cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applications of controlled-flow laser-polarized xenon gas to porous and granular media study

We report initial NMR studies of continuous flow laser-polarized xenon gas, both in unrestricted tubing, and in a model porous media. The study uses Pulsed Gradient Spin Echo-based techniques in the gas-phase, with the aim of obtaining more sophisticated information than just translational self-diffusion coefficients. Pulsed Gradient Echo studies of continuous flow laser-polarized xenon gas in unrestricted tubing indicate clear diffraction minima resulting from a wide distribution of velocities in the flow field. The maximum velocity experienced in the flow can be calculated from this minimum, and is seen to agree with the information from the complete velocity spectrum, or motion propagator, as well as previously published images. The susceptibility of gas flows to parameters such as gas mixture content, and hence viscosity, are observed in experiments aimed at identifying clear structural features from echo attenuation plots of gas flow in porous media. Gas-phase NMR scattering, or position correlation flow-diffraction, previously clearly seen in the echo attenuation data from laser-polarized xenon flowing through a 2 mm glass bead pack is not so clear in experiments using a different gas mixture. A propagator analysis shows most gas in the sample remains close to static, while a small portion moves through a presumably near-unimpeded path at high velocities.
Disposition Is Not Action: The Rise and Demise of the Knights of Labor

Recent theoretical and historical studies of working-class formation have raised important doubts about standard interpretations of the American working class. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the renewed debate over “American exceptionalism,” that unexpected combination of political conservatism and weak working-class institutions in the nation that underwent the modern world's first democratic revolution. Once it was popular to argue that American workers felt no need for collective action, either because of a classlessness that was firmly rooted in the psyche of the first new nation or because of an innate job consciousness that was able to attain full flowering only in the United States, that most bourgeois of countries. But two decades of social history have documented such a rich diversity of militant working-class activity that such explanations are now rarely invoked.
Evaluating support for features in advanced modularization technologies

A software product-line is a family of related programs. Each program is defined by a unique combination of features, where a feature is an increment in program functionality. Modularizing features is difficult, as feature-specific code often cuts across class boundaries. New modularization technologies have been proposed in recent years, but their support for feature modules has not been thoroughly examined. In this paper, we propose a variant of the expression problem as a canonical problem in product-line design. The problem reveals a set of technology-independent properties that feature modules should exhibit. We use these properties to evaluate five technologies: AspectJ, Hyper/J, Jiazzi, Scala, and AHEAD. The results suggest an abstract model of feature composition that is technology-independent and that relates compositional reasoning with algebraic reasoning.
Symmetries of plane partitions and the permanent-determinant method

Abstract R. P. Stanley (1986, J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 43 , 103–113) gives formulas for the number of plane partitions in each of 10 symmetry classes. This paper together with papers of G. Andrews ( J. Combin. Theory Ser. A , to appear) and J. Stembridge (The enumeration of totally symmetric plane partitions, preprint) completes the project of proving all 10 formulas. We enumerate cyclically symmetric, self—complementary plane partitions. We first convert plane partitions to tilings of a hexagon in the plane by rhombuses, or equivalently to matchings in a certain planar graph. We can then use the permanent—determinant method or a variant, the Hafnian-Pfaffian method, to obtain the answer as the determinant or Pfaffian of a matrix in each of the 10 cases. We row-reduce the resulting matrix in the case under consideration to prove the formula. A similar row-reduction process can be carried out in many of the other cases, and we analyze three other symmetry classes of plane partitions for comparison.
Single-molecule binding of CD44 to fibrin versus P-selectin predicts their distinct shear-dependent interactions in cancer

P-selectin and fibrin(ogen) have pivotal roles in the hematogenous dissemination of tumor cells. CD44 variant isoforms, CD44v, have been identified as the major functional P-selectin ligands and fibrin receptors on metastatic colon carcinoma cells. The molecular recognition of CD44v by fibrin mediates firm adhesion at low shear, whereas CD44v–P-selectin binding supports transient rolling interactions at elevated shear stresses and low site densities of P-selectin. We used single-molecule force spectroscopy to provide a molecular interpretation for these two distinct adhesion events. The CD44v–P-selectin bond has a longer unstressed equilibrium lifetime, a lower reactive compliance and a higher tensile strength relative to the CD44v–fibrin bond. These intrinsic differences confer the ability to the CD44v–P-selectin pair to mediate binding at higher shear stresses. Increasing the duration of receptor–ligand contact (2–200 milliseconds) did not affect the micromechanical properties of the CD44v–P-selectin bond, but it increased the tensile strength and the depth of the free energy barrier of the CD44v–fibrin bond and decreased its reactive compliance. This bond strengthening at longer interaction times might explain why CD44v binding to immobilized fibrin occurs at low shear. Single-molecule characterization of receptor–ligand binding can predict the shear-dependent adhesive interactions between cells and substrates observed both in vitro and in vivo.
Interprocessor communication with limited memory

