cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Broadband on-chip optical non-reciprocity using phase modulators

Breaking the reciprocity of light propagation in a nanoscale photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a topic of intense research, fostered by the promises of this technology in areas ranging from experimental research in classical and quantum optics to high-rate telecommunications and data interconnects. In particular, silicon PICs fabricated in processes compatible with the existing complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) infrastructure have attracted remarkable attention. However, a practical solution for integrating optical isolators and circulators within the current CMOS technology remains elusive. Here, we introduce a new non-reciprocal photonic circuit operating with standard single-mode waveguides or optical fibers. Our design exploits a time-dependent index modulation obtained with conventional phase modulators such as the one widely available in silicon photonics platforms. Because it is based on fully balanced interferometers and does not involve resonant structures, our scheme is also intrinsically broadband. Using realistic parameters we calculate an extinction ratio superior to 20dB and insertion loss below 3dB.
Comparing Protein Interaction Networks via a Graph Match-and-Split Algorithm

We present a method that compares the protein interaction networks of two species to detect functionally similar (conserved) protein modules between them. The method is based on an algorithm we developed to identify matching subgraphs between two graphs. Unlike previous network comparison methods, our algorithm has provable guarantees on correctness and efficiency. Our algorithm framework also admits quite general criteria that define when two subgraphs match and constitute a conserved module. We apply our method to pairwise comparisons of the yeast protein network with the human, fruit fly and nematode worm protein networks, using a lenient criterion based on connectedness and matching edges, coupled with a clustering heuristic. In evaluations of the detected conserved modules against reference yeast protein complexes, our method performs competitively with and sometimes better than two previous network comparison methods. Further, under some conditions (proper homolog and species selection), our method ...
Profiling web archive coverage for top-level domain and content language

The Memento Aggregator currently polls every known public web archive when serving a request for an archived web page, even though some web archives focus on only specific domains and ignore the others. Similar to query routing in distributed search, we investigate the impact on aggregated Memento TimeMaps (lists of when and where a web page was archived) by only sending queries to archives likely to hold the archived page. We profile fifteen public web archives using data from a variety of sources (the web, archives' access logs, and fulltext queries to archives) and use these profiles as resource descriptor. These profiles are used in matching the URI-lookup requests to the most probable web archives. We define $$Recall_{TM}(n)$$ R e c a l l T M ( n ) as the percentage of a TimeMap that was returned using $$n$$ n web archives. We discover that only sending queries to the top three web archives (i.e., 80 % reduction in the number of queries) for any request reaches on average $$Recall_{TM}=0.96$$ R e c a l l T M = 0.96 . If we exclude the Internet Archive from the list, we can reach $$Recall_{TM}=0.647$$ R e c a l l T M = 0.647 on average using only the remaining top three web archives.
Threshold units: A correct metric for reaction time?

Purpose: To compare reaction time (RT) to rod incremental and decremental stimuli expressed in physical contrast units or psychophysical threshold units. Methods: Rod contrast detection thresholds and suprathreshold RTs were measured for Rapid-On and Rapid-Off ramp stimuli. Results: Threshold sensitivity to Rapid-Off stimuli was higher than to Rapid-On stimuli. Suprathreshold RTs specified in Weber contrast for Rapid-Off stimuli were shorter than for Rapid-On stimuli. Reaction time data expressed in multiples of threshold reversed the outcomes: Reaction times for Rapid-On stimuli were shorter than those for Rapid-Off stimuli. The use of alternative contrast metrics also failed to equate RTs. Conclusions: A case is made that the interpretation of RT data may be confounded when expressed in threshold units. Stimulus energy or contrast is the only metric common to the response characteristics of the cells underlying speeded responses. The use of threshold metrics for RT can confuse the interpretation of an underlying physiological process.
Delivery Indications at Late-Preterm Gestations and Infant Mortality Rates in the United States

OBJECTIVE: The rate of preterm births has been increasing in the United States, especially for births 34 to 36 weeks of gestation (late preterm), which now constitute 71% of all preterm births. The causes for these trends remain unclear. We characterized the delivery indications for late preterm births and their potential impact on neonatal and infant mortality rates. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using the 2001 US Birth Cohort Linked birth/death files of 3 483 496 singleton births, we categorized delivery indications as follows: (1) maternal medical conditions; (2) obstetric complications; (3) major congenital anomalies; (4) isolated spontaneous labor: vaginal delivery without induction and without associated medical/obstetric factors; and (5) no recorded indication. RESULTS: Of the 292 627 late-preterm births, the first 4 categories (those with indications and isolated spontaneous labor) accounted for 76.8%. The remaining 23.2% (67 909) were classified as deliveries with no recorded indication. Factors significantly increasing the chance of no recorded indication were older maternal age; non-Hispanic, white mother; ≥13 years of education; Southern, Midwestern, and Western region; multiparity; or previous infant with a ≥4000-g birth weight. The neonatal and infant mortality rates were significantly higher among deliveries with no recorded indication compared with deliveries secondary to isolated spontaneous labor but lower compared with deliveries with an obstetric indication or congenital anomaly. CONCLUSIONS: A total of 23% of late preterm births had no recorded indication for delivery noted on birth certificates. Patient factors may be playing a role in these deliveries. It is concerning that these infants had higher mortality rates compared with those born after spontaneous labor at similar gestational ages. Given the excess risk of mortality, patients and providers need to discuss the risks of delivering a preterm infant in the absence of medical indications at 34 to 36 weeks.
Upper Bounds on Number of Steals in Rooted Trees

