. First, we show that the storage cost is lower bounded by 1− (1− 1 c ) , measured in terms of the bits of the values. Second, for the cases of ν = 2 and ν = 3, we provide new code constructions that respectively achieve storage costs of 2c−1 c and 3c−2 c , measured in terms of the bits of the values. Our code constructions are simple in that we do not code across versions. We argue that when the number of versions ν is much larger than c, then replication is close to optimal.
Trading costs and the relative rates of price discovery in stock, futures, and option markets

In frictionless and rational markets, perfect substitutes must have the same price. In markets with trading costs, however, price differences may be as large as the costs of executing the arbitrage between markets. Moreover, if trading costs differ, trading activity will tend to be concentrated in the lowest-cost market. This study tests the differential trading cost hypothesis by examining the rate at which new information is incorporated in stock, index futures, and index option prices. The lead/lag return relations among markets are consistent with their relative trading costs. Prices in the index derivative markets appear to lead prices in the stock market. At the same time, index futures prices tend to lead index option prices, and the prices of index calls and index puts move together. The trading cost hypothesis reconciles the disparity found between the temporal relation in the stock index/index derivative markets versus the stock/stock option markets.
W decay in supergravity guts

Abstract We discuss the decay of the W-boson into supersymmetric particles and the decays of these particles in a unified theory in which gravity breaks SU L (2) × U(1). If the decay W → WZ is kinematically possible, the subsequent decay of the gauginos may provide a definitive signature for supersymmetry.
Enhancement of track etching by a spark discharge

Abstract We find that the rate of track etching of heavy-ion tracks in Lexan polycarbonate is greatly increased when the track-containing plastics are stored in a container in which a spark-discharge is occurring. We describe a series of simple experiments, using a Tesla coil as the spark source, that have led us to the view that the effect is caused by the interaction of excited gas species with the stored tracks. It does not appear to be caused either by a direct electrical effect of the discharge or by light given off by the spark. This new effect can potentially be used as a method to both sensitize and stabilize plastics containing charged particle tracks.
A geometrical derivation of the Dirac equation

Abstract We give a geometrical derivation of the Dirac equation by considering a spin-1/2 particle travelling with the speed of light in a cubic spacetime lattice. The mass of the particle acts to flip the multi-component wavefunction at the lattice sites. Starting with a difference equation for the case of one spatial and one time dimensions, we generalize the approach to higher dimensions. Interactions with external electromagnetic and gravitational fields are also considered. One logical interpretation is that only at the lattice sites is the spin-1/2 particle aware of its mass and the presence of external fields.
The biological standard of living in 19th century Mexico and in the American West.

Abstract During the mid-19th century, the United States acquired Texas and large parts of Mexican territory with the vast Mexican-born population. This paper considers the biological standard of living of the part of this population that was incarcerated in American prisons. We use their physical stature as a proxy for their biological welfare. These data confirm earlier results which showed that adult heights tended to stagnate in Mexico during the late-19th century despite considerable social and political turmoil. While there is some evidence of a decline in height among youth, the decline is slight (
Vulnerabilities in some recently proposed RFID ownership transfer protocols

Authentication of RFID tags is commonly achieved through cryptographic means with protocols that encrypt communication between the parties of interest. There is an extensive literature in this area that address various facets associated with authentication. As RFID tags gain more popularity, there is a concomitant increase in frequency with which they (i.e., the tagged object) change ownership. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop and evaluate protocols that address issues related to ownership transfer of RFID tags. Over the past few years, researchers have proposed several ownership transfer protocols. We consider some of the ownership transfer protocols that were published during the past year and identify present vulnerabilities.
Bargaining with set-valued disagreement

It is arguable that in many-two person bargaining situations disagreement leads to a set of possible payoffs with no probabilities attached to the elements of the set. Axioms are developed for bargaining games of this kind and solution concepts are derived from these axioms. Particular attention is paid to what are here called the “max-max” and “rectangular general” solutions. The latter can be applied to an important sub-class of bargaining games where the disagreement set is equal to the feasible set.
THE He II POST-REIONIZATION EPOCH: HST/COS OBSERVATIONS OF THE QUASAR HS1700+6416

