cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conformal Cosmology and the Pioneer Anomaly

We review the fundamental results of a new cosmological model, based on conformal gravity, and apply them to the analysis of the early data of the Pioneer anomaly. We show that our conformal cosmology can naturally explain the anomalous acceleration of the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecrafts, in terms of a local blueshift region extending around the solar system and therefore affecting the frequencies of the navigational radio signals exchanged between Earth and the spacecraft. By using our model, we explain the numerical coincidence between the value of the anomalous acceleration and the Hubble constant at the present epoch and also confirm our previous determination of the cosmological parameters and . New Pioneer data are expected to be publicly available in the near future, which might enable more precise evaluations of these parameters.
A NEW DIRECTION FOR APPLIED GEOGRAPHY

The aim of this paper is to encourage those interested in applied geographical research to broaden their horizons to consider exciting new areas where geographical expertise has much to offer. A brief overview of dominant past trends is followed by a suggestion to apply geographical knowledge and research methods to benefit disabled populations. Several possible venues for making this commitment are explored, and some interesting and useful contributions are reviewed to show that geography has as much to offer as other disciplines in searching for solutions to the probIems of the disabled. © 1997 john Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Response of Ozone and Nitrogen Dioxide to the Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo at Southern and Northern Midlatitudes

Observations have shown that the mass of nitrogen dioxide decreased at both southern and northern midlatitudes in the year following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, indicating that the volcanic aerosol had enhanced nitrogen dioxide depletion via heterogeneous chemistry. In contrast, the observed ozone response showed a northern midlatitude decrease and a small southern midlatitude increase. Previous simulations that included an enhancement of heterogeneous chemistry by the volcanic aerosol but no other effect of this aerosol produce ozone decreases in both hemispheres, contrary to observations. The authors’ simulations show that the heating due to the volcanic aerosol enhanced both the tropical upwelling and Southern Hemisphere extratropical downwelling. This enhanced extratropical downwelling, combined with the time of the eruption relative to the phase of the Brewer‐Dobson circulation, increased Southern Hemisphere ozone via advection, counteracting the ozone depletion due to heterogeneous chemistry on the Pinatubo aerosol.
Discrete strings and deterministic cellular strings

Abstract A discrete string theory - a theory of embeddings from Z × Z c → R D , where C is the number of components of the string - is explored. The closure of the algebra of constraints (”Z c -Virasoro algebra”) is exhibited. The Z c -Virasoro “algebra” is shown to be anomaly free in arbitrary number of target space dimensions. We prove the existence of a (manifest unitary) light-cone gauge with anomaly free Lorentz algebra in any dimensions. The analog of vertex operators are introduced and the physical spectrum is analysed. There are an infinite number of higher-level states repeating a certain mass pattern and leading to an infinite degeneracy. The connection with the continuum string theory (in D = 26) is investigated. Independently, following a method recently introduced by 't Hooft based on Hilbert-space extension of deterministic systems, a particular one-dimensional cellular automaton submitted to a deterministic evolution is shown to reduce to a massless scalar field theory at long distance scales. This automaton is utilized to define a (“cellular”) string theory with world-sheet variables evolving under deterministic rules, which in the framework of “first quantization” corresponds to the Z c string theory mentioned above. We show that in this theory also the target space motion of free strings is governed by deterministic laws. Finally, we discuss a model for (off-shell) interacting strings where space-time determinism is fully restored.
Transformations of the commodity space, behavioral heterogeneity and the aggregation problem

Aggregation in exchange markets is studied by imposing restrictions on distributions of the households' characteristics. Approximate bounds for market demand price elasticities that depend upon specific measures of behavioral heterogeneity are provided. Increasing behavioral heterogeneity makes aggregate expenditures more independent of prices. This has strong consequences for the prevalence, in the aggregate, of the weak axiom of revealed preference, of gross substitutability, and on uniqueness and stability of the Walrasian exchange equilibrium. These strong macroeconomic regularities are obtained essentially through distributional assumptions, as no “rationality” requirements are imposed on individual demand functions, other than homogeneity and Walras' Law.
Estimating Equations with Nonignorably Missing Response Data

Troxel, Lipsitz, and Brennan (1997, Biometrics 53, 857-869) considered parameter estimation from survey data with nonignorable nonresponse and proposed weighted estimating equations to remove the biases in the complete-case analysis that ignores missing observations. This paper suggests two alternative modifications for unbiased estimation of regression parameters when a binary outcome is potentially observed at successive time points. The weighting approach of Robins, Rotnitzky, and Zhao (1995, Journal of the American Statistical Association 90, 106-121) is also modified to obtain unbiased estimating functions. The suggested estimating functions are unbiased only when the missingness probability is correctly specified, and misspecification of the missingness model will result in biases in the estimates. Simulation studies are carried out to assess the performance of different methods when the covariate is binary or normal. For the simulation models used, the relative efficiency of the two new methods to the weighting methods is about 3.0 for the slope parameter and about 2.0 for the intercept parameter when the covariate is continuous and the missingness probability is correctly specified. All methods produce substantial biases in the estimates when the missingness model is misspecified or underspecified. Analysis of data from a medical survey illustrates the use and possible differences of these estimating functions.
Differential levels of disclosure and the earnings–return association: evidence from foreign registrants in the United States☆

