cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HEAT TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT FOR TURBINE BLADE INTERNAL COOLING

Gas turbines are used extensively for aircraft propulsion, land-based power generation, and industrial applications. The turbine inlet temperatures are far above the permissible metal temperatures. Therefore, there is a need to cool the blades for safe operation. Modern developments in turbine cooling technology play a critical role in increasing the thermal efficiency and power output of advanced gas turbine designs. Turbine blades and vanes are cooled internally and externally. This paper focuses on heat transfer augmentation of turbine blade internal cooling. Internal cooling is typically achieved by passing the cooling air through rib-enhanced serpentine passages inside the blades. Impinging jets, pin fins and dimples are also used for enhancing internal cooling heat transfer. In the past 10 years, there has been considerable progress in turbine blade internal cooling research and this paper is emphasized on reviewing selected publications to reflect recent developments in this area. In particular, this paper focuses on the newly developed design concepts as well as the combination of existing cooling techniques for turbine airfoil internal heat transfer augmentation. Rotation effects on the turbine blade leading-edge, triangular-shaped channel, mid-chord multi-pass channel and trailing-edge, wedge-shaped channel with coolant ejection are also considered.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Total Synthesis of Altohyrtin A (Spongistatin 1): Part 1

The most active compound of the extraordinarily cytotoxic spongipyrans, spongistatin 1, isolated from marine sponges, appeared to be identical to altohyrtin A. The total synthesis of this macrolide has now firmly established the relative and absolute stereochemistry proposed by Kitagawa (see picture below), and has also verified that altohyrtin A and spongistatin 1 are identical.
Punishment Beyond the Legal Offender

In the United States, lawbreakers are treated as social isolates, and the sentences imposed upon them are conceived of as affecting a discrete individual. However, people who commit or are suspected of committing crimes are generally embedded in kinship webs and social networks that draw others into the ambit of the state's punishment apparatus. Through their association with someone convicted of a crime, legally innocent people have firsthand and often intense contact with criminal justice authorities and correctional facilities, they experience variants of the direct and indirect consequences of incarceration, and they are confronted by the paradox of a penal state that has become the primary distributor of social services for the poor in the United States. Collectively, studies investigating punishment beyond the offender contribute to the understanding of the wide and multi-faceted impact of punitive sanctions and spotlight the importance of considering this full range of repercussions when evaluating...
Heterogeneous unit clustering for efficient operational flexibility modeling

Designing future capacity mixes with adequate flexibility requires capturing operating constraints through an embedded unit commitment approximation. Despite significant recent improvements, such simulations still require significant computation times. Here we propose a method, based on clustering units, for approximate unit commitment with dramatic improvements in solution time. This method speeds computation by aggregating similar but non-identical units. This replaces large numbers of binary commitment variables with fewer integers while still capturing individual unit decisions and constraints. We demonstrate the trade-off between accuracy and run-time for different levels of aggregation. A numeric example using an ERCOT-based 205-unit system illustrates that careful aggregation introduces errors of 0.05–0.9% across several metrics while providing several orders of magnitude faster solution times (400x) compared to traditional binary formulations. Further aggregation increases errors slightly (∼2x) with further speedup (2000x). We also compare other simplifications that can provide an additional order of magnitude speed-up for some problems.
Efficient and synergetic DNA delivery with pyridinium amphiphiles–gold nanoparticle composite systems having different packing parameters

Mixtures of highly curved pyridinium-decorated Au nanoparticles and standard pyridinium cationic lipids efficiently and synergetically transfected DNA in vitro, while displaying an excellent cytotoxic profile.
3d object recognition using invariant feature indexing of interpretation tables

Abstract This paper proposes a technique for 3D object recognition from range data. Our technique (which was motivated by recent work in geometric hashing) employs precompiled interpretation tables as a source of prototype hypotheses. These tables are indexed by invariant features computed from triples of surface patches. We describe a method for automated construction of interpretation tables from CAD models. Invariant features extracted from the input image are used to index the tables, retrieve prototype hypotheses, and bind them to scene entities. These candidate hypotheses are then ranked via computation of a matching score. The use of precompiled tables of hypotheses offers the potential for greater efficiency in the recognition step than techniques such as constrained search. Experiments demonstrate significant reductions in the number of incorrect hypotheses produced over a constrained search mechanism.
Micro-stamped ECM proteins enhance endothelial cell adhesion and directed growth