Many parallel applications require periodic redistribution of workloads and associated data. In a distributed memory computer, this redistribution can be difficult if limited memory is available for receiving messages. We propose a model for optimizing the exchange of messages under such circumstances which we call the minimum phase remapping problem. We first show that the problem is NP-complete, and then analyze several methodologies for addressing it. First, we show how the problem can be phrased as an instance of multicommodity flow. Next, we study a continuous approximation to the problem. We show that this continuous approximation has a solution which requires at most two more phases than the optimal discrete solution, but the question of how to consistently obtain a good discrete solution from the continuous problem remains open. We also devise a simple and practical approximation algorithm for the problem with a bound of 1.5 times the optimal number of phases. We also present an empirical study of variations of our algorithms which indicate that our approaches are quite practical.
X-Rays as Probe of Liquid Interfaces

Abstract The manner in which liquid surfaces can be studied by X-ray scattering is briefly reviewed. References are given to recent experimental results on the average electron density along the surface normal, on thermally induced roughness of liquid surfaces, and on the two-dimensional ordered structures of insoluble monolayers on liquid surfaces.
The Judicial Community

The root of positivism is the idea that a legal system's criteria of legal validity have authoritative status just in virtue of social facts, where social facts consist of the behavior, beliefs, dispositions, and attitudes of certain persons in the community whose legal system it is. John Austin's version of positivism treated the seat of command (or legislation) as the scene of the social facts constitutive of law's authority, and habitual obedience as the relevant form of those facts. Modern positivists, following H.L.A. Hart, have instead treated the scene of adjudication as the source, and following a social rule as the form of those facts. But there are notorious problems with the conventionalist account of law's authority, central among which is that it makes mysterious the persistence of law's authority in circumstances of serious and pervasive disagreement. Taking up a proposal by Scott Shapiro and Jules Coleman, I propose a way of understanding the social facts constitutive of a community's authoritative criteria of legality in terms of judicial collective action. This model of collective action grounds law's normativity socially, despite judicial disagreement, thus maintaining the insight of positivism.
Pseudoscalar decay constants, light-quark masses, and $B_K$ from mixed-action lattice QCD

We present updated results for the leptonic decay constants fp and fK, the light u, d, and s-quark masses, and the neutral kaon mixing parameter BK from mixed-action lattice simulations with staggered sea quarks and domain-wall valence quarks. We use the publicly-available 2+1 flavor MILC asqtad-improved staggered gauge configurations with multiple light sea-quark masses and three lattice spacings, and compute the kaon mixing matrix element with several partiallyquenched valence-quark masses. We then extrapolate to the physical light-quark masses and the continuum using partially-quenched chiral perturbation theory formulated for mixed-action lattice simulations. For BK we match the lattice four-fermion operator to the continuum using the nonperturbative method of Rome-Southampton. Our new results benefit from two significant improvements over our published work: (1) we have added a third lattice spacing of a 0.06 fm to better control the continuum extrapolation, and (2) we have implemented a new lattice renormalization scheme (the RI/SMOMgm scheme developed by Sturm et al.) that suppresses chiralsymmetry breaking and other infrared effects and, in practice, also shrinks the size of the 1-loop perturbative coefficient needed to match to the continuum MS scheme. When combined with the use of volume-averaged momentum sources and twisted-boundary conditions, this significantly reduces the systematic uncertainty in the renormalization factor ZBK .
Spray-Layer-by-Layer Carbon Nanotube/Electrospun Fiber Electrodes for Flexible Chemiresistive Sensor Applications

Development of a versatile method for incorporating conductive materials into textiles could enable advances in wearable electronics and smart textiles. One area of critical importance is the detection of chemicals in the environment for security and industrial process monitoring. Here, the fabrication of a fl exible, sensor material based on functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) fi lms on a porous electrospun fi ber mat for real-time detection of a nerve agent simulant is reported. The material is constructed by layer-bylayer (LbL) assembly of MWNTs with opposite charges, creating multilayer fi lms of MWNTs without binder. The vacuum-assisted spray-LbL process enables conformal coatings of nanostructured MWNT fi lms on individual electrospun fi bers throughout the bulk of the mat with controlled loading and electrical conductivity. A thiourea-based receptor is covalently attached to the primary amine groups on the MWNT fi lms to enhance the sensing response to dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a simulant for sarin nerve agent. Chemiresistive sensors based on the engineered textiles display reversible responses and detection limits for DMMP as low as 10 ppb in the aqueous phase and 5 ppm in the vapor phase. This fabrication technique provides a versatile and easily scalable strategy for incorporating conformal MWNT fi lms into three-dimensional substrates for numerous applications.
Forces on a Sphere Moving Steadily Along a Circular Path in a Viscous Fluid

