cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
One-pot–Two-step Cascade Synthesis of Quinazolinotriazolobenzodiazepines

An operationally simple, one-pot, two-step cascade method has been developed to afford quinazolino[1,2,3]triazolo[1,4]benzodiazepines. This unique, atom-economical transformation engages five reactive centers (amide, aniline, carbonyl, azide, and alkyne) and employs environmentally benign iodine as a catalyst. The method proceeds via sequential quinazolinone-forming condensation and intramolecular azide–alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. Substrate scope, multicomponent examples, and mechanistic insights are discussed.
Heat transfer and fluid mechanics measurements in transitional boundary layers on convex-curved surfaces

The test section of the present experiment to ascertain the effects of convex curvature and freestream turbulence on boundary layer momentum and heat transfer during natural transition provided a two-dimensional boundary layer flow on a uniformly heated curved surface, with bending to various curvature radii, R. Attention is given to results for the cases of R = infinity, 180 cm, and 90 cm, each with two freestream turbulence intensity levels. While the mild convex curvature of R = 180 cm delays transition, further bending to R = 90 cm leads to no signifucant further delay of transition. Cases with both curvature and higher freestream disturbance effects exhibit the latter's pronounced dominance. These data are pertinent to the development of transition prediction models for gas turbine blade design.
A Two-Step, Formal [4 + 2] Approach toward Piperidin-4-ones via Au Catalysis

An efficient, formal [4 + 2] synthesis of synthetically valuable piperidin-4-ones from secondary amines in two steps has been achieved via a key gold catalysis without the purification of tertiary amine intermediates. This reaction is selective toward the less-substituted alkyl group and shows moderate to excellent diastereoselectivities. Its synthetic potential in alkaloid synthesis is demonstrated in a highly diastereoselective synthesis of (±)-cermizine C.
High-speed flow visualization of fluid instabilities

The fluid instability resulting from the impulsive acceleration a thin, heavy gas layer embedded in a lighter gas is characterized through high-speed flow visualization. The shock-accelerated event occurs over the course of 1 ms. A laser sheet illuminates a plane of the gas layer and its evolution is recorded by a camera observing high-angle scattered light. Two sets of diagnostics were evaluated. These derived their time resolution either from gating the camera or pulsing the illumination source. The arbitrary inter-exposure timing associated with the gated camera was found to be significantly advantageous over the fixed intervals of the pulsed laser. The intensified, gated camera also placed more manageable requirements on the light source and provided sufficient data to measure the instability growth rates. However, the pulsed laser arrangement produced superior spatial resolution and dynamic range primarily due to the lack of an intensifier.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hydrodynamical winds from two‐temperature plasma in X‐ray binaries

Hydrodynamical winds from a spherical two-temperature plasma surrounding a compact object are constructed. The mass-loss rate is computed as a function of electron temperature, optical depth and luminosity of the sphere, the values of which can be constrained by the fitting of the spectral energy distributions for known X-ray binary systems. The sensitive dependence of the mass-loss rate with these parameters leads to the identification of two distinct regions in the parameter space separating wind-dominated from non-wind-dominated systems. A critical optical depth (τc) is defined as a function of luminosity and electron temperature, which differentiates these two regions. Systems with optical depths significantly smaller than τc are wind-dominated. The results are applied to black hole candidate X-ray binary systems in the hard spectral state (Cyg X-1, GX 339−4 and Nova Muscae), and it is found that the inferred optical depth (τ) is similar to τc, suggesting that they are wind-regulated systems. On the other hand, for X-ray binary systems containing a neutron star (e.g., Cyg X-2) τ is much larger than τc indicating the absence of significant hydrodynamical winds.
Low-energy dynamics of N = 2 supersymmetric monopoles

Abstract It is argued that the low-energy dynamics of k-monopoles in N = 2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory are determined by an N = 4 supersymmetric quantum mechanics based on the moduli space of k static monople solutions. This generalises Manton's “geodesic approximation” for studying the low-energy dynamics of (bosonic) BPS monopoles. We discuss some aspects of the quantisation and in particular argue that Dolbeault cohomology classes of the moduli space are related to bound states of the full quantum field theory.
Social Convention Revisited

This article will compare and contrast two very different accounts of convention: the game-theoretical account of Lewis in Convention, and the account initially proposed by Margaret Gilbert (the present author) in chapter six of On Social Facts, and further elaborated here. Gilbert’s account is not a variant of Lewis’s. It was arrived at in part as the result of a detailed critique of Lewis’s account in relation to a central everyday concept of a social convention. An account of convention need not be judged by that standard. Perhaps it reveals the nature of an important phenomenon. Looked at in that light, these very different accounts are not incompatible. Indeed, neither should be ignored if one is seeking to understand the way in which human beings arrive at some degree of social order.
Incorporating anisotropic electronic structure in crystallographic determination of complex metals: iron and plutonium

