cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Specialization of integral dependence for modules

We establish the principle of specialization of integral dependence for submodules of finite colength of free modules, as part of the general algebraic-geometric theory of the Buchsbaum–Rim multiplicity. Then we apply the principle to the study of equisingularity of ICIS germs, obtaining results for Whitney’s Condition A and Thom’s Condition Af. Notably, we describe these equisingularity conditions for analytic families in terms of various numerical invariants, which, for the most part, depend only on the members of a family, not on its total space.
Peptide Stability in Solids and Solutions

A discussion of the factors influencing peptide stability illustrates the challenges of formulation and shelf-life prediction which face biotechnologists. The activation energies of peptide degradation vary with pH and moisture content. Peptide degradation rates are influenced by both buffer type and concentration. Lyophilization results in an increase in buffer concentration which also enhances peptide degradation in low-moisture solids. Small peptides have degradation rates that depend upon water activity rather than upon mobility limitations associated with the state of the system. The pH−rate profiles for peptide degradation in solution and solids are quite different. Dehydration and partial rehydration change the pH of reduced-moisture solids, which change both the rates and mechanisms of degradation. The properties of the peptide and the system as well as potential interactions between the two need to be identified to maximize peptide stability. In addition, solution data cannot be used to predict the shelf life of reduced-moisture solids.
Spin diffusion in geometrically frustrated Heisenberg antiferromagnets

We investigate spin diffusion in geometrically frustrated Heisenberg antiferromagnets. We find that the diffusion constant gradually increases from its high temperature limit as the temperature approaches the peak temperature of the susceptibility. Below the peak, the exponential decrease in the susceptibility leads to a rapid increase in the rate of spin diffusion. Detailed results are presented for the pyrochlore lattice with nearest-neighbour interactions.
The Right to Food Beyond De-Mythification: Time to Shed the Inferiority Complex of Socio-Economic Rights

type="graphical" xml:id="gpol12176-abs-0001"> Human rights are expensive, and at times the action required of states is intrusive.
SIM PlanetQuest science and technology: a status report

Optical interferometry will open new vistas for astronomy over the next decade. The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM-PlanetQuest), operating unfettered by the Earth's atmosphere, will offer unprecedented astrometric precision that promises the discovery of Earth-analog extra-solar planets as well as a wealth of important astrophysics. Results from SIM will permit the determination of stellar masses to accuracies of 2% or better for objects ranging from brown dwarfs through main sequence stars to evolved white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. Studies of star clusters will yield age determinations and internal dynamics. Microlensing measurements will present the mass spectrum of the Milky Way internal to the Sun while proper motion surveys will show the Sun's orbital radius and speed. Studies of the Galaxy's halo component and companion dwarf galaxies permit the determination of the Milky Way's mass distribution, including its Dark Matter component and the mass distribution and Dark Matter component of the Local Group. Cosmology benefits from precision (1-2%) determination of distances to Cepheid and RR Lyrae standard candles. The emission mechanism of supermassive black holes will be investigated. Finally, radio and optical celestial reference frames will be tied together by an improvement of two orders of magnitude. Optical interferometers present severe technological challenges. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with the support of Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center (LM ATC) and Northrop Grumman Space Technology (NGST), has addressed these challenges with a technology development program that is now complete. The requirements for SIM have been satisfied, based on outside peer review, using a series of laboratory tests and appropriate computer simulations: laser metrology systems perform with 10 picometer precision; mechanical vibrations have been controlled to nanometers, demonstrating orders of magnitude disturbance rejection; and knowledge of component positions throughout the whole test assembly has been demonstrated to the required picometer level. Technology transfer to the SIM flight team is now well along.
Poly (pyrazolyl)borate complexes of gallium and indium

Abstract The poly (pyrazolyl)borate family of ligands has been used to prepare a variety of stable complexes of gallium and indium of the general formula [poly(pyrazolyl)borate]mMCIn(CH3)p (m+n+p=3), and the cationic complexes [poly (pyrazolyl)borate]{2M}+. The results of these studies show that in complexes of potentially multidentate poly (pyrazolyl)borate ligands these two metals prefer four- or six-coordination. The only five-coordinate complexes, [H2B(pz)2]2MX, that have been prepared contain the dihydrobis(pyrazolyl)borate ligands. These complexes, even the organometallics, are unusually stable. The complex [HB(3,5Me2pz)3]InCl2(THF) is an excellent starting material for the formation of complexes containing one poly(pyrazolyl)borate ligand and other types of ligands and also intermetallic complexes. A bulky poly (pyrazolyl)borate ligand stabilizes indium(I) in the complex [HB(3-Phpz)3]In.
Backreaction I: The torus

Abstract We use wrapped D-brane probes to measure position dependent perturbations of compactification moduli. Due to the backreaction of the D-branes on the local geometry, we suspect that measuring the fluctuations of one modulus to high precision will generically affect the others. These considerations lead us to conjecture a novel uncertainty principle on the Calabi–Yau moduli space. We begin our investigation with a gedanken experiment on a torus.
QUANTUM ABSORPTION IN SMALL METAL PARTICLES

We evaluate the electric dipole absorption in small conducting particles in a longitudinal electric field, taking into account the Fermi–Thomas screening, and analyze the relationship between the classical and quantum limits.
Kondo effect in electromigrated gold break junctions.