Abstract : Forces on a sphere moving steadily along a circular path in viscous fluid are measured and it is found that within the experimental range both the longitudinal and normal forces are dependent on the Reynolds number and not on the radius of the path. Thus, the conventional drag coefficient can also be obtained from a rotational motion. (Author)
Structural Response of Piping to Internal Gas Detonation

Detonation waves in gas-filled piping or tubing pose special challenges in analysis and prediction of structural response. The challenges arise due to the nature of the detonation process and the role of fluid-structure interaction in determining the propagation and arrest of fractures. Over the past 10 years, our laboratory has been engaged in studying this problem and developing methodologies for estimating structural response. A brief overview of detonation waves and some key issues relevant to structural waves is presented first. This is followed by a summary of our work on the elastic response of tubes and pipes to ideal detonation loading, highlighting the importance of detonation wave speed in determining, flexural wave excitation and possibility of resonant response leading to large deformations. Some issues in measurement technique and validation testing are then presented. The importance of wave reflection from bends, valves, and dead ends is discussed, as well as the differences between detonation, shock wave, and uniform internal pressure loading. Following this, we summarize our experimental findings on the fracture threshold of thin-walled tubes with pre-existing flaws. A particularly important issue for hazard analysis is the estimation of loads associated with flame acceleration and deflagration-to-detonation transition. We give some recent results on pressure and elastic strain measurements in the transition regime for a thick-wall piping, and some remarks about plastic deformation.
Does Protecting Older Workers From Discrimination Make It Harder to Get Hired? Evidence From Disability Discrimination Laws:

We explore the effects of disability discrimination laws on hiring of older workers. A concern with antidiscrimination laws is that they may reduce hiring by raising the cost of terminations and—in...
The Strength of Weak Ties

Analysis of social networks is suggested as a tool for linking micro and macro levels of sociological theory. The procedure is illustrated by elaboration of the macro implications of one aspect of small-scale interaction: the strength of dyadic ties. It is argued that the degree of overlap of two individuals' friendship networks varies directly with the strength of their tie to one another. The impact of this principle on diffusion of influence and information, mobility opportunity, and community organization is explored. Stress is laid on the cohesive power of weak ties. Most network models deal, implicitly, with strong ties, thus confining their applicability to small, well-defined groups. Emphasis on weak ties lends itself to discussion of relations between groups and to analysis of segments of social structure not easily defined in terms of primary groups.
Core Networks and Whites’ Attitudes Toward Immigrants and Immigration Policy

Recent immigration has made the United States significantly more racially and ethnically diverse. These demographic changes prompt questions regarding intergroup conflict. With data from the 2004 General Social Survey and the 2000 Census, I add to this discussion by using multilevel models to evaluate a network perspective in predicting native born whites' attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy. The results indicate that native-born whites who are embedded in educated core networks with nonwhite alters are likely to hold pro-immigrant atti tudes, while those who are embedded in older and tighter core networks are likely to hold anti-immigrant attitudes, controlling for individual- and group-level factors. Personal contacts play an important role in shaping native-born whites' opinions of immigrants and immigration policy, re gardless of the presence of or interaction with immigrants. At the same time, core networks also condition the effects of group threat and inter group contact on immigration attitudes, suggesting that the interpersonal environment and the broader social environment interact during opinion formation.
University R&D Funding Strategies in a Changing Federal Funding Environment

This paper evaluates how changes in US National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding levels affected US universities’ total biomedical R&D efforts, over a period of dramatic change in the federal funding environment. Instrumental variables estimation reveals that during the NIH budget doubling period (1998–2003), each federal dollar that US universities received spurred an additional $0.26 in research support from non-federal sources, with stronger complementarity found among historically less-research-intensive institutions. However, in the more competitive postdoubling environment (2006 onwards), the more research-intensive PhD-granting universities substituted funding from non-federal sources to maintain stable levels of R&D expenditures. In contrast, at non-PhD-granting and historically less-research-intensive institutions, total R&D funding and expenditures declined overall with reduced availability of federal funds. However, the effect of successful federal applications on subsequent non-federal investment remained significant and positive for this latter group, suggesting federal R&D funding may play an important signaling role.
Group versus individual performance: Are N + 1 heads better than one?