Anisotropic electronic structure is incorporated in crystallographic determination of the structure of ferromagnetic Fe, δ-Pu and a Pu–3.7 at% Ga alloy. This is achieved by using anisotropic aspects of the inter-atomic bonds as a motif in combination with the high-symmetry cubic lattice. In the case of Fe, it is shown that ferromagnetic ordering reduces the symmetry of the structure from body centred cubic to body centred tetragonal with an associated effect on elasticity. Thus, the ferromagnetic α- and paramagnetic β-phase are separate and unique phases that should both be addressed on the Fe phase diagrams. In the case of Pu, first-principles density-functional theory calculations are used to show that the bond strengths between the 12 nearest neighbours in δ-plutonium vary greatly. Employing the calculated bond strengths as a motif in crystallographic determination yields a structure with the monoclinic space group Cm for δ-Pu rather than face-centred cubic . The reduced space group for δ-Pu illuminate...
Currency Crises and Output Dynamics

Output effects of currency crises are often estimated to be negative and persistent. A new banking crisis database allows us to construct pure currency collapses that are not associated with banking crises. The estimates show that countries facing a pure currency crisis have full recovery of output in the long-run while twin crisis leads to larger output losses. Allowing for long lags is a critical element in understanding the recovery dynamics. Further analysis reveals that there is a similar lag in the association between export growth and recovery dynamics.
Jets and dijets in Au+Au and p+p collisions at RHIC

Abstract Recent data from RHIC suggest novel nuclear effects in the production of high p T hadrons. We present results from the STAR detector on high p T angular correlations in Au+Au and p+p collisions at √s = 200 GeV/c. These two-particle angular correlation measurements verify the presence of a partonic hard scattering and fragmentation component at high p T in both central and peripheral Au+Au collisions. When triggering on a leading hadron with p T >4GeV, we observe a quantitative agreement between the jet cone properties in p+p and all centralities of Au+Au collisions. This quantitative agreement indicates that nearly all hadrons with p T >4GeV/c come from jet fragmentation and that jet fragmentation properties are not substantially modified in Au+Au collisions. STAR has also measured the strength of back-to-back high p T charged hadron correltions, and observes a small suppression of the back-to-back correlation strength in peripheral collisions, and a nearly complete disappearance of back-to-back correlations in central Au+Au events. These phenomena, together with the observed strong suppression of inclusive yields and large value of elliptic flow at high p T , are consistent with a model where high p T hadrons come from partons created near the surface of the collision region, and where partons that originate or propagate towards the center of the collision region are substantially slowed or completely absorbed.
A global game with strategic substitutes and complements: Comment

Abstract In Karp et al. (2007) , an argument is made to show existence of Bayesian–Nash equilibrium in global games that may include both strategic substitutes and complements. This note documents a gap in the proof of that statement.
Crater evolutionary tracks

Abstract A description of crater morphology based on rim height/depth ( h / d ) and depth/diameter ( d / D ) ratios provides a quantitative method for assessing the relative importance of competing crater modification processes. Different classes of processes produce distinctive evolutionary tracks on an h / d vs d / D diagram. We have calculated such tracks for three general classes of crater modification: those processes which add material to the crater, those which redistribute material within the crater vicinity, and those which remove material from the crater vicinity. New morphometric data, from Earth-based radar scans and Mariner 9 images of Mars and Apollo metric photography of the Moon, are presented for Martian and lunar craters. We have compared h / d and d / D ratios for craters on the Earth, Moon, and Mars with theoretical evolutionary tracks for the general classes of crater modification. Lunar and terrestrial craters occupy similar regions of the h / d vs d / D diagram, whereas Martian craters lie distinctly apart. This implies that Martian craters fall on a different evolutionary track from terrestrial or lunar craters. The evolution of the lunar and terrestrial craters can be modeled by a combination of filling and slumping processes. Martian crater evolution, however, cannot be understood on the basis of these two classes of crater modification alone. Instead, a process such as eolian erosion, which removes material from the crater rims, must have been the principal form of modification, and evolutionary tracks based on such a model coupled with weak eolian deposition within the crater can indeed fit the Martian h / d vs d / D data.
''Make us a king'': anarchy, predation, and the state

Using a general equilibrium model in which people can choose to be either producers or predators, this paper shows that, if the technology of predation is sufficiently effective, then having a ‘‘king’’, who can enforce a collective choice to allocate resources to secure producers’ claims to their product, is better for everyone, including both producers and potential predators, than not having a king, even though the king maximizes the consumption of a ruling elite. This result obtains because a more effective technology of predation both makes the social value of deterring predation larger and constrains the proprietary state more tightly. D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
The Effect of Acceptance Sampling and Risk Aversion on the Quality Delivered by Suppliers