Our goal was to evaluate microvascular endothelial cell growth on hydrophilic glass surfaces micro-stamped with extracellular matrix proteins (ECM). A combination of photo-and soft-lithography was used to fabricate microstamps. We hypothesized that by day 3, human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (hDMECs) would have higher viability and density on the patterned matrices vs. on bare glass. Also, our preferential elongated morphology would be heightened on the stamped matrix. By day 3, we saw a four-fold increase in density on the stamped proteins. Viability was independent of the ECM type (fibronectin, laminin, collagen I and IV). Endothelial cell morphology was preferentially elongated on each ECM type, more so than on bare glass. This demonstrates the ability to concentrate the growth of endothelial cells within regions of microstamped ECM proteins.
The indirect search for dark matter with IceCube

We revisit the prospects for IceCube and similar kilometer-scale telescopes to detect neutrinos produced by the annihilation of weakly interacting massive dark matter particles (WIMPs) in the Sun. We emphasize that the astrophysics of the problem is understood; models can be observed or, alternatively, ruled out. In searching for a WIMP with spin-independent interactions with ordinary matter, IceCube is only competitive with direct detection experiments if the WIMP mass is sufficiently large. For spin-dependent interactions IceCube already has improved the best limits on spin-dependent WIMP cross sections by two orders of magnitude. This is largely due to the fact that models with significant spin-dependent couplings to protons are the least constrained and, at the same time, the most promising because of the efficient capture of WIMPs in the Sun. We identify models where dark matter particles are beyond the reach of any planned direct detection experiments while being within reach of neutrino telescopes. In summary, we find that, even when contemplating recent direct detection results, neutrino telescopes have the opportunity to play an important as well as complementary role in the search for particle dark matter.
The economics of natural disasters in a developing country: The case of Vietnam

We examine the impact of natural disasters on annual output growth in Vietnam. Using provincial data for primary and secondary industries, we employ the Blundell–Bond General Method of Moments procedure to estimate the impact of disasters on the macroeconomy. We show that more lethal disasters result in lower output growth but that disasters that destroy more property and capital actually appear to boost the economy in the short-run. This is consistent with the ‘investment-producing destruction’ hypothesis that we outline. However, we find that disasters have a different macroeconomic impact in different geographical regions; these differences are potentially related to the ability to generate transfers from the Vietnamese central government.
Electron-beam and high-speed optical diagnostics for the Los Alamos HIBAF facility

Abstract Characterization of the electron beam's properties will be a major task after the upgrade of the Los Alamos Free Electron Laser (FEL) Facility with a photoelectric injector (PEI) and increased acceleration capability to 40 MeV. Adjustments to the previous diagnostics package that address the lower beam emittance, higher energy and wake-field source reduction issues are discussed.
Highly Ca2+-selective TRPM Channels Regulate IP3-dependent Oscillatory Ca2+ Signaling in the C. elegans Intestine

Posterior body wall muscle contraction (pBoc) in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans occurs rhythmically every 45–50 s and mediates defecation. pBoc is controlled by inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)–dependent Ca2+ oscillations in the intestine. The intestinal epithelium can be studied by patch clamp electrophysiology, Ca2+ imaging, genome-wide reverse genetic analysis, forward genetics, and molecular biology and thus provides a powerful model to develop an integrated systems level understanding of a nonexcitable cell oscillatory Ca2+ signaling pathway. Intestinal cells express an outwardly rectifying Ca2+ (ORCa) current with biophysical properties resembling those of TRPM channels. Two TRPM homologues, GON-2 and GTL-1, are expressed in the intestine. Using deletion and severe loss-of-function alleles of the gtl-1 and gon-2 genes, we demonstrate here that GON-2 and GTL-1 are both required for maintaining rhythmic pBoc and intestinal Ca2+ oscillations. Loss of GTL-l and GON-2 function inhibits IORCa ∼70% and ∼90%, respectively. IORCa is undetectable in gon-2;gtl-1 double mutant cells. These results demonstrate that (a) both gon-2 and gtl-1 are required for ORCa channel function, and (b) GON-2 and GTL-1 can function independently as ion channels, but that their functions in mediating IORCa are interdependent. IORCa, IGON-2, and IGTL-1 have nearly identical biophysical properties. Importantly, all three channels are at least 60-fold more permeable to Ca2+ than Na+. Epistasis analysis suggests that GON-2 and GTL-1 function in the IP3 signaling pathway to regulate intestinal Ca2+ oscillations. We postulate that GON-2 and GTL-1 form heteromeric ORCa channels that mediate selective Ca2+ influx and function to regulate IP3 receptor activity and possibly to refill ER Ca2+ stores.
Perceived Individual Collaboration Know-How Development Through Information Technology--Enabled Contextualization: Evidence from Distributed Teams