Experimental comparisons of groups and individuals were analyzed on four dimensions: task, process, individual differences, and methodology. A standardized terminology based on Lorge, Fox, Davitz, and Brenner was developed to preserve operational definitions in the comparisons of (a) group versus individual, (b) group versus the most competent individual in an aggregate, (c) group versus pooled responses of an aggregate, and (d) group versus math models of performance. Research supported Steiner's theory of process loss but also suggested evidence for process gain. To avoid confounding of group conditions and subject variables, this review-focused on the results of random assignment of subjects to conditions. Belief in the adage that two heads are
Glucose conjugation for the specific targeting and treatment of cancer

Cancers of diverse origins exhibit marked glucose avidity and high rates of aerobic glycolysis. Increased understanding of this dysfunctional metabolism known as the Warburg effect has led to an interest in targeting it for cancer therapy. One promising strategy for such targeting is glycoconjugation, the linking of a drug to glucose or another sugar. This review summarizes the most salient examples of glycoconjugates, in which known cytotoxins or anticancer therapeutics have been linked to glucose (or another glucose transporter substrate sugar) for improved cancer targeting and selectivity. Building on these examples, this review also provides a series of guidelines for the design and mechanistic evaluation of future glycoconjugates.
Update and Critique of Natural Remedies as Antidepressant Treatments

The popularity of natural or "alternative" remedies to treat medical and psychiatric disorders has accelerated dramatically over the past decade, in the United States and worldwide. This article reviews the evidence for clinical efficacy, active ingredients, mechanisms of action, recommended dosages, and toxicities of the 3 best-studied putative natural antidepressants, St. John's wort (hypericum), S-adenosyl methionine, and the Omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Despite growing evidence for efficacy and safety, more comprehensive studies are required before these remedies can be recommended as safe and effective alternatives or adjuncts to conventional psychotropic agents. There are limited data regarding safety in pregnancy and during lactation, and caution is therefore recommended in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Consumer Acceptability of Milk from Cows Treated with Bovine Somatotropin

Experimental auction markets were used to investigate the acceptability to undergraduate students of milk from cows treated with bST. The auction market was used to elicit willingness of participants to pay to exchange "bST milk" for "normal" milk when given repeated market participation. The results suggest that more than 60% of participants would purchase milk from cows treated with bST at economically feasible discounts.
Analysis of event-related fMRI data using best clustering bases

We explore a new paradigm for the analysis of event-related functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) of brain activity. We regard the fMRI data as a very large set of time series x/sub i/(t), indexed by the position i of a voxel inside the brain. The decision that a voxel i/sub 0/ is activated is based not solely on the value of the fMRI signal at i/sub 0/, but rather on the comparison of all time series x/sub i/(t) in a small neighborhood W/sub i(0)/ around i/sub 0/. We construct basis functions on which the projection of the fMRI data reveals the organization of the time series x/sub i/(t) into activated and nonactivated clusters. These clustering basis functions are selected from large libraries of wavelet packets according to their ability to separate the fMRI time series into the activated cluster and a nonactivated cluster. This principle exploits the intrinsic spatial correlation that is present in the data. The construction of the clustering basis functions described in this paper is applicable to a large category of problems where time series are indexed by a spatial variable.
Phase Equilibria in the Lead–Magnesium–Niobium–Oxygen System at 1000°C

Phase equilibria in the PbO–MgO–Nb2O5 system have been determined at 1000°C and 1 atm. A solid-solution range of the cubic pyrochlore phase was observed and the extent of that domain was determined. This solid solution equilibrates with the surrounding ternary and binary compounds to form a series of diphasic areas. The compatibility relations between all phases were determined except for a small domain where at least six lead niobate phases were stable within a very short range of compositions. The formation of pyrochlore impurities during the processing of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 perovskite is discussed in relation to the phase diagram.
Fast light in fully coherent gain media

We analyze the propagation of fast-light pulses through a finite-length resonant gain medium both analytically and numerically. We find that intrinsic instabilities can be avoided in attaining a substantial peak advance with an ultrashort rather than a long or adiabatic probe.
Optical gain analysis of strain-compensated InGaN–AlGaN quantum well active regions for lasers emitting at 420–500 nm

Strain-compensated InGaN quantum wells with tensile AlGaN barriers are analyzed as improved gain media for laser diodes emitting at 420–500 nm. The band structure is calculated using the 6-band k ·p formalism, taking into account valence band mixing, strain effect, and spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations. The optical gain analysis exhibits significant improvement in the peak optical gain and differential gain for the strain-compensated structures. The calculation also shows a significant reduction of threshold carrier density and current density for diode lasers employing the strain-compensated InGaN–AlGaN QW active regions.
Path planning for chaining geospatial web services

Semantic Web technologies provide a promising prospect for automatic discovery and chaining of geospatial Web services. This paper addresses semantic geospatial Web services, particularly the path planning for service chaining. We use OWL-S to represent the geospatial semantic Web service. A graph with nodes representing services and connection weights representing degrees of semantic matching between nodes is formulated using information from multiple geospatial semantic Web services. The graph is used to build logical path models, which can be instantiated to a physical service chain for execution. A prototype system, which includes a real world geospatial model, is implemented to demonstrate the concept and approach.
Pseudocodewords of Tanner Graphs