Firms often use acceptance sampling to monitor the quality of the raw materials and components delivered by suppliers. In this paper, we use numerical methods to examine how a risk averse supplier reacts to the acceptance sampling plan used by a customer. We assume that the supplier produces and delivers a quality level that maximizes the supplier's expected utility. We examine the sensitivity of the optimal delivered quality to changes in the price, to changes in the supplier's level of risk aversion, and to changes in the parameters of the customer's sampling plan. We conclude that risk averse suppliers deliver higher quality, that higher capability suppliers do not necessarily deliver higher quality, and that the optimal quality is sensitive to the lot size. We also conclude that since the risk of rejection motivates suppliers to improve quality, customers have an economic justification for using acceptance sampling even when there is no statistical justification.
The Infrared Afterglow of Supermassive Black Hole Mergers

We model the spectra and light curves of circumbinary accretion disks during the time after the central black holes merge. The most immediate effect of this merger is the deposition of energy in the disk due to the gravitational wave energy and linear momentum flux released at merger. This has the effect of perturbing the circular orbits of gas in the disk, which then intersect and radiate the dissipated energy. Because the disk is expected to be very optically thick, the radiation emerges predominantly in the infrared and lasts for tens of thousands of years when the total black hole mass is -->M ~ 108 M☉. On the basis of a simple cosmological merger model in which a typical supermassive black hole undergoes a few major mergers during its lifetime, we predict that ~104-105 of these afterglow sources should be observable today. We also discuss the possibility of identifying them with existing multiwavelength surveys such as SWIRE/XMM-LSS/XBootes and COSMOS.
Forecasting Stability or Retreat in Emerging Democratic Regimes

Drawing on the literatures on elite transitions, factionalism and the new institutionalism, this paper hypothesizes that the stability of partially democratic and emerging democratic regimes is dependent on the willingness of elites to make credible commitments to cooperate and comply with democratic rules. That willingness (or lack thereof) can be signaled by the presence of cooperative or conflict-precipitating events and actions in the periods around elections. We identify and analyze a variety of intra-elite interactions and demonstrate that conflict-precipitating events significantly increase the odds of a democratic retreat in the months before or just after an election, while cooperative events can balance them and prevent retreat. Using event data collected from 40 low- and middle-income countries for two-year periods around national elections between 1991 and 2007 we show that the imbalance of conflict-precipitating over cooperative events is far greater in cases of retreat from democracy. Furthermore, international intervention and pressure had a negative relationship with democratic stability. A logistic regression model accurately identified democratic retreat in 79 percent of the cases examined. Factor analysis revealed several common patterns of intra-elite conflict that can lead to democratic retreat, or conversely, patterns of cooperative events that bolster democratic consolidation. Finally, the data strongly argues for a model of democratic development that depends on open-ended elite maneuvering and the emergence of elite agree- ments, rather than a model where strong prior institutional constraints determine elite actions.
Nonlocal effects on second harmonic generation in low-damping epsilon-near-zero slabs

We predict enhanced second-harmonic generation in low-damping epsilon-near-zero slabs made of plasmonic nanoshells. We further discuss the contribution of nonlocal effects induced by free-electron gas pressure in metals to the nonlinear response of the slab.
Initial results in power system identification from injected probing signals using a subspace method

Summary form only given. In this paper, the authors use the numerical algorithm for subspace state space system identification (N4SID) to extract dynamic parameters from phasor measurements collected on the western North American Power Grid. The data were obtained during tests on June 7, 2000, and they represent wide area response to several kinds of probing signals including low-level pseudo-random noise (LLPRN) and single-mode square wave (SMSW) injected at the Celilo terminal of the Pacific HVDC Intertie (PDCI). An identified model is validated using a cross validation method. Also, the obtained electromechanical modes are compared with the results from Prony analysis of a ringdown and with signal analysis of ambient data measured under similar operating conditions. The consistent results show that methods in this class can be highly effective even when the probing signal is small.
Current health behaviors and readiness to pursue life-style changes among men and women diagnosed with early stage prostate and breast carcinomas.