Inspired by applications in parallel computing, we analyze the setting of work stealing in multithreaded computations. We obtain tight upper bounds on the number of steals when the computation can be modeled by rooted trees. In particular, we show that if the computation with n processors starts with one processor having a complete k-ary tree of height h (and the remaining n ? 1 processors having nothing), the maximum possible number of steals is ?i=1n(k?1)ihi${\sum }_{i=1}^{n}(k-1)^{i}\binom {h}{i}$.
The Learning Mechanism of the Interactive Multimedia Intelligent Tutoring System (IMITS)

The Interactive Multimedia Intelligent Tutoring System (IMITS) project integrates interactive multimedia with expert system technology. A test bed that uses material from introductory electrical circuits courses, IMITS demonstrates that these two complementary technologies may be combined successfully to form a framework useful for any educational material. IMITS combines several commercially available packages and establishes dynamic communications among these packages. This paper describes one aspect of IMITS: the learning mechanism that is controlled by the expert system and that attempts to assist the student learn the material and concepts presented.
Strategic and Contextual Influences on Firm Growth: An Empirical Study of Franchisors

This study examined five-year growth patterns among a sample of 246 franchise networks in order to identify factors associated with network growth. Two strategic factors and two contextual factors were significantly related to growth. Among those four significant factors, however, two of the relationships were in directions opposite of those hypothesized. The most likely explanations of these findings, taken together, suggest that both strategy and context exert influences on growth, though strategic influences may be greater than contextual ones.
Topographically derived maps of valley networks and drainage density in the Mare Tyrrhenum quadrangle on Mars

[1] A novel, automated technique for delineating Martian valley networks from digital terrain data is applied to the Mare Tyrrhenum quadrangle on Mars, yielding a detailed map for the entire quadrangle. The resultant average value of drainage density for the Noachian part of the quadrangle is D ≈ 0.05 km−1, an order of magnitude higher than the value inferred from a global map based on Viking images, and comparable to the values inferred from the precision mapping of selected focus sites. Valleys are omnipresent in Noachian terrain even outside the “highly dissected” Npld unit. This suggests fluvial erosion throughout the Noachian, implying widespread precipitation. The map of continuous drainage density is constructed to study spatial variations of D. This map reveals significant variations in degree of dissection in Noachian on scale of >100 km. These variations do not correlate with any terrain parameter and their origin requires further study.
Star Formation in the Early Universe

Recent three-dimensional fluid dynamic numerical calculations have been performed to study the gravitational fragmentation of Jeans unstable gas clouds as they undergo dynamic collapse. So far the results of these numerical experiments have been applied to discussions of star formation in gas clouds whose densities and temperatures are representative of conditions in the galactic disk, but the results have important implications with regard to theories of galaxy formation and star formation in the early Universe as well. The numerical experiments and their general results are briefly reviewed in the following section; a few comments concerning the implications these results have on star formation in the early Universe are made in the last section.
Synthetic studies on boron containing antibiotics

Abstract The preparation of two fragments containing the backbone of the antibiotic boromycin is described.
D-brane Approach to Black Hole Quantum Mechanics

Abstract Strominger and Vafa have used D-brane technology to identify and precisely count the degenerate quantum states responsible for the entropy of certain extremal, BPS-saturated black holes. Here we give a Type-II D-brane description of a class of extremal and non-extremal five-dimensional Reissner-Nordstrom solutions and identify a corresponding set of degenerate D-brane configurations. We use this information to do a string theory calculation of the entropy, radiation rate and “Hawking” temperature. The results agree perfectly with standard Hawking results for the corresponding nearly extremal Reissner-Nordstrom black holes. Although these calculations suffer from open-string strong coupling problems, we give some reasons to believe that they are nonetheless qualitatively reliable. In this optimistic scenario there would be no “information loss” in black hole quantum evolution.
Maximal strips data structure to represent free space on partially reconfigurable FPGAs