Abstract Foreign companies listing on U.S. exchanges are required to report financial information under U.S. GAAP on form 20-F using either Item 17 or Item 18 disclosure rules. These two disclosure rules differ in that Item 17 allows many exemptions from U.S. GAAP, while Item 18 requires disclosure of all financial information in accordance with U.S. GAAP. This study examines the differential earnings–return association between Item 17 and Item 18 filers. We find significantly higher earnings–return associations for Item 18 filers than for Item 17 filers. While the earnings–return association of Item 18 foreign firms is not different from that of matched U.S. firms (which fundamentally use Item 18 rules), the earnings–return association of Item 17 foreign firms is significantly lower than that of matched U.S. firms. Overall, the results are consistent with the idea that higher levels of disclosure may be related to lower discount rates and higher earnings response coefficients (ERCs).
Non-equilibrium theory of the allele frequency spectrum.

Abstract A forward diffusion equation describing the evolution of the allele frequency spectrum is presented. The influx of mutations is accounted for by imposing a suitable boundary condition. For a Wright–Fisher diffusion with or without selection and varying population size, the boundary condition is lim x ↓ 0 xf ( x , t ) = θ ρ ( t ) , where f ( · , t ) is the frequency spectrum of derived alleles at independent loci at time t and ρ ( t ) is the relative population size at time t . When population size and selection intensity are independent of time, the forward equation is equivalent to the backwards diffusion usually used to derive the frequency spectrum, but this approach allows computation of the time dependence of the spectrum both before an equilibrium is attained and when population size and selection intensity vary with time. From the diffusion equation, a set of ordinary differential equations for the moments of f ( · , t ) is derived and the expected spectrum of a finite sample is expressed in terms of those moments. The use of the forward equation is illustrated by considering neutral and selected alleles in a highly simplified model of human history. For example, it is shown that approximately 30% of the expected total heterozygosity of neutral loci is attributable to mutations that arose since the onset of population growth in roughly the last 150 , 000 years.
Magnetic field of Mercury confirmed

Observations made by Mariner 10 during its third encounter with Mercury (Mercury III) are presented which confirm the tentative conclusion drawn from the first encounter (Mercury I) that Mercury has a modest intrinsic magnetic field. Some comparison between Mercury I and III data and trajectories is attempted, and the superior affirmative nature of Mercury III is pointed out. Definitive bow shock and magnetopause detections of solar wind deflection were made during both passes.
Reactivity of (Me3Al)2 with selected aminoarsines and secondary amines

Abstract The reactions of (Me3Al)2 with 11 aminoarsines, Me2AsR (R = Et2N, Prn2N, Pri2N, Bun2N, Bui2N, C4H8N, C5H10N, C6H12N, CH3NC4H8N, Ph2N and Bzl2N, where Bzl = PhCH2), have been studied by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The results are compared with those of our previous studies on the Me3Al/Me2AsNMe2 system. In each case, except Me2AsNPh2, the final reaction products are [Me2AlR]2 and Me3As. The reaction intermediates have been identified and, in most cases, the AsNAl adducts and Me2AlR·AlMe3 are observed. With Me2AsNPh2 the product is Me3As·Me2AlNPh2. The influence of steric and electronic effects on arsenic vs nitrogen bonding site preference, adduct stability, complexity of overall reaction and ease of forming Me3As and [Me2AlR]2 are discussed. [Me2AlR]2, Me2AlR·AlMe3 and Me3Al·HR have been independently synthesized and characterized. A comparison of the 13C NMR chemical shift values for Me2AsR and Me2AsR·AlMe3 provides information on steric interactions that influence adduct stability.
Point-like instantons and the Spin(32)Z2 heterotic string

Abstract We consider heterotic string theories compactified on a K3 surface which lead to an unbroken perturbative gauge group of Spin(32) Z 2 . All solutions obtained are combinations of two types of point-like instanton—one “simple type” as discovered by Witten and a new type associated to the “generalized second Stiefel-Whitney class” as introduced by Berkooz et al. The new type of instanton is associated to an enhancement of the gauge symmetry by Sp(4) and the addition of a massless tensor supermultiplet. It is shown that if four simple instantons coalesce at an orbifold point in the K3 surface then a massless tensor field appears which may be used to interpolate between the two types of instanton. By allowing various combinations of point-like instantons to coalesce, large gauge groups (e.g., rank 128) with many massless tensor supermultiplets result. The analysis is done in terms of F-theory.
Long-Term Evolution of Close Planets Including the Effects of Secular Interactions

