cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An AI-ESTATE conformant interface for net-centric diagnostic and prognostic reasoning

There exists a wide field of strong theoretical models, which provide a basis for diagnostic and probabilistic reasoning. Among these are Bayesian methods, decision trees, D-matrices, logic based frameworks, and more. The IEEE 1232–2010 Standard for Artificial Intelligence Exchange and Service Tie to All Test Environments (AI-ESTATE) [1] strives to provide a common interface for interacting with these reasoning models to establish a common platform for prognosis and diagnosis. In this work, we propose a platformagnostic net-centric framework and interface, conformant to the AI-ESTATE standard. The IEEE AI-ESTATE provides platform-agnostic models and a service interface facilitating the exchange of diagnostic knowledge and reasoning capabilities. The Numerical Intelligent Systems Laboratory at Montana State University has been working continuously on promoting and enhancing this standard. Within AI-ESTATE is defined a set of Reasoner Manipulation Services (i.e., a service API). These services provide a standardized way to interact with a reasoning server for the purposes of diagnostic and prognostics. Previously, the AIESTATE service API had been implemented locally within our tool, called the Standards-based Analysis Platform for Predictive Health and Intelligent Reasoning Environment (SAPPHIRE).
Cytosol androgen receptors in guinea pig brain and pituitary.

Abstract Cytosol androgen receptors were assayed in guinea pig brain and pituitary tissues, using [3H]R1881 as ligand. These receptors had an apparent Kd of 0.04 nM and were androgen-specific (R1881 > dihydrotestosterone > testosterone = estradiol > progesterone). Concentrations of cytosol androgen receptors in castrated adult male guinea pigs were 12.2, 11.6, 6.9, 2.6 and 1.3 fmol per mg protein in anterior pituitary, hypothalamus, medial preoptic area, amygdala and cortex, respectively. No significant differences in receptor levels were observed between castrated adult males and females. The concentration of androgen receptors was significantly lower in the hypothalamus, medial preoptic area and anterior pituitary of castrated neonatal males than in castrated adult male guinea pigs. The systematic injection of the α1-adrenergic antagonist, prazosin, had no significant influence on androgen receptor levels in castrated males in any brain area.
Auger parameter determination of bonding states on thinly oxidized silicon nitride

Silicon nitride powders have been thermally oxidized between 700 and 1200°C in a high-purity N 2 -20% O 2 gas environment. The powders were subsequently analyzed by x-ray photoelectron and Auger electron spectroscopies for evidence of oxynitride surface states. Measurements were made on the Si 2p, O 1s, N 1s C 1s, F 1s and Si KLL transitions, the latter being obtained using bremsstrahlung radiation from the Mg x-ray source. As a function of increasing temperature the data show a clear progression of spectral binding energies and peak shapes that are indicative of more advanced surface oxidation. However, definitive analysis of these data rests on the combined use of both Auger and photoelectron data to define the oxidized surface states for a system that involves two electrically insulating end states: silicon nitride and silicon dioxide. Curve fitting the Si 2p and Si KLL transitions as a function of oxidation, coupled with the use of Auger parameters for the starting silicon nitride and final silicon dioxide, reveals no measurable evidence for an interphase oxynitride in the thin oxide scales of this study where the silicon nitride substrate is detectable. Possible incorrect assignment of oxynitride bonding, from shifted Si 2p states in the carbon referenced spectra, is attributable to band bending as the transition is made from incipient to fully formed silicon dioxide.
CMP Friction as a Function of Slurry Silica Nanoparticle Concentration and Diameter

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is vital in the manufacturing of integrated circuits (IC). CMP removes unwanted material from an IC surface by rubbing it with numerous nanoscale abrasives that are brought into contact by polishing pad asperities. Friction is a consequence of this rubbing, and this friction may damage the next generation of porous IC dielectric materials with lower dielectric constants (low k). Fundamental experiments were done to understand the source of the friction to enable less damaging CMP. The coefficient of friction of an SiO 2 substrate on a polyurethane CMP pad was measured as a function of the slurry's SiO 2 abrasive particle concentration and size with a commercial pin on disk tribometer. Very low speeds (∼10− 3 m/s) were used to remove confounding hydrodynamic effects. The coefficient of friction increased by 10% with higher weight percentages of SiO 2 particles in the slurry, suggesting that a constant real area of contact is distributed between bare pad asperity contacts...
The adsorption characteristics of some heavy metal ions onto hydrous CdS(s) surface

Abstract The chemical reactions between hydrous CdS(s) and some transition metal ions were studied by direct adsorption and electrophoretic mobility measurements. The results show that specific chemical adsorption plays the most important role in the adsorption of transition metal ions. The adsorption reaction can be described as the formation of surface complexes: BOM(OH)y−y−1, where y = 0, 1, and 2. At alkaline pH and high metal concentrations, i.e., greater than ca. 10−4 M, surface precipitation may occur.
INTERACTION OF NON-PARALLEL D1-BRANES