In today's global market environment, enterprises are increasingly turning to use of distributed teams to leverage their resources and address diverse markets. Individual members of structurally diverse distributed teams need to develop their collaboration know-how to work effectively with others on their team. The lack of face-to-face cues creates challenges in developing the collaboration know-how--challenges that can be overcome by communicating not just content, but also context. We derive a theoretical model from Te'eni's (2001) cognitive-affective model of communication to elaborate how information technology (IT) can support an individual's communication of context to develop collaboration know-how. Two hundred and sixty-three individuals working in structurally diverse distributed teams using a variety of virtual workspace technologies to support their communication needs were surveyed to test the model. Results indicate that when individuals perceive their task as nonroutine, there is a positive relationship between an individual's perceived degree of IT support for communicating context information and his collaboration know-how development. However, when individuals perceive their task as routine, partial IT support for contextualization is associated with lower levels of collaboration know-how development. This finding is attributed to individuals' misunderstanding of the conveyed context, or their struggling to utilize the context conveyed with partial IT support, making a routine task more prone to misunderstanding and leaving the user worse than if she had no IT support for contextualization. We end the paper by drawing theoretical and practical implications based on these findings.
Direct experimental determination of the atomic structure at internal interfaces

A crucial first step in understanding the effect that internal interfaces have on the properties of materials is the ability to determine the atomic structure at the interface. Because interfaces can contain atomic disorder, dislocations, segregated impurities and interphases, sensitivity to all of these features is essential for complete experimental characterization. By combining Z-contrast imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in a dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), the ability to probe the structure, bonding and composition at interfaces with the necessary atomic resolution has been obtained. Experimental conditions can be controlled to provide, simultaneously, both incoherent imaging and spectroscopy. This enables interface structures observed in the image to be interpreted intuitively and the bonding in a specified atomic column to be probed directly by EELS. The bonding and structure information can then be correlated using bond-valence sum analysis to produce structural models. This technique is demonstrated for , and symmetric and and asymmetric [001] tilt grain boundaries in . The structures of both types of boundary were found to contain partially occupied columns in the boundary plane. From these experimental results, a series of structural units were identified which could be combined, using continuity of grain boundary structure principles, to construct all [001] tilt boundaries in . Using these models, the ability of this technique to address the issues of vacancies and dopant segregation at grain boundaries in electroceramics is discussed.
The smoothing effect of carpool lanes on freeway bottlenecks

Abstract Real data show that reserving a lane for carpools on congested freeways induces a smoothing effect that is characterized by significantly higher bottleneck discharge flows (capacities) in adjacent lanes. The effect is reproducible across days and freeway sites: it was observed, without exception, in all cases tested. Predicted by an earlier theory, the effect arises because disruptive vehicle lane changing diminishes in the presence of a carpool lane. We therefore conjecture that smoothing can also be induced by other means that would reduce lane changing. The benefits can be large. Queueing analysis shows that the smoothing effect greatly reduces the times spent by people and vehicles in queues. For example, by ignoring the smoothing effect at one of the sites we analyzed one would predict that its carpool lane increased both the people-hours and the vehicle-hours traveled by well over 300%. In reality, the carpool lane reduced both measures due to smoothing. The effect is so significant that even a severely underused carpool lane can in some instances increase a freeway bottleneck’s total discharge flow. This happens for the site we analyzed when carpool demand is as low as 1200 vph.
A distributed Prolog system with AND parallelism

Design details and benchmark results are given for a Prolog interpreter that can be executed across a network by using message passing to implement AND-parallelism. The system is simple and easy to use, yet significantly speeds up existing programs. The system hardware is a group of Sun 3/50 workstations connected to a 10-Mb/s Ethernet. The number of machines actually used by the system is determined when it is initialized. The benchmark programs to test the system are a Prolog compiler, a recursive Fibonacci program, an implementation of the standard quicksort algorithm, and a simple chess program. >
A Theory of Racial Diversity, Segregation, and Productivity

Abstract Empirical evidence illustrates that diversity generates both economic costs and benefits. This paper develops a theoretical model that accounts for the positive and deleterious effects of heterogeneity. First, an expanded Solow Growth Model demonstrates that the direct effects of diversity can be positive or negative, and depend upon the size of fixed parameter values. Second, diversity also influences individuals' location decisions. Segregation (variation of diversity across regions) always reduces national output per worker, so if diversity induces integration, it indirectly augments productivity as well. Finally, political policies aimed at reducing interaction costs across groups may actually reduce aggregate output per worker by encouraging segregation.
ON CONSTRAINING A TRANSITING EXOPLANET'S ROTATION RATE WITH ITS TRANSIT SPECTRUM