This paper presents a detailed analysis of pseudocodewords of Tanner graphs. Pseudocodewords arising on the iterative decoder's computation tree are distinguished from pseudocodewords arising on finite degree lifts. Lower bounds on the minimum pseudocodeword weight are presented for the BEC, BSC, and AWGN channel. Some structural properties of pseudocodewords are examined, and pseudocodewords and graph properties that are potentially problematic with min-sum iterative decoding are identified. An upper bound on the minimum degree lift needed to realize a particular irreducible lift-realizable pseudocodeword is given in terms of its maximal component, and it is shown that all irreducible lift-realizable pseudocodewords have components upper bounded by a finite value t that is dependent on the graph structure. Examples and different Tanner graph representations of individual codes are examined and the resulting pseudocodeword distributions and iterative decoding performances are analyzed. The results obtained provide some insights in relating the structure of the Tanner graph to the pseudocodeword distribution and suggest ways of designing Tanner graphs with good minimum pseudocodeword weight.
Computational Complexity and Black Hole Horizons

Computational complexity is essential to understanding the properties of black hole horizons. The problem of Alice creating a firewall behind the horizon of Bob's black hole is a problem of computational complexity. In general we find that while creating firewalls is possible, it is extremely difficult and probably impossible for black holes that form in sudden collapse, and then evaporate. On the other hand if the radiation is bottled up then after an exponentially long period of time firewalls may be common. It is possible that gravity will provide tools to study problems of complexity; especially the range of complexity between scrambling and exponential complexity.
Preview-based optimal inversion for output tracking: application to scanning tunneling microscopy

Optimal inversion of system dynamics can be used to design inputs that achieve precision output tracking. However, a challenge in implementing the optimal-inversion approach is that the resulting inverse input tends to be noncausal. The noncausality of the optimal inverse implies that the desired output trajectory must be pre-specified and cannot be changed online. Therefore, the optimal inverse can only be used in trajectory-planning applications (where the desired output is known in advance for all future time). The main contribution of this article is the development of a technique to compute the noncausal optimal inverse when the desired output trajectory is known in advance for only a finite time interval. This future time interval, during which the desired output trajectory is specified, is referred to as the preview time. Additionally, this article develops a time-domain implementation of the optimal inverse and quantifies the required preview time in terms of the specified accuracy in output tracking, the system dynamics, and the cost function used to develop the optimal inverse. The proposed approach is applied to precision (subnanoscale) positioning of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), which is a key enabling tool in emerging nanotechnologies. Experimental results are presented which show that finite preview of the desired output trajectory is sufficient to operate the STM at high speeds.
TECHNOLOGY IN THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS CLASSROOM: ARE WE ON THE RIGHT PATH?

This paper surveys the extent and application of Internet-enhanced course instruction in agricultural economics. We find that roughly thirty percent of agricultural economics courses have websites and that the purpose of these websites is to distribute course documents. We argue that this application substitutes readily for traditional teaching methods. According to production economics principles, introduction of an input that substitutes readily for an existing input will not increase production. Therefore, we would not expect course websites used in this manner to greatly enhance learning. We briefly discuss Internet-based tools that offer greater potential benefits than simple document distribution.
A photoprecursor for difluorocarbene

4,4-Difluoropyrazolidine-3,5-dione was synthesized as a precursor for the corresponding pyrazolinedione, envisioned as a photochemical source of difluorocarbene. However, this azo compound proved to be far too unstable. In contrast, 10,10-difluorobicyclo[4.3.1]deca-1,3,5-triene, readily synthesized from indane, was found to be a practical source of difluorocarbene for photochemical as well as thermal cyclopropanation reactions.
High-Resolution Spectroscopy of the Transiting Planet Host Star TrES-1

We report on a spectroscopic determination of the stellar parameters and chemical abundances for the parent star of the transiting planet TrES-1. Based on a detailed analysis of iron lines in our Keck and Hobby-Eberly Telescope spectra, we derive K, , and . By measuring the Ca ii T p 5250 75 log g p 4.6 0.2 [Fe/H] p 0.00 0.09 eff activity indicator and by putting useful upper limits on the Li abundance, we constrain the age of TrES-1 to be Gyr. By comparing theoretical stellar evolution models with the observational parameters, we obtain 2.5 1.5 and . Our improved estimates of the stellar parameters are utilized M p 0.89 0.05 MR p 0.83 0.05 R , , in a new analysis of the transit photometry of TrES-1 to derive a mass , a radius M p (0.76 0.05) MR p p J p , and an inclination deg. The improved planetary mass and radius estimates provide the 0.08 0.5 1.04 Ri p 89.5 0.05 J 1.3 grounds for new crucial tests of theoretical models of evolution and evaporation of irradiated extrasolar giant planets. Subject headings: planetary systems: formation — stars: abundances — stars: individual (TrES-1) Online material: color figure
The Allocation of Talent and U.S. Economic Growth