We find the potential per unit length between two nonintersecting D1-branes as a function of their relative angle.
Synthetic approaches to the avermectins: Studies on the hexahydrobenzofuran unit

Abstract The condensation reaction of 2-lithio-2-lithio-oxymethyl-1,3-dithiane with an epoxy-ketone is used as the key step in a novel approach to the avermectin southern hexahydrobenzofuran unit.
The first evidence for reductive coupling of transition metal substituted halogermanes

Abstract The reduction of l-(cyclopentadienylirondicarbonyl)-l-bromo-3,4-dimethyl-germacyclopent-3-ene ( 1 ) with lithium metal results in practically quantitative yield of the coupled product ( 2 ). The formation of a GeGe bond was confirmed by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The lithium reduction of 3 , Br 2 Ge[Fe(CO) 2 Cp] 2 , results in the formation of the first examples of homoleptic transition metal substituted polygermanes.
Exchange rate exposure: A nonparametric approach ☆

Abstract The typical conclusion reached when researchers examine exchange rate exposure is that only a few firms are exposed. This finding is puzzling since institutional knowledge and theory suggests a larger effect. In this paper, we compare results obtained using a linear approach with those from nonlinear and nonparametric models. Among firms that don't have a linear exposure, we find that a considerable proportion of these are exposed when nonlinear or nonparametric models are used. This exposure is most striking when a nonparametric model is used. We also find that firms' hedging activities decrease linear exposure but don't affect nonparametric exposure.
Enantioselective organocatalytic aldehyde-aldehyde cross-aldol couplings. The broad utility of α-thioacetal aldehydes

An asymmetric proline catalyzed aldol reaction with α-thioacetal aldehydes has been developed. Thioacetal bearing aldehydes readily participate as electrophilic cross-aldol partners with a broad range of aldehyde and ketone donors. High levels of reaction efficiency as well as diastereo- and enantiocontrol are observed in the production of anti-aldol adducts.
Gramicidin alters the Lipid Compositions of Liquid-Ordered and Liquid-Disordered Membrane Domains

The effects of adding 1 mol % of gramicidin A to the well-known DOPC/DSPC/cholesterol lipid mixtures were investigated. 4-component giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) were prepared using our recently developed Wet-Film method. The phase boundary of liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered (Lo-Ld) coexisting region was determined using video fluorescence microscopy. We found that if cares were not taken, light-induced domain artifacts could significantly distort the measured phase boundary. After testing several fluorescence dyes, we found that the emission spectrum of Nile Red is quite sensitive to membrane composition. By fitting the Nile Red emission spectra at the phase boundary to the spectra in the Lo-Ld coexisting region, the thermodynamic tie-lines were determined. As an active component of lipid membranes, gramicidin not only partitions favorably into the liquid-disordered (Ld) phase, it also alters the phase boundary and thermodynamic tie-lines. Even at as low as 1 mol %, gramicidin decreases the cholesterol mole fraction of Ld phase and increases the area of Lo phase.
Binary and core-shell nanoparticle dispersed liquid crystal cells for metamaterial applications

We theoretically explored the feasibility of a tunable metamaterial using binary as well as core-shell nanoparticle dispersed liquid crystal cells in the infrared and optical regimes. Owing to the spatial variation of the permittivity of the liquid crystal host upon the application of a bias voltage, the host was decomposed into a layered medium and the effective refractive index recalculated for each layer due to the distribution of polaritonic and plasmonic nanoparticles. The scattering, extinction, and absorption of such a nanoparticle dispersed liquid crystal cell were also found. Depending on the applied voltage bias across the liquid crystal host, the types of nanoparticles used, and their radii and volume-filling fractions in the liquid crystal host, near-zero as well as negative index of refraction can be obtained over a range of frequencies, according to the effective medium theory.
Resources, population, environment: An oversupply of false bad news

Abstract False bad news about population growth, natural resources, and the environment is published widely in the face of contradictory evidence. For example, the world supply of arable land has actually been increasing, the scarcity of natural resources including food and energy has been decreasing, and basic measures of U.S. environmental quality show positive trends. The aggregate data show no long-run negative effect of population growth upon the standard of living. Models that embody forces omitted in the past, especially the influence of population size upon productivity increase, suggest a long-run positive effect of additional people.
Topological rigidity of Hamiltonian loops and quantum homology

This paper studies the question of when a loop φ={φ t }0≤ t ≤1 in the group Symp(M,ω) of symplectomorphisms of a symplectic manifold (M,ω) is isotopic to a loop that is generated by a time-dependent Hamiltonian function. (Loops with this property are said to be Hamiltonian.) Our main result is that Hamiltonian loops are rigid in the following sense: if φ is Hamiltonian with respect to ω, and if φ′ is a small perturbation of φ that preserves another symplectic form ω′, then φ′ is Hamiltonian with respect to ω′. This allows us to get some new information on the structure of the flux group, i.e. the image of π1(Symp(M,ω)) under the flux homomorphism. We give a complete proof of our result for some manifolds, and sketch the proof in general. The argument uses methods developed by Seidel for studying properties of Hamiltonian loops via the quantum homology of M.
Rate Region of the Gaussian Scalar-Help-Vector Source-Coding Problem