We investigate the effect of planetary rotation on the transit spectrum of an extrasolar giant planet. During ingress and egress, absorption features arising from the planet's atmosphere are Doppler shifted by of order the planet's rotational velocity (~1-2 km s-1) relative to where they would be if the planet were not rotating. We focus in particular on the case of HD 209458b, which ought to be at least as good a target as any other known transiting planet. For HD 209458b, this shift should give rise to a small net centroid shift of ~60 cm s-1 on the stellar absorption lines. Using a detailed model of the transmission spectrum due to a rotating star transited by a rotating planet with an isothermal atmosphere, we simulate the effect of the planet's rotation on the shape of the spectral lines, and in particular on the magnitude of their width and centroid shift. We then use this simulation to determine the expected signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) for distinguishing a rotating from a nonrotating planet, and assess how this S/N scales with various parameters of HD 209458b. We find that with a 6 m telescope, an equatorial rotational velocity of ~2 km s-1 could be detected with a S/N ~ 5 by accumulating the signal over many transits over the course of several years. With a 30 m telescope, the time required to make such a detection is reduced to less than 2 months.
Flavothionato metal complexes: implications for the use of hydroxyflavothiones as green pesticides

Transition-metal complexes of 3-hydroxyflavothiones have been prepared and structurally characterized; the photochemical properties of these complexes have been examined and are discussed in the context of the use of these compounds as photodegradable pesticides.
BPM data acquisition system for the Bates pulse stretcher ring

A beam positioning monitoring system is being developed. It will include approximately 30 stripline monitors distributed around the South Hall Ring. These BPMs (beam positioning monitoring systems) will be sampled by flash analog-to-digital converts operating at 40 MSPS. Each ADC (analog-to-digital converter) is connected to a FIFO that can be read by the CPU (a SparcStation in a single VME slot, running SunOS) and transferred via Ethernet to the central control system, after some local processing. Hardware and software operation of the prototype are described. >
From fake supergravity to superstars

The fake supergravity method is applied to 5-dimensional asymptotically AdS spacetimes containing gravity coupled to a real scalar and an abelian gauge field. The motivation is to obtain bulk solutions with × S3 symmetry in order to explore the AdS/CFT correspondence when the boundary gauge theory is on × S3. A fake supergravity action, invariant under local supersymmetry through linear order in fermion fields, is obtained. The gauge field makes things more restrictive than in previous applications of fake supergravity which allowed quite general scalar potentials. Here the superpotential must take the form W() ~ exp(−k)+c exp(2/3k), and the only freedom is the choice of the constant k. The fermion transformation rules of fake supergravity lead to fake Killing spinor equations. From their integrability conditions, we obtain first order differential equations which we solve analytically to find singular electrically charged solutions of the Lagrangian field equations. A Schwarzschild mass term can be added to produce a horizon which shields the singularity. The solutions, which include ``superstars'', turn out to be known in the literature. We compute their holographic parameters.
Public goods experiments without confidentiality: a glimpse into fund-raising

Laboratory researchers in economics assiduously protect the confidentiality of subjects. Why? Presumably because they fear that the social consequences of identifying subjects and their choices would significantly alter the economic incentives of the game. But these may be the same social effects that institutions, like charitable fund-raising, are manipulating to help overcome free riding and to promote economic efficiency. We present an experiment that unmasks subjects in a systematic and controlled way. We show that, as intuition suggests, identifying subjects has significant effects. Surprisingly, we found that two supplemental conditions meant to mimic common fund-raising practices actually had the most dramatic influences on behavior. D 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Einstein Hermitian metrics of positive sectional curvature

In this paper we will prove that the only compact 4-manifold M with an Einstein metric of positive sectional curvature which is also hermitian with respect to some complex structure on M, is the complex projective plane CP^2, with its Fubini-Study metric.
Computing sum of sources over an arbitrary multiple access channel

The problem of computing sum of sources over a multiple access channel (MAC) is considered. Building on the technique of linear computation coding (LCC) proposed by Nazer and Gastpar [1], we employ the ensemble of nested coset codes to derive a new set of sufficient conditions for computing sum of sources over an arbitrary MAC. The optimality of nested coset codes [2] enables this technique outperform LCC even for linear MAC with a structural match. Examples of non-additive MAC for which the technique proposed herein outperforms separation and systematic based computation are also presented. Finally, this technique is enhanced by incorporating separation based strategy, leading to a new set of sufficient conditions for computing sum over a MAC.
Globalization : a new role for developing countries in an integrating world

The author reviews trends and developments in world trade, investigating the elements involved in the accelerated integration of world trade rights in the past decade. He explores what conditions and policy initiatives make it easier for countries to benefit from global trade and capital flows, and concludes: (1) World trade relative to world income has grown more in the 1990s than in the 1970s or 1980s, mainly due to: (a) the desynchronization of business cycles in Japan, Europe and the United States; (b) the expanded role in world trade of developing countries; and (c) the transfer of purchasing power that supported heightened import demand among developing countries. (2) Measured as the ratio of trade to output, the trend toward global integration accelerated sharply in the mid-1980s. A wave of liberalization among low- and middle-income countries resulted in a shift from an inward-oriented development strategy to an outward-oriented one. (3) World trade will grow more than 6 percent a year (on average) in the coming decade, although prospects for trade integration differ by region. (4) Balanced integration--with export and import capacities expanding sustainably--can be achieved only through policies that encourage long-term productive investment in the export sector.
Up Against a Wall: Europe's Options for Regulating Biotechnology through Regulatory Anarchy