BACKGROUND Cancer survivors are at increased risk for developing secondary tumors, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease, thus making them an important target population for health-related interventions. However, little is known regarding cancer survivors' behaviors and their interest in pursuing healthier diets, exercise, and smoking cessation. METHODS A 65-item survey was mailed to 1667 patients diagnosed with early stage carcinoma of the breast or prostate that requested data regarding demographics, health behaviors, stage of readiness for smoking cessation, exercise, increased fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption, and decreased fat intake, as well as interest in specific health programs and when, relative to diagnosis, these programs should be offered. RESULTS Responses from 978 cancer survivors suggested that the overwhelming majority (85%) reported their health as good to excellent. The majority of respondents (55%) ate fewer than 5 daily servings of F&Vs, with prostate carcinoma patients reporting eating significantly fewer servings than patients with breast carcinoma (P < 0.001). In contrast, 69% of respondents reported adherence to a low fat diet, again with lower practice rates among prostate carcinoma patients than patients with breast carcinoma (P = 0.006). The majority of respondents (58%) reported routine exercise and 8% were current smokers. Significantly more breast carcinoma patients than prostate carcinoma patients were current smokers (P = 0.03). There was strong interest in health promotion programs across behaviors, and a fair amount of concordance between low fat dietary behaviors and exercise, as well as consumption of five daily servings of F&Vs. The majority of patients expressed a preference for programs that could be delivered via mailed brochure, with 57% of respondents indicating that programs should be initiated at the time of diagnosis or soon after (within 6 months). CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study suggest that although many cancer survivors already practice healthy life-style behaviors, there is a substantial proportion who do not. Interventions especially are needed to increase daily FV however, given the fair degree of clustering between dietary and exercise behaviors, multiple risk factor interventions also may be warranted. Among cancer survivors, receptivity is high for health promotion programs, especially those that can be delivered by mail and soon after diagnosis. Cancer 2000;88:674–84. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Notes on infinite layer quantum Hall systems

Abstract We study the fractional quantum Hall effect in three-dimensional systems consisting of infinitely many stacked two-dimensional electron gases placed in transverse magnetic fields. This limit introduces new features into the bulk physics such as quasiparticles with non-trivial internal structure, irrational braiding phases, and the necessity of a boundary hierarchy construction for interlayer correlated states. The bulk states host a family of surface phases obtained by hybridizing the edge states in each layer. We analyze the surface conduction in these phases by means of sum rule and renormalization group arguments and by explicit computations at weak tunneling in the presence of disorder. We find that in cases where the interlayer electron tunneling is not relevant in the clean limit, the surface phases are chiral semi-metals that conduct only in the presence of disorder or at finite temperature. We show that this class of problems which are naturally formulated as interacting bosonic theories can be fermionized by a general technique that could prove useful in the solution of such “one and a half” dimensional problems.
On-line identification of language measure parameters for discrete-event supervisory control

The discrete-event dynamic behavior of physical plants is often represented by regular languages that can be realized as deterministic finite state automata (DFSA). The concept and construction of signed real measures of regular languages have been recently reported in literature. Major applications of the language measure are: quantitative evaluation of the discrete-event dynamic behavior of unsupervised and supervised plants; and analysis and synthesis of optimal supervisory control algorithms in the discrete-event setting. This paper formulates and experimentally validates an on-line procedure for identification of the language measure parameters based on a DFSA model of the physical plant. The recursive algorithm of this identification procedure relies on observed simulation and/or experimental data. Efficacy of the parameter identification procedure is demonstrated on the test bed of a mobile robotic system, whose dynamic behavior is modelled as a DFSA for discrete-event supervisory control.
Cyanation of Arenes via Iridium-Catalyzed Borylation

We report a method to conduct one-pot meta cyanation of arenes by iridium-catalyzed C−H borylation and copper-mediated cyanation of the resulting arylboronate esters. This process relies on a method to conduct the cyanation of arylboronic esters, and conditions for this new transformation are reported. Conditions for the copper-mediated cyanation of arylboronic acids are also reported. By the resulting sequence of borylation and cyanation, 1,3-disubstituted and 1,2,3-trisubstituted arenes and heteroarenes containing halide, ketone, ester, amide, and protected alcohol functionalities are converted to the corresponding meta-substituted aryl nitriles. The utility of this methodology is demonstrated through the conversion of a protected 2,6-disubstituted phenol to 4-cyano-2,6-dimethylphenol, which is an intermediate in the synthesis of the pharmaceutical etravirine. The utility of the method is further demonstrated by the conversion of 3-chloro-5-methylbenzonitrile, produced through the one-pot C−H borylation...
Finite Element Analysis of Oscillatory Flow with Heat Transfer Inside a Square Cavity

In this work, a semi-implicit projection-type finite element method is applied to solve the incompressible oscillatory cavity flow with heat transfer. The two-dimensional, time-dependent Navier-Stokes and energy equations are numerically integrated by a time-split Galerkin finite element method using direct matrix solvers. The time accuracy of the method was tested by calculating the transient buoyancy-driven flow in a square cavity with differentially heated vertical walls. The oscillatory cavity flow is then studied considering the effects of heat transfer, Reynolds number, and oscillatory Stokes number to measure the stability of the scheme for such a high singularity phenomenon. The proposed scheme is found to be stable and convergent for high Rayleigh numbers, and will be applicable to general problems involving flow and heat transfer, especially in three dimensions.
Capstone renaissance = simulation + interaction + DSS

The capstone course in schools of business has been shifting from "integrating functional areasâ€ to a "strategic management" paradigm. Some of these courses now incorporate a simulation game, but the emphasis of these courses tends to focus on content of strategy concepts. At the same time, computer literacy and decision support systems have emerged as prime concerns in business schools. Yet, these concepts have not been well integrated into extant strategy courses or the simulations used in them. This paper proposes a new â€œcapstoneâ€ course based on a simulation which returns to the idea of integrating all areas, including decision support systems, in order to provide application of skills and execution of decisions within an integrated knowledge framework.
Photoinduced linkage isomers of transition-metal nitrosyl compounds and related complexes.