We determine the rate region of the Gaussian one-helper source-coding problem in which the helper observes a scalar, the main encoder observes a vector, and the distortion constraint is a positive semidefinite upper bound on the error covariance matrix of the main source. The rate region is achieved by a Gaussian achievable scheme. We introduce a novel outer bounding technique to establish the converse. Our approach is to create a reduced dimensional problem by projecting the main source and the distortion constraint in certain directions determined by the optimal Gaussian scheme. We also provide an outer bound to the rate region of the more general problem in which there are distortion constraints on both sources. This outer bound is partially tight in general and completely tight in some nontrivial cases.
Simulation of a Single Cylinder Diesel Engine Under Cold Start Conditions Using Simulink

A nonlinear dynamic model is developed in this study to simulate the overall performance of a naturally aspirated, single cylinder, four-stroke, direct injection diesel engine under cold start and fully warmed-up conditions. The model considers the filling and emptying processes of the cylinder, blowby, intake, and exhaust manifolds. A single zone combustion model is implemented and the heat transfer in the cylinder, intake, and exhaust manifolds are accounted for. Moreover, the derivations include the dynamics of the crank-slider mechanism and employ an empirical model to estimate the instantaneous frictional losses in different engine components. The formulation is coded in modular form whereby each module, which represents a single process in the engine, is introduced as a single block in an overall Simulink engine model. The numerical accuracy of the Simulink model is verified by comparing its results to those generated by integrating the engine formulation using IMSL stiff integration routines. The engine model is validated by the close match between the predicted and measured cylinder gas pressure and engine instantaneous speed under motoring, steady-state, and transient cold siart operating conditions.
Time of arrival in quantum mechanics.

We study the problem of computing the probability for the time of arrival of a quantum particle at a given spatial position. We consider a solution to this problem based on the spectral decomposition of the particle's (Heisenberg) state into the eigenstates of a suitable operator, which we denote as the ``time-of-arrival'' operator. We discuss the general properties of this operator. We construct the operator explicitly in the simple case of a free nonrelativistic particle and compare the probabilities it yields with the ones estimated indirectly in terms of the flux of the Schr\"odinger current. We derive a well-defined uncertainty relation between time of arrival and energy; this result shows that the well-known arguments against the existence of such a relation can be circumvented. Finally, we define a ``time representation'' of the quantum mechanics of a free particle, in which the time of arrival is diagonal. Our results suggest that, contrary to what is commonly assumed, quantum mechanics exhibits a hidden equivalence between independent (time) and dependent (position) variables, analogous to the one revealed by the parametrized formalism in classical mechanics. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Dual redundant arm configuration optimization with task-oriented dual arm manipulability

It is shown that the required motion and force trajectories of a given task can be abstracted by a series of desired manipulability ellipsoids and that task-oriented dual-arm manipulability (TODAMM) can be mathematically defined by quantifying how the manipulability of one arm affects the other and measuring the geometrical closeness between the desired and the actual manipulability ellipsoids. TODAMM can be used in the optimization of dual-arm joint configurations. The task-oriented manipulability measure (TOMM) developed can also be used in the joint configuration optimization of a single arm, providing efficient joint configurations in terms of joint motions and joint torques for the required Cartesian motions and static forces. The dual-arm joint configuration optimization based on TODAMM can be applied to a variety of asks which require dual-arm cooperation. >
Proof of the GGS Conjecture

We prove the GGS conjecture (1993), due to Gerstenhaber, Giaquinto, and Schack, which gives a particularly simple explicit quantization of classical r-matrices for Lie algebras gl(n) in terms of an element R satisfying the quantum Yang-Baxter equation and the Hecke condition. The r-matrices were classified by Belavin and Drinfeld in the 1980s in terms of combinatorial objects known as Belavin-Drinfeld triples. We prove this conjecture by showing that the GGS matrix coincides with another quantization due to Etingof, Schiffmann, and the author, which is a more general construction. We do this by explicitly expanding the product from the aforementioned paper using detailed combinatorial analysis in terms of Belavin-Drinfeld triples.
A database model of debugging

Debugging a program can be viewed as performing queries and updates on a database that contains both program source and execution state information. This model of debugging simplifies a "debugger" to a database interface for runtime information and allows the debugger to be easily integrated into a programming environment.We are currently designing a programming environment in which all program information is stored in a relational database system. This system will include debugging capabilities to provide the programmer a simple yet powerful mechanism for describing debugging requests
Hot gas environment around STOVL aircraft in ground proximity. II - Numerical study

Ingestion of hot exhaust gases by the engines of STOVL aircraft has been an important research problem for several years. The hot gas environment around STOVL aircraft is three-dimensional and turbulent. In this study, the Navier-Stokes equations governing the hot gas ingestion flowfield are solved by an efficient finite-difference calculation procedure. The complete geometry including the head wind and the fuselage is simulated. Four demonstration calculations with variations in the height of the fuselage and the head wind velocity are presented. It is shown that the calculation procedure efficiently provides a solution to the governing equations and produces realistic descriptions of the flow and temperature fields.
Novel chirality descriptors derived from molecular topology.