Based on the current state of EU law and the political sentiment surrounding Genetically Modified Organisms, this article argues that the best approach to regulating the import and export of GMOs into the Community and between Member States is by what I will call ‘regulatory anarchy’. Applied in the context of GMOs, regulatory anarchy envisions integration not coming solely from Community rules conceived by the Commission, but by Member State negotiated rules accomplished at the level of regulatory civil servants negotiating among each other. Greater centralisation will occur in the regulation of GMOs because the risk of defection in this area by an individual regulatory body imposes very high costs on other national regulators, to the point where they are willing to relinquish some of their own enforcement authority for assurances against collective action problems. As a result of the current gridlock caused by recalcitrant Member States, the GMO regime may be more effectively and efficiently handled by a system that employs regulatory anarchy; whereby 25 interested parties are initially brought to the table to approve a release (rather than one Member State), leaving less opportunities for regulatory capture by one Member State and still leaving room for Community supervision.
Total synthesis of quinolizidine alkaloid (-)-217A. Application of iminoacetonitrile cycloadditions in organic synthesis.

An intramolecular iminoacetonitrile [4 + 2] cycloaddition functions as the key step in an efficient total synthesis of the quinolizidine alkaloid (−)-217A.
Condensation Flow Mechanisms in Microchannels: Basis for Pressure Drop and Heat Transfer Models

This paper presents an overview of the use of flow visualization in micro- and mini-channel geometries for the development of pressure drop and heat transfer models during condensation of refrigerants. Condensation flow mechanisms for round, square, and rectangular tubes with hydraulic diameters in the range of 1–5 mm for 0 < x < 1, and 150 kg/m2-s and 750 kg/m2-s were recorded using unique experimental techniques that permit flow visualization during the condensation process. The effect of channel shape and miniaturization on the flow regime transitions was documented. The flow mechanisms were categorized into four different flow regimes: intermittent flow, wavy flow, annular flow, and dispersed flow. These flow regimes were further subdivided into several flow patterns within each regime. It was observed that the intermittent and annular flow regimes become larger as the tube hydraulic diameter is decreased, and at the expense of the wavy flow regime. These maps and transition lines can be used to predi...
Adaptive robust motion control of single-rod hydraulic actuators: theory and experiments

High-performance robust motion control of single-rod hydraulic actuators with constant unknown inertia load is considered. The two chambers of a single-rod actuator have different areas, so the dynamic equations describing the pressure changes in them cannot be combined into a single load pressure equation. This complicates controller design since it not only increases the system dimension but also brings in the stability issue of the added internal dynamics. A discontinuous projection-based adaptive robust controller (ARC) is constructed. The controller takes into account not only the effect of parameter variations coming from the inertia load and various hydraulic parameters but also the effect of hard-to-model nonlinearities such as uncompensated friction forces and external disturbances. It guarantees a prescribed output tracking transient performance and final tracking accuracy in general while achieving asymptotic output tracking in the presence of parametric uncertainties. In addition, the zero error dynamics for tracking any nonzero constant velocity trajectory is shown to be globally uniformly stable. Experimental results are obtained for the swing motion control of a hydraulic arm and verify the high-performance nature of the proposed strategy. In comparison to a state-of-the-art industrial motion controller, the proposed algorithm achieves more than a magnitude reduction of tracking errors. Furthermore, during the constant velocity portion of the motion, it reduces the tracking errors almost down to the measurement resolution level.
The numerical renormalization group method for correlated electrons

The Numerical Renormalization Group method (NRG) has been developed by Wilson in the 1970's to investigate the Kondo problem. The NRG allows the non-perturbative calculation of static and dynamic properties for a variety of impurity models. In addition, this method has been recently generalized to lattice models within the Dynamical Mean Field Theory. This paper gives a brief historical overview of the development of the NRG and discusses its application to the Hubbard model; in particular the results for the Mott metal-insulator transition at low temperatures.
Meta-programming through typeful code representation

By allowing the programmer to write code that can generate code at run-time, meta-programming offers a powerful approach to program construction. For instance, meta-programming can often be employed to enhance program efficiency and facilitate the construction of generic programs. However, meta-programming, especially in an untyped setting, is notoriously error-prone. In this paper, we aim at making meta-programming less error-prone by providing a type system to facilitate the construction of correct meta-programs. We first introduce some code constructors for constructing typeful code representation in which program variables are represented in terms of deBruijn indexes, and then formally demonstrate how such typeful code representation can be used to support meta-programming. With our approach, a particular interesting feature is that code becomes first-class values, which can be inspected as well as executed at run-time. The main contribution of the paper lies in the recognition and then the formalization of a novel approach to typed meta-programming that is practical, general and flexible.
Factors to be considered in computerizing a clinical chemistry department of a large city hospital