Partially reconfigurable devices allow the execution of multiple tasks simultaneously on the same chip. To schedule a set of tasks in a small amount of time, the scheduling algorithm will need to represent the free space efficiently. A data structure to represent free space should allow the scheduler to identify free space in which to place a new task and admit efficient updates after placing or removing a task. In this paper, we review some existing data structures and analyse their time complexity. We propose a new structure using maximal horizontal and vertical strips (MHVS) to represent the free space. These strips start and stop at task boundaries. Simulation and time analysis showed that this method has better time complexity than many other free space data structures and at the same time has a very reasonable rejection ratio on real-time tasks compared to other methods.
Direct Analysis of Spectra of the Unusual Type Ib Supernova 2005bf

Synthetic spectra generated with the parameterized supernova synthetic spectrum code SYNOW are compared to spectra of the unusual Type Ib supernova 2005bf. We confirm the discovery by Folatelli et al. that very early spectra (~30 days before maximum light) contain both photospheric-velocity (~8000 km s–1) features of He i, Ca ii, and Fe ii, and detached high-velocity (~14,000 km s–1) features of Hα, Ca ii, and Fe ii. An early spectrum of SN 2005bf is an almost perfect match to a near-maximum-light spectrum of the Type Ib SN 1999ex. Although these two spectra were at very different times with respect to maximum light (20 days before maximum for SN 2005bf and 5 days after for SN 1999ex), they were for similar times after explosion—about 20 days for SN 2005bf and 24 days for SN 1999ex. The almost perfect match clinches the previously suggested identification of Hα in SN 1999ex and supports the proposition that many if not all Type Ib supernovae eject a small amount of hydrogen. The earliest available spectrum of SN 2005bf resembles a near-maximum-light spectrum of the Type Ic SN 1994I. These two spectra were also at different times with respect to maximum light (32 days before maximum for SN 2005bf and 4 days before for SN 1994I) but at similar times after explosion—about 8 days for SN 2005bf and 10 days for SN 1994I. The resemblance motivates us to consider a reinterpretation of the spectra of Type Ic supernovae, involving coexisting photospheric-velocity and high-velocity features. The implications of our results for the geometry of the SN 2005bf ejecta, which has been suggested as being grossly asymmetric, are briefly discussed.
Beyond Secondary Structure: Primary-Sequence Determinants License Pri-miRNA Hairpins for Processing

Summary To use microRNAs to downregulate mRNA targets, cells must first process these ∼22 nt RNAs from primary transcripts (pri-miRNAs). These transcripts form RNA hairpins important for processing, but additional determinants must distinguish pri-miRNAs from the many other hairpin-containing transcripts expressed in each cell. Illustrating the complexity of this recognition, we show that most Caenorhabditis elegans pri-miRNAs lack determinants required for processing in human cells. To find these determinants, we generated many variants of four human pri-miRNAs, sequenced millions that retained function, and compared them with the starting variants. Our results confirmed the importance of pairing in the stem and revealed three primary-sequence determinants, including an SRp20-binding motif (CNNC) found downstream of most pri-miRNA hairpins in bilaterian animals, but not in nematodes. Adding this and other determinants to C. elegans pri-miRNAs imparted efficient processing in human cells, thereby confirming the importance of primary-sequence determinants for distinguishing pri-miRNAs from other hairpin-containing transcripts.
International competitiveness of Turkish agriculture: A case for horticultural products

Abstract This paper defines competitiveness as the ability of a country to increase its share of domestic and export markets, especially when they have a comparative advantage in a product and can produce at a lower opportunity cost. This paper briefly covers the theoretical information on this topic and provides empirical evidence of how domestic resource cost (DRC) can determine international competitiveness. A country is said to have a comparative advantage in the production of tradable goods if that country's production is efficient; if not, then it has a comparative disadvantage. The concept of comparative advantage has two meanings: The first definition states that efficiency of production is compared to two or more trading nations, and when the nations with the lowest opportunity costs are relatively more efficient, they have a comparative advantage. The other meaning of comparative advantage refers to the efficiency of different kinds of production within the domestic economy, which are compared i...
Momentum in stochastic quantum mechanics

Momentum is analyzed as a random variable in stochastic quantum mechanics. Arbitrary potential energy functions are considered. The oscillator is presented as an example.
Dynamic Optimization and Learning for Renewal Systems

This paper considers optimization of time averages in systems with variable length renewal frames. Applications include power-aware and profit-aware scheduling in wireless networks, peer-to-peer networks, and transportation systems. Every frame, a new policy is implemented that affects the frame size and that creates a vector of attributes. The policy can be a single decision in response to a random event observed on the frame, or a sequence of such decisions. The goal is to choose policies on each frame in order to maximize a time average of one attribute, subject to additional time average constraints on the others. Two algorithms are developed, both based on Lyapunov optimization concepts. The first makes decisions to minimize a “drift-plus-penalty” ratio over each frame. The second is similar but does not involve a ratio. For systems that make only a single decision on each frame, both algorithms are shown to learn efficient behavior without a-priori statistical knowledge. The framework is also applicable to large classes of constrained Markov decision problems. Such problems are reduced to finding an approximate solution to a simpler unconstrained stochastic shortest path problem on each frame. Approximations for the simpler problem may still suffer from a curse of dimensionality for systems with large state space. However, our results are compatible with any approximation method, and demonstrate an explicit tradeoff between performance and convergence time.
Extra dimensions, SN1987a, and nucleon–nucleon scattering data

