cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social class and legal change: The birth control controversy

Changes in birth control legislation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are analyzed from the perspective of 2 contrasting theoretical models: the corporate liberal model and the class conflict model. The former approach emphasizes domination and the repressive consequences of reform wheras the latter model focuses on the complex relationships among classes and the state. The corporate liberal model posits that women of the corporate class and philanthropists such as the Rockefeller family saw birth control reform as a means to extend class rule. These forces were concerned with improving the quality of the population in the face of widespread immigration and balancing population growth against limited resources. The impact of philanthropic interests on the birth control movement was to establish a body of experts-- the birth control intelligentsia--who defined the rationales for public use of contraception and the circumstances under which it was to be made available. The class conflict model rejects this emphasis on domination viewing the consequences of legal reform as variable and dependent on the balance of class forces revealed in the process of change. Its application involves connecting the distinctive experiences of each of several classes and class factions to the forces advancing reform and showing how the relationships among classes and the state determine the outcome of the reform process. Anthony Comstocks crusade against birth control is viewed as an attempt to regulate the sexual activity of the corporate class and to improve its declining biological position in relation to working class immigrants. He was able to secure the support of corporate liberals because his movement was aimed against radicalism and was consistent with that sectors antiunion strategy. However Emma Goldman and Margaret Sanger organized working class resistance to Comstockery. The decline of the feminist movement and the repression of the Socialist Party ruptured the ties between the birth control movement and mass support leaving the movement open to cooptation by the birth control intelligentsia. It is concluded that the class conflict model with its emphasis on the role of both dominant and subordinant classes and class factions facilitates a clearer analysis of historical material.
A method to produce lithium pellets for fueling and ELM pacing in NSTX-U

A device for producing small, high frequency spherical droplets or pellets for lithium or other liquid metals has been developed and could aid in the controlled excitation or pacing of edge-localized plasma modes (ELMs). The Liquid Lithium/metal Pellet Injector (LLPI) could also be used to replenish lithium coatings of plasma-facing components (PFCs) during a plasma discharge. With NSTX-U having longer pulse lengths (up to 5 s), it is desirable to be able to inject lithium during the discharge to maintain the beneficial effects. Using a nozzle injector design and a surrogate to lithium, Wood's metal, the LLPI has achieved droplet diameters between 0.6 mm < ddrop < 1 mm in diameter and frequencies up to 1.5 kHz with argon gas driving the formation. This paper presents the LLPI being developed with initial results mainly using Wood's metal and some lithium, using high pressure argon to force the liquid lithium through the nozzle.
Improving Reliability of Jamming Attack Detection in Ad hoc Networks

Defense against denial of service (DoS) attacks is a critical component of any security system as these attacks can affect the availability of a node or an entire network. In this work, we focus on jamming type DoS attacks at the physical a nd MAC layers in 802.11 based ad hoc networks. Collisions in wirel ess networks occur due to varying factors such as jamming attack s, hidden terminal interferences and network congestion. We p resent a probabilistic analysis to show that collision occur rence alone cannot be used to conclusively determine jamming attacks i n wireless channel. To increase the reliability of attack dete ction, it is necessary to provide enhanced detection mechanisms that can determine the actual cause of channel collisions. T o address this, we first investigate the problem of diagnosing the pres ence of jamming in ad hoc networks. We then evaluate the detection mechanism using cross-layer information obtained from physica l and link layers to differentiate between jamming and congest ed network scenarios. By correlating the cross-layer data with collision detection metrics, we can distinguish attack scenar ios from the impact of traffic load on network behavior. Through simulation results we demonstrate the effectiveness of our sch eme in detecting jamming with improved precision.
Identifying contributions of on-road motor vehicles to urban air pollution using travel demand model data

Ambient concentrations of pollutants are correlated with emissions, but the contribution to ambient air quality of on-road mobile sources is not necessarily equal to their contribu- tion to regional emissions. This is true for several reasons such as the distribution of other pollution sources and regional topology, as well as meteorology. In this paper, using a data- set from a travel demand model for the Sacramento metropolitan area for 2005, regional vehicle emissions are disaggregated into hourly, gridded emission inventories, and trans- portation-related concentrations are estimated using an atmospheric dispersion model. Contributions of on-road motor vehicles to urban air pollution are then identified at a regional scale. The contributions to ambient concentrations are slightly higher than emis- sion fractions that transportation accounts for in the region, reflecting that relative to other major pollution sources, mobile sources tend to have a close proximity to air quality mon- itors in urban areas. The contribution results indicate that the impact of mobile sources on PM10 is not negligible, and mobile sources have a significant influence on both NOx and VOC pollution that subsequently results in secondary particulate matter and ozone formation.
Marine chemical ecology in benthic environments

