cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RXTE Measurement of the Diffuse X-Ray Emission from the Galactic Ridge: Implications for the Energetics of the Interstellar Medium

The diffuse X-ray emission from the thin disk surrounding the Galactic midplane (the so-called Galactic ridge) was measured with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer proportional counter array in order to determine the spatial extent, spectral nature, and origin of the emission. Spatial examination of the diffuse emission in the central 30? of the plane in Galactic longitude reveals the presence of two components: a thin disk of full width 05 centered roughly on the Galactic midplane and a broad component that can be approximated as a Gaussian distribution with FWHM of about 4?. Assuming an average distance of 16 kpc to the edge of the Galaxy, a scale height of about 70 pc and 500 pc is derived for the thin and broad disk components, respectively. Spectral examination of the emission clearly reveals the presence of a hard power-law tail above 10 keV and an emission line from He-like iron, indicating both thermal and possibly nonthermal origins for the diffuse emission. The averaged spectrum from the ridge in the 3-35 keV band can be modeled with a Raymond-Smith plasma component of temperature ~2-3 keV and a power-law component of photon index ~1.8. Based on this finding, we argue that the temperature of the hot phase of the interstellar medium (ISM) is less than the previously reported values of 5-15 keV. Motivated by the similarities between the characteristics of the thermal component of the Galactic ridge emission in our model and the thermal emission from supernova remnants (SNRs), we discuss the origin of the thermal emission in terms of a population of SNRs residing in the Galactic disk. We find that a supernova explosion rate of less than 5 century-1 is adequate to power the thermal emission from the ridge. The origin of the emission in the hard X-ray band modeled by a power law remains uncertain. Possible contributions from nonthermal bremsstrahlung of cosmic-ray electrons and protons; inverse Compton scattering of energetic electrons from ambient microwave, infrared, and optical photons; nonthermal emission from SNRs; and emission from discrete X-ray sources are discussed. We speculate that bremsstrahlung of accelerated electrons and protons in SNR sites can play a significant role in producing the hard tail of the spectrum. Moreover, their collisional losses can play a major role in the ionization of the ISM.
Effect of the Coriolis Force on the Hydrodynamics of Colliding-Wind Binaries

Using fully three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the effect of the Coriolis force on the hydrodynamic and observable properties of colliding-wind binary systems. To make the calculations tractable, we assume adiabatic, constant velocity winds. The neglect of radiative driving, gravitational deceleration, and cooling limits the application of our models to real systems. However, these assumptions allow us to isolate the effect of the Coriolis force, and by simplifying the calculations, allow us to use a higher resolution (up to 6403) and to conduct a larger survey of parameter space. We study the dynamics of colliding winds with equal mass-loss rates and velocities emanating from equal-mass stars on circular orbits, with a range of values for the ratio of the wind to orbital velocity. We also study the dynamics of winds from stars on elliptical orbits and with unequal-strength winds. Orbital motion of the stars sweeps the shocked wind gas into an Archimedean spiral with asymmetric shock strengths and therefore unequal postshock temperatures and densities in the leading and trailing edges of the spiral. We observe the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at the contact surface between the shocked winds in systems with orbital motion even when the winds are identical. The change in shock strengths caused by orbital motion increases the volume of X-ray emitting postshock gas with T > 0.59 keV by 63%, for a typical system, as the ratio of wind velocity to orbital velocity decreases to Vw/Vo = 2.5. This causes increased free-free emission from systems with shorter orbital periods and an altered time dependence of the wind attenuation. We comment on the importance of the effects of orbital motion on the observable properties of colliding-wind binaries.
Life and reliability modeling of bevel gear reductions

A reliability model is presented for bevel gear reductions with either a single input pinion or dual input pinions of equal size. The dual pinions may or may not have the same power applied for the analysis. The gears may be straddle mounted or supported in a bearing quill. The reliability model is based on the Weibull distribution. The reduction's basic dynamic capacity is defined as the output torque which may be applied for one million output rotations of the bevel gear with a 90 percent probability of reduction survival.
Agricultural adaptation to climate change in rich and poor countries: Current modeling practice and potential for empirical contributions ☆

Abstract In this paper we discuss the scope of the adaptation challenge facing world agriculture in the coming decades. Due to rising temperatures throughout the tropics, pressures for adaptation will be greatest in some of the poorest parts of the world where the adaptive capacity is least abundant. We discuss both autonomous (market driven) and planned adaptations, distinguishing: (a) those that can be undertaken with existing technology, (b) those that involve development of new technologies, and (c) those that involve institutional/market and policy reforms. The paper then proceeds to identify which of these adaptations are currently modeled in integrated assessment studies and related analyses at global scale. This, in turn, gives rise to recommendations about how these models should be modified in order to more effectively capture climate change adaptation in the farm and food sector. In general, we find that existing integrated assessment models are better suited to analyzing adaptation by relatively well-endowed producers operating in market-integrated, developed countries. They likely understate climate impacts on agriculture in developing countries, while overstating the potential adaptations. This is troubling, since the need for adaptation will be greatest amongst the lower income producers in the poorest tropical countries. This is also where policies and public investments are likely to have the highest payoff. We conclude with a discussion of opportunities for improving the empirical foundations of integrated assessment modeling with an emphasis on the poorest countries.
Asymptotic Capacity Analysis for Adaptive Transmission Schemes Under General Fading Distributions