We present gate-dependent transport measurements of Kondo impurities in bare gold break junctions, generated with high yield using an electromigration process that is actively controlled. Thirty percent of measured devices show zero-bias conductance peaks. Temperature dependence suggests Kondo temperatures ∼7 K. The peak splitting in magnetic field is consistent with theoretical predictions for g = 2, though in many devices the splitting is offset from 2gμBB by a fixed energy. The Kondo resonances observed here may be due to atomic-scale metallic grains formed during electromigration.
Comparison of nasogastric and intravenous methods of rehydration in pediatric patients with acute dehydration.

Objective. To assess the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of rapid nasogastric hydration (RNG) and rapid intravenous hydration (RIV) administered in the emergency department (ED) to young children suffering with uncomplicated, acute moderate dehydration. Methods. Ninety-six children aged 3 to 36 months, who presented with signs and symptoms of uncomplicated, acute moderate dehydration caused by vomiting and/or diarrhea, presumed to be caused by viral gastroenteritis, were randomly assigned to receive either RNG with a standard oral rehydration solution or RIV with normal saline. Each solution was administered at a rate of 50 mL/kg of body weight, delivered over a 3-hour period in our urban pediatric ED. All participants were weighed pretreatment and posttreatment and underwent initial and final measurements of their serum electrolytes, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and glucose levels, along with urine chemistry and urine specific gravity. Telephone follow-up by completion of a standardized questionnaire was obtained approximately 24 hours after discharge from the ED. Results. Ninety-two of 96 enrolled patients completed the study. Three patients failed treatment (2 RIV and 1 RNG) and were excluded and hospitalized because of severe, intractable vomiting, and 1 patient was withdrawn secondary to an intussusception. Among 92 evaluable patients, 2 were found to be severely dehydrated (>10% change in body weight) and were excluded from analysis, leaving 90 patients (RNG: N = 46 and RIV: N = 44), who completed the study. Both RNG and RIV were found to be a safe and efficacious means of treating uncomplicated, acute moderate dehydration in the ED. Determinations of electrolytes, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, or glucose were not found to be of value on an intent-to-treat basis in the care of these patients. The urine specific gravity and incidence of ketonuria declined from levels commensurate with moderate dehydration in the RNG group, but not as consistently so in the RIV group. Both RNG and RIV were substantially less expensive to administer than standard care with intravenous fluid deficit therapy in-hospital, and RNG was more cost-effective to administer over RIV in the outpatient setting. Conclusion. RNG and RIV administered in the ED are safe, efficacious, and cost-effective alternatives to the standard treatment for uncomplicated, acute moderate dehydration in young children. RNG is as efficacious as RIV, is no more labor intensive than RIV, and is associated with fewer complications. In addition, we found that most routine laboratory testing is of little value in these patients and should be avoided, except when clearly clinically indicated.
Derivation modules of orthogonal duals of hyperplane arrangements

Let A be an n × d matrix having full rank n. An orthogonal dual A? of A is a (d-n) × d matrix of rank (d?n) such that every row of A? is orthogonal (under the usual dot product) to every row of A. We define the orthogonal dual for arrangements by identifying an essential (central) arrangement of d hyperplanes in n-dimensional space with the n × d matrix of coefficients of the homogeneous linear forms for which the hyperplanes are kernels. When n ? 5, we show that if the matroid (or the lattice of intersection) of an n-dimensional essential arrangement $${\mathcal A}$$ contains a modular copoint whose complement spans, then the derivation module of the orthogonally dual arrangement $${\mathcal A}$$ ? has projective dimension at least ? n(n+2)/4 ? - 3.
New synthetic route to access (±) salinosporamide A via an oxazolone-mediated ene-type reaction

Abstract We report herein a racemic key intermediate in the synthesis of salinosporamide A via a tert -alkyl amino hydroxy carboxylic ester produced in an ene-type reaction of an oxazolone with an enol ether.
Inhibition of 5-LO activating protein (FLAP) activity decreases proteinuria in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.