Covering: 2010 up to the beginning of 2013 This review covers the recent marine chemical ecology literature for benthic bacteria and cyanobacteria, macroalgae, sponges, cnidarians, molluscs, other benthic invertebrates, and fish.
Quantum field theory and unification in AdS5

We consider gauge bosons in the bulk of AdS5 in a two-brane theory that addresses the hierarchy problem. We demonstrate that one can do a perturbative calculation above the IR scale associated with the second brane. We show such a theory can be consistent with gauge coupling unification at a high scale. We discuss subtleties in this calculation and show how to regulate consistently in a bounded AdS5 background. Our regularization is guided by the holographic dual of the calculation.
Utility of OCB Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Group Performance in a Resource Allocation Framework

Building on recent developments in resource allocation theory as applied to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), the authors examine task interdependence as a contingency factor in the utility of group members’ OCBs for group performance. In a lagged field study, members of 46 work groups in six organizations rated their groups’ task interdependence, and group leaders rated groups’ OCBs. After six months, customers rated each group’s performance. OCB correlated positively with the performance of task-interdependent groups but had a neutral to negative association with the performance of task-independent groups. Consistent with this group-level resource allocation framework, the moderating role of task interdependence varied by dimensions of OCB: helping, civic virtue, and sportsmanship. The authors discuss the practical and theoretical implications of decisions about allocating a key resource—time—to OCB in work groups.
An Improved Synthetic Preparation of 3-Butenal

Abstract A convenient synthesis of 3-butenal from aqueous glyoxal and allyl bromide is described. The preparation readily provides multigram quantities of 3-butenal.
Investor Sentiment and REIT Returns

Recent advances in the field of behavioral finance have given a fillip to the use of behavioral factors in asset pricing models. This study adds to the understanding of the REIT return generating process by exploring the behavioral impact of investor sentiment on REIT returns. The results show that when investors are optimistic (pessimistic), REIT returns become higher (lower). These findings are robust when conventional control variables are considered. Empirical analysis indicates steady erosion in the importance of the default and term structure interest rate variables previously considered as important determinants of REIT returns. Previous noise trading papers that consider the impact of institutional traders conclude that institutional investors cannot arbitrage away noise trader risk. The results of this paper find an exception in the case of small REITs. Examination of REITs based on size reveals that the return generating process of small REITs differs from that of mid-size and large REITs. Analysis of the return generating process by performance shows high performance REITs are more sensitive to the independent variables in the model as compared to the low and mid performance REITs.
Delegating Eminent Domain Powers to Private Firms: Land Use and Efficiency Implications

Many private common carriers or regulated utilities have eminent domain powers in the U.S. The rationale resembles that for local governments; lower cost of assembling land for long distance electric transmission, gas and oil products pipelines, etc. Recent court cases raise questions about whether eminent domain allows firms to use inefficiently long indirect land corridors, inefficiently wide corridors, or higher value land when lower value land is available as an alternative? Despite the incentive to over-use capital under rate-of-return regulation, it turns out that the firm adopts an excessive land corridor width only to the extent that corridor width is tied to capital usage. For route selection, rate-of-return regulated firms follow the same Pareto rule that would be followed by an efficiency-oriented government when designating which land to take for a transmission route by eminent domain.
Elderly Ethnic Fragmentation and Support for Local Public Education

This article considers the relationship between ethnicity within the elderly population and education spending. Extensive literature analyzes the relationship between demographics and education spending. This article contributes to this literature by examining the dynamics between the elderly population and ethnicity and its impact on education finance. Using a national panel public school district data set, it is found that increased ethnic fragmentation within the elderly population is negatively related to per-pupil spending and to per-pupil local revenues, but this effect depends on whether the state has a court-ordered reform.
Theoretical Modeling of the Vapor Cavitation in Dynamically Loaded Journal Bearings

A theoretical investigation is made of the evolution of a vapor-bubble for a submerged journal bearing under dynamically loaded conditions using the Elrod algorithm. This method conserves mass throughout the computational domain. A comparison study is performed to determine some of the consequences of applying a nonconservative theory (pseudo-Gumbel BC) to a dynamic problem. A complete dynamic cycle of a journal whirling in a circular path is chosen for the basis of comparison. Significant differences are observed in the load components near the end of the cycle. Further, good agreement with experiment is found for stationary and nonstationary cavitation.
Isospin asymmetry in nuclei and neutron stars