This paper studies the long-term evolution of planetary systems containing short-period planets, including the effects of tidal circularization, secular excitation of eccentricity by companion planets, and stellar damping. For planetary systems subject to all of these effects, analytic solutions (or approximations) are presented for the time evolution of the semimajor axes and eccentricities. Secular interactions enhance the inward migration and accretion of hot Jupiters, while general relativity tends to act in opposition by reducing the effectiveness of the secular perturbations. The analytic solutions presented herein allow us to understand these effects over a wide range of parameter space and to isolate the effects of general relativity in these planetary systems.
Energy dependence of the delta resonance: Chiral dynamics in action

There is an important connection between the low-energy theorems of QCD and the energy dependence of the Δ resonance in π-N scattering, as well as the closely related γ*N → N π reaction. The resonance shape is due not only to the strong π-N interaction in the p wave but the small interaction in the s wave; the latter is due to spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in QCD (i.e., the Nambu-Goldstone nature of the pion). A brief overview of experimental tests of chiral perturbation theory and chiral-based models is presented.
On the structure of naturally-occurring (+)-methyl 3,4-anhydroshikimate

Abstract A two-step synthesis of enantiomerically pure (+)-methyl 3,4-anhydroshikimate2 from (−)-methyl shikimate3 is described, leading to a revision in the properties reported for this natural product.
X-ray ionization and the Orion molecular cloud

Recent observations of the Orion Nebula with the imaging proportional counter and the high resolution imager on the Einstein Observatory satellite have revealed that the presumably young stars in that region are strong X-ray emitters. The densest portion of the molecular cloud, which is also the portion with the greatest diversity of molecular species, is a few square arc minutes in size, while its conventional center (the KL Nebula) lies within an arc minute of the peak of the X-ray emission. The X-rays from the stars impinge on the neighboring molecular cloud's core with such intensity that they significantly affect its ionization equilibrium and chemistry. The present investigation has the objective to provide a quantitative account of these effects. Attention is given to simple estimates of the magnitude of X-ray ionization and its variation throughout the cloud, ionization and reaction rates, and a choice of models.
The impact of an abortion ban on socioeconomic outcomes of children : Evidence from Romania

This study examines educational and labor outcomes of children affected by a ban on abortions. I use evidence from Romania, where in 1966 dictator Nicolae Ceausescu declared abortion and family planning illegal. Birth rates doubled in 1967 because formerly abortion had been the primary method of birth control. Children born after the abortion ban attained more years of schooling and greater labor market success. The reason is that urban, educated women were more likely to have abortions prior to the policy change, and the relative number of children born to this type of woman increased after the ban. However, when I control for composition using observable background variables, children born after the ban on abortions had worse educational and labor market achievements as adults.
Old debts and new beginnings : a policy choice in transitional socialist economies

The authors examine the decisions policy-makers in transitional socialist economies must make: how to define the asset liability structure of state owned enterprises and banks as they are privatized. They conclude that the many loans issued by state-owned enterprises under socialism are impeding the transition to thriving market economies. The heavy stock of debts is slowing the privatization of enterprises and banks, hindering the efficient operation of firms and the financial sector, encouraging ad hoc government intervention, and reducing government credibility. The authors argue that governments should often assume enterprise debts to banks on a case-by-case basis so they can sell enterprises to the private sector. Application of this policy would improve efficiency by depoliticizing and speeding up the privatization process, improving the viability and profitability of newly privatized enterprises, increase government credibility, and improving the efficiency of the financial sector. They also explain that privatizing banks will tend to make financial intermediation more efficient and speed up the economic transition, governments should seriously consider assuming enterprise debts to state-owned banks as they privatize enterprises because of the ensuing great gains in efficiency and the relatively low fiscal costs.
A general method for model-independent measurements of particle spins, couplings and mixing angles in cascade decays with missing energy at hadron colliders

We outline a general strategy for measuring spins, couplings and mixing angles in the case of a heavy partner decay chain terminating in an invisible particle. We consider the common example of a heavy scalar or fermion D decaying sequentially to other heavy particles C, B and A by emitting a quark jet j and two leptons l±n and lf. We derive analytic formulas for the dilepton ({l+l−}) and the two jet-lepton ({jln} and {jlf}) invariant mass distributions for the case of most general couplings and mixing angles of the heavy partners. We then consider various spin assignments for the heavy particles A, B, C and D, and for each case, derive the relevant functional basis for the invariant mass distributions which contains the intrinsic spin information and does not depend on the couplings and mixing angles. We propose a new method for determining the spins of the heavy partners, using the three experimentally observable distributions {l+l−}, {jl+}+{jl−} and {jl+}−{jl−}. We show that the former two only depend on a single model-dependent parameter α, while the latter may depend on two other parameters β and γ. By fitting these distributions to our set of basis functions, we are able to do a pure measurement of the spins per se. Our method is also applicable at a p collider such as the Tevatron, for which the previously proposed lepton charge asymmetry is identically zero and does not contain any spin information. In the process of determining the spins, we also end up with an independent measurement of the parameters α, β and γ, which represent certain combinations of the couplings and the mixing angles of the heavy partners A, B, C and D.
Star Formation in the Tidal Tail of the Leo Triplet Galaxy NGC 3628