Over the last 50 years, there has been a remarkable convergence in the occupational distribution between white men, women, and blacks. We measure the macroeconomicconsequencesofthisconvergencethroughtheprismofaRoymodel of occupational choice in which women and blacks face frictions in the labor market and in the accumulation of human capital. The changing frictions implied by the observed occupational convergence account for 15 to 20 percent of growth in aggregate output per worker since 1960.
Exploring the Foreclosure Contagion Effect Using Agent-Based Modeling

Over the last several years, the United States has experienced a significant recession. During this downturn, the number of real estate foreclosures has risen drastically. Recent studies have demonstrated a reduction in property values due to neighboring foreclosures—known as the foreclosure contagion effect. This study uses an agent-based modeling approach to explore market-wide emergent behavior that results from the interconnected property-agent behavior. Specifically, we find that the magnitude of the foreclosure contagion effect is a less powerful cause of eventual market collapse than the time a foreclosed property is allowed to linger on the market. This is important because disposition time is much easier to address from a policymaker perspective than is the strength of the foreclosure contagion effect.
The Brave New World of Medical Standards of Care

There have always been medical standards of care in the American health-care sector. However, never before have they been so deeply incorporated in the delivery of health care as they are today. With the increased delivery of care through integrated delivery systems, as well as the development of the computerized patient record, medical standards of care are now used in innovative ways by providers and health plans in delivering health care to individual patients. There is great potential for even more innovative uses of medical standards of care in the future. This article first presents a taxonomy of the medical standards of care that are involved in health-care delivery today Next, the article traces the historical evolution of medical standards of care since the early 1980s. Included in this discussion are the origins of the standard-setting movement as well as the developments that led to the way standards of care are currently used by large institutional providers and managed care plans to improve the quality of their health-care services. The article concludes with a brief analysis of the key legal issues that affect how standards of care can be used to improve the health care of patients.
Optimal Resource Allocation in Overlay Multicast

Although initially proposed as the deployable alternative to IP multicast, the overlay network actually revolutionizes the way network applications can be built. In this paper, we study the rate allocation problem in overlay-based multirate multicast, which can be understood as a utility-based resource allocation problem. Each receiver is associated with a utility defined as a function of its streaming rate. Our goal is to maximize the aggregate utility of all receivers, subject to network capacity constraint and data constraint. The latter constraint is unique in overlay multicast, mainly due to the dual role of end hosts as both receivers and senders. We use a price-based approach to address this problem. Two types of prices, network price and data price, are generated with regard to the two constraints of the problem. A distributed algorithm is proposed, where each receiver adjusts its flow rate according to the associated network price and data price. The algorithm is proved to converge to the optimal point, where the aggregate utility of all receivers is maximized. We implement our algorithm using an end-host-based protocol. Our protocol purely relies on the coordination of end hosts to accomplish tasks originally assigned to network routers, which makes it directly deployable to the existing network infrastructure
Analysis and synthesis of a class of discrete-time neural networks with nonlinear interconnections

A qualitative analysis and a synthesis procedure for a class of discrete-time, synchronous neural networks with nonlinear interconnections (of polynomial form) are presented. Networks generated by the present synthesis procedure have, in general, greater memory storage capacity than corresponding networks with a linear interconnecting structure. The qualitative results that constitute the basis of the synthesis procedure include a simple stability test for the equilibrium points of the class of networks considered. Conditions under which such networks are globally stable have not been identified at this time. To simplify the presentation, the authors confine themselves to second-order polynomial network interconnections; however, the qualitative results and the synthesis procedure developed apply to networks with higher order polynomial interconnections as well. >
Trends in the Development of Radiometry

The presentation of the history of radiometry is divided into two periods separated by 1959, the year that the first laser was reported. In contrast to the coverage of the second period which relies heavily on the original sources, the coverage of the first period relies mostly on review material. The presentation is slanted toward work reported in the English language. This is particularly true of the second period. The presentation also tends to emphasize radiometric standards.
Computing Boundary Slopes of 2-Bridge Links

We describe an algorithm for computing boundary slopes of 2bridge links. As an example, we work out the slopes of the links obtained by 1/k surgery on one component of the Borromean rings. A table of all boundary slopes of all 2-bridge links with 10 or less crossings is also included.
Invasive Species Management through Tariffs: Are Prevention and Protection Synonymous?