One of the strongest constraints on the existence of large, compact, “gravity-only” dimensions comes from SN1987a. If the rate of energy loss into these putative extra dimensions is too high, then the neutrino pulse from the supernova will differ from that actually seen. The dominant mechanism for the production of Kaluza–Klein gravitons and dilatons in the supernova is via gravistrahlung and dilastrahlung from the nucleon–nucleon system. In this paper we compute the rates for these processes in a model-independent way using low-energy theorems which relate the emissivities to the measured nucleon–nucleon cross section. This is possible because for soft gravitons and dilatons the leading contribution to the energy-loss rate is from graphs in which the gravitational radiation is produced from external nucleon legs. Previous calculations neglected these mechanisms. We re-evaluate the bounds on toroidally-compactified “gravity-only” dimensions, and find that consistency with the observed SN1987a neutrino signal requires that if there are two such dimensions then their radius must be less than 1 micron.
Preparation of 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles by addition of malonates to 3-halo-3-oxindoles

Abstract A method for the synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted oxindole derivatives is described. This involves the base-mediated addition of malonate esters to 3-halo-3-alkyloxindoles. The addition is tolerant of a range of alkyl substituents at position 3 of the oxindole. Addition to an aryl chloro-oxindole is also described.
The size of meetings and the role of money

Abstract I extend the random-matching model of money by allowing the number of people in a random meeting to be greater than two, a parameter N . I prove that any beneficial role of money disappears as N →∞.
The Color of Threat: Race, Threat Perception, and the Demise of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance (1902–1923)

Race is understudied in International Relations generally and International Security specifically. To mitigate this omission, this article provides a racial theory of threat perception. It argues that, under certain conditions, racial prejudices embedded in racial identities shape threat perceptions and generate behavioral dispositions. In the first step, racial similarity deflates threat perceptions, while racial difference inflates them. In the second step, deflated threat perceptions facilitate cooperation among racially similar agents, while inflated threat perceptions facilitate discord among racially different agents. Using extensive archival and secondary sources, the article illustrates the explanatory value of the theory in the case of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance (1902-23).
On the 110 keV Feature from A0535+26: Direct Evidence for a Near-critical Magnetic Field

A recent high-resolution measurement of an absorption line at ω 110 keV in the phase-averaged spectrum of A0535+26 (Grove et al.) and the conspicuous absence of a previously reported harmonic feature at ω ~ 50 keV (Kendziorra et al.) are indicative of cyclotron scattering in a magnetic field of about 1013 G. However, controversy has risen over whether a lower field scenario may account for the alleged absence or weakness of a lower energy fundamental harmonic feature. This work explores these two alternatives through the generation of theoretical cyclotron spectra. For lower field models, a cylindrical geometry of the line-forming region and the strong angle dependence of the cross section for resonant scattering conspire to fill in a first harmonic at ω 57 keV. Higher field models (B 10.75 TG), however, yield significantly better fits (χlow2/χhigh2 ~ 71), thus strengthening the case for a near-critical field (Bcrit 44 TG). Phase-resolved OSSE spectra are not yet available but would greatly help in resolving this issue.
An Air- and Water-Stable Iodonium Salt Promoter for Facile Thioglycoside Activation

The air- and water-stable iodonium salt phenyl(trifluoroethyl)iodonium triflimide is shown to activate thioglycosides for glycosylation at room temperature. Both armed and disarmed thioglycosides rapidly undergo glycosylation in 68–97% yield. The reaction conditions are mild and do not require strict exclusion of air and moisture. The operational simplicity of the method should allow experimentalists with a limited synthetic background to construct glycosidic linkages.
Edgeworth Approximation for MINPIN Estimators in Semiparametric Regression Models

We examine the higher order asymptotic properties of semiparametric regression estimators that were obtained by the general MINPIN method described in Andrews (1989, Semiparametric Econometric Models: I. Estimation, Discussion paper 908, Cowles Foundation). We derive an order n−1 stochastic expansion and give a theorem justifying order n−1 distributional approximation of the Edgeworth type.
Synthesis of norbornanepentols: analogues of inositols.