The present biochemical testing facilities at Boston City Hospital perform about one million tests per year. To handle this workload with present personnel and equipment, the facilities must impose certain undesirable constraints on those who request tests and, in general, must limit the services which can be provided and the data which can be accumulated for subsequent analysis. These constraints ultimately imply a reduction in the health care available for patients.
Multi-modal Motion Planning in Non-expansive Spaces

Motion planning problems encountered in manipulation and legged locomotion have a distinctive multi-modal structure, where the space of feasible configurations consists of intersecting submanifolds, often of different dimensionalities. Such a feasible space does not possess expansiveness, a property that characterizes whether planning queries can be solved efficiently with traditional probabilistic roadmap (PRM) planners. In this paper we present a new PRM-based multi-modal planning algorithm for problems where the number of intersecting manifolds is finite. We also analyze the completeness properties of this algorithm. More specifically, we show that the algorithm converges quickly when each submanifold is individually expansive and establish a bound on the expected running time in that case. We also present an incremental variant of the algorithm that has the same convergence properties, but works better for problems with a large number of submanifolds by considering subsets of submanifolds likely to contain a solution path. These algorithms are demonstrated in geometric examples and in a legged locomotion planner.
Making space for stories: ambiguity in the design of personal communication systems

Pervasive personal communication technologies offer the potential for important social benefits for individual users, but also the potential for significant social difficulties and costs. In research on face-to-face social interaction, ambiguity is often identified as an important resource for resolving social difficulties. In this paper, we discuss two design cases of personal communication systems, one based on fieldwork of a commercial system and another based on an unrealized design concept. The cases illustrate how user behavior concerning a particular social difficulty, unexplained unresponsiveness, can be influenced by technological issues that result in interactional ambiguity. The cases also highlight the need to balance the utility of ambiguity against the utility of usability and communicative clarity.
One particle reduced density matrix of impenetrable bosons in one dimension at zero temperature

We compute exactly the one particle reduced density matrix ρ (r) of a system of impenetrable bosons in one dimension at zero temperature. We do this by relating ρ (r) to a certain double scaling limit of the transverse correlation function of the one‐dimensional spin 1/2 X–Y model. We study the asymptotic behavior of ρ (r) for large r. This expansion contains oscillatory terms which arise due to the intrinsic quantum mechanical nature of the problem. We use these results to discuss the analytic structure of the momentum density function n (k).
Enantioselective synthesis of N1999A2.

An enantioselective synthetic route to the enediyne antibiotic N1999A2 (1) is described, proceeding in 21 steps (0.4% yield, 77% average yield per step) from (R)-(+)-glycidol. The route involves the convergent assembly of three components: a (1-iodovinyl) stannane (2), a 1,5-hexadiyne-3,4-diol derivative (3), and a substituted naphthoic acid (4). Important transformations in the synthetic sequence include the palladium-catalyzed coupling of 2 and 3, an intramolecular oxidative cyclization of a terminal bisacetylene, and a transannular anionic (bi)cyclization of a cyclic bromoenetriyne. The careful selection and manipulation of protective groups throughout the sequence proved to be critical to the development of the synthetic route, where all late-stage intermediates were unstable and could not be concentrated. In the final step of the sequence, three protective groups were removed in a single operation, providing synthetic N1999A2 (1) in 76% yield. Conditions were found that, for the first time, led to t...
Shape Invariant Demand Functions

Abstract Shape invariance is a property of demand functions that is widely used for parametric and semiparametric modeling and is associated with a commonly employed class of equivalence scale models used for welfare calculations. This paper derives the set of all shape-invariant demand functions and associated preferences. All previously known shape-invariant demands were derived from utility functions that, up to monotonic transformation, are called IB/ESE (independent of base–equivalence scale exact) utility functions, because they yield IB/ESE equivalence scales. This paper shows that there exist exceptional shape-invariant demands that are not derived from a transform of IB/ESE utility and provides some simple tests for these exceptions. In particular, all the exceptions have rank 2, so any rank 3 or higher demand system is shape invariant if and only if it is derived from a transform of IB/ESE utility.
A PWM method for reduction of switching loss in a full-bridge inverter

This paper presents the "hybrid pulsewidth modulation" (HPWM) method which requires only two of the four switches in a full-bridge inverter to be pulsewidth-modulated at high frequency, thus significantly reducing the switching losses in the other two switches. For triangular carriers, HPWM has the same frequency spectrum and switching losses as the conventional unipolar PWM (UPWM). A low-frequency model for a fast-switching HPWM full-bridge inverter with high-quality output is described, and is substantiated by experimental data. >
STARS: Space-Time Analysis of Regional Systems