This Paper designs a political economy model of invasive species management in order to explore the effectiveness of tariffs in mitigating the risk of invasion. The revenue interests of the government together with the interests of the lobby group competing with the imported agricultural commodity, that is believed to be the vector of invasive species, are incorporated in a Nash Bargaining game. The government, however, also considers the impact of tariffs on long run risks of invasion and decides optimal tariffs based upon its welfare in the pre and post-invasion scenarios. Along with the size of the lobby group, which is a function of the slope of the demand and supply curves, the weights assigned to the various components in the government welfare function too play a key role in influencing the extent to which tariffs could be an effective policy tool for invasive species management.
A New Planet around an M Dwarf: Revealing a Correlation between Exoplanets and Stellar Mass

We report precise Doppler measurements of GJ 317 (M3.5 V) that reveal the presence of a planet with a minimum mass M_P sin i = 1.2 M_(Jup) in an eccentric, 692.9 day orbit. GJ 317 is only the third M dwarf with a Doppler-detected Jovian planet. The residuals to a single-Keplerian fit show evidence of a possible second orbital companion. The inclusion of a second Jupiter-mass planet (P ≈ 2700 days, M_P sin i = 0.83 M_(Jup)) decreases √X_v^2 from 2.02 to 1.23, and reduces the rms from 12.5 to 6.32 m s^(-1). A false-alarm test yields a 1.1% probability that the curvature in the residuals of the single-planet fit is due to random fluctuations, lending additional credibility to the two-planet model. However, our data only marginally constrain a two-planet fit, and further monitoring is necessary to fully characterize the properties of the second companion. To study the effect of stellar mass on giant planet occurrence, we measure the fraction of stars with planets in three mass bins comprised of our samples of M Dwarfs, solar-mass stars, and intermediate-mass subgiants. We find a positive correlation between stellar mass and the occurrence rate of Jovian planets within 2.5 AU. Low-mass K and M stars have a 1.8% ± 1.0% planet occurrence rate compared to 4.2% ± 0.7% for solar-mass stars and 8.9% ± 2.9% for the higher mass subgiants. This result indicates that the former F- and A-type stars with M_* ≥ 1.3 M_☉ in our sample are nearly 5 times more likely than the M dwarfs to harbor a giant planet. Our analysis shows that the correlation between Jovian planet occurrence and stellar mass exists even after correcting for the effects of stellar metallicity.
Mobility for heterogeneous SmallNets

In this paper we consider mobility in a network of converged small-cell gateways, each capable of aggregating cellular and unlicensed bandwidth by combining a WiFi Access Point and a cellular base station within a single-box. A network of such gateways must provide mobility services in a decentralized fashion and we demonstrate how this may be accomplished by taking advantage of Proxy Mobile IPv6 the network-based version of the Mobile IP protocol. We also describe how throughput may be increased and Internet Protocol Flows may be maintained when either the cellular or WiFi connections degrade, improving the user experience. Furthermore, we show how the networks of gateways can be used to offload the mobile core network, using the concepts of Selected Internet Protocol Traffic Offload and Distributed Mobility Management.
SIEGEL MODULAR FORMS OF GENUS 2 ATTACHED TO ELLIPTIC CURVES

The object of this article is to construct certain classes of arithmetically significant, holomorphic Siegel cusp forms F of genus 2, which are neither of Saito-Kurokawa type, in which case the degree 4 spinor L-function L(s, F ) is divisible by an abelian L-function, nor of Yoshida type, in which case L(s, F ) is a product of L-series of a pair of elliptic cusp forms. In other words, for each F in the class of holomorphic Siegel cusp forms we construct below, which includes those of scalar weight ≥ 3, the cuspidal automorphic representation π of GSp(4,A) generated by F is neither CAP, short for Cuspidal Associated to a Parabolic, nor endoscopic, i.e., one arising as the transfer of a cusp form on GL(2)×GL(2), and consequently, L(s, F ) is not a product of L-series of smaller degrees. A key example of the first kind of Siegel modular forms we construct is furnished by the following result, which will be used in [34]:
Phase Equilibria and Crystal Chemistry in the BaO-Al2O3-Nb2O5 and BaO-Nb2O5 Systems