Abstract The roles of isospin asymmetry in nuclei and neutron stars are investigated using a range of potential and field-theoretical models of nucleonic matter. The parameters of these models are fixed by fitting the properties of homogeneous bulk matter and closed-shell nuclei. We discuss and unravel the causes of correlations among the neutron skin thickness in heavy nuclei, the pressure of beta-equilibrated matter at a density of 0.1 fm - 3 , the derivative of the nuclear symmetry energy at the same density and the radii of moderate mass neutron stars. Constraints on the symmetry properties of nuclear matter from the binding energies of nuclei are examined. The extent to which forthcoming neutron skin measurements will further delimit the symmetry properties is investigated. The impact of symmetry energy constraints for the mass and moment of inertia contained within neutron star crusts and the threshold density for the nucleon direct Urca process, all of which are potentially measurable, is explored. We also comment on the minimum neutron star radius, assuming that only nucleonic matter exists within the star.
Discrete crack growth analysis methodology for through cracks in pressurized fuselage structures

A methodology for simulating the growth of long through cracks in the skin of pressurized aircraft fuselage structures is described. Crack trajectories are allowed to be arbitrary and are computed as part of the simulation. The interaction between the mechanical loads acting on the superstructure and the local structural response near the crack tips is accounted for by employing a hierarchical modelling strategy. The structural response for each cracked configuration is obtained using a geometrically non-linear shell finite element analysis procedure. Four stress intensity factors, two for membrane behaviour and two for bending using Kirchhoff plate theory, are computed using an extension of the modified crack closure integral method. Crack trajectories are determined by applying the maximum tangential stress criterion. Crack growth results in localized mesh deletion, and the deletion regions are remeshed automatically using a newly developed all-quadrilateral meshing algorithm. The effectiveness of the methodology, and its applicability to performing practical analyses of realistic structures, is demonstrated by simulating curvilinear crack growth in a fuselage panel that is representative of a typical narrow-body aircraft. The predicted crack trajectory and fatigue life compare well with measurements of these same quantities from a full-scale pressurized panel test.
U.S. MONEY DEMAND INSTABILITY A Flexible Least Squares Approach

This paper uses a Jle.rrhle leust squares (FLS) time-varying linear regression technique to investiaate coefficient stabilitv for the Goldfeld U.S. money demand model over the period 1959:62 to 19X5:Q3. Time paths traced out by the FLS coefficient estimates exhibit shifts in 1974 and 1983; but these shifts are small relative to a persistent downward trend in the estimated coefficient for the inflation rate, indicating potential model misspecitication. The FLS estimates also indicate that the ‘unit root’ nonstationarity problem reported by OLS money demand studies disappears if the coefficient estimates are allowed to exhibit even small amounts of time variation.
Stereoselective synthesis of functionalized trisubstituted olefins via palladium(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction.

A highly flexible and stereoselective protocol for the synthesis of branched (E)- and (Z)-trisubstituted alkenes has been developed. The key steps are hydrozirconation-iodination of (1-alkynyl)trimethylsilane followed by Negishi-type cross-coupling. The resultant (Z)-vinyl silane is iododesilylated and subjected to a second cross-coupling reaction to give the trisubstituted olefin. Model studies aimed at the construction of the C14−C15 (Z)-trisubstituted olefin of discodermolide and the C8−C9 (Z)-trisubstituted olefin of callystatin A and analogues are also described.
THE KU-BAND POLARIZATION IDENTIFIER

Abstract The Ku-band polarization identifier (KUPID) will integrate a very low noise 12–18 GHz, correlation polarimeter onto the Crawford Hill seven meter, millimeter-wave antenna. The primary components of the polarimeter will be built at the University of Miami and other key components, including the microwave horn and data acquisition system will be built at the University of Chicago and Princeton University. This project will measure the Q and U Stokes parameters in regions near the north celestial pole, in regions of low galactic contamination, and in regions near the galactic plane. The KUPID survey experiment makes use of many of the techniques employed in the Princeton IQU experiment (PIQUE) that was developed by the members of this collaboration to detect CMB polarization at shorter wavelengths. The KUPID experiment will be constructed in parallel and on the same timescale as the CAPMAP experiment (see Barkats, this volume) which is the follow-on experiment to PIQUE. KUPID will observe on the Crawford Hill antenna from late spring until early autumn, while CAPMAP will observe during the lower water vapor months of late autumn until early spring.
Thresholds for the perception of angular acceleration about the three major body axes.