The seminal discovery of light-induced changes in transition-metal nitrosyl complexes in the late 1970s and their identification as metastable linkage isomers almost 20 years after the initial discoveries have in recent years motivated a plethora of experimental and theoretical studies. They have raised the question of whether the linkage isomers play a role in the many crucial biological processes involving nitric oxide, which though likely, is still a subject of investigation. The linkage isomers have potential technological importance, as the change in refractive index on a molecular scale, associated with the photoinduced change in the crystals, in principle allows the design of very high capacity storage devices. This review summarizes the current knowledge in the still-developing field and includes a discussion of photoinduced metastable linkage isomers of related substances.
The influence of iodine in the electroformation of ZrO2 films on zircaloy-4 electrodes in acid solutions

Abstract The electroformation and growth of ZrO2 film on Zircaloy-4 electrodes in an iodide acid solution containing iodine is studied by using potentiodynamic techniques. The voltammograms involve three regions. The first one corresponds to the electroreduction of iodine followed by a potential region where the electroformation and growth of the oxide film take place. The third region extends from a critical potential related with the pitting corrosion of Zircaloy-4 upwards. The presence of iodine mainly enhances the formation of zirconium iodine species at the electrode surface and shifts the potential at which ZrO2 film formation usually appears towards more positive values.
Once-punctured tori and knots in lens spaces

We determine the non-null homologous knots in lens spaces whose exteriors contain properly embedded once-punctured tori. All such knots arise as surgeries on the Whitehead link and are grid number 1 in their lens spaces. As a corollary, we classify once-punctured torus bundles that admit a lens space filling.
Executive Compensation: Six Questions That Need Answering

This article address six questions concerning executive compensation, drawing on recent advances in the study of executive compensation, including the role of stock and option holdings: How much does executive compensation cost the firm? How much is executive compensation worth to the recipient? How well does executive compensation work? What are the effects of executive compensation? How much executive compensation is enough? Could executive compensation be improved? Our discussion will focus on the role of agency theory, which predicts that stock-based compensation will align executive and shareholder interests by linking the executive's compensation directly to increases in the market value of the company.
Failure of benadryl and pyribenzamine in experimental skin sensitization to penicillin and horse serum.

Abstract 1.1. Repeated optimum daily doses of benadryl or pyribenzamine given subcutaneously were ineffective in preventing the development of the Arthus type of skin sensitivity reactions to penicillin or horse serum in rabbits. 2.2. Benadryl or pyribenzamine, mixed with penicillin, injected subcutaneously, likewise did not prevent the sensitivity reactions. 3.3. However, benadryl or pyribenzamine mixed with histamine prevented the typical skin reactions of histamine in scratch tests on rabbit and human skins. 4.4. Thus, the negative objective experimental results obtained with the antihistaminic agents tested suggest that the nature of relief with these agents in clinical reactions to penicillin, and possibly other allergic reactions, is also not objective, but essentially subjective and presumably related to the central and peripheral sensory depression of these agents.
Nonsmooth trajectory optimization - An approach using continuous simulated annealing

An account is given of the properties of a continuous simulated annealing algorithm that can function as a global optimization tool for nonsmooth dynamic systems, as shown in the case of a trajectory-optimization program implementation. The approach is shown to successfully solve the problem of nonsmooth trajectory optimization for a high performance rigid-body aircraft. The results obtained demonstrate the superiority of the simulated annealing algorithm over widely used algorithms.
Pumped current and voltage for an adiabatic quantum pump

We consider adiabatic pumping of electrons through a quantum dot. There are two ways to operate the pump: to create a dc current {bar i} or to create a dc voltage {bar V}. We demonstrate that, for very slow pumping, {bar I} and {bar V} are not simply related via the dc conductance G as {bar i}={bar V}G. For the case of a chaotic quantum dot, we consider the statistical distribution of {bar V}G-{bar I}. Results are presented for the limiting cases of a dot with single-channel and with multichannel point contacts.
N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Oxidation of Unactivated Aldehydes to Esters

N-Heterocyclic carbenes catalyze the oxidation of unactivated aldehydes to esters with manganese(IV) oxide in excellent yield. The reaction proceeds through a transient activated alcohol, which when generated in situ allows for the selective oxidation of the aldehyde under mild conditions. These conditions successfully oxidize potentially epimerizable aldehydes and alcohols while preserving stereochemical integrity. A variety of ester derivatives can be synthesized with variation of the acylated alcohol as well as the unactivated aldehyde.
The Northern Sea Route and the Seaward Extension of Uti Possidetis (Juris)