Deep CCD images of the Leo Triplet in the B and I bands were obtained with the Burrell-Schmidt telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory to study the ~80 kpc stellar tail, or "plume," extending from NGC 3628, which resulted from the tidal effects of its companion galaxies NGC 3627 and NGC 3623. This plume consists of clumpy star formation regions that are near previously measured high-resolution H I peaks. Comparison of our B-I colors and B luminosities with star cluster evolution models indicates star-forming ages of a few times 108 years and complex masses of 106 M☉, corresponding to a star formation efficiency of 3% overall in the plume, or about 26% at the H I peaks.
Combination immunotherapy and photodynamic therapy for cancer

Cancer is a leading cause of death among modern peoples largely due to metastatic disease. The ideal cancer treatment should target both the primary tumor and the metastases with the minimal toxicity. This is best accomplished by educating the body's immune system to recognize the tumor as foreign so that after the primary tumor is destroyed, distant metastases will also be eradicated. Photody-namic therapy (PDT) involves the IV administration of photosensitizers followed by illumination of the tumor with red light producing reactive oxygen species that eventually cause vascular shutdown and tumor cell apoptosis. Anti-tumor immunity is stimulated after PDT due to the acute inflammatory response, generation of tumor-specific antigens, and induction of heat-shock proteins, while the three commonest cancer therapies (surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy) all tend to suppress the immune system. Like many other immunotherapies, the extent of the immune response after PDT tends to depend on the antigenicity of the particular tumor. Combination regimens using PDT and immunostimulating treatments are likely to emerge in the future to even further enhance immunity. These are likely to include the so called biological response modifiers that generally consist of products obtained from pathogenic microorganisms against which mammals have evolved sophisticated defenses involving immune activation. A series of pattern recognition molecules including toll-like receptors have been identified that are activated by products derived from pathogens and lead to upregulation of transcription factors that induce expression of many cytokines and inflammatory mediators, which then cause activation of macrophages, dendritic and natural killer cells. There have been several reports of combinations of PDT with microbial derived products potentiating tumor response and leading to long-term anti-tumor immunity. In recent years the role of regulatory T-cells in suppressing anti-tumor immunity has been identified. Treatments such as low dose cyclophosphamide that selectively reduces T-regulatory cells can also be combined with PDT. Methods may bedeveloped to increase the expression of particular tumor antigens before PDT. Although so far these combination therapies have only been used in animal models, their use in clinical trials should receive careful consideration.
Rapid Aqueous Borohydride Reduction of Carbonyls Under Sealed-Tube Microwave Conditions

Abstract Ketones and aldehydes are conveniently and rapidly reduced to the corresponding alcohols in good yields using sodium borohydride under sealed-tube microwave conditions in either 95% ethanol or water. In purely aqueous systems, highly aliphatic substrates are sluggish, but this can be overcome by introducing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at the critical micelle concentration. With a 2:1 substrate/borohydride ratio and a reaction temperature of 100 °C, reduction is typically complete within 1 min in 95% ethanol and 5 min in water/SDS. The methodology is well suited for parallel and combinatorial synthetic approaches.
Gauge invariant formulation of strong WW scattering

Abstract Models of strong WW scattering in the s -wave can be represented in a gauge invariant fashion by defining an effective scalar propagator that represents the strong scattering dynamics. The σ ( qq → qqWW ) signal may then be computed in U-gauge from the complete set of tree amplitudes, just as in the standard model, without using the effective W approximation (EWA). The U-gauge “transcription” has a wider domain of validity than the EWA, and it provides complete distributions for the final state quanta, including experimentally important jet distributions that cannot be obtained from the EWA. Starting from the usual formulation in terms of unphysical Goldstone boson scattering amplitudes, the U-gauge transcription is verified by using BRS invariance to construct the complete set of gauge and Goldstone boson amplitudes in R Σ gauge.
Dispersion of mass and the complexity of randomized geometric algorithms