This report presents two experiments concerned with man's sensitivity to angular acceleration about his three major body axes. The purpose of the study was to determine thresholds for accelerations about the x, y, and z axes. The thresholds of 22 normal men were established for the three axes using a precision rotation device. The angular accelerations were ordered using a random, forced choice, double-staircase procedure. It was found that mean thresholds for the three axes were not significantly different and that for each of the three axes the range of individual thresholds was substantial. Intercorrelations among the three thresholds were not simificantly different from zero. It was concluded that, under optimum testing conditions, the mean thresholds for rotation about the three major body axes are essentially the same, but that the threshold about any one body axis does not predict the threshold about the other two.
Matrix mechanics and receptor–ligand interactions in cell adhesion

Cell adhesions to both soluble and insoluble extracellular matrix ligands are critical in inter and intra-cellular signaling that mediates numerous physiological processes. These adhesions are complex structures composed of many scaffolding and signaling proteins. There are four distinct types of cell–matrix adhesions: focal complexes, focal adhesions, fibrillar adhesions, and 3D cell–matrix adhesions, which vary in composition, organization and function. The primary mediators of cell–matrix adhesions are integrins, which are mechanosensitive transmembrane receptor proteins that directly bind to matrix ligands to initiate adhesion formation. The development of cell–matrix adhesions is affected by a number of factors including matrix properties such as dimensionality and rigidity, and forces, both internally and externally generated, exerted on the adhesion sites. In this article, we discuss how matrix mechanics and forces affect the assembly and maturation of cell–matrix adhesions.
Empirical Evaluation of Asset‐Pricing Models: A Comparison of the SDF and Beta Methods

The stochastic discount factor (SDF) method provides a unified general framework for econometric analysis of asset-pricing models. There have been concerns that, compared to the classical beta method, the generality of the SDF method comes at the cost of efficiency in parameter estimation a -d power in specification tests. We establish the correct framework for comparing the two methods and show that the SDF method is as efficient as the beta method for estimating risk premiums. Also, the specification test based on the SDF method is as powerful as the one based on the beta method. THE USE OF THE stochastic discount factor (SDF) method for econometric evaluation of asset-pricing models has become common in the recent empirical finance literature. An SDF has the following property: The value of a financial asset equals the expected value of the product of the payoff on the asset and the SDF. An asset-pricing model identifies a particular SDF that is a function of observable variables and model parameters. For example, a linear factor pricing model identifies a specific linear function of the factors as an SDF. The SDF method involves estimating the asset-pricing model using its SDF representation and the generalized method of moments (GMM). As Cochrane (2001) points out, the SDF method is sufficiently general that it can be used for analysis of linear as well as nonlinear asset-pricing models, including pricing models for derivative securities. In spite of its wide use, little is known about the estimation efficiency of the SDF method relative to the classical beta method. The latter method estimates the parameters in a linear factor pricing model using its beta
Simultaneous Unsupervised Learning of Disparate Clusterings

Most clustering algorithms produce a single clustering for a given dataset even when the data can be clustered naturally in multiple ways. In this paper, we address the difficult problem of uncovering disparate clusterings from the data in a totally unsupervised manner. We propose two new approaches for this problem. In the first approach, we aim to find good clusterings of the data that are also decorrelated with one another. To this end, we give a new and tractable characterization of decorrelation between clusterings, and present an objective function to capture it. We provide an iterative “decorrelated” k-means type algorithm to minimize this objective function. In the second approach, we model the data as a sum of mixtures and associate each mixture with a clustering. This approach leads us to the problem of learning a convolution of mixture distributions. Though the latter problem can be formulated as one of factorial learning 8, 13, 16, the existing formulations and methods do not perform well on many real high-dimensional datasets. We propose a new regularized factorial-learning framework that is more suitable for capturing the notion of disparate clusterings in modern, high-dimensional datasets. Furthermore, we provide kernelized version of both of our algorithms. The resulting algorithms do well in uncovering multiple clusterings, and are much improved over existing methods. We evaluate our methods on two real-world datasets—a music dataset from the text-mining domain, and a portrait dataset from the computer-vision domain. Our methods achieve a substantially higher accuracy than existing factorial learning as well as traditional clustering algorithms. Copyright © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 1: 000-000, 2008
Computer animation for the academic community

The use of computer-graphic technology to produce low-cost films for education promises enormous educational benefit at modest cost. For educators, these technical developments are but a means to an end which has thus far received too little attention---the production of visual images that in their ability to communicate ideas are superior to traditional graphical images on paper or blackboard.
Natural resources, weak states and civil war : can rents stabilize coup prone regimes ?