Several series of novel chirality descriptors of chemical organic molecules have been introduced. The descriptors have been developed on the basis of conventional topological descriptors of molecular graphs. They include modified molecular connectivity indices, Zagreb group indices, extended connectivity, overall connectivity, and topological charge indices. These modified descriptors make use of an additional term called chirality correction, which is added to the vertex degrees of asymmetric atoms in a molecular graph. Chirality descriptors can be real or complex numbers. Advantages and drawbacks of different series of chirality descriptors are discussed. These descriptors circumvent the inability of conventional topological indices to distinguish chiral or enantiomeric isomers, which so far has been the major drawback of 2D descriptors as compared to true 3D descriptors (e.g., shape, molecular fields) of molecular structure. These novel chirality descriptors have been implemented in a quantitative stru...
Indoles Synthesized from Amines via Copper Catalysis

N-Substituted indoles are synthesized from primary amines through a tandem reaction sequence. Initial condensation of the amine with an α-(o-haloaryl)ketone or aldehyde is followed by intramolecular aryl amination catalyzed by CuI. A variety of anilines and alkyl amines, including those with significant steric demands, are converted to indoles in high yields and with varying indole substitution.
An estimate of motion between the spin axis and the hotspots over the past century

[1] Estimates of the motion of the spin axis over the past century either neglect plate motion or are relative to the mean lithosphere. To understand the response of the spin axis to mass changes, it is more useful to estimate spin axis motion relative to the hotspots because the hotspots well represent the solid earth. The hotspots originate in the lower mantle, which comprises 2/3 of the earth's volume. Relative to the lower mantle the plates and the upper mantle move in opposite directions, to a large extent canceling each other out. The mean lithosphere moves quickly relative to the hotspots and poorly represents the solid earth. The spin axis has moved relative to the hotspots over the past century along the 68.4°W meridian at 4.03 milliarcsecond/yr. This motion is 11° counterclockwise of, 0.5 milliarcsecond/yr faster than, and 25% different than spin axis motion relative to the mean lithosphere.
How general are risk preferences? Choices under uncertainty in different domains

We analyze the extent to which individuals’ choices over five employer-provided insurance coverage decisions and one 401(k) investment decision exhibit systematic patterns, as would be implied by a general utility component of risk preferences. We provide evidence consistent with an important domain-general component that operates across all insurance choices. We find a considerably weaker relationship between one's insurance decisions and 401(k) asset allocation, although this relationship appears larger for more “financially sophisticated” individuals. Estimates from a stylized coverage choice model suggest that up to thirty percent of our sample makes choices that may be consistent across all six domains.
Parametric excitation of robotic manipulators

The predominant compliance in the dynamic response of the PUMA 560 robot manipulator arises in joints 2 and 3. Considering compliance of these two joints, the effects of user controlled variables on system stability are studied using Floquet theory. Specifically, manipulator configuration, operating speed, and trajectory amplitude are considered. For some configurations, instabilities are expected for ranges of operating frequencies which are significantly removed from the neighborhood of multiples of resonant frequencies of the stationary system. Results demonstrate overall trends in stability regions for several ranges of system configuration. Results also identify regions of rapidly changing stability of this industrial manipulator.
Uniform estimates on paraproducts

We prove uniformLp estimates (Theorem 1.1) for a family of paraproducts and corresponding maximal operators.
Knowing and liking

The distinction between knowledge and affect has received two opposing interpretations. One point of view asserts that the two kinds of judgments involve two distinct, qualitatively different systems, and that affective, preference judgments are “immediately” accessible, without mediating cognitive processes. Our position states, in contrast, that knowing and liking are based on different aspects of the same underlying representation, and that evaluative judgments require more complex processing than do descriptive or recognition judgments. Two experiments explored the relative speed of these two kinds of judgments. In the first, liking judgments for words were compared with lexical decision judgments; in the second, a range of paintings was judged for liking and for prior encounters. In both cases, descriptive and recognition judgments occurred more speedily than did the evaluative judgments, and this difference held when the two judgments were matched on discriminability. However, it was noted that if consciousness is viewed as constructive, the phenomenal priority of evaluation may be independent of accessibility and unity of the underlying representation of an event.
NMR imaging techniques and applications: A review