Abstract Subsolidus phase equilibria in the BaO–Al2O3–Nb2O5 system at ≈1250 °C in air have been determined. Ternary compound formation in this system is limited to one new phase, Ba5.75Al0.75Nb9.25O30 (Ba6−xAl1−xNb9+xO30, x=0.25), with a tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB)-type structure (P4bm (No. 100); a=12.558(1), c=3.9708(3) A), and solid solutions of 1–2 mol% Al2O3 in TTB-related phases that form in the binary BaO–Nb2O5 system from 25 to 41 mol% BaO. Ba5.75Al0.75Nb9.25O30 exhibited an ambient permittivity of 242 (1 MHz); no indication of ferroelectric behavior was observed in the temperature range 100–400 K. This TTB-type compound exhibited no detectable range in composition and decomposed to other solid phases near 1275 °C, approximately 15 °C below the solidus. For the binary BaO–Nb2O5 phase diagram, the results of the present study suggest the following alterations in the region between 0 and 50 mol% BaO: the high-BaO end of the TTB-related solid solution was observed to extend past the previously reported limit of Ba3Nb10O28 to 41 mol% BaO, and the compound previously reported to occur near 6BaO:7Nb2O5 formed as a line compound at 47.5 mol% BaO (=Ba0.9Nb2O5.9), with a hexagonal unit cell (P6/mmm (No. 191); a=21.044(1), c=3.9787(2) A) and an X-ray powder pattern analogous to that of hexagonal BaTa2O6. Also reported here are single-crystal X-ray structural refinements of Ba5Nb4O15 ( P 3 m1 (No. 164); a=5.7960(5), c=11.7880(6) A; Z=1) and air/water sensitive Ba3Nb2O8 ( R 3 m (No. 166); a=6.0477(13), c=21.289(5) A; Z=3). The results are in good agreement with previously suggested structural models from X-ray powder diffraction studies. Indexed X-ray powder diffraction data are given for Ba5.75Al0.75Nb9.25O30, four phases with TTB-related superstructures in the BaO–Nb2O5 system (i.e. Ba3.3Nb10O28.3, Ba3Nb10O28, BaNb4O11, and BaNb6O16), and Ba0.9Nb2O5.9.
Optical manipulation of intrinsic localized vibrational energy in cantilever arrays

Optically-induced real-time impurity modes are used to shepherd intrinsic localized vibrational modes (discrete breathers) along micromechanical arrays via either attractive or repulsive interactions. Adding an electrode to the cantilever array provides control of the sign of lattice anharmonicity, hence allowing both hard and soft nonlinearities to be studied. A number of dynamical effects are demonstrated and explained, including the optical tweezing of localized vibrational energy in a nonlinear lattice.
Material Property Identification and Sensitivity Analysis Using Micro-Indentation

Mechanical properties of materials in small-scale applications, such as thin coatings, are often different from those of bulk materials due to the difference in the manufacturing process. Indentation has been a convenient tool to study the mechanical properties in such applications. In this paper, a numerical technique is proposed that can identify the mechanical properties using optimization and evaluate the robustness of identified material properties using sensitivity analysis. First, two response surfaces are constructed for loading and unloading curves from the indentation experiment of a gold film on the silicon substrate. Unessential coefficients of the response surface are then removed based on the test statistics. Unlike the traditional methods of identification, the tip geometry of the indenter is included because its uncertainty significantly affects the results. In order to validate the accuracy and stability of the method, the sensitivity of the identified material properties with respect to each coefficient is analyzed. It turns out that the plastic hardening parameter is the most sensitive to the experimental data. In addition, all material parameters are sensitive to the coefficients of higher-order bases. However, their effects are diminished because the magnitudes of these coefficients are small.
Wireless erasure networks with feedback

Consider a lossy packet network of queues, communicating over a wireless medium. This paper presents a throughput-optimal transmission strategy for a unicast network when feedback is available, which has the following advantages: It requires a very limited form of acknowledgment feedback. It is completely distributed, and independent of the network topology. Finally, communication at the information theoretic cut-set rate requires no network coding and no rateless coding on the packets. This simple strategy consists of each node randomly choosing a packet from its buffer to transmit at each opportunity. However, the packet is only deleted from a nodepsilas buffer once it has been successfully received by the final destination.
Holographic derivation of Kerr-Newman scattering amplitudes for general charge and spin

Near-superradiant scattering of charged scalars and fermions by a near-extreme Kerr-Newman black hole and photons and gravitons by a near-extreme Kerr black hole are computed as certain Fourier transforms of correlators in a two-dimensional conformal field theory. The results agree with the classic spacetime calculations from the 1970s, thereby providing good evidence for a conjectured Kerr-Newman/CFT correspondence.
COMBINATORIAL DEGREE BOUND FOR TORIC IDEALS OF HYPERGRAPHS

Associated to any hypergraph is a toric ideal encoding the algebraic relations among its edges. We study these ideals and the combinatorics of their minimal generators, and derive general degree bounds for both uniform and non-uniform hypergraphs in terms of balanced hypergraph bicolorings, separators, and splitting sets. In turn, this provides complexity bounds for algebraic statistical models associated to hypergraphs. As two main applications, we recover a well-known complexity result for Markov bases of arbitrary 3-way tables, and we show that the defining ideal of the tangential variety is generated by quadratics and cubics in cumulant coordinates.