This paper argues that state weakness is broader than implied previously in the civil war literature, and that particular types of weakness in interaction with natural resources have aggravating or mitigating consequences for the risk of civil war. While in anocracies or unstable regimes natural resources can be expected to increase the risk of civil war, we suggest that resource wealth allows weak leaders to stabilize their relationship with their inner elite circle. In particular, for regimes at risk of coup d'etat, the availability of substantial resources is more likely to be channeled in ways that deter rebellion, plausibly countering the grievances generated by natural resources and rebels' viewing of such resources as a prize for taking over the state. Data from 1946-2003 and multiple empirical operationalizations broadly support our argument. These findings are consistent with work showing that resource rents can induce stability in state - society relationships.
House Prices and Consumer Spending

Recent empirical work shows large consumption responses to house price movements. This is at odds with a prominent theoretical view which, using the logic of the permanent income hypothesis, argues that consumption responses should be small. We show that, in contrast to this view, workhorse models of consumption with incomplete markets calibrated to rich cross-sectional micro facts actually predict large consumption responses, in line with the data. To explain this result, we show that consumption responses to permanent house price shocks can be approximated by a simple and robust rule-of-thumb formula: the marginal propensity to consume out of temporary income times the value of housing. In our model, consumption responses depend on a number of factors such as the level and distribution of debt, the size and history of house price shocks, and the level of credit supply. Each of these effects is naturally explained with our simple formula.
Voltage-tuned resonant reflectance optical filter for visible wavelengths fabricated by nanoreplica molding

This work describes the first implementation of a plastic-based photonic crystal filter at visible wavelengths that incorporates a variable refractive-index material for voltage-controlled actuation of the transmission wavelength band. Using a replica-molding approach, device structures are inexpensively fabricated over large surface areas, and the fabrication approach enables control of individual regions on the surface of the PC. The talk will describe the device operating principle, rigorous coupled wave analysis and finite difference time domain analysis computer simulation/design methodology, the device fabrication methods, and testing of the reflection/transmission efficiency, tuning range, and response speed.
The biology and synthesis of α-hydroxytropolones

α-Hydroxytropolones are a subclass of the troponoid family of natural products that are of high interest due to their broad biological activity and potential as treatment options for several diseases. Despite this promise, there have been scarce synthetic chemistry-driven optimization studies on the molecules. The following review highlights key developments in the biological studies conducted on α-hydroxytropolones to date, including the few synthetic chemistry-driven optimization studies. In addition, we provide an overview of the methods currently available to access these molecules. This review is intended to serve as a resource for those interested in biological activity of α-hydroxytropolones, and inspire the development of new synthetic methods and strategies that could aid in this pursuit.
The Agony of Victory and Thrill of Defeat Mixed Emotional Reactions to Disappointing Wins and Relieving Losses

Because of counterfactual comparisons, good outcomes that could have been better (i.e., disappointing wins) and bad outcomes that could have been worse (i.e., relieving losses) elicit relatively middling ratings on bipolar emotion scales. We conducted two experiments with gambles to examine whether such outcomes elicit neutral emotions, sequentially mixed emotions of positive and negative affect, or simultaneously mixed emotions. In Experiment 1, static unipolar measures of positive and negative affect revealed that disappointing wins and relieving losses elicit mixed emotions, rather than relatively neutral emotions. In Experiment 2, participants provided continuous unipolar measures of positive and negative affect by pressing one button whenever they felt good and another button whenever they felt bad. Results revealed that disappointing wins and relieving losses elicit positive and negative affect simultaneously, rather than in alternation.
Oscillations in the CMB from Axion Monodromy Inflation

We study the CMB observables in axion monodromy inflation. These well-motivated scenarios for inflation in string theory have monomial potentials over super-Planckian field ranges, with superimposed sinusoidal modulations from instanton effects. Such periodic modulations of the potential can drive resonant enhancements of the correlation functions of cosmological perturbations, with characteristic modulations of the amplitude as a function of wavenumber. We give an analytical result for the scalar power spectrum in this class of models, and we determine the limits that present data places on the amplitude and frequency of modulations. Then, incorporating an improved understanding of the realization of axion monodromy inflation in string theory, we perform a careful study of microphysical constraints in this scenario. We find that detectable modulations of the scalar power spectrum are commonplace in well-controlled examples, while resonant contributions to the bispectrum are undetectable in some classes of examples and detectable in others. We conclude that resonant contributions to the spectrum and bispectrum are a characteristic signature of axion monodromy inflation that, in favorable cases, could be detected in near-future experiments.
UniNovo: a universal tool for de novo peptide sequencing