Over the past ten years, a variety of techniques have been proposed and demonstrated that enable the spatial discrimination and mapping of nuclear‐magnetic‐resonance (NMR) signals in heterogeneous objects. These NMR imaging techniques are currently finding useful application in clinical medicine and physiological chemistry, where their noninvasive, apparently hazard‐free nature, and the sensitivity of the NMR signal to the state of biological tissue, are key advantages. This article reviews the historical development, the conceptual basis, and the applications of the various NMR imaging techniques. Qualitative descriptions and illustrations of each technique and an outline of imaging instrumentation are provided. Proton NMR imaging, in medicine, of pathological states such as cancer, imaging of relaxation time, chemical shift and flow parameters, imaging of nuclei other than hydrogen, and potential hazards are discussed and demonstrated with examples.
Epidural Blood Patch for the Treatment of Abducens Nerve Palsy due to Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension -A Case Report-

Intracranial hypotension is characterized by a postural headache which is relieved in a supine position and worsened in a sitting or standing position. Although less commonly reported than postural headache, sixth nerve palsy has also been observed in intracranial hypotension. The epidural blood patch (EBP) has been performed for postdural puncture headache, but little is known about the proper timing of EBP in the treatment of sixth nerve palsy due to intracranial hypotension. This article reports a case of sixth nerve palsy due to spontaneous intracranial hypotension which was treated by EBP 10 days after the onset of palsy.
Fluxes, Laplacians, and Kasteleyn’s theorem

The genesis of this paper was an attempt to understand a problem in condensed matter physics related to questions about electron correlations, superconductivity, and electron-magnetic field interactions. The basic idea, which was proposed a few years ago, is that a magnetic field can lower the energy of electrons when the electron density is not small. Certain very specific and very interesting mathematical conjectures about eigenvalues of the Laplacian were made, and the present paper contains a proof of some of them. Furthermore, those conjectures lead to additional natural conjectures about determinants of Laplacians which we both present and prove here. It is not clear whether these determinantal theorems have physical applications but they might, conceivably in the context of quantum field theory. Some, but not all, of the results given here were announced earlier in [LE].
Precise Measurement of the Spin Parameter of the Stellar-Mass Black Hole M33 X-7

In prior work, Chandra and Gemini-North observations of the eclipsing X-ray binary M33 X-7 have yielded measurements of the mass of its black hole primary and the system's orbital inclination angle of unprecedented accuracy. Likewise, the distance to the binary is known to a few percent. In an analysis based on these precise results, 15 Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray spectra, and our fully relativistic accretion disk model, we find that the dimensionless spin parameter of the black hole primary is a* = 0.77 ± 0.05. The quoted 1 σ error includes all sources of observational uncertainty. Four Chandra spectra of the highest quality, which were obtained over a span of several years, all lead to the same estimate of spin to within statistical errors (2%), and this estimate is confirmed by 11 spectra of lower quality. There are two remaining uncertainties: (1) the validity of the relativistic model used to analyze the observations, which is being addressed in ongoing theoretical work; and (2) our assumption that the black hole spin is approximately aligned with the angular momentum vector of the binary, which can be addressed by a future X-ray polarimetry mission.
Model for nonectatic increase in posterior corneal elevation after ablative procedures.

Purpose To evaluate the response of the posterior cornea after uneventful laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with scanning-slit videokeratography using the change in elevation as a measure of biomechanical remodeling. Setting Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Hong Kong, China. Methods Three schematic models of possible posterior corneal response mechanisms to laser refractive surgery were proposed: model A, isolated central bulging; model B, forward shift over a large region of the posterior surface; model C, backward peripheral movement into the anterior chamber. A retrospective study was performed to determine which model was consistent with posterior corneal behavior in 2380 eyes of 1255 patients after myopic LASIK performed with the Technolas 217 laser (Bausch & Lomb). Patients received preoperative and 6-month postoperative Orbscan I (version 2.0, Bausch & Lomb) examinations. Preoperative posterior elevation maps were subtracted from postoperative maps of 2380 eyes using 3 fitting protocols. Difference maps were averaged and the results compared to the proposed schematic models. All topography data processing was done using the Ohio State University Corneal Topography Tool. Results Significant central increases in posterior elevation corresponded with significant peripheral decreases in posterior elevation. This pattern is consistent with schematic model C, backward peripheral movement of the posterior cornea, possibly due to a differential pattern of swelling. Conclusions Increases in central posterior corneal elevation after LASIK appear to be dominated by backward peripheral corneal swelling into the anterior chamber rather than forward “bulging” of the central posterior cornea. This is consistent with stable remodeling of the corneal shape due to a surgically induced change in structure and fluid balance, rather than an ectatic event.
Organization of auditory cortex in the owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus).