Proteinuria is a major cause of morbidity in patients with glomerular disease. Nonselective protein filtration is now recognized as a significant contributing factor to the tubulo-interstitial injury which underlies and often predicts progressive renal insufficiency in patients with primary glomerular diseases. Increasing recognition of the mechanisms whereby proteinuria leads to tubule injury confirms the well-known clinical observation that the magnitude of proteinuria at diagnosis is a reliable predictor of prognosis in patients with glomerulonephritis and diabetes. For this reason, the search for safe and effective anti-proteinuric agents which do not reduce the glomerular filtration rate represents an urgent and critical need for physicians involved in the care of patients with glomerular disorders.
Development of the Aedes aegypti Chorion: Proteins and Ultrastructure

Summary The appearance of discrete proteins in the Aedes aegypti chorion (eggshell), prepared from the ovaries at different stages by a gentle lysis-washing method, may be correlated with the developing chorionic ultrastructure. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy and SDS-gel electrophoresis indicate that the smooth endochorion is assembled first on the oocyte's outer membrane from several 90,000 and ca. 18,000 molecular weight proteins. The tubercle-patterned exochorion is then assembled from a group of 25,000-50,000 molecular weight glycoproteins, probably chitin, and several very high molecular weight proteoglycans.
Scalable public-key tracing and revoking

Traitor tracing schemes constitute a useful tool against piracy in the context of digital content distribution. They are encryption schemes that can be employed by content providers that wish to deliver content to an exclusive set of users. Each user holds a decryption key that is fingerprinted and bound to his identity. When a pirate decoder is discovered, it is possible to trace the identities of the users that contributed to its construction. In most settings, both the user population and the set of content providers are dynamic, thus scalable user management and scalable provider management are crucial. Previous work on public-key traitor tracing did not address the dynamic scenario thoroughly: no efficient scalable public-key traitor tracing scheme has been proposed, in which the populations of providers and users can change dynamically over time without incurring substantial penalty in terms of system performance and management complexity. To address these issues, we introduce a formal model for Scalable Public-Key Traitor Tracing, and present the first construction of such a scheme. Our model mandates for deterministic traitor tracing and unlimited number of efficient provider and user management operations. We present a formal adversarial model for our system and we prove our construction secure, against both adversaries that attempt to cheat the provider and user management mechanism, and adversaries that attempt to cheat the traitor tracing mechanism.
Radiation pattern of a borehole radar antenna

The finite-difference time-domain method was used to simulate radar waves that were generated by a transmitting antenna inside a borehole. The simulations were of four different models that included features such as a water-filled borehole and an antenna with resistive loading. For each model, radiation patterns for the far-field region were calculated. The radiation patterns show that the amplitude of the radar wave was strongly affected by its frequency, the water-filled borehole, the resistive loading of the antenna, and the external metal parts of the antenna (e.g., the cable head and the battery pack). For the models with a water-filled borehole, their normalized radiation patterns were practically identical to the normalized radiation pattern of a finite-length electric dipole when the wavelength in the formation was significantly greater than the total length of the radiating elements of the model antenna. The minimum wavelength at which this criterion was satisfied depended upon the features of th...
Laser Annealing of Narrow Gap HgTe-Based Alloys*

We have used a cw CO2 laser to study the effects of rapidly annealing HgTe-based alloys. Both as-grown and thermally annealed samples of HgCdTe, HgMnTe, HgZnTe, and HgMgTe have been examined for mercury loss and surface damage using energy-dispersive x-ray analysis and optical reflectivity measurements. Small, but systematic differences were found between the asgrown and the thermally annealed samples and among the various materials studied. No degradation of the material at all was observed when the samples were cooled to 77 K and exposed to the laser.
Ambient temperature synthesis of high enantiopurity N-protected peptidyl ketones by peptidyl thiol ester-boronic acid cross-coupling

α-Amino acid thiol esters derived from N-protected mono-, di-, and tripeptides couple with aryl, π-electron-rich heteroaryl, or alkenyl boronic acids in the presence of stoichiometric Cu(I) thiophene-2-carboxylate and catalytic Pd2(dba)3/triethylphosphite to generate the corresponding N-protected peptidyl ketones in good-to-excellent yields and in high enantiopurity. Triethylphosphite plays a key role as a supporting ligand by mitigating an undesired palladium-catalyzed decarbonylation−β-elimination of the α-amino thiol esters. The peptidyl ketone synthesis proceeds at room temperature under nonbasic conditions and demonstrates a high tolerance to functionality.
The letter “s” (and the sQGP)

Data from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider over the last five years have led many to conclude that the medium created is not the expected quark–gluon plasma (QGP), but rather a strongly coupled or strongly interacting quark–gluon plasma (sQGP). We explore the meaning of this possible paradigm shift and the experimental and theoretical arguments that are associated with it. In this proceedings we detail only a small subset of the relevant issues as discussed at the Hot Quarks 2006 Workshop.
Carrots, sticks, and international externalities

Abstract Dispute-settlement panels of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), as well as the GATT Secretariat, have condemned the use of trade restrictions by some countries to induce other countries to protect the global environment. The GATT Secretariat has recommended that countries rely on “carrots’ rather than “sticks” to induce the participation of other countries in multilateral environmental agreements. This article presents a formal of a signaling game that indicates that the type of “carrots-only” regime suggested by the GATT Secretariat would create perverse incentives. Under conditions of asymmetric information, countries may seek to convince others that they bear large costs from pollution abatement by engaging in a great deal of pollution, so that other countries will offer larger “carrots” to induce abatement. In both pooling a separating equilibria, “carrots” encourage greater environmental harm pending a multilateral agreement.
The thiazolium catalyzed benzoin condensation with mild base does not involve a “dimer” intermediate