Abstract The syntheses of endo-5,6-exo-2,3-syn-7-norbornanepentol (5), endo-5-exo-2,3,6-syn-7-norbornanepentol (14), and 7-exo-2,3,5,6-norbornanepentol (16) are described. cis-Hydroxylation of 7-tert-butoxynorbornadiene (1) gave the exo-diol 2, endo-diol 3, and tetrol 4. The latter was deprotected to give pentol 5. Oxidation of alkene 6 afforded diacid 7 and two minor products: the exo-diol 8 and a-hydroxyketone 9. cis-Hydroxylation of 6 gave the endo- and exo-diols 10 and 8. Acetalation of 8 furnished the bis(dioxolane) 11. Reduction of ketone 9 gave the trans-diol 12. Deblocking of 8 and 12 led the tetrol 15 or pentols 16 and 14. The structure of tetrol 4 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Compounds 4, 5 and 16 were devoid of antitumor or antiviral activity.
Retinoids and steroids regulate menstrual phase histological features in human endometrial organotypic cultures

Abstract Objective: To determine whether organotypic cultures of human endometrium can be manipulated with hormones to exhibit histological features resembling different menstrual cycle phases. Design: Human menstrual cells were collected and cultured in monolayer and organotypic cultures. Setting: Healthy volunteer in an academic research environment. Patient(s): An individual premenopausal woman. Intervention(s): Endometrial cultures were grown in collagen gels for 4 weeks, and exposed to various steroid and retinoid treatments. Main Outcome Measure(s): Histological features and expression of cytokeratins, vimentin, and reticulin. Result(s): Cultures developed multiple glands and surface epithelium that exhibited positive cytokeratin and negative vimentin staining. Single stromal cells inside the collagen exhibited negative cytokeratin and positive vimentin staining. Networks of reticulin fibers produced by the cells were increased by estrogen, decreased by progesterone, and unaffected by retinoids. Contraction of the collagen gels was inhibited by retinoids that activated retinoic acid receptors (RARs), but not by a retinoid specific for retinoid X receptors (RXRs). The combination and timing of retinoid and steroid hormone treatments were demonstrated to induce tissue architecture and histological features that resembled either proliferative or secretory phases. Conclusion(s): Growth of menstrual cells in collagen can be manipulated with retinoids and steroids to resemble histological features of the proliferative and secretory phases.
Design and synthesis of 2-cyano-3,12-dioxoolean-1,9-dien-28-oic acid, a novel and highly active inhibitor of nitric oxide production in mouse macrophages

New derivatives with electron-withdrawing substituents at the C-2 position of 3-oxoolean-1-en-28-oic acid were synthesized. Among them, 2-cyano-3,12-dioxoolean-1,9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) was 400 times more potent than previous compounds we have made as an inhibitor of production of nitric oxide induced by interferon-gamma in mouse macrophages (IC50, 0.4 nM). The potency of CDDO was similar to that of dexamethasone, although CDDO does not act through the glucocorticoid receptor.
Crisis in Latin America : Infrastructure Investment, Employment and the Expectations of Stimulus

Infrastructure investment is a central part of the stimulus plans of the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region as it confronts the growing financial crisis. This article estimates the poten...
Classification of the eating disorders

ANOREXIA nervosa and bulimia nervosa are appetitive behavioral disorders that have been studied comprehensively and with systematic methodologies only in the last 20 years. In the past decade an explosion of investigations of the eating disorders has produced epidemiological, clinical and physiological information necessary for devising a classification of the eating disorders. These eating behavior conditions are entities and not diseases with a common cause, common course, and a common pathology. The eating disorders are best conceptualized as syndromes and therefore must be classified on the basis of the cluster of symptoms that are present. Schizophrenia is another example of a behavioral syndrome. It is important to remember that the final outcome of a classification represents an arbitrary procedure even though research data are used to formulate the classification. The most useful classification will be one that will satisfy several purposes; mainly, (1) facilitate meaningful communication among clinicians, (2) facilitate research so that investigative findings can be replicated, (3) facilitate research by steering the direction of research and (4) facilitate treatment by assessing treatment efficacy through the use of careful classifying criteria. These principles of classification should be considered in the criticisms and
Calculations of plastic strain and resistivity increase in a composite conductor subjected to cyclic strain

Graphical calculations are presented for plastic strain per cycle and accumulated plastic strain in aluminum composite conductors subjected to cyclic strain at 4.2 K. The graphical model is based on a constant-strain-range experiment with monolithic pure aluminum. Calculations are derived from synthesized stress-strain hysteresis loops. The resistivity increase expected from force controlled cyclic stress is shown to be substantially less than that arising from constant strain range cycling. Suggestions are given for decreasing resistivity degradation in the composite conductors of cycled magnets. >
Pricing American options for jump diffusions by iterating optimal stopping problems for diffusions

We approximate the price of the American put for jump diffusions by a sequence of functions, which are computed iteratively. This sequence converges to the price function uniformly and exponentially fast. Each element of the approximating sequence solves an optimal stopping problem for geometric Brownian motion, and can be numerically computed using the classical finite difference methods. We prove the convergence of this numerical scheme and present examples to illustrate its performance.
Scanning tunneling microscopy