The region of cerebral cortex in the owl monkey that is responsive to acoustic stimulation is located on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the rostral half of the superior temporal gyrus. Systematic microelectrode mapping of this area has revealed multiple frequency representations. The boundaries of these fields determined electrophysiologically correlate with the architectural bound aries apparent in Nissl stained material. On the basis of combined cytoarchitectonic and electrophysiological maps we have divided auditory cortex into five fields. Two of them, the primary field (AI) and the field rostral to it (R) are somewhat similar architectonically and constitute the central core of auditory cortex. Each of these two fields has a complete and orderly representation of the audible frequency spectrum within it. Surrounding these fields is a belt of cortex in which units are generally less responsive to acoustic stimulation and the frequency organization is more complex than in AI or R. Electrophysiological and cytoarchitectonic evidence suggest that this belt is composed of at least three and possibly four separate auditory fields.
A comment on the Zamolodchikov c-function and the black string entropy

Abstract Using the spectral representation approach to the Zamolodchikov's c-function and the Maldacena conjecture for the D1-branes, we compute the entropy of type IIB strings. An agreement, up to a numerical constant which cannot be determined using this approach, with the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy is found.
Evaluation of Various N-Substituted Azaspiranedione Derivatives as Potential Antimicrobial Agents

A series of N-substituted hydrazines were condensed with various spiro[4.5] and [5.5] anhydrides and the resultant N-substituted azaspiranediones were evaluated for antimicrobial activity. None displayed any significant activity in a variety of organisms tested.
Chromium and tungsten pentacarbonyl groups as reactivity auxiliaries in the Diels-Alder reactions of alkenyl carbene complexes with 1,3-dienes

Reactions de complexe du type R 1 CH=CHC(OMe)=M(CO) 3 (R 1 =H,CH 3 (trans), M=Cr, Mo, W) avec l'isoprene et des complexes du type R 1 R 2 C=CR 3 (OMe)=M(CO) 5 (R 1 ,R 2 ,R 3 =H; R 1 =CH 3 , R 2 R 3 =H; R 1 R 3 =H, R 2 =CH 3 (cis and trans); R 1 =H,R 2 ,R 3 =CH 3 ; M=Cr,W) avec divers dienes-1,3
A phase transition due to thick vortices in SU(2) lattice gauge theory

Abstract SU(2) lattice gauge theory is studied after eliminating thin monopoles and the smallest thick monopoles. Kinematically this constraint allows thick vortex loops which produce long rangeZ(2) fluctuations. The thick vortex loops are identified in a three dimensional simulation. A condensate of thick vortices persists even after the thin vortices have all disappeared. They decouple at a slightly lower temperature (higher β) than the thin vortices and drive aZ(2) like phase transition.
The influence of restricted calorie intake on peritoneal macrophage function.

Malnutrition leads to immune dysfunction with greatly increased morbidity. However, restrictive dietary regimens are also known to preserve immune function in autoimmune-susceptible mice. The macrophage (Mo) is central to both immune effector and autoregulatory functions and is critical to host-defense mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of calorie restriction on Mo functions in mice. Female, 6- to 8-wk-old, Swiss Webster mice were randomized to ad libitum feeding for 7 or 21 d (n = 10 mice/group), restricted feeding (13.5 to 14.0 g/cage/d; n = 10) for 7 d, or restricted feeding (16.5 to 17.0 g/cage/d; n = 10) for 21 d. These restrictions were equivalent to a decrease in calorie intake of 21.9% and 5.1%, respectively, over 7 and 21 d. All mice were allowed free access to water. On days 8 and 22, respectively, the mice were killed, and peritoneal Mos were isolated by lavage and adhered to 96-well polystyrene tissue-culture-treated plates. After stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, supernatant prostaglandin E2 and interleukin-6 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Supernatant NO2- in response to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma was determined by the Greiss reaction. Prostaglandin E2 production was significantly elevated in peritoneal Mos from the calorie-restricted mice compared with the ad-libitum-fed mice after 7 d. After 21 d, production of both prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in peritoneal Mos from the restricted mice compared with the ad-libitum-fed mice. These results indicate that calorie restriction influences immune function by altering prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide generation by Mos.
OT 060420 : A seemingly optical transient recorded by all-sky cameras

We report on a ~5th magnitude flash detected for approximately 10 minutes by two CONCAM all-sky cameras located in Cerro Pachon, Chile, and La Palma, Spain. A third all-sky camera, located in Cerro Paranal, Chile, did not detect the flash, and therefore we suggest that the flash was a series of cosmic-ray hits, meteors, or satellite glints. Another proposed hypothesis is that the flash was an astronomical transient with variable luminosity. In this paper, we discuss bright optical transient detection using fish-eye all-sky monitors, analyze the apparently false-positive optical transient, and propose possible causes to false optical transient detection in all-sky cameras.
Determination of Solid Propellant Admittances by the Impedance Tube Method