Abstract Kinetic studies show that the benzoin condensation catalyzed by 3,4,5-trimethylthiazolium iodide and triethylamine in DMSO has a transition state with two benzaldehyde and one thiazolium components, while the conversion of nitrobenzaldehyde to the thiazolium adduct is kinetically first order in thaizolium salt and aldehyde. These findings exclude proposals that thiazolium dimers are the true catalytic species.
Counting errors in a voltage-biased electron pump

We have measured the counting errors of a seven-junction electron pump when charge is pumped against a voltage difference. At finite bias voltages, we find that the errors increase exponentially with both pump voltage and temperature, in agreement with theoretical predictions. To compare experiment and simulation, all pump parameters were determined by independent electron-box experiments. Although we assume temperatures somewhat higher than those measured, simulations based on the ground-capacitance model yield excellent quantitative agreement with experiment and indicate that errors in the high-voltage regime are due to thermally activated tunneling. In addition, a surprising asymmetry between positive and negative voltages is explained by an asymmetry in the junction capacitances.
Quasiconformal homeomorphisms on CR 3-manifolds with symmetries

An extremal quasiconformal homeomorphisms in a class of homeomorphisms between two CR 3-manifolds is an one which has the least conformal distortion among this class. This paper studies extremal quasiconformal homeomorphisms between CR 3-manifolds which admit transversal CR circle actions. Equivariant $K$-quasiconformal homeomorphisms are characterized by an area-preserving property and the $K$-quasiconformality of their quotient maps on the spaces of $S^1$-orbits. A large family of invariant CR structures on $S^3$ is constructed so that the extremal quasiconformal homeomorphisms among the equivariant mappings between them and the standard structure are completely determined. These homeomorphisms also serve as examples showing that the extremal quasiconformal homeomorphisms between two invariant CR manifolds are not necessarily equivariant.
Nanoengineered glycan sensors enabling native glycoprofiling for medicinal applications: towards profiling glycoproteins without labeling or liberation steps

Nanoengineered glycan sensors may help realize the long-held goal of accurate and rapid glycoprotein profiling without labeling or glycan liberation steps. Current methods of profiling oligosaccharides displayed on protein surfaces, such as liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis, and microarray methods, are limited by sample pretreatment and quantitative accuracy. Microarrayed platforms can be improved with methods that better estimate kinetic parameters rather than simply reporting relative binding information. These quantitative glycan sensors are enabled by an emerging class of nanoengineered materials that differ in their mode of signal transduction from traditional methods. Platforms that respond to mass changes include a quartz crystal microbalance and cantilever sensors. Electronic response can be detected from electrochemical, field effect transistor, and pore impedance sensors. Optical methods include fluorescent frontal affinity chromatography, surface plasmon resonance methods, and fluorescent carbon nanotubes. After a very brief primer on glycobiology and its connection to medicine, these emerging systems are critically reviewed for their potential use as core sensors in future glycoprofiling tools.
Intra-nucleus accumbens shell injections of R(+)- and S(-)-baclofen bidirectionally alter binge-like ethanol, but not saccharin, intake in C57Bl/6J mice.

Abstract The GABA B agonist baclofen has been widely researched clinically and preclinically as a treatment of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). However, the efficacy of baclofen remains uncertain. The clinically used racemic compound can be separated into separate enantiomers. These enantiomers have produced different profiles in behavioral assays, with the S- compound often being ineffective compared to the R- compound, or the S- compound antagonizing the effects of the R- compound. We have previously demonstrated that the R(+)-baclofen enantiomer decreases binge-like ethanol intake in the Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) paradigm, whereas the S(-)-baclofen enantiomer increases ethanol intake. One area implicated in drug abuse is the nucleus accumbens shell (NACsh).The current study sought to define the role of the NACsh in the enantioselective effects of baclofen on binge-like ethanol consumption by directly microinjecting each enantiomer into the structure. Following bilateral cannulation of the NACsh, C57Bl/6 J mice were given 5 days of access to ethanol or saccharin for 2 h, 3 h into the dark cycle. On Day 5 mice were given an injection of aCSF, 0.02 R(+)-, 0.04R(+)-, 0.08 S(-)-, or 0.16 S(-)-baclofen (μg/side dissolved in 200 nl of aCSF). It was found that the R(+)-baclofen dose-dependently decreased ethanol consumption, whereas the high S(−)-baclofen dose increased ethanol consumption, compared to the aCSF group. Saccharin consumption was not affected. These results further confirm that GABA B receptors and the NACsh shell are integral in mediating ethanol intake. They also demonstrate that baclofen displays bidirectional, enantioselective effects which are important when considering therapeutic uses of the drug.
Synthesis in Ionic Liquids: [Bi2Te2Br](AlCl4), a Direct Gap Semiconductor with a Cationic Framework