Abstract How much can randomness help computation? Motivated by this general question and by volume computation, one of the few instances where randomness provably helps, we analyze a notion of dispersion and connect it to asymptotic convex geometry. We obtain a nearly quadratic lower bound on the complexity of randomized volume algorithms for convex bodies in R n (the current best algorithm has complexity roughly n 4 , conjectured to be n 3 ). Our main tools, dispersion of random determinants and dispersion of the length of a random point from a convex body, are of independent interest and applicable more generally; in particular, the latter is closely related to the variance hypothesis from convex geometry. This geometric dispersion also leads to lower bounds for matrix problems and property testing.
Cultural services and activities: The association with self-rated health and quality of life

Background: Previous studies have shown that cultural participation has a positive effect on health and well-being. The aim of this study was to analyse how use of cultural services and participation in cultural activities is associated with self-rated health (SRH) and quality of life (QOL), using validated outcome measurements and key socio-demographic factors. Methods: The study data are drawn from the Regional Health and Well-being Study conducted in 2010 in Finland. (N = 31,000, response rate 48%). The data analysed in this paper consist of 11,905 respondents. Results: Logistic regression models adjusted for key socio-demographic factors showed that use of cultural services was associated with good SRH and good QOL. Also, associations were found between the practice of cultural activities and good SRH and QOL. However, the associations between activities and SRH and QOL were somewhat weaker. Conclusions: Use of cultural services and practicing cultural activities seem to have a positive association wi...
Flops, flips and perverse point sheaves on threefold stacks

1.2. Non-Gorenstein threefolds as stacks. In this paper we are concerned with generalizing the results of [Br00], [Ch02] to some Q-Gorenstein threefolds, using algebraic stacks, as commented in [Ch02], Section 1.8. It should be pointed out that Kawamata obtained some very general results [Ka01, Ka02], also using algebraic stacks, concentrating on equivalences (or embeddings) of derived categories in birational transformations. To avoid excessive overlap with Kawamata’s work, we emphasize the moduli construction of birational transformations.
Effects of Steam/Liquid Counterflow on Pressure-Transient Data From Two-Phase Geothermal Reservoirs

Numerical studies are performed to investigate the effects localized feedzones on the pressure transients in two-phase reservoirs. It is shown that gravity effects can significantly affect the pressure transients, because of the large difference in the density of liquid water and vapor. Production from such systems enhances steam/liquid water counterflow and expands the vapor-dominated zone at the top of the reservoir. Subcooled liquid regions develop in the center of the reservoir due to gravity drainage of cooler liquid water. The vapor zone will act as a constant pressure boundary and help stabilize the decline in the system. It is shown that the pressure transients at observation wells depend greatly on the location (depth) of the major feedzone; if this is not accounted for, large errors in deduced reservoir properties will result. At shallow observation points pressures may actually increase as a result of enhanced steam upflow due to production at a deep feedzone. 12 refs., 17 figs.
Low-Mass Neutron Stars and the Equation of State of Dense Matter

Neutron star radii provide useful information about the equation of state of neutron-rich matter. Particularly interesting is the density dependence of the equation of state (EOS). For example, the softening of the EOS at high density, where the pressure rises slower than anticipated, could signal a transition to an exotic phase. However, extracting the density dependence of the EOS requires measuring the radii of neutron stars for a broad range of masses. A "normal" 1.4 M☉ (M☉ = solar mass) neutron star has a central density of a few times the nuclear-matter saturation density (ρ0). In contrast, low-mass (0.5 M☉) neutron stars have central densities near ρ0, so their radii provide information about the EOS at low density. Unfortunately, low-mass neutron stars are rare because they may be hard to form. Instead, a precision measurement of nuclear radii of atomic nuclei may contain similar information. Indeed, we find a strong correlation between the neutron radius of 208Pb and the radius of a 0.5 M☉ neutron star. Thus, the radius of a 0.5 M☉ neutron star can be inferred from a measurement of the neutron radius of 208Pb. Comparing this value to the measured radius of a 1.4 M☉ neutron star should provide the strongest constraint to date on the density dependence of the EOS.
Evolution of surface-plasmon-polariton and Dyakonov–Tamm waves with the ambichirality of a partnering dielectric material

The planar interface of an isotropic homogeneous metal and an ambichiral dielectric material can guide surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) waves. The planar interface of an isotropic, homogeneous dielectric material and an ambichiral dielectric material can guide Dyakonov–Tamm waves. In either instance, we found that, as the ambichiral partnering material evolves into a finely chiral material, the solutions of the dispersion equation for surface-wave propagation evince convergence. The convergence is faster for Dyakonov–Tamm waves than for SPP waves.
NEW MODULI SPACES FROM STRING BACKGROUND INDEPENDENCE CONSISTENCY CONDITIONS