Presented here is an overview of the present status and future prospects of scanning tunneling microscopy. Topics covered include the physical basis of the scanning tunneling microscope, its instrumentation aspects, and its use for structural and spectroscopic imaging--on a scale which extends to atomic dimensions. Associated experimental and theoretical studies are reviewed, including several which suggest potential applicability of this new type of microscope to a relatively broad range of biological, chemical, and technological areas.
Entropy, Counting, and Programmable Interconnect

Conventional reconfigurable components have substantially more interconnect configuration bits than they strictly need. Using counting arguments we can establish loose bounds on the number of programmable bits actually required to describe an interconnect. We apply these bounds in crude form to some existing devices, demonstrating the large redundancy in their programmable bit streams. In this process we review and demonstrate basic counting techniques for identifying the information required to specify an interconnect. We examine several common interconnect building blocks and look at how efficiently they use the information present in their programming bits. We also discuss the impact of this redundancy on important device aspects such as area, routing, and reconfiguration time.
Conducting Transition Metal Oxides: Possibilities for RuO2 in VLSI Metallization

belongs to the group of transition metal dioxides which crystallize in tetragonal rutile structure and have low bulk metallic resistivities ranging from 30 to 100 μΩ‐cm. Because of the thermal stability and excellent diffusion barrier properties, they deserve a special notice as metallization alternatives in a variety of VLSI applications. We will discuss our recent work on characterization of reactively sputtered films of and will specifically explore correlations between oxygen‐induced stress and their microstructure and diffusion barrier properties.
Determination of microemulsion phase continuity and drop size by ultracentrifugation

Abstract Microemulsions containing two synthetic petroleum sulfonate surfactants, an alcohol cosurfactant, an oil, and NaCl brine were studied with the analytical ultracentrifuge. Drop diameters calculated from measured sedimentation rates for both oil-continuous and water-continuous microemulsions were in the range of 50 to 400 A and varied with salinity and surfactant chain length in a manner consistent with solubilization data. The surfactant phase was found to have somewhat larger drops and to be oil continuous in some portions of its region of existence and water continuous in others. This result confirms a previous proposal that this phase forms as a result of phase separation in a microemulsion or micellar solution. At still other compositions the surfactant phase showed behavior characteristic of both oil-continuous and water-continuous systems. The observed variation in drop size with salinity in all the microemulsion phases is explained in terms of the screening effect of the brine on interaction between surfactant ions.
A real time multi-computer system for lunar and planetary space flight data processing

The California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is responsible for National Aeronautics and Space Administration projects for the unmanned scientific exploration of the moon, the planets, and interplanetary space. The use of unmanned spacecraft has resulted in a need for rapid processing, display and analysis of data from the spacecraft and from the tracking equipment in order that ground control, using transmitted commands to the spacecraft, may be accomplished. Commands to the spacecraft are for (1) instructions for midcourse and terminal maneuvers, (2) instructions for telemetry and mode control, and (3) instructions for deployment and activation of spacecraft subsystems.
Frequency response of a thermocouple wire: Effects of axial conduction

Theoretical expressions are derived for the steady-state frequency response of a thermocouple wire. In particular, the effects of axial heat conduction are demonstrated for both a uniform thermocouple wire and a nonuniform wire with unequal material properties and wire diameters across the junction. For the case of a uniform wire, the amplitude ratio and phase angle compare favorably with the series solution of Scadron and Warshawsky (1952) except near the ends of the wire. For the case of a non-uniform wire, the amplitude ratio at low frequency omega yields 0 agrees with the results of Scadron and Warshawsky for a steady-state temperature distribution. Moreover, the frequency response for a non-uniform wire in the limit of infinite length l yields infinity is shown to reduce to a simple expression that is analogous to the classic first order solution for a thermocouple wire with uniform properties.
Kinetics of the Heterogeneous Reaction HNO3(g) + NaBr(s) HBr(g) +NaNO3(s)

The kinetics of the heterogeneous reaction HNO3(g) + NaBr(s) HBr(g)+NaNO3(s)has been investigated at 296K using a fast-flow reactor coupled to an electron-impact ionization mass spectrometer.
Properties of the channel electron multiplier arrays (CEMAs) for the SOLEX Solar X-ray Spectrometer/Spectroheliograph

Abstract A Channel Electron Multiplier (CEMA) detector was launched on 24 February 1979 as part of the SOLEX Solar X-Ray Spectrometer/Spectroheliograph experiment aboard the U.S. Air Force Space Test Program P78-1 satellite. Since launch, this detector has successfully recorded X-rays in the 3–25 A wavelength range. This report describes the comprehensive laboratory testing program of the flight and flight spare CEMA detectors. Quantum efficies, energy resolution and gain are given as a function of different incident photon wavelengths, voltage configurations, incident angles and life time exposures. Our results are compared to other published values.
Effect of random temperature distributions on creep in circular plates