The Lewis acidic ionic liquid EMIMBr-AlCl3 (EMIM = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium) allows a novel synthetic route to the semiconducting layered metal chalcogenides halide [Bi2Te2Br](AlCl4) and its Sb analogue. [Bi2Te2Br](AlCl4) is a direct band gap, strongly anisotropic semiconductor and consists of cationic infinite layers of [Bi2Te2Br]+ and [AlCl4]− anions inserted between the layers.
Blowfish privacy: tuning privacy-utility trade-offs using policies

Privacy definitions provide ways for trading-off the privacy of individuals in a statistical database for the utility of downstream analysis of the data. In this paper, we present Blowfish, a class of privacy definitions inspired by the Pufferfish framework, that provides a rich interface for this trade-off. In particular, we allow data publishers to extend differential privacy using a policy, which specifies (a) secrets, or information that must be kept secret, and (b) constraints that may be known about the data. While the secret specification allows increased utility by lessening protection for certain individual properties, the constraint specification provides added protection against an adversary who knows correlations in the data (arising from constraints). We formalize policies and present novel algorithms that can handle general specifications of sensitive information and certain count constraints. We show that there are reasonable policies under which our privacy mechanisms for k-means clustering, histograms and range queries introduce significantly lesser noise than their differentially private counterparts. We quantify the privacy-utility trade-offs for various policies analytically and empirically on real datasets.
Optimally profiling and tracing programs

This paper describes algorithms for inserting monitoring code to profile and trace programs. These algorithms greatly reduce the cost of measuring programs with respect to the commonly used technique of placing code in each basic block. Program profiling counts the number of times each basic block in a program executes. Instruction tracing records the sequence of basic blocks traversed in a program execution. The algorithms optimize the placement of counting/tracing code with respect to the expected or measured frequency of each block or edge in a program's control-flow graph. We have implemented the algorithms in a profiling/tracing tool, and they substantially reduce the overhead of profiling and tracing.We also define and study the hierarchy of profiling problems. These problems have two dimensions: what is profiled (i.e., vertices (basic blocks) or edges in a control-flow graph) and where the instrumentation code is placed (in blocks or along edges). We compare the optimal solutions to the profiling problems and describe a new profiling problem: basic-block profiling with edge counters. This problem is important because an optimal solution to any other profiling problem (for a given control-flow graph) is never better than an optimal solution to this problem. Unfortunately, finding an optimal placement of edge counters for vertex profiling appears to be a hard problem in general. However, our work shows that edge profiling with edge counters works well in practice because it is simple and efficient and finds optimal counter placements in most cases. Furthermore, it yields more information than a vertex profile. Tracing also benefits from placing instrumentation code along edges rather than on vertices.
EXELFS χ-data renormalization

Abstract In this paper, a procedure developed for accurate modeling of the background of core edges in electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is described. This procedure is necessary for improving data analysis technique used in extended energy loss fine structure (EXELFS) spectroscopy via the adaptation of X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analysis programs. With the improved background modeling, it now becomes possible to renormalize the EXELFS χ-data and to ensure the correct use of the XAFS programs for EXELFS analysis.
Dispersion of the nonlinear refractive index of optical crystals

Abstract The nonlinear refractive indices of several important optical materials have been measured at the second and third harmonic wavelengths of the Nd laser using nearly degenerate four-wave mixing. Measurements made relative to the nonlinear index of fused silica have the highest accuracy. Absolute measurements were also made using the Raman cross-section of benzene as a nonlinear reference standard. The relative measurements are compared with a despersion model base on parameters fitted to the linear refractive indicies and also to a recently proposed model based on Kramers-Kronig transformation of the calculated, two-band, two-photon loss spectrum.
Synthesis and antileukemic activity of spiro[indoline‐3,2′‐thiazolidine]‐2,4′‐diones

A number of spiro[indoline-3,2′-thiazolidine]-2,4′-diones have been prepared via the cyclocondensation of isatin-3-imines with α-mercaptoacids. 1-Benzyl-5′,5′-dimethylspiro[indoline-3,2′-thiazolidine]-2,4′-diones were prepared by simultaneously refluxing 1-benzylisatin, α-mercaptoisobutyric acid and various anilines in toluene. 3′-(4-Chlorophenyl)-5,5′-dimethylspiro[indoline-3,2′-thiazolidine]-2,4′-dione was active in the P388 and the L1210 leukemia screen tests. A number of analogs of the active spiro compound have been prepared and submitted for antileukemic screening. Anticonvulsant screening results of related compounds are also included.
Outlier-Resistant Estimates of Beta

Depending on their location, outliers in returns can substantially bias ordinary least-squares estimates of beta. We introduce a new beta estimate that is resistant to outliers that cause the most bias in OLS estimates but produces estimates similar to OLS for outlier-free data. The outlier-resistant beta is an intuitively appealing weighted least-squares estimate with data-dependent weights. We show that the resistant beta is a better predictor of future risk and return characteristics than is the OLS beta in the presence of outliers and is, therefore, a valuable complement to the OLS beta. Our analysis reveals that small companies' betas are most susceptible to outliers.
Digital Data Analysis Techniques for Extraction of Slosh Model Parameters