Motivation: Mass spectrometry (MS) instruments and experimental protocols are rapidly advancing, but de novo peptide sequencing algorithms to analyze tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra are lagging behind. Although existing de novo sequencing tools perform well on certain types of spectra [e.g. Collision Induced Dissociation (CID) spectra of tryptic peptides], their performance often deteriorates on other types of spectra, such as Electron Transfer Dissociation (ETD), Higher-energy Collisional Dissociation (HCD) spectra or spectra of non-tryptic digests. Thus, rather than developing a new algorithm for each type of spectra, we develop a universal de novo sequencing algorithm called UniNovo that works well for all types of spectra or even for spectral pairs (e.g. CID/ETD spectral pairs). UniNovo uses an improved scoring function that captures the dependences between different ion types, where such dependencies are learned automatically using a modified offset frequency function. Results: The performance of UniNovo is compared with PepNovo+, PEAKS and pNovo using various types of spectra. The results show that the performance of UniNovo is superior to other tools for ETD spectra and superior or comparable with others for CID and HCD spectra. UniNovo also estimates the probability that each reported reconstruction is correct, using simple statistics that are readily obtained from a small training dataset. We demonstrate that the estimation is accurate for all tested types of spectra (including CID, HCD, ETD, CID/ETD and HCD/ETD spectra of trypsin, LysC or AspN digested peptides). Availability: UniNovo is implemented in JAVA and tested on Windows, Ubuntu and OS X machines. UniNovo is available at http://proteomics.ucsd.edu/Software/UniNovo.html along with the manual. Contact: ude.dscu@jwk or ude.dscu@renzvepp Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Genetic dissection of complex traits

Medical genetics was revolutionized during the 1980s by the application of genetic mapping to locate the genes responsible for simple Mendelian diseases. Most diseases and traits, however, do not follow simple inheritance patterns. Genetics have thus begun taking up the even greater challenge of the genetic dissection of complex traits. Four major approaches have been developed: linkage analysis, allele-sharing methods, association studies, and polygenic analysis of experimental crosses. This article synthesizes the current state of the genetic dissection of complex traits--describing the methods, limitations, and recent applications to biological problems.
The Spin on Electronics

Recent advances in generating, manipulating and detecting spin-polarized electrons promise entirely new classes of spin-based sensor, memory and logical devices, generally referred to as the field of spintronics. These advances are based on recent fundamental discoveries involving spin-polarized current in novel nano-materials, including giant tunnelling magnetoresistance, the spin Hall effect and the excitation of magnetization via the transfer of spin angular momentum from spin-polarized current. The papers in this volume are based on a Discussion Meeting held at the Royal Society, London on 28 and 29 September 2009 and aim to provide an overview of the major advances in the field.
Regioselective alkylation of hydroxysalicylaldehydes

Schiff-base ligands are often used as backbone ligands for mono- and dinuclear complexes that serve as catalysts during aerobic oxidation reactions. However, their water solubility is low and limits their applicability as catalysts to transform highly water-soluble biomolecules, such as carbohydrates or amino alcohols. A new method to regioselectively incorporate water solubility-promoting polyethylene glycol side chains into a frequently used aldehyde building block of Schiff-base ligands has been developed.
Packing and covering properties of subspace codes

Codes in the projective space over a finite field, referred to as subspace codes, and in particular codes in the Grassmannians, referred to as constant-dimension codes (CDCs), have been proposed for error control in random network coding. In this paper, we study the packing and covering properties of subspace codes, which can be used with the subspace metric or the injection metric. We first determine some fundamental geometric properties of the projective space. Using these results, we derive bounds on the cardinalities of packing and covering subspace codes, and determine the asymptotic rate of optimal packing and optimal covering subspace codes for both metrics. We thus show that optimal packing CDCs are asymptotically optimal packing subspace codes for both metrics. However, optimal covering CDCs can be used to construct asymptotically optimal covering subspace codes only for the injection metric.
Did a Gamma-Ray Burst Initiate the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) produce a flux of radiation detectable across the observable Universe. A GRB within our own galaxy could do considerable damage to the Earth's biosphere; rate estimates suggest that a dangerously near GRB should occur on average two or more times per billion years. At least five times in the history of life, the Earth has experienced mass extinctions that eliminated a large percentage of the biota. Many possible causes have been documented, and GRBs may also have contributed. The late Ordovician mass extinction approximately 440 million years ago may be at least partly the result of a GRB. A special feature of GRBs in terms of terrestrial effects is a nearly impulsive energy input of the order of 10 s. Due to expected severe depletion of the ozone layer, intense solar ultraviolet radiation would result from a nearby GRB, and some of the patterns of extinction and survivorship at this time may be attributable to elevated levels of UV radiation reaching the Earth. In addition, a GRB could trigger the global cooling which occurs at the end of the Ordovician period that follows an interval of relatively warm climate. Intense rapid cooling and glaciation at that time, previously identified as the probable cause of this mass extinction, may have resulted from a GRB.
AN APPROXIMATE VERSION OF SIDORENKO'S CONJECTURE