Abstract An analysis is presented concerning creep bending of circular plates with a randomly varying temperature distribution. Analytical and numerical results are presented on the statistical properties of the radial moment, circumferential moment, and lateral deflection. It is shown that the radial and tangential moments are relatively insensitive to random variations in the temperature distribution. The statistical distribution of the lateral deflection is derived analytically in a simple and general form.
Thermal verification testing of commercial printed-circuit boards for spaceflight

A method developed to verify commercial printed-circuit boards for a Shuttle orbital flight is discussed. The test sequence is based on early fault detection, desire to test the final assembly, and integration with other verification testing. A component thermal screening test is performed first to force flaws in design, workmanship, parts, processes, and materials into observable failures. The temperature definition tests performed consist of infrared scanning, thermal vacuum testing, and preliminary thermal operational testing. Only the engineering unit is used for temperature definition testing, but the preliminary thermal operational testing is performed on the flight unit after the temperature range has been defined. Vibration testing is performed next, but most vibration failures cannot be detected without subsequent temperature cycling. Finally, final assembly testing is performed to simulate a Shuttle flight. An abbreviated thermal screening test is performed as a check after the vibration test, and then a complete thermal operational test is performed. The final assembly test finishes up with a burn-in of 100 h of trouble-free operation. >
Ethanol Ingestion Potentiates PMN Migration into Small Intestine after Ischemia

Neutrophils have been identified to play a major role in ischemia/reperfusion injury through several mechanisms. Neutrophil migration into reperfused gut may reduce bacterial translocation, but may also enhance the reperfusion injury. Ethanol ingestion impairs cutaneous chemotaxis, but its effects on neutrophil migration to postischemic small bowel are unknown. This study investigates the effects of ethanol on small bowel accumulation of neutrophils after ischemia/reperfusion. Ninety-five rats were divided into five groups; normal control, sham operation, ethanol-sham, ischemia, and ethanol-ischemia groups. Ethanol was given once acutely by gavage (3 g/kg, 20% solution) to the animals in the ethanol-sham and the ethanol-ischemia groups 4 hr before ischemic injury. Ischemia was produced for 1 hr by placing a vessel loop around the superior mesenteric vessels. After 1 hr, 87% of animals had gut ischemia and the loop was removed. Three hours later the small bowel was examined for necrosis and the reperfused viable small bowel was extirpated for measurement of neutrophil infiltration by colorimetric assay for myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme restricted to neutrophils. Both ethanol and ischemia/reperfusion produced significant independent increase in the MPO activity. When ethanol was given prior to ischemia, the MPO activity was further increased by statistically significant margin. The present study demonstrated that ethanol enhanced the effects of gut ischemia/reperfusion injury on PMN accumulation into the intestinal wall. These observations suggest that ethanol may potentiate ischemic injury to the gut and lead to increased problems when gut blood flow is significantly impaired.
Sloshing Gas in the Core of the Most Luminous Galaxy Cluster RXJ1347.5-1145

We present new constraints on the merger history of the most X-ray luminous cluster of galaxies, RXJ1347.5-1145, based its unique multiwavelength morphology. Our X-ray analysis confirms the core gas is undergoing "sloshing" resulting from a prior, large scale, gravitational perturbation. In combination with extensive multiwavelength observations, the sloshing gas points to the primary and secondary clusters having had at least two prior strong gravitational interactions. The evidence supports a model in which the secondary subcluster with mass M=4.8+/-2.4 x 10(exp 14) Stellar Mass has previously (> or approx.=0.6 Gyr ago) passed by the primary cluster, and has now returned for a subsequent crossing where the subcluster's gas has been completely stripped from its dark matter halo. RXJ1347 is a prime example of how core gas sloshing may be used to constrain the merger histories of galaxy clusters through multiwavelength analyses.
Partial compliance with economic sanctions

By bridging the gap between the strategic model of sanctions and the public choice framework of sanctions, the authors introduce a new sanctions game. Contrary to an earlier finding, they show that the partial compliance of the target country, along with mild sanctions, are not only an equilibrium outcome, but also Pareto superior to non-compliance and tough economic sanctions.
How can we kill cancer cells: Insights from the computational models of apoptosis

Cancer cells are widely known to be protected from apoptosis, a phenomenon that is a major hurdle to successful anticancer therapy. Over-expression of several anti-apoptotic proteins, or mutations in pro-apoptotic factors, has been recognized to confer such resistance. Development of new experimental strategies, such as in silico modeling of biological pathways, can increase our understanding of how abnormal regulation of apoptotic pathway in cancer cells can lead to tumour chemoresistance. Monte Carlo simulations are in particular well suited to study inherent variability, such as spatial heterogeneity and cell-to-cell variations in signaling reactions. Using this approach, often in combination with experimental validation of the computational model, we observed that large cell-to-cell variability could explain the kinetics of apoptosis, which depends on the type of pathway and the strength of stress stimuli. Most importantly, Monte Carlo simulations of apoptotic signaling provides unexpected insights into the mechanisms of fractional cell killing induced by apoptosis-inducing agents, showing that not only variation in protein levels, but also inherent stochastic variability in signaling reactions, can lead to survival of a fraction of treated cancer cells.
Can mammography screening explain the race difference in stage at diagnosis of breast cancer