Modern digital acquisition and modal analysis procedures are applied to the slosh model parameter extraction problem with considerable success. After appropriate data conditioning to remove the tank rigid and liquid rigid mass from the spectral data, the slosh peaks are "circle fit" to obtain estimates of the pendulum's masses, damping, and pivot arm locations. Circle fitting the data about the slosh peak does not require data acquisition at precisely the slosh resonance; therefore, the time for data acquisition and the probability of error in the model parameter estimates are greatly reduced. Equations of motion for the slosh pendulum model are reviewed along with the analytical procedures associated with circle fitting the data in the region of the slosh resonance. The experimental setup of a 1:4.85 scale model Centaur Booster fuel tank is described along with the data acquisition procedures used to obtain forced harmonic response slosh data. Several examples are given to demonstrate the accuracy of the circle fitting procedures for obtaining slosh model parameters by direct comparison of experimental data to model generated response data.
γ-Selective directed catalytic asymmetric hydroboration of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes.

Directed catalytic asymmetric hydroborations of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes afford γ-dioxaborato amides and esters in high enantiomeric purity (90–95% ee).
Tandem Palladium(0) and Palladium(II)‐Catalyzed Allylic Alkylation Through Complementary Redox Cycles

The nature of the leaving group in the first half of the tandem process is essential for the success of the second half.
High-fidelity, broadband stimulated-Brillouin-scattering-based slow light using fast noise modulation

We demonstrate a 5-GHz-broadband tunable slow-light device based on stimulated Brillouin scattering in a standard highly-nonlinear optical fiber pumped by a noise-current-modulated laser beam. The noise-modulation waveform uses an optimized pseudo-random distribution of the laser drive voltage to obtain an optimal flat-topped gain profile, which minimizes the pulse distortion and maximizes pulse delay for a given pump power. In comparison with a previous slow-modulation method, eye-diagram and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) analysis show that this broadband slow-light technique significantly increases the fidelity of a delayed data sequence, while maintaining the delay performance. A fractional delay of 0.81 with a SNR of 5.2 is achieved at the pump power of 350 mW using a 2-km-long highly nonlinear fiber with the fast noise-modulation method, demonstrating a 50% increase in eye-opening and a 36% increase in SNR in the comparison.
Natural capacities and democracy as a good-in-itself

Democracy is shown to be a non-instrumental good-in-itself (as well as an instrument in securing other goods) by extrapolation from the Aristotelian premise that humans are political animals. Because humans are by nature language-using, as well as sociable and common-end-seeking beings, the capacity to associate in public decisions is constitutive of the human being-kind. Association in decision is necessary (although insufficient) for happiness in the sense of eudaimonia. A benevolent dictator who satisfied all other conditions of justice, harms her subjects by denying them opportunity to associate in the decisions by which their community is governed.
The first measurement of Cassiopeia A's forward shock expansion rate

Abstract We have obtained a second epoch observation of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant with the Chandra X-ray Observatory to measure detailed X-ray proper motions for the first time. Measurements of the X-ray continuum dominated filaments located around the edge of the remnant show expansion rates from 0.02% to 0.33% yr −1 . Their median value of 0.21% yr −1 is equal to the median expansion of the bright ring as measured in X-rays. We have also re-evaluated the motion of the radio bright ring with emphasis on angle-averaged emissivity profiles. Our new measurement of the expansion of the angle-averaged radio bright ring is 0.07 ± 0.03% yr −1 , slower than the previous radio measurements of 0.11% yr −1 which were sensitive to the motions of small-scale features. We propose that the expansion of the small-scale bright ring features in the optical, X-ray, and radio do not represent the expansion of the reverse shock, but rather represent a brightness-weighted average of ejecta passing through and being decelerated by the reverse shock. The motion of the reverse shock is represented by the motion of the angle-averaged emissivity profile of the radio bright ring.
Measuring subjective expectations in developing countries: A critical review and new evidence

The majority of economic decisions taken by individuals are forward looking and thus involve their expectations of future outcomes. Understanding the expectations that individuals have is thus of crucial importance to designing and evaluating policies in health, education, finance, migration, social protection, and many other areas. However, the majority of developing country surveys are static in nature and do not contain information on the subjective expectations of individuals. Possible reasons given for not collecting this information include fears that poor, illiterate individuals do not understand probability concepts, that it takes far too much time to ask such questions, or that the answers add little value. This paper provides a critical review and new analysis of subjective expectations data from developing countries and refutes each of these concerns. The authors find that people in developing countries can generally understand and answer probabilistic questions, such questions are not prohibitive in time to ask, and the expectations are useful predictors of future behavior and economic decisions. The paper discusses the different methods being tried for eliciting such information, the key methodological issues involved, and the open research questions. The available evidence suggests that collecting expectations data is both feasible and valuable, suggesting that it should be incorporated into more developing country surveys.
Rethinking office automation