Abstract In string field theory an infinitesimal background deformation is implemented as a canonical transformation whose hamiltonian function is defined by moduli spaces of punctured Riemann surfaces having one special puncture. We show that the consistency conditions associated to the commutator of two deformations are implemented by virtue of the existence of moduli spaces of punctured surfaces with two special punctures. The spaces are antisymmetric under the exchange of the special punctures, and satisfy recursion relations relating them to moduli spaces with one special puncture and to string vertices. We develop the theory of moduli spaces of surfaces with arbitrary number of special punctures and indicate their relevance to the construction of a string field theory that makes no reference to a conformal background. Our results also imply a partial antibracket cohomology theorem for the string action.
A review of current procedures for normalizing aircraft flyover noise data to reference meteorological conditions

Procedures which are currently used to normalize raw aircraft noise data to reference weather conditions are reviewed. These procedures sometimes result in calculated values of molecular absorption which differ significantly from measured values, especially at higher frequencies. An explanation is offered for this discrepancy, and the effect which it has on normalized sound levels and on EPNL calculations is examined. It is found that when current procedures are used to correct raw data for weather effects, EPNL values computed from data acquired under relatively cool or dry conditions can be larger than EPNL values computed from data acquired under relatively warm or humid conditions, even when both sets of data describe the same noise source and both sets are normalized to the same reference weather conditions.
Inversion positivity and the sharp Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev inequality

We give a new proof of certain cases of the sharp HLS inequality. Instead of symmetric decreasing rearrangement it uses the reflection positivity of inversions in spheres. In doing this we extend a characterization of the minimizing functions due to Li and Zhu.
Financial Markets and Economic Growth

The current economic problems in Southeast Asia can be attributed not to too much reliance on financial markets, but to too little. Like the U.S. economy a century ago, the emerging Asian economies do not have welldeveloped capital markets and so remain heavily dependent on their banking systems to finance growth. For all its benefits, banking is “not only basically 19th-century technology, but disaster-prone technology.” The extreme maturity (and, in some cases, currency) mismatch on banks' balance sheets plus the first-come, first-served nature of the deposit obligations mean that banks are inherently vulnerable to massive runs by depositors—and that their economies are subjected to periodic credit crunches. And, as the author says, “in the summer of 1997 a banking-driven disaster struck in East Asia, just as it had struck so many times before in U.S. history.” In this century, In this century, the U.S. economy has steadily reduced its dependence on banks by developing “dispersed and decentralized” financial markets. In so doing, it has increased the efficiency of the U.S. capital allocation process and reduced its susceptibility to the credit crunches that have occurred throughout U.S. history. By contrast, Japan has not reduced its economy's dependence on banks, and its efforts to deal with its banking problems have served only to destabilize itself as well as its neighbors. Developing countries in Southeast Asia and elsewhere are urged not to follow the Japanese example, but to take measures aimed at developing financial markets and institutions that will either substitute for or complement bank products and services.
Cosmic Strings and the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe

We wish to demonstrate that the recently discovered large-scale structure of the Universe (voids and filaments) can be explained by cosmic strings. We also predict the presence of pointlike structures (''knobs'') of masses >10/sup 7/M/sub cirdot/ in the vicinity of larger galaxies. The present analysis is limited to order-of-magnitude estimates. A detailed analysis would necessarily have to go into the full nonlinear theory of the growth of fluctuations in the Universe.
Rhythms of ACTH and corticosteroid secretion in health and disease, and their experimental modification.

Abstract Detailed (q 5–30 min) sampling studies of both plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations in normal human subjects demonstrates an early morning major circadian rise and a decline over the subsequent 24 h period, on which are superimposed lesser, episodic fluctuations (both synchronous and asynchronous) of plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations. Marked concordance of bioassayable and immunoassayable plasma ACTH concentrations is present. The results of studies of ACTH-cortisol periodicity in patients with localized CNS disease or ocular blindness support the thesis of a neural origin of such periodicity. It is suggested that such a periodicity is endogenous, with the observed time of peaking related to some aspect(s) of the sleep-wake cycle, but synchronized by the dark-light cycle. Animal studies indicate that altered feeding schedules (without alteration of light-dark cycles) can alter the phase of corticosteroid periodicity, perhaps by alteration of the sleep-wake cycle. The presence of abnormal pituitary-adrenal periodicity in patients with Cushing's disease in remission lends support to the thesis of a neural etiology of this disease. Alteration of neonatal corticosteroid levels in the rat is associated with only temporary disruption of the normal periodicity of plasma cortocosteroid levels, and alterations of neonatal CNS amine content is not associated with any disruption of such periodicity.
How does implicit learning of search regularities alter the manner in which you search