The reionization epoch of singly ionized helium (He II) is believed to start at redshifts z {approx} 3.5-4 and be nearly complete by z {approx_equal} 2.7. We explore the post-reionization epoch with far-ultraviolet spectra of the bright, high-redshift quasar HS1700+6416 taken by the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope, which show strong He II ({lambda}303.78) absorption shortward of the QSO redshift, z{sub QSO} = 2.75. We discuss these data as they probe the post-reionization history of He II and the local ionization environment around the quasar and transverse to the line of sight, finding that quasars are likely responsible for much of the ionization. We compare previous spectra taken by the Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer to the current COS data, which have a substantially higher signal-to-noise ratio. The Gunn-Peterson trough recovers at lower redshifts, with the effective optical depth falling from {tau}{sub eff} {approx_equal} 1.8 at z {approx} 2.7 to {tau}{sub eff} {approx_equal} 0.7 at z {approx} 2.3, higher than has been reported in earlier work. We see an interesting excess of flux near the He II Ly{alpha} break, which could be quasar line emission, although likely not He II Ly{alpha}. We present spectra of four possible transverse-proximitymore » quasars, although the UV hardness data are not of sufficient quality to say if their effects are seen along the HS1700 sightline.« less
Thermodynamic Analysis of a Reverse Osmosis Desalination System Using Forward Osmosis for Energy Recovery

Thermodynamic analysis is applied to assess the energy efficiency of hybrid desalination cycles that are driven by simultaneous mixed inputs, including heat, electrical work, and chemical energy. A seawater desalination cycle using work and a chemical input stream is analyzed using seawater properties. Two system models, a reversible separator and an irreversible component based model, are developed to find the least work required to operate the system with and without osmotic recovery. The component based model represents a proposed desalination system which uses a reverse osmosis membrane for solute separation, a pressure exchanger for recovering a fraction of the flow work associated with the pressurized discharge brine, and a forward osmosis (FO) module for recovering some of the chemical energy contained within the concentrated discharge brine. The energy attained by the addition of the chemical input stream serves to lower the amount of electrical work required for operation. For this analysis, a wastewater stream of varying solute concentration, ranging from feed to brackish water salinity, is considered as the chemical stream. Unlike other models available in the literature, the FO exchanger is numerically simulated as a mass exchanger of given size which accounts for changing stream concentration, and consequently, stream-wise variations of osmotic pressure throughout the length of the unit. A parametric study is performed on the models by varying input conditions. For the reversible case it is found that significant work reductions can be made through the use of an energy recovery device when the inlet wastewater salinity used is less than the feed salinity of 35 g/kg. For the irreversible case with a typical recovery ratio and feed salinity, significant work reductions were only noted for a wastewater inlet of less than half of the feed salinity due to pump work losses. In the irreversible case, the use of a numerical model to simulate the FO exchanger resulted in a maximum work reduction when the pressure difference between streams was around one half of the osmotic pressure difference as opposed to the precise value of one half found in zero-dimensional exchanger models.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Infrared Emission from Interstellar Dust. III. The Small Magellanic Cloud

The infrared emission from interstellar dust in the Small Magellanic Cloud is modeled using a mixture of amorphous silicate and carbonaceous grains, including a population of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. We show the following: (1) This dust model is able to reproduce the spectral energy distribution from near-IR to far-IR for the entire SMC Bar region, provided that the PAH abundance in the SMC Bar region is very low. (2) The IR spectrum of the SMC B1 No. 1 molecular cloud can also be reproduced by our dust model, provided that the PAH abundance is increased relative to the overall SMC Bar. The PAHs in SMC B1 No. 1 incorporate ~3% of the SMC C abundance, compared to less than 0.4% in the SMC Bar. (3) The spectrum of SMC B1 No. 1 is best reproduced if the PAH mixture has intrinsic IR band strengths that differ from the band strengths that best fit Milky Way PAH mixtures. The variation in the PAH IR band strengths would imply different PAH mixtures, presumably a consequence of differing metallicity or environmental conditions. Other possibilities such as superhydrogenation of PAHs and softening of the starlight spectrum are also discussed.
Quantum mutual information and the one-time pad

Alice and Bob share a correlated composite quantum system AB. If AB is used as the key for a one-time pad cryptographic system, we show that the maximum amount of information that Alice can send securely to Bob is the quantum mutual information of AB.
Ring fluorinated thiophenes: applications to liquid crystal synthesis

Abstract Ring fluorinated thiophenes were synthesized via a Balz–Schiemann fluorination approach and were successfully employed in the synthesis of liquid crystals using regioselective electrophilic bromination and regioselective Suzuki coupling chemistry.
A MAP framework for tag line detection in SPAMM data using Markov random fields on the B-spline solid