The debate regarding the impact of technology on work organization and the quality of work life is gaining momentum as a result of office automation and its influences on large numbers of "'office" jobs. This paper argues that current approaches to implementation of office automation technology are based on faulty assumptions about both technology and work organization. The result has been systems which fail to live up the claims of dramatic increases in productivity.
Vanishing Viscosity Method for Transonic Flow

A vanishing viscosity method is formulated for two-dimensional transonic steady irrotational compressible fluid flows with adiabatic constant $$\gamma \in [1,3)$$ . This formulation allows a family of invariant regions in the phase plane for the corresponding viscous problem, which implies an upper bound uniformly away from cavitation for the viscous approximate velocity fields. Mathematical entropy pairs are constructed through the Loewner–Morawetz relation via entropy generators governed by a generalized Tricomi equation of mixed elliptic–hyperbolic type, and the corresponding entropy dissipation measures are analyzed so that the viscous approximate solutions satisfy the compensated compactness framework. Then the method of compensated compactness is applied to show that a sequence of solutions to the artificial viscous problem, staying uniformly away from stagnation with uniformly bounded velocity angles, converges to an entropy solution of the inviscid transonic flow problem.
A limit on the presence of Earth-mass planets around a Sun-like star

We present a combined analysis of all publicly available visible Hubble Space Telescope observations of transits of the planet HD 209458b. We derive the times of transit, planet radius, inclination, period, and ephemeris. We then use the times of transit to place constraints on the existence of secondary planets in the system. We show that planets near an Earth-mass can be ruled out in a low-order mean-motion resonance, while planets less than an Earth-mass are ruled out in an interior, 2:1 resonance. We also present a combined analysis of the transit times and 68 high-precision radial velocity measurements of the system. These results are compared to theoretical predictions for the constraints that can be placed on secondary planets.
Strongly-coupled nature of the primordial SUSY SU(5) plasma

Abstract It is shown that for a large class of SU(5) SUSY GUTs, (i) the Debye free energy of the plasma is 2–3 times larger than the free energy of the SUSY SU(5) ideal gas; (ii) the mean free path of an SU gluon in the plasma is about 1 3 of the average interquantum spacing of the ideal gas. Possible implications for inflationary scenarios are discussed.
Frequency effects in the abstraction of linguistic ideas

The linear linguistic integration effect reported by Bransford and Franks (1971) has been widely accepted as a demonstration of the ability of subjects to abstract and integrate information from isolated sentences. In two experiments a simple frequency model was successfully used to predict mean sentence recognition ratings obtained with the Bransford-Franks paradigm. Since the simple frequency model does not assume an integrated representation in memory, it is suggested that the linear effect reflects decision processes occurring during the recognition task rather than encoding in memory.
Nitrile Ylides: Diastereoselective Cycloadditions using Chiral Oxzolidinones Without Lewis Acid

Lewis acid complexation is generally required for chiral-auxiliary-controlled stereoselectivity, and chiral Lewis acid catalysis is frequently optimal for introducing asymmetry. In this work, we show that nitrile ylide cycloadditions to electron-poor acceptors attached to chiral auxiliaries proceed in high yield and stereoselectivity in the absence of Lewis acids. In contrast, chiral Lewis acids are inferior in these cycloadditions.
Hybrid Thermal-Nonthermal Synchrotron Emission from Hot Accretion Flows

We investigate the effect of a hybrid electron population, consisting of both thermal and nonthermal particles, on the synchrotron spectrum, image size, and image shape of a hot accretion flow onto a supermassive black hole. We find two universal features in the emitted synchrotron spectrum: (1) a prominent shoulder at low (1011 Hz) frequencies that is weakly dependent on the shape of the electron energy distribution, and (2) an extended tail of emission at high (1013 Hz) frequencies whose spectral slope depends on the slope of the power-law energy distribution of the electrons. In the low-frequency shoulder, the luminosity can be up to 2 orders of magnitude greater than with a purely thermal plasma even if only a small fraction (<1%) of the steady state electron energy is in the nonthermal electrons. We apply the hybrid model to the Galactic center source, Sgr A*. The observed radio and IR spectra imply that at most 1% of the steady state electron energy is present in a power-law tail in this source. This corresponds to no more than 10% of the electron energy injected into the nonthermal electrons and hence 90% into the thermal electrons. We show that such a hybrid distribution can be sustained in the flow because thermalization via Coulomb collisions and synchrotron self-absorption are both inefficient. The presence of nonthermal electrons enlarges the size of the radio image at low frequencies and alters the frequency dependence of the brightness temperature. A purely thermal electron distributions produces a sharp-edged image, while a hybrid distribution causes strong limb brightening. These effects can be seen up to frequencies ~1011 Hz and are accessible to radio interferometers.
Microstructure and surface chemistry of amorphous alloys important to their friction and wear behavior