Individuals are highly sensitive to statistical regularities in their visual environment, even when these patterns do not reach conscious awareness. Here, we examine whether oculomotor behavior is systematically altered when distractor/target configurations rarely repeat, but target location on an initial trial predicts the location of a target on the subsequent trial. The purpose of the current study was to explore whether this temporal-spatial con- textual cueing in a conjunction search task influences both reaction time to the target and participant's search strategy. Participants searched for a target through a gaze-contingent window in a display consisting of a large number of dis- tractors, providing a target-present/absent response. Par- ticipants were faster to respond to the target on the predicted trial relative to the predictor trial in an implicit contextual cueing task but were no more likely to fixate first to the target quadrant on the predicted trial (Experi- ment 1). Furthermore, implicit learning was interrupted when instructing participants to vary their searching strat- egy across trials to eliminate visual scan similarity (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, when participants were explicitly informed that a pattern was present at the start of the experiment, explicit learning was observed in both reaction time and eye movements. The present experiments provide evidence that implicit learning of sequential reg- ularities regarding target locations is not based on learning more efficient scan paths, but is due to some other
Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Program

Industry/NASA reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technology program efforts are underway to design, test, and develop technologies and concepts for viable commercial launch systems that also satisfy national needs at acceptable recurring costs. Significant progress has been made in understanding the technical challenges of fully reusable launch systems and the accompanying management and operational approaches for achieving a low cost program. This paper reviews the current status of the RLV technology program including the DC-XA, X-33 and X-34 flight systems and associated technology programs. It addresses the specific technologies being tested that address the technical and operability challenges of reusable launch systems including reusable cryogenic propellant tanks, composite structures, thermal protection systems, improved propulsion and subsystem operability enhancements. The recently concluded DC-XA test program demonstrated some of these technologies in ground and flight test. Contracts were awarded recently for both the X-33 and X-34 flight demonstrator systems. The Orbital Sciences Corporation X-34 flight test vehicle will demonstrate an air-launched reusable vehicle capable of flight to speeds of Mach 8. The Lockheed-Martin X-33 flight test vehicle will expand the test envelope for critical technologies to flight speeds of Mach 15. A propulsion program to test the X-33 linear aerospike rocket engine using a NASA SR-71 high speed aircraft as a test bed is also discussed. The paper also describes the management and operational approaches that address the challenge of new cost effective, reusable launch vehicle systems.
EXOPLANET TRANSIT PARALLAX

The timing and duration of exoplanet transits has a dependency on observer position due to parallax. In the case of an Earth-bound observer with a 2 AU baseline the dependency is typically small and slightly beyond the limits of current timing precision capabilities. However, it can become an important systematic effect in high-precision repeated transit measurements for long-period systems due to its relationship to secular perspective acceleration phenomena. In this short paper we evaluate the magnitude and characteristics of transit parallax in the case of exoplanets using simplified geometric examples. We also discuss further implications of the effect, including its possible exploitation to provide immediate confirmation of planetary transits and/or unique constraints on orbital parameters and orientations.
On the Reality of the Venus Winds

The Venera measurements of wind speed along with the Mariner measurements of lower-region of strong turbulence are evidence for a wide band of variable high speed retrograde horizontal winds which girdle Venus at the equator. In one interpretation of the Mariner 10 UV photographs, the 20km region above the top of the visible cloud is characterized by variable high-speed retrograde horizontal winds which orbit Venus with an average period of 4 earth days, and by many features indicating vertical convection. This suggests that the Venera-Mariner band of winds at 45km extends to the top of the UV cloud and beyond, and that the upper-region of strong turbulence detected by the Mariners may result from vertical convection currents carried along by high speed horizontal winds. In another interpretation, the predominate motions are attributed to wavelike disturbances with a 4-day period. For this case the upper-region of strong turbulence may be due in large part to vertical wind-shear resulting from a rapid decrease in wind speed within a relatively short distance about the Venera-Mariner band of high speed winds.
A volcanic origin for the outflow channels of Mars: Key evidence and major implications

Abstract The outflow channels of Mars are widely believed to have formed through aqueous outbursts from aquifers, implying the past existence of large near-surface water reservoirs and the past operation of a vigorous hydrological cycle. However, accepted mechanisms of channel development suffer from numerous weaknesses, including (1) reliance upon implausible hydrological assumptions; (2) requirement of water abundances that are orders of magnitude greater than can be justified by geochemical considerations; (3) reliance upon long-term conditions that may be incongruous with the preserved mineralogical record; (4) limited correspondence between expected and observed channel properties; and (5) reliance upon exotic aqueous processes for which there are no known solar system analogs. In contrast, channel characteristics are consistent with volcanic origins involving low viscosity lava flows and associated processes of thermal or mechanical erosion. The volcanic hypothesis is founded upon the existence of analog landforms on multiple bodies of the inner solar system and on corresponding analog processes that are variations on familiar terrestrial volcanic themes. Volcanic channel origins are compatible with available mineralogical and geochemical data and are consistent with the nature of preserved channel landforms. The volcanic hypothesis fits within a wider geological framework that economically accounts for the existence and nature of large outflow systems located on the Moon, Venus, and Mars. A volcanic origin reduces the probability that extensive aqueous environments existed during the Hesperian and Amazonian along the outflow channels and in associated terminal basins, and it narrows the possible range of Martian environments once hospitable to life.
Hypergraphs of multiparty secrets