Magnetic resonance (MR) tagging is a technique for measuring heart deformations through creation of a stripe grid pattern on cardiac images. In this paper, we present a maximum a posteriori (MAP) framework for detecting tag lines using a Markov random field (MRF) defined on the lattice generated by three-dimensional (3-D) and four-dimensional (4-D) (3-D+t) uniform sampling of B-spline models. In the 3-D case, MAP estimation is cast for detecting present tag features in the current image given an initial solid from the previous frame (the initial undeformed solid is manually positioned by clicking on corner points of a cube). The method also allows the parameters of the solid model, including the number of knots and the spline order, to be adjusted within the same framework. Fitting can start with a solid with less knots and lower spline order and proceed to one with more knots and/or higher order so as to achieve more accuracy and/or higher order of smoothness. In the 4-D case, the initial model is considered to be the linear interpolation of a sequence of optimal solids obtained from 3-D tracking. The same framework proposed for the 3-D case can once again be applied to arrive at a 4-D B-spline model with a higher temporal order.
Using adaptive proper orthogonal decomposition to solve the reaction--diffusion equation

We introduce an adaptive POD method to reduce the computational cost of reacting flow simulations. The scheme is coupled with an operator-splitting algorithm to solve the reaction-diffusion equation. For the reaction sub-steps, locally valid basis vectors, obtained via POD and the method of snapshots, are used to project the minor species mass fractions onto a reduced dimensional space thereby decreasing the number of equations that govern combustion chemistry. The method is applied to a one-dimensional, laminar premixed CH"4-air flame using GRImech 3.0; with errors less than 0.25%, a speed-up factor of 3.5 is observed. The speed-up results from fewer source term evaluations required to compute the Jacobian matrices.
Towards a market economy : structures of governance

This paper proposes an operational interpretation of the concept of economic governance. It argues that the capacity of governments to credibly ensure a secure economic environment provides an important benchmark against which governance can be evaluated. Such an environmentwhich is essential for sustained growth in a market economycan be established through a rules-based system which ensures freedom of entry into the market, access to information, and sanctity of contracts. Since creating a secure economic environment involves profound, far-reaching social change, it has historically been a complex and lengthy process in most societies. However, basing policy prescriptions on this benchmark helps avoid possible conflicts between different social and moral values.
Three-dimensional manifolds all of whose geodesics are closed

We present some results concerning the Morse Theory of the energy function on the free loop space of the three sphere for metrics all of whose geodesics are closed. We also explain how these results relate to the Berger conjecture in dimension three.
Comparative Advantage With and Without Gains from Trade

In 1980, Deardorff, and Dixit and Norman, generalized the law of comparative advantage to show that the value of net imports at autarky prices (or “DDN index”) is nonnegative, so that net imports are correlated with autarky prices. The DDN index can be decomposed into the sum of (i) the equivalent variation of gains from trade, and (ii) the difference in GNP at autarky prices between autarky and trade. Several examples are given of classical and neoclassical economies where (i) or (ii) can be zero. Hence gains from trade are sufficient but not necessary for the existence of comparative advantage.
Magnetic ground state and its control in porphyrin-based magnets

Abstract Alternating metalloporphyrin-acceptor systems provide a ‘laboratory’ for study of quasi-one-dimensional magnetic phenomena. For example, the [octaethylporphyrinatomanganate(III)][hexacyanobutadiene], [MnOEP][HCBD], compound is a model alternating classical (spin 2) and quantum (spin 1/2) spin system. While the high temperature susceptibility is well fit to Seiden's model for alternating S = 2 and S = 1/2 chains with antiferromagnetic exchange J/kB = 172 K, and g for [MnOEP] = 1.92, the low temperature data reveal a transition to a two-dimensional antiferromagnet, followed by a transition to a three-dimensional canted antiferromagnet. The similarly structured [tetraphenyl-porphyrinatomanganate(III)][tetracyanoethenide], [MnTPP][TCNE], also has ferrimagnetic behavior within the chains, though it has ferromagnetic interactions between the chains. We associate the change in sign of interchain exchange (from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic) with an increase in interchain separation and a change in ...
The Power of M Theory

Abstract A proposed duality between type IIB superstring theory on R 9 × S1 and a conjectured 11D fundamental theory (“M theory”) on R 9 × T2 is investigated. Simple heuristic reasoning leads to a consistent picture relating the various p-branes and their tensions in each theory. Identifying the M theory on R 10 × S1 with type IIA superstring theory on R 10, in a similar fashion, leads to various relations among the p-branes of the IIA theory.
Competency in interpretation of 12-lead electrocardiograms: a summary and appraisal of published evidence.