Once considered impassable due to icebound conditions of the High Arctic, receding ice attributed to climate change and projections of ice-free polar seasons in coming decades may soon make the Northeast Passage a commercially viable conduit for seafaring traffic. A major stretch of this waterway atop Russia, straddling Eurasia from Providence Bay to Murmansk, passes through important geographic bottlenecks that scantily ever have been traversed by non-Russian ships, until most recently. This stretch, referred to as the Northern Sea Route, is claimed by Russia as historic waters, making its use subject to Russia’s complete sovereign decisions. The United States regards the Route as an international strait connecting two high seas, making transit free and open to all ships, military or commercial, in accordance with traditional High Seas freedoms and a newer right of transit passage. This article considers the prospect of a coming clash in the waters of the High Arctic over the legal status of the Northern Sea Route. Through analogous application of the Roman law principle of uti possidetis juris, a principle adapted to international law, but with serious criticism, this article argues that Russia’s claim of sovereign control over the Route finds legal support but is pragmatically and strategically weak. Existing lacunae in the governing international law of the sea nevertheless make consideration of the principle valuable, particularly components of the principle that emphasise factual circumstances, called effectivites, which support Russia’s claim. The creeping pelagic significance of this principle, historically tethered to terrestrial border delimitations and more recently to factual patterns involving gross human rights abuse, is affirmed, notwithstanding doctrinal criticisms about its topical application.
Can we predict customer lifetime value

Relationship marketing assumes that firms can be more profitable if they identify the most profitable customers and invest disproportionate marketing resources in them. While intuitive, such strategies presume that a firm can accurately predict the future profitability of customers. In particular, we argue that the feasibility of such strategies depends on the probabilities and costs of misclassifying customers. This paper presents a detailed empirical evaluation of how accurately the future profitability of customers can be estimated. We evaluate a firm's ability to estimate the future value of customers using four data sets from different industries. Out-of-sample estimates of predictive accuracy are provided. We examine (1) the accuracy of predictions, (2) how accuracy depends on the length of time over which estimates are made, and (3) the predictors of the firm's best customers. We propose the 20–55 and 80–15 rules. Of the top 20%, approximately 55% will be misclassified (and not receive special treatment). Of the future bottom 80%, approximately 15% will be misclassified (and receive special treatment). Thus, a firm cannot assume that high-profit customers in the past will be profitable in the future nor can they assume that historically low-profit will be low-profit customers in the future.
Improving the continuum limit of gradient flow step scaling

We introduce a non-perturbative improvement for the renormalization group step scaling function based on the gradient flow running coupling, which may be applied to any lattice gauge theory of interest. Considering first SU(3) gauge theory with N f = 4 massless staggered fermions, we demonstrate that this improvement can remove $ \mathcal{O}\left( {{a^2}} \right) $ lattice artifacts, and thereby increases our control over the continuum extrapolation. Turning to the 12-flavor system, we observe an infrared fixed point in the infinite-volume continuum limit. Applying our proposed improvement reinforces this conclusion by removing all observable $ \mathcal{O}\left( {{a^2}} \right) $ effects. For the finite-volume gradient flow renormalization scheme defined by $ c={{{\sqrt{8t }}} \left/ {L=0.2 } \right.} $ , we find the continuum conformal fixed point to be located at $ g_{\star}^2=6.2(2) $ .
Evaluations of tyrosine apodecarboxylase assays for pyridoxal phosphate

Abstract The alternate procedures used in the tyrosine apodecarboxylase assays for pyridoxal 5′-phosphate were evaluated to determine optimal conditions. Two preparations of tyrosine apodecarboxylase from Streptococcus faecalis were used: a cell suspension and a partially purified cell-free form. The activity of the decarboxylase was measured in two different assays using [ 14 C]tyrosine or [ 3 H]tyrosine as substrate. The presence of serum proteins caused greater inhibition of the assay for serum pyridoxal phosphate using [ 14 C]tyrosine as substrate than the assay with [ 3 H]tyrosine. In contrast, addition of deproteinized serum extract did not appear to inhibit either assay. The rate of reconstitution of the apodecarboxylase in the cell suspension was at least four times slower than that of the cell-free enzyme. The rate of reconstitution of the cell-free enzyme was faster in acetate than in citrate buffer. Inorganic sulfate or phosphate, at normal plasma concentrations, did not alter either the reconstitution rate of tyrosine decarboxylase or the final activity obtained in the assays using either substrate. The tyrosine apodecarboxylase assay for pyridoxal phosphate can be optimized by using deproteinized sera or plasma and incubating the cell-free apoenzyme with the coenzyme in acetate buffer for a time sufficient to obtain maximum reconstitution.
High beta multipoles