The article considers interdependencies between secrets in a multiparty system. Each secret is assumed to be known only to a certain fixed set of parties. These sets can be viewed as edges of a hypergraph whose vertices are the parties of the system. The properties of interdependencies are expressed through a multi-argument relation called independence, which is a generalization of a binary relation also known as nondeducibility. The main result is a complete and decidable logical system that describes interdependencies that may exist on a fixed hypergraph. Additionally, the axioms and inference rules in this system are shown to be independent in the standard logical sense.
An embedded vision system for an unmanned four-rotor helicopter

In this paper an embedded vision system and control module is introduced that is capable of controlling an unmanned four-rotor helicopter and processing live video for various law enforcement, security, military, and civilian applications. The vision system is implemented on a newly designed compact FPGA board (Helios). The Helios board contains a Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGA chip and memory making it capable of implementing real time vision algorithms. A Smooth Automated Intelligent Leveling daughter board (SAIL), attached to the Helios board, collects attitude and heading information to be processed in order to control the unmanned helicopter. The SAIL board uses an electrolytic tilt sensor, compass, voltage level converters, and analog to digital converters to perform its operations. While level flight can be maintained, problems stemming from the characteristics of the tilt sensor limits maneuverability of the helicopter. The embedded vision system has proven to give very good results in its performance of a number of realtime robotic vision algorithms.
Should Physics Students Take a Course in Ethics? Physicists Respond

A survey was conducted of a subset of the physics community in order to gain insight into attitudes towards integrating ethics into the physics curriculum. The results indicated significant support among some groups for such an integration yet also revealed significant barriers to this process. Respondents were also asked to suggest topics which should be covered under the heading of ethical issues in physics. The great variety of results indicates both that there are many issues worth investigating and that many in the physics community have given a great deal of thought to these issues.
Effects of underwater noise on auditory sensitivity of a cyprinid fish

The ability of a fish to interpret acoustic information in its environment is crucial for its survival. Thus, it is important to understand how underwater noise affects fish hearing. In this study, the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) was used to examine: (1) the immediate effects of white noise exposure (0.3-4.0 kHz, 142 dB re: 1 microPa) on auditory thresholds and (2) recovery after exposure. Audiograms were measured using the auditory brainstem response protocol and compared to baseline audiograms of fathead minnows not exposed to noise. Immediately after exposure to 24 h of white noise, five out of the eight frequencies tested showed a significantly higher threshold compared to the baseline fish. Recovery was found to depend on both duration of noise exposure and auditory frequency. These results support the hypothesis that the auditory threshold of the fathead minnow can be altered by white noise, especially in its most sensitive hearing range (0.8-2.0 kHz), and provide evidence that these effects can be long term (>14 days).
Observation of a classical Cheshire cat in an optical interferometer

A recent neutron interferometry experiment claims to demonstrate a paradoxical phenomenon dubbed the “quantum Cheshire cat” [Nat. Commun.5, 4492 (2014)]. We have reproduced and extended these results with an equivalent optical interferometer. The results suggest that the photon travels through one arm of the interferometer, while its polarization travels through the other. However, we show that these experimental results belong to the domain where quantum and classical wave theories coincide; there is nothing uniquely quantum about the illusion of this Cheshire cat.
Where do manufacturing firms locate their headquarters

Firms often separate headquarters' (HQ) functions physically from their production facilities and construct stand-alone HQs. By locating its HQ in a large, service oriented metro area away from its production facilities, a firm may be better able to outsource service functions in that local metro market and also to gather information about market conditions for their products. However if the firm locates the HQ away from its production activity, the coordination costs in managing plant activities are increased. In this paper, we empirically analyze the trade-off between these two considerations.
Technology Clusters Versus Industry Clusters: Resources, Networks, And Regional Advantages

The tendency of firms to cluster within a region has been observed for quite some time. However, it is only over the past two decades that business researchers have focused much attention on clusters, particularly in terms of their entrepreneurial and innovative characteristics and potential. At the same time, regional developers around the world have put much effort in promoting the formation of clusters. A gap in such efforts is an understanding of the differences among types of clusters. This article draws a distinction between two generic types of clusters: technology-based and industry-focused. Using the resource-based view as the organizing framework, we argue that the two generic cluster types create very different regional resource profiles over time, accumulating resources in a different manner, cultivating different capabilities, and deriving different sources of regional advantage. As concluded in the study, these differences are likely to have implications for firms located in the regions as well as for economic developers and public policy officials charged with developing cluster strategies.