The adaptation of the impedance tube technique for the measurement of solid propellant admittances and response functions is described. These quantities are needed for combustion stability analysis of solid rocket motors. The experimental set up consists of a tube with a disk of solid propellant sample placed at one end and a combination of an exhaust valve and an acoustic driver placed at the other end. Performing a test consists of turning on the acoustic driver to excite a standing wave of a predetermined frequency in the tube, ignition, and burnout of the solid propellant sample. During a test, acoustic pressure data is measured by fifteen pressure transducers distributed along a distance that includes, at least, two standing wave pressure minima. The data are transferred via a fast analog-to-digital converter to a minicomputer system for immediate storage and later analysis. The measured acoustic pressure amplitude and phase data are input into a newly developed data reduction procedure that is based upon the solution of the impedance tube wave equations, for the determination of the admittance and response function of the tested solid propellant sample and the acoustic energy losses in the gas phase. The paper presents results obtained in a series of tests conducted with an A-14 propellant. The paper demonstrates the capability of the developed experimental technique to determine simultaneously the acoustic characteristics of the flow inside the impedance tube and the admittance of the burning solid propellant for the duration of the experiment. Nomenclature A /y = defined in the Appendix C = constant defined in Eq. (8) c = velocity of sound, m/s cp - specific heat at constant pressure, kcal/kg K cv = specific heat at constant volume, kcal/kg K E = error function defined in Eq. (15),, (N/m 2)2 or Pa 2 F = losses due to viscosity and gas phase damping, kg/m2s2 G = gas phase bulk loss coefficient, kg/m3 s / = identity matrix M = Mach number m = mass flow rate per unit cross-sectional area, kg/m2 s p = pressure, N/m2 or Pa Q = volumetric heat source, kcal/m3 s mole R = gas constant, kcal/kg mole K r = burning rate, m/s s = entropy, kcal/kg K T = temperature, K; also transmission matrix defined in Eq. (10) TWQ = wall temperature at x = 0, K u = axial velocity, m/s Y = specific admittance, dimensionless Z = variable used to represent oscillatory quantities, defined by Eq. (6) ps = density of solid propellant, kg/m3 p = density, kg/m3 Superscripts (~) = variable describing a steady-state quantity ()' = variable describing a perturbation quantity
Effects of composition and exposure on the solar reflectance of portland cement concrete

Increasing the solar reflectance (albedo) of a paved surface keeps it cooler in the sun, reducing convection of heat from pavement to air and thereby decreasing the ambient air temperature. Lower air temperatures decrease demand for cooling energy and slow the formation of urban smog. Variations with composition and environmental exposure of the albedos of portland cement concrete pavements were investigated through laboratory fabrication and exposure of 32 mixes of concrete. Concrete albedo generally correlated with cement albedo and sand albedo and, after abrasion, with rock albedo. Cement albedo had a disproportionately strong influence on the reflectance of concrete. Simulated weathering, soiling, and abrasion each reduced average concrete albedo, though some samples became slightly more reflective through weathering or soiling. Concrete albedo grew as the cement hydration reaction progressed, but stabilized within six weeks of casting.
Investigation of oxidopyrylium–alkene [5+2] cycloaddition conjugate addition cascade (C3) sequences

Novel oxidopyrylium–alkene [5+2] cycloaddition conjugate addition cascade (C3) sequences are described. Various acetoxypyranone–alkenes with pendant nucleophiles undergo [5+2] cycloaddition followed by conjugate addition from the concave face of the intermediate pyranone toward bridged, tetracyclic ethers. In several cases, 3 new rings, 4 new bonds, and 6 new contiguous stereocenters are constructed with excellent diastereoselectivity. Finally, an asynchronous concerted reaction pathway is proposed to explain the high diastereoselectivity of the oxidopyrylium–alkene [5+2] C3.
Using Galaxy Two-Point Correlation Functions to Determine the Redshift Distributions of Galaxies Binned by Photometric Redshift

We investigate how well the redshift distributions of galaxies sorted into photometric redshift bins can be determined from the galaxy angular two-point correlation functions. We find that the uncertainty in the reconstructed redshift distributions depends critically on the number of parameters used in each redshift bin and the range of angular scales used, but not on the number of photometric redshift bins. Using six parameters for each photometric redshift bin, and restricting ourselves to angular scales over which the galaxy number counts are normally distributed, we find that errors in the reconstructed redshift distributions are large; i.e., they would be the dominant source of uncertainty in cosmological parameters estimated from otherwise ideal weak lensing or baryon acoustic oscillation data. However, either by reducing the number of free parameters in each redshift bin or by (unjustifiably) applying our Gaussian analysis into the non-Gaussian regime, we find that the correlation functions can be used to reconstruct the redshift distributions with moderate precision; e.g., with mean redshifts determined to ~0.01. We also find that dividing the galaxies into two spectral types, thereby doubling the number of redshift distribution parameters, can result in a reduction in the errors in the combined redshift distributions.
The Response of Accretion Disks to Bending Waves: Angular Momentum Transport and Resonances