Space–Time Analysis of Regional Systems (STARS) is an open-source package designed for the dynamic exploratory analysis of data measured for areal units at multiple points in time. STARS consists of four core analytical modules: Anselin (1995) exploratory spatial data analysis; Anselin (2003) inequality measures; Carlino and Mills (1993) mobility metrics; and Christakos, Bogaert, and Serre (2001) spatial Markov. Developed using the Python object-oriented scripting language, STARS lends itself to three main modes of use. Within the context of a command line interface (CLI), STARS can be treated as a package which can be called from within customized scripts for batch-oriented analyses and simulation. Alternatively, a graphical user interface (GUI) integrates most of the analytical modules with a series of dynamic graphical views containing brushing and linking functionality to support the interactive exploration of the spatial, temporal, and distributional dimensions of socioeconomic and physical processes. Finally, the GUI and CLI modes can be combined for use from the Python shell to facilitate interactive programming and access to the many libraries contained within Python. This article provides an overview of the design of STARS, its implementation, functionality, and future plans. A selection of its analytical capabilities are also illustrated that highlight the power and flexibility of the package.
Tensor factorization and Spin construction for Kac-Moody algebras

Abstract In this paper we discuss the “Factorization phenomenon” which occurs when a representation of a Lie algebra is restricted to a subalgebra, and the result factors into a tensor product of smaller representations of the subalgebra. We analyze this phenomenon for symmetrizable Kac–Moody algebras (including finite-dimensional, semi-simple Lie algebras). We present a few factorization results for a general embedding of a symmetrizable Kac–Moody algebra into another and provide an algebraic explanation for such a phenomenon using Spin construction. We also give some application of these results for semi-simple, finite-dimensional Lie algebras. We extend the notion of Spin functor from finite-dimensional to symmetrizable Kac–Moody algebras, which requires a very delicate treatment. We introduce a certain category of orthogonal g -representations for which, surprisingly, the Spin functor gives a g -representation in Bernstein–Gelfand–Gelfand category O . Also, for an integrable representation, Spin produces an integrable representation. We give the formula for the character of Spin representation for the above category and work out the factorization results for an embedding of a finite-dimensional, semi-simple Lie algebra into its untwisted affine Lie algebra. Finally, we discuss the classification of those representations for which Spin is irreducible.
Meat Traceability and Consumer Assurance in Japan

Midwest Agribusiness Trade Research and Information Center Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011-1070 www.matric.iastate.edu Roxanne Clemens is managing director of the Midwest Agribusiness Trade Research and Information Center at Iowa State University. She may be contacted by e-mail at rclemens@iastate.edu, or by telephone at 515-294-8842. The author would like to acknowledge Mark Fischer, International Marketing Manager-Meat, Livestock, and Genetics, Iowa Department of Economic Development, Des Moines, Iowa, for organizing the Japan Meat Mission 2003, during which a great deal of information presented in this paper was obtained. Major financial support for the mission was provided by the Iowa Beef Industry Council, the Iowa Pork Producers Association, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, and the Iowa Department of Economic Development. However, any opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations. Funding for the author’s participation in this meat mission was provided by MATRIC. MATRIC is supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 92-34285-7175. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Role of Particle Substructure in the Sintering of Monosized Titania

Monosized titania particles (∼0.35-μ diameter) prepared by controlled hydrolysis of titanium tetraethoxide in ethanol were found to be porous agglomerates of ∼6-nm primary particles. The sintering behavior of compacts constituted of monodispersed agglomerates was evaluated, and changes in macroscopic dimensions were correlated with changes in particle microstructure and chemistry. The total volume shrinkage during sintering was ≥87%. Five contributions to the total shrinkage and the temperature ranges for the associated processes were identified: removal of chemisorbed water (from ambient to 250°C), crystallization to anatase (between 250° to 425°C), intra-agglomerate densification (425° to 800°C), conversion of anatase to rutile (600° to 800°C), and inter-agglomerate densification (>800°C). Approximately one-half the compact shrinkage was the result of agglomerate substructure changes. Studies of the agglomerate structural evolution indicated the intra-agglomerate densification and crystallite growth rates are the secondary factors, after compact packing, that influenced microstructure development.
Effects of venue-specific state clean indoor air laws on smoking-related outcomes.