A beautiful conjecture of Erdős-Simonovits and Sidorenko states that, if H is a bipartite graph, then the random graph with edge density p has in expectation asymptotically the minimum number of copies of H over all graphs of the same order and edge density. This conjecture also has an equivalent analytic form and has connections to a broad range of topics, such as matrix theory, Markov chains, graph limits, and quasirandomness. Here we prove the conjecture if H has a vertex complete to the other part, and deduce an approximate version of the conjecture for all H. Furthermore, for a large class of bipartite graphs, we prove a stronger stability result which answers a question of Chung, Graham, and Wilson on quasirandomness for these graphs.
Border Wars: Tax Revenues, Annexation, and Urban Growth in Phoenix

Phoenix and neighboring municipalities, like many in the South and West, pursued a growth strategy based on annexation in the decades after World War II. This paper explores the link between annexation and competition for tax revenues. After discussing arguments for annexation, it traces the history of annexation in the Phoenix metropolitan area. A long-running series of "border wars" entailed litigation, pre-emptive annexations, and considerable intergovernmental conflict. The paper argues that tax revenues have been a key motivation for annexation, particularly since the 1970s. It then considers several related policy issues and argues that while opportunities for annexation are becoming more limited, competition for tax revenues (particularly sales tax revenues) continues to be fierce and to create dilemmas for municipalities in the region. JEL classifications: H71, H77, N92, R51
Direct measurement of field emission current in E-static MEMS structures

Direct experimental evidence of field emission currents in metallic MEMS devices is presented. For the first time, high resolution I–V curves have been demonstrated for micro-gaps in MEMS-based capacitor/switch-like geometries. The I–V dependence shows a good agreement with the Fowler-Nordheim theory, supporting the hypothesis that field emission plays a significant role in charging phenomena in MEMS switches. The data has been used to extract effective values of the field enhancement factor, β, for the metallic structures fabricated under typical MEMS processes.
Functional Disability and Social Conflict Increase Risk of Depression in Older Adulthood Among Bolivian Forager-Farmers

OBJECTIVES To present an explanatory framework for depression in older adulthood in a small-scale society. We propose that depression is a consequence of functional disability, which can reduce subsistence productivity and resource transfers within and across generations. Social conflict can also disrupt resource flows and should be associated with depression. METHOD To evaluate depression among Tsimane forager-farmers of Bolivia, we developed a reliable interview based on focus groups and a review of validated depression scales. Older adults (mean ± SD age = 62 ± 9, n = 325) were recruited regardless of their health status. Demographic, economic, and medical data were collected during annual censuses and routine medical exams. RESULTS Depression is associated with reduced energetic status, greater physical limitations, and reduced subsistence involvement after controlling for potential confounds such as age, sex, number of reported unresolved conflicts, and market involvement. Depression is also associated with greater reported conflict, particularly with non-kin. DISCUSSION Tsimane depression is associated with disability, reduced subsistence productivity, and interpersonal conflict, all of which can disrupt resource flows. Depression appears to be a response to conditions regularly experienced over human history, and not simply a by-product of modernity.
Informal politics and inequity of access to health care in Lebanon

Introduction: Despite the importance of political institutions in shaping the social environment, the causal impact of politics on health care access and inequalities has been understudied. Even when considered, research tends to focus on the effects of formal macro-political institutions such as the welfare state. We investigate how micro-politics and informal institutions affect access to care. Methods: This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining findings from a household survey (n=1789) and qualitative interviews (n=310) in Lebanon. Multivariate logistic regression was employed in the analysis of the survey to examine the effect of political activism on access to health care while controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, religious commitment and piety. Results: We note a significantly positive association between political activism and the probability of receiving health aid (p<.001), with an OR of 4.0 when comparing individuals with the highest political activity to those least active in our sample. Interviews with key informants also reveal that, although a form of “universal coverage” exists in Lebanon whereby any citizen is eligible for coverage of hospitalization fees and treatments, in practice, access to health services is used by political parties and politicians as a deliberate strategy to gain and reward political support from individuals and their families. Conclusions: Individuals with higher political activism have better access to health services than others. Informal, micro-level political institutions can have an important impact on health care access and utilization, with potentially detrimental effects on the least politically connected. A truly universal health care system that provides access based on medical need rather than political affiliation is needed to help to alleviate growing health disparities in the Lebanese population.
Description of quantum effects in the condensed phase

Recent experiments on light harvesting complexes have shown clear indication of coherent transport of excitations in these aggregates. We review the theoretical models that have been used to study energy transfer in molecular aggregates, beginning with the early models of Forster and Davydov. We cover the Redfield and Haken Strobl models in some detail, in order to set the nomenclature and because they are the most common and easiest models to understand and work with. We briefly discuss more complex models.
LINE-SCAN SPECTRAL IMAGING SYSTEM FOR ONLINE POULTRY CARCASS INSPECTION*