An investigation was conducted to examine the microstructure and surface chemistry of amorphous alloys, and their effects on tribological behavior. The results indicate that the surface oxide layers present on amorphous alloys are effective in providing low friction and a protective film against wear in air. Clustering and crystallization in amorphous alloys can be enhanced as a result of plastic flow during the sliding process at a low sliding velocity, at room temperature. Clusters or crystallines with sizes to 150 nm and a diffused honeycomb-shaped structure are produced on sizes to 150 nm and a diffused honeycomb-shaped structure are produced on the wear surface. Temperature effects lead to drastic changes in surface chemistry and friction behavior of the alloys at temperatures to 750 C. Contaminants can come from the bulk of the alloys to the surface upon heating and impart to the surface oxides at 350 C and boron nitride above 500 C. The oxides increase friction while the boron nitride reduces friction drastically in vacuum.
ABSOLUTE DIMENSIONS OF THE F-TYPE ECLIPSING BINARY STAR VZ CEPHEI

We present new V -band differential photometry and radial-velocity measurements of the unevolved 1.18-day period F+G-type double-lined eclipsing binary VZ Cep. We determine accurate values for the absolute masses, radii, and effective temperatures as follows: MA = 1.402± 0.015 M⊙, RA = 1.534± 0.012 R⊙, Teff = 6690±160 K for the primary, and MB = 1.1077±0.0083 M⊙, RB = 1.042±0.039 R⊙, Teff = 5720 ± 120 K for the secondary. A comparison with current stellar evolution models suggests an age of 1.4 Gyr for a metallicity near solar. The temperature difference between the stars, which is much better determined than the absolute values, is found to be �250 K larger than predicted by theory. If all of this discrepancy is attributed to the secondary (which would then be too cool compared to models), the effect would be consistent with similar differences found for other lowmass stars, generally believed to be associated with chromospheric activity. However, the radius of VZ Cep B (which unlike the primary, still has a thin convective envelope) appears normal, whereas in other stars affected by activity the radius is systematically larger than predicted. Thus, VZ Cep poses a challenge not only to standard theory but to our understanding of the discrepancies in other low-mass systems as well. Subject headings: binaries: eclipsing — stars: evolution — stars: fundamental parameters — stars: individual (VZ Cep)
Uncertainty Bounds for Spectral Estimation

The purpose of this paper is to study metrics suitable for assessing uncertainty of power spectra when these are based on finite second-order statistics. The family of power spectra which is consistent with a given range of values for the estimated statistics represents the uncertainty set about the “true” power spectrum. Our aim is to quantify the size of this uncertainty set using suitable notions of distance, and in particular, to compute the diameter of the set since this represents an upper bound on the distance between any choice of a nominal element in the set and the “true” power spectrum. Since the uncertainty set may contain power spectra with lines and discontinuities, it is natural to quantify distances in the weak topology-the topology defined by continuity of moments. We provide examples of such weakly continuous metrics and focus on particular metrics for which we can explicitly quantify spectral uncertainty. We then consider certain high resolution techniques which utilize filter-banks for preprocessing, and compute worst case a priori uncertainty bounds solely on the basis of the filter dynamics. This allows the a priori tuning of the filter-banks for improved resolution over selected frequency bands.
Mechanism for photorefractive phase conjugation using incoherent beams.

Two mutually incoherent extraordinary laser beams, incident upon opposite a faces of a BaTiO3 crystal, generate a set of photorefractive holograms that channel both beams toward the +c face of the crystal, where they are internally reflected into the opposite channel. The resultant cross coupling of the two incident beams produces a pair of phase-conjugate (ϕ*) beams. This new photorefractive interaction is characterized by reasonable ϕ* reflectivities (~10–25%), good ϕ* fidelity, and no image cross talk. The variations in ϕ* reflectivity with crystal orientation, angles of incidence, and intensity ratio are presented. The formation times of the photorefractive gratings responsible for the phase conjugation are significantly shorter than those of other self-pumped phase conjugators.
Temperley–Lieb planar algebra modules arising from the ADE planar algebras

A Hilbert module over a planar algebra P is essentially a Hilbert module over a canonically defined algebra spanned by the annular tangles in P. It follows that any planar algebra Q containing P is a module over P, and in particular, any subfactor planar algebra is a module over the Temperley–Lieb planar algebra with the same modulus. We describe a positivity result that allows us to describe irreducible Temperley–Lieb planar algebra modules, and apply the result to decompose the planar algebras determined by the Coxeter graphs An (n⩾3), Dn (n⩾4), E6, E7, and E8.
Fractional Brownian fields over manifolds

This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Mathematical Society and can be found at: http://www.ams.org/publications/journals/journalsframework/tran.
A decomposition approach to modelling high service time variability

Abstract The predictive ability of queueing network models can be greatly enhanced if these models include the effects of system characteristics such as high service time variability and simultaneous resource possession, which violate the assumptions required for their efficient exact solution. In this paper we present a new approximate solution technique for queueing networks that include Coxian servers to represent resources at which customers have high service time variability. Our approach is unique in several respects: it is based directly on the theory of near-complete decomposability, it is non-iterative (performance measures for the queueing network of interest are expressed as linear combinations of the performance measures of a set of separable queueing networks), and it is conceptually and computationally simple.