Abstract Multipoles are being employed as devices to study fusion issues and plasma phenomena at high values of beta (plasma pressure/magnetic pressure) in a controlled manner. Due to their large volume, low magnetic field (low synchrotron radiation) region, they also under consideration as potential steady state “advanced fuel” (low neutron yield) reactors. Present experiments are investigating neoclassical (“bootstrap” and “Pfirsch-Schluter”) currents and plasma stability at extremely high beta.
Damage Localization from the Null Space of Changes in the Transfer Matrix

*A new theorem connecting changes in transfer matrices to the spatial location of stiffness related damage is presented. The theorem states that the span of the null space of the change in the transfer matrix (∆G) contains vectors that are Laplace transforms of excitations for which the dynamic stress field is identically zero over the portion of the domain where the damage is located. An important corollary states that if ∆G proves rank deficient at any s (with the exception of the origin in system with rigid body modes) it is guaranteed to be rank deficient throughout the plane. It is shown that a sufficient condition for rank deficiency in ∆G is that the number of independent measurements be larger than the rank of the change in stiffness resulting from damage. Implementation of the theorem in the time domain involves evaluation of the null space of ∆G along a discretized Bromwich contour, numerical inversion of the resulting s-functions and evaluation of the dynamic response to the computed signals to identify the regions where the stress field is zero. The theorem is most efficiently implemented, however, in the s-domain, where numerical Laplace inversion is avoided and the number of evaluations of the null of ∆G can reduced to one. Application of the theorem to locate damage is illustrated in a simple mass-spring system and in a FEM model of a square plate with free-free boundary conditions.
New phases of hydrogen-bonded systems at extreme conditions

We study the behaviour of hydrogen-bonded systems under high pressure and temperature. First principle calculations of formic acid under isotropic pressure up to 70 GPa reveal the existence of a polymerization phase around 20 GPa, in support of recent IR, Raman, and XRD experiments. In this phase, covalent bonding develops between molecules of the same chain through symmetrization of hydrogen bonds. We also performed molecular dynamics simulations of water at pressures up to 115 GPa and 2000 K. Along this isotherm, we are able to define three different phases. We observe a molecular fluid phase with superionic diffusion of the hydrogens for pressure 34–58 GPa. We report a transformation to a phase dominated by transient networks of symmetric O–H hydrogen bonds at 95–115 GPa. As in formic acid, the network can be attributed to the symmetrization of the hydrogen bond, similar to the ice VII–ice X transition.
Desorption methods as probes of kinetics and bonding at surfaces

Abstract This paper is divided into two parts. Firstly, a review of desorption methods is presented, with emphasis on the use of temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and electron stimulated desorption (ESD) for understanding the bonding of adsorbed species to surfaces. Secondly, recent studies of the angular distribution of ESD ions from adsorbed layers on W(011) are discussed. The ESD of O + ions from oxygen adsorbed on a stepped W(011) surface is shown to be sensitive to the presence of atom steps.
Electronic business adoption by European firms: a cross-country assessment of the facilitators and inhibitors

In this study, we developed a conceptual model for studying the adoption of electronic business (e-business or EB) at the firm level, incorporating six adoption facilitators and inhibitors, based on the technology-organization-environment theoretical framework. Survey data from 3100 businesses and 7500 consumers in eight European countries were used to test the proposed adoption model. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis to assess the reliability and validity of constructs. To examine whether adoption patterns differ across different e-business environments, we divided the full sample into high EB-intensity and low EB-intensity countries. After controlling for variations of industry and country effects, the fitted Iogit models demonstrated four findings: (1) Technology competence, firm scope and size, consumer readiness, and competitive pressure are significant adoption drivers, while lack of trading partner readiness is a significant adoption inhibitor. (2) As EB-intensity increases, two environmental factors - consumer readiness and lack of trading partner readiness - become less important, while competitive pressure remains significant. (3) In high EB-intensity countries, e-business is no longer a phenomenon dominated by large firms; as more and more firms engage in e-business, network effect works to the advantage of small firms. (4) Firms are more cautious in adopting e-business in high EB-intensity countries - it seems to suggest that the more informed firms are less aggressive in adopting e-business, a somehow surprising result. Explanations and implications are offered.
Palladium-phosphinous acid-catalyzed NaOH-promoted cross-coupling reactions of arylsiloxanes with aryl chlorides and bromides in water.

A palladium−phosphinous acid-catalyzed and NaOH-promoted coupling method using arylsiloxanes and aryl halides in water has been developed. The POPd1-catalyzed reaction between aryl chlorides or bromides and arylsiloxanes is compatible with various functional groups and affords biaryls in up to 99% yield. This cross-coupling reaction does not require additives such as surfactants or organic cosolvents and proceeds under air, which greatly facilitates operation and catalyst handling.
Use of the Hough transformation to detect lines and curves in pictures

Hough has proposed an interesting and computationally efficient procedure for detecting lines in pictures. This paper points out that the use of angle-radius rather than slope-intercept parameters simplifies the computation further. It also shows how the method can be used for more general curve fitting, and gives alternative interpretations that explain the source of its efficiency.
Enhanced B cell activation in the absence of CD81.