A line-scan spectral imaging system was developed for online identification of wholesome and unwholesome freshly slaughtered chicken carcasses on commercial processing lines. Hyperspectral images acquired by the imaging system for 5,549 wholesome and 93 unwholesome chicken carcasses on a 140 bird per minute (bpm) processing line were analyzed to optimize region of interest size and location and determine key wavebands by which to implement online multispectral inspection based on single-waveband intensity and a two-waveband ratio. Multispectral inspection algorithms were developed for real-time online chicken inspection. The imaging system inspected over 100,000 chickens on the processing line during continuous operation and accurately identified over 99% of wholesome and over 96% of unwholesome chickens. A system of this type can perform food safety inspection tasks accurately and consistently on high-speed processing lines (e.g., at least 140 bpm), to help poultry processors improve production efficiency and satisfy increasing consumer demand for poultry products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The line-scan spectral imaging system was designed as a tool to assist poultry processors in meeting the requirements of the HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project as implemented by Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The system is particularly well suited for presorting poultry carcasses on high-speed processing lines by removing systemically diseased birds prior to the inspection stations. This can increase efficiency and reduce cross-contamination risks by minimizing the presence and unnecessary processing of unwholesome birds on the processing line. Real-time data collection and prompt removal of unwholesome poultry carcasses can enhance the ability of FSIS to certify U.S. poultry products for both domestic and export markets. In addition, the spectral imaging methodology of this system has the potential for easy adaptation to other high-speed food processing tasks, particularly those involving automated inspection for quality indicators.
Coherent Product Superposition for Downlink Multiuser MIMO

In a two-user broadcast channel where one user has full CSIR and the other has none, a recent result showed that TDMA is strictly suboptimal and a product superposition requiring non-coherent signaling achieves DoF gains under many antenna configurations. This work introduces product superposition in the domain of coherent signaling with pilots, demonstrates the advantages of product superposition in low-SNR as well as high-SNR, and established DoF gains in a wider set of receiver antenna configurations. Two classes of decoders, with and without interference cancellation, are studied. Achievable rates are established by analysis and illustrated by simulations.
Decentralized detection in wireless sensor networks with channel fading statistics

Existing channel aware signal processing design for decentralized detection in wireless sensor networks typically assumes the claivoyant case, that is, global channel state information (CSI) is known at the design stage. In this paper, we consider the distributed detection problem where only the channel fading statistics, instead of the instantaneous CSI, are available to the designer. We investigate the design of local decision rules for the following two cases: (1) fusion center has access to the instantaneous CSI; (2) fusion center does not have access to the instantaneous CSI. As expected, in both cases, the optimal local decision rules that minimize the error probability at the fusion center amount to a likelihood ratio test (LRT). Numerical analysis reveals that the detection performance appears to be more sensitive to the knowledge of CSI at the fusion center. The proposed design framework that utilizes only partial channel knowledge will enable distributed design of a decentralized detection wireless sensor system.
Altered Neural Activation in Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency During Executive Cognition: An fMRI Study

Background Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) is an X-linked urea cycle disorder characterized by hyperammonemia resulting in white matter injury and impairments in working memory and executive cognition.
Measuring the Broadband Bonus in Thirty OECD Countries

This paper provides estimates of the economic value created by broadband Internet using measures of new gross domestic product and consumer surplus. The study finds that the economic value created in 30 OECD countries correlates roughly with the overall size of their broadband economies. In addition, price and quality data from the United States suggest that widespread adoption of broadband Internet has occurred without a dramatic decline in prices, which reflects an unobserved increase in broadband quality that conventional government statistics do not capture.
Interface Stress in Artificial Multilayers

A new method for measuring interface stress is presented. The curvature of substrates coated with artificial multilayers is measured as a function of bilayer repeat length. The interface stress is determined from the slope of the curvature plotted versus inverse repeat length. As an example, the (111) Au/amorphous Al2O3 interface stress was determined to be 1.13±0.06 J/m2 (compressive) . X-ray and TEM observations allowed the possibility of interfacial phases to be ruled out as possible alternative sources of the stress.
Natural products to drugs : daptomycin and related lipopeptide antibiotics

Daptomycin (Cubicin) is a lipopeptide antibiotic approved in the USA in 2003 for the treatment of skin and skin structure infections caused by Gram-positive pathogens. It is a member of the 10-membered cyclic lipopeptide family of antibiotics that includes A54145, calcium-dependent antibiotic (CDA), amphomycin, friulimicin, laspartomycin, and others. This review highlights research on this class of antibiotics from 1953 to 2005, focusing on more recent studies with particular emphasis on the interplay between structural features and antibacterial activities; chemical modifications to improve activity; the genetic organization and biosynthesis of lipopeptides; and the genetic engineering of the daptomycin biosynthetic pathway to produce novel derivatives for further chemical modification to develop candidates for clinical evaluation.