Background. A race difference in the stage at diagnosis of breast cancer is well established : African American women are less likely than white women to be diagnosed at a localized stage. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the observed race (black/ white) difference in stage at diagnosis of breast cancer could be accounted for by race differences in the mammography screening history. Methods. This was a population-based, retrospective study of 145 African American and 177 white women with newly diagnosed breast cancer in Connecticut, between January, 1987 and March, 1989. Cases were ascertained through active surveillance of 22 Connecticut hospitals. Results. Black women were diagnosed more commonly with later stage cancer (TNM stage ≥II) (age-adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.01, 95% confidence interval[CI] 1.24-3.24) than were white women. Blacks were also more likely than whites to report that they had not received a mammogram in the 3 years before development of symptoms or diagnosis (OR = 2.05, 95% CI 1.26-3.35) ; this association was not altered substantially with adjustment for socioeconomic status. In race-specific analyses, mammography was protective against later stage diagnosis in white women, but not in black women. With adjustment for mammography screening, the OR for the race-stage association was reduced only minimally, and race remained a significant predictor of stage at diagnosis. Conclusions. In these population-based data, history of mammography screening was not an important explanatory variable in the race-stage association. Specifically, history of mammographic screening accounted for less than 10% of the observed black/white difference in stage at diagnosis of breast cancer. Cancer1995 ;75 : 2103-13.
World War II and the growth of the U.S. federal government

Abstract This paper addresses a deceptively simple question: how much did America's involvement in World War II contribute to the long-run growth of the federal government? It is often claimed that the war produced a major federal expansion because the agencies that were created or expanded during the war retained part of their wartime budgets and authority by fighting cuts and enlisting the support of special interests. The taxes to support an expanded bureaucracy were forthcoming, moreover, because the public had been conditioned to high taxes during the war. This claim, often referred to as the `ratchet' hypothesis, is explored by investigating federal spending, federal employment, the structure of the federal bureaucracy, and the federal regulatory burden. The main conclusion is that the increases traceable to the war are better explained by changes in public attitudes toward the services provided by government, by demand, rather than by the ratchet. The question then becomes how were ratchets avoided? The paper does not offer a complete explanation, but it explores one proximate device: the creation of emergency war agencies that could easily be abolished when the war was over. The ratchet hypothesis is only one possible channel through which the war could have produced an expansion of government. In the penultimate section I argue that the war contributed to the ideological swing toward big government then in progress by apparently confirming the validity of Keynesian revolution in macroeconomics, and that through this channel the war did play an important role in the postwar expansion of the federal government.
Campus Police-Citizen Encounters: Influences on Sanctioning Outcomes

The vast majority of prior work on officers’ sanctioning decisions involves municipal police. An open question is whether findings from that research are generalizable to campus police, as they operate in a somewhat different context. This study explores the effect of legal and extralegal factors on campus officers’ sanctioning decisions in encounters. Data were collected through observations of campus police at a large university in the Southeastern United States. Logistic regression is used to analyze 95 campus police-citizen encounters. Findings indicate that officers more severely sanction suspects when there are more bystanders present and suspects display a negative demeanor or are visibly intoxicated. The results suggest that some but not all of the same influences affect municipal and campus police sanctioning decisions. Paths for future research are discussed.
Stellar Evolution with Enriched Surface Convection Zones. I. General Effects of Planet Consumption

Abundance analyses of stars with planets have revealed that their metallicities are enhanced relative to field stars. Such a trend was originally thought to be due to the accretion of iron-rich planetary material. Based on this assumption, we have developed a stellar evolution code to model stars with nonuniform metallicity distributions. We have calculated polluted stellar evolution tracks for stars with M = 0.9-1.2 M☉. Our models encompass a range of initial metal content Z = 0.01-0.03, and include metallicity enhancements within the stellar convection zone corresponding to ΔZ = 0.005-0.03. We find that the primary effects of metal enhancement on stellar structure and evolution are expansion of the convection zone and downward shift of effective temperature. In addition, we have computed the surface metallicities expected for stars of different mass for fixed quantities of pollution; there appears to be no correlation with present observational data on the metallicities of stars known to harbor planets.
Radiation issues in computed tomography screening

This article describes many concepts related to radiation dose in screening CT examinations. The basic concepts of exposure, absorbed dose, and effective dose are described in general and then described in the context of CT-specific descriptors. The radiation doses from several types of screening CT examinations (coronary artery calcium, lung nodule detection, and colonography) are described in terms of appropriate CT dose descriptors and estimates of effective dose.