This systematic review provides detailed supporting evidence for the American College of Physicians' recommendations on competency in electrocardiogram interpretation. The authors found no evidence...
Casino Revenues and Retail Property Values: The Detroit Case

We analyze the effects of commercial casinos on retail property values in the Detroit urban area. Accounting for property characteristics and proximity to the casinos, casinos are found to have a significantly positive influence on retail property values. The effect is stronger within a 5-mile radius of the casinos, suggesting that casinos have a complementary, rather than substitution, effect on other businesses. This provides some of the first micro-level empirical evidence to support the “drawing power” of casinos and the impact of consumer spending on surrounding businesses. The model developed and tested in this study can be applied to other casino jurisdictions to gain further evidence on the impact of commercial casinos.
Miracle on Sixth Avenue: Information Externalities and Search

After a long dormant period, Lower Sixth Avenue in New York has undergone a rapid revitalisation. We show that a simple search theoretic model with information spillovers can explain both the period of underuse and the rapid turnaround. The model reduces to a simple equation, which allows us to do comparative statics on the duration of vacancies. We show how the solution reacts to changes in market structure and changes in search technology. The model is suggestive of difficulties that may occur in many markets in which there are changes over time in the optimal use of resources. At one time Lower Sixth Avenue was one of the most fashionable retail centres in Manhattan, but the area collapsed as a retail centre when the affluent moved further uptown and to the suburbs. Today, Sixth Avenue is in the midst of a rapid turnaround, as reported in the Sunday New York Times by Claudia
The Long and the Short of Gamma-Ray Bursts

We report evidence from the Third BATSE Gamma-Ray Burst Catalog that long (T(sub 90) greater than 10 s) and short (T(sub 90) less than 10 s) gamma-ray bursts (GRBS) represent distinct source populations. Their spatial distributions are significantly different, with long bursts having = 0.282+/- 0.014 but short bursts having = 0.385 +/- 0.019, differing by 0.103 +/- 0.024, significant at the 4.3 or level. This implies different spatial origin and physical processes for long and short bursts. Long bursts may be explained by accretion-induced collapse. Short bursts require another mechanism, for which we suggest neutron star collisions. These are capable of producing neutrino bursts as short as a few milliseconds, consistent with the shortest observed timescales in GRBS. We briefly investigate the parameters of clusters in which neutron star collisions may occur, and discuss the nuclear evolution of expelled and accelerated matter.
Strengthening Kazhdan’s property (T) by Bochner methods

In this paper, we propose a property which is a natural generalization of Kazhdan’s property (T) and prove that many, but not all, groups with property (T) also have this property. Let Γ be a finitely generated group. One definition of Γ having property (T) is that \({H^{1}(\Gamma, \pi, {\mathcal{H}}) = 0}\) where the coefficient module \({{\mathcal{H}}}\) is a Hilbert space and π is a unitary representation of Γ on \({{\mathcal{H}}}\). Here we allow more general coefficients and say that Γ has property \({F \otimes {H}}\) if \({H^{1}(\Gamma, \pi_{1}{\otimes}\pi_{2}, F{\otimes} {\mathcal{H}}) = 0}\) if (F, π1) is any representation with dim(F) < ∞ and \({({\mathcal{H}}, \pi_{2})}\) is a unitary representation. The main result of this paper is that a uniform lattice in a semisimple Lie group has property \({F \otimes {H}}\) if and only if it has property (T). The proof hinges on an extension of a Bochner-type formula due to Matsushima–Murakami and Raghunathan. We give a new and more transparent derivation of this formula as the difference of two classical Weitzenbock formula’s for two different structures on the same bundle. Our Bochner-type formula is also used in our work on harmonic maps into continuum products (Fisher and Hitchman in preparation; Fisher and Hitchman in Int Math Res Not 72405:1–19, 2006). Some further applications of property \({F\otimes {H}}\) in the context of group actions will be given in Fisher and Hitchman (in preparation).
High-frequency performance of graphene field effect transistors with saturating IV-characteristics

High-frequency performance of graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) with boron-nitride gate dielectrics is investigated. Devices show saturating IV characteristics and f max values as high as 34 GHz at 600-nm channel length. Bias dependence of f T and f max and the effect of the ambipolar channel on transconductance and output resistance are also examined.
The luminosity‐weighted or ‘marked’ correlation function