A large literature has documented relationships between state clean indoor air laws (SCIALs) and smoking-related outcomes in the US. These laws vary within states over time and across venues such as schools, government buildings, and bars. Few studies, however, have evaluated whether the effects of SCIALs are plausibly concentrated among workers who should have been directly affected because they worked at locations covered by the venue-specific restrictions. We fill this gap in the literature using data on private sector workers, government employees, school employees, eating and drinking place workers, and bartenders from the 1992–2007 Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Survey. Our quasi-experimental models indicate robust effects of SCIALs restricting smoking in bars: these laws significantly increased the presence of workplace smoking restrictions as reported by bartenders and reduced the fraction of bartenders who smoke. We do not, however, find that SCIALs in private workplaces, government workplaces, schools, or restaurants increased the presence of workplace smoking restrictions among groups of workers working in venues covered by these laws. This suggests that the smoking reductions associated with SCIALs in previous research are unlikely to have been directly caused by effects of workplace smoking restrictions on workers.
A General Mechanism Design Methodology for Social Utility Maximization with Linear Constraints

Social utility maximization refers to the process of allocating resources in a way that maximizes the sum of agents' utilities, under the system constraints. Such allocation arises in several problems in the general area of communications, including unicast (and multicast multi-rate) service on the Internet, as well as in applications with (local) public goods, such as power allocation in wireless networks, spectrum allocation, etc. Mechanisms that implement such allocations in Nash equilibrium have also been studied but either they do not possess the full implementation property, or are given in a case-by-case fashion, thus obscuring fundamental understanding of these problems. In this paper we propose a unified methodology for creating mechanisms that fully implement, in Nash equilibria, social utility maximizing functions arising in various contexts where the constraints are convex. Two additional design goals are the focus of this paper: a) the size of the message space scaling linearly with the number of agents (even if agents' types are entire valuation functions), b) allocation being feasible on and off equilibrium.
Controlling Swelling of Portland Brownstone

Many clay-bearing sedimentary stones such as Portland Brownstone will swell when exposed to water, and this can generate damaging stresses as differential strains evolve during a wetting cycle. Current swelling inhibitors, consisting of α,ω-diaminoalkanes, can reduce swelling in Portland Brownstone up to 50%. In this study, through X-ray diffraction and swelling strain experiments, we demonstrate that the α,ω-diaminoalkanes inhibit swelling by substituting for interlayer cations and partially hydrophobicizing the interlayer, then rehydrating on subsequent wetting cycles. We also introduce the copper (II) ethylenediamine complex as a potential treatment for swelling inhibition.
Highly efficient CuI-catalyzed coupling of aryl bromides with oxazolidinones using Buchwald's protocol: a short route to linezolid and toloxatone.

Coupling of a variety of substituted aryl bromides with oxazolidinones has been achieved using the Buchwald protocol for the amidation of aryl halides. This procedure is exemplified by the synthesis of two medicinally important molecules, linezolid and toloxatone.
Late Holocene Evolution of Currituck Sound, North Carolina, USA: Environmental Change Driven by Sea-Level Rise, Storms, and Barrier Island Morphology

ABSTRACT Moran, K.L.; Mallinson, D.J.; Culver, S.J.; Leorri, E., and Mulligan, R.P., 2015. Late Holocene evolution of Currituck Sound, North Carolina, USA: Environmental change driven by sea-level rise, storms, and barrier island morphology. The Holocene evolution of Currituck Sound, North Carolina, is investigated using geological data and a hydrodynamic model to understand how this depositional basin changed in response to sea-level rise and regional climate patterns. Five depositional units (one Pleistocene and four Holocene) are defined based on geophysical surveys, lithofacies, biofacies, and geochronological data. The earliest Holocene unit (ca. 5000 cal YBP) represents a midsalinity (10–25‰) sand shoal above the transgressive ravinement surface. This unit is overlain, successively, by (1) a freshwater swamp forest deposit, (2) a relatively saline (25–35‰) back-barrier estuarine deposit associated with increased inlet activity, and (3) a mid- to low-salinity (<10‰) deposit that is typical of modern ...
Learning human activities and object affordances from RGB-D videos

Understanding human activities and object affordances are two very important skills, especially for personal robots which operate in human environments. In this work, we consider the problem of extracting a descriptive labeling of the sequence of sub-activities being performed by a human, and more importantly, of their interactions with the objects in the form of associated affordances. Given a RGB-D video, we jointly model the human activities and object affordances as a Markov random field where the nodes represent objects and sub-activities, and the edges represent the relationships between object affordances, their relations with sub-activities, and their evolution over time. We formulate the learning problem using a structural support vector machine (SSVM) approach, where labelings over various alternate temporal segmentations are considered as latent variables. We tested our method on a challenging dataset comprising 120 activity videos collected from 4 subjects, and obtained an accuracy of 79.4% for affordance, 63.4% for sub-activity and 75.0% for high-level activity labeling. We then demonstrate the use of such descriptive labeling in performing assistive tasks by a PR2 robot.