We investigate the linear tidal perturbation of a viscous Keplerian disk by a companion star orbiting in a plane inclined to the disk. We consider m = 1 perturbations with odd symmetry with respect to the z = 0 midplane. The response frequency may be either finite or vanishing. These long-wavelength perturbations produce a well-defined warp. Since the response of a viscous disk is not in phase with the perturbing potential, a tidal torque is exerted on the disk. When the perturber rotates outside the disk, this torque results in a decrease of the disk angular momentum and thus in an increase of its accretion rate. We show that this tidal torque is comparable to the horizontal viscous stress acting on the background flow when the perturbed velocities in the disk are on the order of the sound speed. If these velocities remain subsonic, the tidal torque can exceed the horizontal viscous stress only if the viscous parameter αv, which couples to the vertical shear, is larger than the parameter αh coupled to the horizontal shear. In protostellar disks, bending waves, which are predominantly excited in the outer regions, are found to propagate and transport a significant fraction of the negative angular momentum they carry deep into the disk inner parts. If the waves are reflected at the center, resonances occur when the frequency of the tidal waves is equal to that of some free normal global bending mode of the disk. If such resonances exist, tidal interactions may then be important even when the binary separation is large. Out of resonance, the torque associated with the secular perturbation, which is proportional to αv, is generally much larger than that associated with the finite-frequency perturbations. As long as the waves are damped before they reach the center, the torque associated with the finite-frequency perturbations does not depend on the viscosity, in agreement with theoretical expectation. These calculations are relevant to disks around young stars and maybe also to disks in X-ray binary systems.
Large-small equivalence in string theory

Abstract The simplest toroidally compactified string theories exhibit a duality between small and large radii: compactification on a circle, for example, is invariant under R→ 1 2R . Compactification on more general lorentzian lattices (e.g., toroidal compactification in the presence of background metric, antisymmetric tensor, and gauge fields) yields theories for which a large-small equivalence is not so simple. Here an equivalence is demonstrated between large and small geometries for all compactifications. By repeatedly transforming the momentum mode corresponding to the smallest winding dimension to another mode on the lattice, it is possible to increase the volume to exceed a finite lower bound.
Quot Functors for Deligne-Mumford Stacks

Abstract Given a separated and locally finitely-presented Deligne-Mumford stack &#x1d4b3; over an algebraic space S, and a locally finitely-presented &#x1d4aa;&#x1d4b3;-module ℱ, we prove that the Quot functor Quot(ℱ/&#x1d4b3;/S) is represented by a separated and locally finitely-presented algebraic space over S. Under additional hypotheses, we prove that the connected components of Quot(ℱ/&#x1d4b3;/S) are quasi-projective over S. Dedicated to Steven L. Kleiman on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
The connection between phenomenological few-level models and microscopic theories in the nonlinear optics of semiconductors

We demonstrate a formal similarity between the evolution equation of the third-order interband polarization in a phenomenological model and that in microscopic theories for semiconductor optics, thereby providing a microscopic interpretation of the phenomenological model
Fluorous-tethered quenching reagents for solution phase parallel synthesis

Abstract Commercially available fluorous-tethered reagents are employed to quench excess reactants and remove known impurities from crude reaction mixtures generated via solution phase parallel synthesis. Fluorous quenching reagents are expediently removed via Fluoro Flash ™ SPE columns to afford products in high yields and purities.
S-duality and tensionless 5-branes in compactified heterotic string theory

We give a simple proof of the known S-duality of heterotic String theory compactified on a 6. Using this S-duality we calculate the tensions for a class of BPS 5-branes in Heterotic String theory on a S1. One of these, the Kaluza-Klein monopole, becomes tensionless when the radius of the S1 is equal to the string length. We study the question of stability of the heterotic NS5-brane with a transverse circle. For large radii the NS5-brane is absolutely stable. However for small radii it is only marginally stable. We also study the moduli space of 2 Kaluza-Klein monopoles and show that it is equal to the moduli space of a heterotic A1 singularity.
The NIDDK Liver Transplantation Database

Abstract The NIDDK Liver Transplantation Database was established to prospectively investigate questions related to the experience of patients evaluated for and undergoing liver transplantation. This article presents the study design, methods, and quality of data collection, along with some of the overall results. METHODS: An initial 4-year planning phase was used to develop data collection instruments and quality control procedures regarding assessment for transplantation, liver donors, and the recipients' pre-, peri- and postoperative course. During the 1990-1995 implementation phase, three clinical centers refined the data collection instruments and enrolled and followed consecutive liver transplant candidates who consented to be included in the protocol. RESULTS: The Database contains more than 49,000 data forms from 1563 candidates, 1002 donors, and 916 transplant recipients followed up to 5 years after transplantation. Overall, 95% of protocol forms were completed. The Database includes uniformly defined histology results of liver biopsies performed per protocol and for complications throughout follow-up. In addition, the Database maintains an inventory of available sera for the Serum Bank. All test results of studies performed on the sera are added to the Database. Of 1563 evaluated patients, 59% were deemed eligible for liver transplantation. Of the others who were too well or had contraindications, 15% became eligible later. Characteristics of patients in this study were generally comparable to those of patients nationally. CONCLUSIONS: The NIDDK Liver Transplantation Database has yielded comprehensive and high quality data and is a rich resource for extensive analysis about many important clinical aspects of liver transplantation. (Liver Transpl Surg 1997 Jan;3(1):10-22)