We present measurements of the redshift-space luminosity-weighted or ‘marked’ correlation function in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). These are compared with a model in which the luminosity function and luminosity dependence of clustering are the same as that observed, and in which the form of the luminosity-weighted correlation function is entirely a consequence of the fact that massive haloes populate dense regions. We do this by using mock catalogues which are constrained to reproduce the observed luminosity function and the luminosity dependence of clustering, as well as by using the language of the redshift-space halo model. These analyses show that marked correlations may show a signal on large scales even if there are no large-scale physical effects – the statistical correlation between haloes and their environment will produce a measurable signal. Our model is in good agreement with the measurements, indicating that the halo mass function in dense regions is top heavy; the correlation between halo mass and large-scale environment is the primary driver for correlations between galaxy properties and environment; and the luminosity of the central galaxy in a halo is different from (in general, brighter than) that of the other objects in the halo. Thus our measurement provides strong evidence for the accuracy of these three standard assumptions of galaxy formation models. These assumptions also form the basis of current halo-model-based interpretations of galaxy clustering. When the same galaxies are weighted by their u-, g- or r-band luminosities, then the marked correlation function is stronger in the redder bands. When the weight is galaxy colour rather than luminosity, then the data suggest that close pairs of galaxies tend to have redder colours. This wavelength dependence of marked correlations is in qualitative agreement with galaxy formation models, and reflects the fact that the mean luminosity of galaxies in a halo depends more strongly on halo mass in the r-band than in u. The luminosity and colour dependence we find are consistent with models in which the galaxy population in clusters is more massive than the population in the field. If the u-band luminosity is a reliable tracer of star formation, then our results suggest that cluster galaxies have lower star formation rates. The virtue of this measurement of environmental trends is that it does not require classification of galaxies into field, group and cluster environments.
The Effects of Contracting, Litigation, Regulation, and Tax Costs on Conditional and Unconditional Conservatism: Cross‐Sectional Evidence at the Firm Level

Prior studies propose four explanations for accounting conservatism, and recent studies classify conservatism into two forms: conditional and unconditional conservatism. This paper examines whether each proposed explanation applies to conditional conservatism, unconditional conservatism, or both. The findings are as follows: (1) contracting induces conditional conservatism; (2) litigation induces both forms; (3) regulation induces unconditional conservatism; and (4) taxation induces unconditional conservatism. These findings indicate that the two forms of conservatism play distinct roles in contracting, regulation, and taxation, as well as a common role in litigation. They also play an interrelated role, as suggested by the finding that unconditional conservatism reduces conditional conservatism. The combined evidence implies that because the two forms meet distinct needs but are negatively interrelated, it is necessary to trade them off.
Reactive spin state dependent enantiospecific photocyclization of axially chiral α-substituted acrylanilides

The enantiomeric ratio (e.r.) in the 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-one photoproduct during 6π-photocyclization of α-substituted axially chiral ortho-tert-butyl-acrylanilides depends on the nature of the reactive spin state (singlet or triplet), where the singlet-spin state reactivity gives a racemic mixture and the triplet reactivity gives an e.r. value >95 ∶ 5.
Control surface failure detection and accommodation using neuro-controllers

The ability of neural networks to learn from repeated exposure to system characteristics has made them a popular choice for many applications in linear and non-linear control. In this paper, the capabilities of neural networks in detecting and accommodating control surface failures for a modified F/A-18 ‘super-manoeuverable’ fighter aircraft are examined. To detect and accommodate a failure in the thrust vectoring vane during a pitch manoeuvre, a hierarchical neuro-controller is designed using thrust vectoring, symmetric leading edge flap and the throttle. This neuro- controller is then used as the fault accommodating neuro- controller. A separate neural network is trained to detect failures in the thrust vectoring vane. The performance of the controller and fault-detection networks are verified using a numerical simulation of a longitudinal model of the aircraft.
Morphological Growth of Sputtered MoS2 Films

Sputtered MoS2 films from 300 A to 20,000 A thick were deposited on metal and glass surfaces. The substrate effects such as surface temperature, finish, pretreatment, and chemistry as they affect the film formation characteristics were investigated by optical, electron transmission, electron diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Substrate temperature and surface chemistry were found to be the prime variables as to the formation of a crystalline or amorphous film. The friction characteristics are strictly influenced by the type of film formed. Surface chemistry and surface pretreatment account for compound formation and corresponding grain growth, which directly affect the adhesion characteristics, resulting in poor adherence. The type of surface finish (topography) as related to scratches, impurities, inhomogeneities, etc., are favorable nucleation sites for the growth of isolated and complex nodules within the film, and various complex surface overgrowths on the film. These nodular growth featur...
r-Process abundance universality and actinide cosmochronology

Abstract We review recent observational and theoretical results concerning the presence of actinide nuclei on the surfaces of old halo stars and their use as an age determinant. We present model calculations which show that the observed universality of abundances for 56