CD81 is a component of the CD19/CD21 co-receptor complex in B cells. However, the role of CD81 in B cell activation has not been clearly elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that Cd81 -/- B cells stimulated via their B cell receptor fluxed higher intracellular-free calcium ion along with increased phosphorylation of spleen tyrosine kinase and phospholipase gamma 2. Additionally, Cd81 -/- B cells responded to toll like receptor 4 stimulation with increased nuclear factor-kappa B activation, cell proliferation and antibody secretion compared with wild-type B cells. Cd81 -/- mice also mounted a significantly higher immune response to T-independent antigens than their wild-type counterparts. Finally, analysis of Cd81 -/- B cells that were generated by bone marrow transplantation into Rag1 -/- mice confirmed that the hyperactive phenotype is not dependent on the CD81-deficient environment. Taken together, these results indicate that CD81 plays a negative role in B cell activation in vitro and in vivo.
Principles of Appropriate Antibiotic Use for Treatment of Uncomplicated Acute Bronchitis: Background

The following principles of appropriate antibiotic use for adults with acute bronchitis apply to immunocompetent adults without complicating comorbid conditions, such as chronic lung or heart disease.1. The evaluation of adults with an acute cough illness or a presumptive diagnosis of uncomplicated acute bronchitis should focus on ruling out serious illness, particularly pneumonia. In healthy, nonelderly adults, pneumonia is uncommon in the absence of vital sign abnormalities or asymmetrical lung sounds, and chest radiography is usually not indicated. In patients with cough lasting 3 weeks or longer, chest radiography may be warranted in the absence of other known causes.2. Routine antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated acute bronchitis is not recommended, regardless of duration of cough. If pertussis infection is suspected (an unusual circumstance), a diagnostic test should be performed and antimicrobial therapy initiated.3. Patient satisfaction with care for acute bronchitis depends most on physician-patient communication rather than on antibiotic treatment.
Experimental demonstrations of spontaneous, solar-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting

Laboratory demonstrations of spontaneous photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar water splitting cells are reviewed. Reported solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiencies range from 10% STH efficiency using potentially less costly materials have been reported. Device stability is a major challenge for the field, as evidenced by lifetimes of less than 24 hours in all but a few reports. No globally accepted protocol for evaluating and certifying STH efficiencies and lifetimes exists. It is our recommendation that a protocol similar to that used by the photovoltaic community be adopted so that future demonstrations of solar PEC water splitting can be compared on equal grounds.
Carbon nanomaterials for electronics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, and sensing

In the last three decades, zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional carbon nanomaterials (i.e., fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, respectively) have attracted significant attention from the scientific community due to their unique electronic, optical, thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties. While early work showed that these properties could enable high performance in selected applications, issues surrounding structural inhomogeneity and imprecise assembly have impeded robust and reliable implementation of carbon nanomaterials in widespread technologies. However, with recent advances in synthesis, sorting, and assembly techniques, carbon nanomaterials are experiencing renewed interest as the basis of numerous scalable technologies. Here, we present an extensive review of carbon nanomaterials in electronic, optoelectronic, photovoltaic, and sensing devices with a particular focus on the latest examples based on the highest purity samples. Specific attention is devoted to each class of carbon nanomaterial, thereby allowing comparative analysis of the suitability of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene for each application area. In this manner, this article will provide guidance to future application developers and also articulate the remaining research challenges confronting this field.
The Role of Vanadium Bromoperoxidase in the Biosynthesis of Halogenated Marine Natural Products

Covering: 1998–2003 Halogenated natural products are frequently reported metabolites in marine seaweeds. These compounds span a range from halogenated indoles, terpenes, acetogenins, phenols, etc., to volatile halogenated hydrocarbons that are produced on a very large scale. In many cases these halogenated marine metabolites possess biological activities of pharmacological interest. Given the abundance of halogenated marine natural products found in marine organisms and their potentially important biological activities, the biogenesis of these compounds has intrigued marine natural product chemists for decades. Over a quarter of a century ago, a possible role for haloperoxidase enzymes was first suggested in the biogenesis of certain halogenated marine natural products, although this was long before haloperoxidases were discovered in marine organisms. Since that time, FeHeme- and Vanadium-haloperoxidases (V-HPO) have been discovered in many marine organisms. The structure and catalytic activity of vanadium haloperoxidases is reviewed herein, including the importance of V-HPO-catalyzed bromination and cyclization of terpene substrates.