Asymptotic comparisons of ergodic channel capacity at high and low SNRs are provided for several adaptive transmission schemes over fading channels with general distributions, including optimal power and rate adaptation, rate adaptation only, channel inversion and its variants. Analysis of the high-SNR pre-log constants of the ergodic capacity reveals the existence of constant capacity difference gaps among the schemes with a pre-log constant of 1. Closed-form expressions for these high-SNR capacity difference gaps are derived, which are proportional to the SNR loss between these schemes in dB scale. The largest one of these gaps is found to be between the optimal power and rate adaptation scheme and the channel inversion scheme. Based on these expressions it is shown that the presence of space diversity or multi-user diversity makes channel inversion arbitrarily close to achieving optimal capacity at high SNR with sufficiently large number of antennas or users. A low-SNR analysis also reveals that the presence of fading provably always improves capacity at sufficiently low SNR, compared to the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) case. Numerical results are shown to corroborate our analytical results.
Applications of taste reactivity to the study of the neural-hormonal controls of ingestive behavior

Taste plays a central role in guiding ingestive behavior and the encoding of taste is affected by manipulations that influence ingestive behavior. In this article, the use of the taste reactivity test to provide a behavioral assessment of how changes in the oral reinforcing properties of a taste may initiate or sustain ingestive behaviors in several contexts are discussed. The affects of the animal's sex, sodium deficiency, exogenous bombesin administration, and the role of central gustatory lesions in mediating taste reactivity responses are discussed. Findings indicate that an enhancement of ingestive taste reactivity responses correlate with an increased preference and intake of taste stimuli for some, but not all situations. Such situations include the bombesin-like peptides that reduce sucrose and sodium chloride intake without influencing taste reactivity responses. Conversely, female rats, compared to males, show an elevated intake and preference for a range of NaCl concentrations and a greater number of ingestive taste reactivity responses to some, but not all of the preferred concentrations. Such mismatches of taste reactivity and intake measures shift attention to the contribution of nongustatory factors (trigeminal, visceral) in the control of intake.
Time resolved measurements of the flow generated by suction feeding fish

The majority of aquatic vertebrates are suction feeders: by rapidly expanding the mouth cavity they generate a fluid flow outside of their head in order to draw prey into their mouth. In addition to the biological relevance, the generated flow field is interesting fluid mechanically as it incorporates high velocities, is localized in front of the mouth, and is unsteady, typically lasting between 10 and 50 ms. Using manometry and high-speed particle image velocimetry, this is the first study to quantify pressure within and outside the mouth of a feeding fish while simultaneously measuring the velocity field outside the mouth. Measurements with a high temporal (2 ms) and spatial (<1 mm) resolution were made for several feeding events of a single largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). General properties of the flow were evaluated, including the transient velocity field, its relationship to pressure within the mouth and pressure at the prey. We find that throughout the feeding event a relationship exists for the magnitude of fluid speed as a function of distance from the predator mouth that is based on scaling the velocity field according to the size of the mouth opening and the magnitude of fluid speed at the mouth. The velocity field is concentrated within an area extending approximately one mouth diameter from the fish and the generated pressure field is even more local to the mouth aperture. Although peak suction pressures measured inside the mouth were slightly larger than those that were predicted using the equations of motion, we find that these equations give a very accurate prediction of the timing of peak pressure, so long as the unsteady nature of the flow is included.
Room Temperature Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative ortho-Acylation of Acetanilides with α-Oxocarboxylic Acids

A novel Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative ortho-acylation of acetanilides with α-oxocarboxylic acids is realized at room temperature. This reaction provides efficient access to o-acyl acetanilides under mild conditions.
Hollow glass waveguides for broadband infrared transmission

Broadband hollow glass waveguides have been fabricated with losses as low as 0.15 dB/m at 10.6 μm. We make these hollow glass waveguides by coating the inside of polyimide-coated silica-glass tubing with a metallic layer followed by a thin dielectric coating of a metal halide. The bore sizes of the guides range from 320 to 700 μm, and we have made lengths as long as 3 m. The bending radii of the waveguides are less than 5 cm for bore sizes less than 500 μm. We have used these waveguides to deliver greater than 80 W of CO2 laser power and 5 W of Er:YAG laser power. The hollow glass guides are inexpensive, robust, and quite flexible and therefore a good infrared fiber for power and sensor applications.
Stochastic modeling of a serial killer

We analyze the time pattern of the activity of a serial killer, who during 12 years had murdered 53 people. The plot of the cumulative number of murders as a function of time is of "Devil's staircase" type. The distribution of the intervals between murders (step length) follows a power law with the exponent of 1.4. We propose a model according to which the serial killer commits murders when neuronal excitation in his brain exceeds certain threshold. We model this neural activity as a branching process, which in turn is approximated by a random walk. As the distribution of the random walk return times is a power law with the exponent 1.5, the distribution of the inter-murder intervals is thus explained. We illustrate analytical results by numerical simulation. Time pattern activity data from two other serial killers further substantiate our analysis.
Correlation between Flux and Spectral Index during Flares in Sagittarius A

Flares in Sagittarius A* are produced by hot plasmas within a few Schwarzschild radii of the supermassive black hole at the Galactic center. The recent detection of a correlation between the spectral index and flux during a near-infrared (NIR) flare provides a means to conduct detailed investigations of the plasma heating and radiation processes. We study the evolution of the electron distribution function under the influence of a turbulent magnetic field in a hot collisionless plasma. The magnetic field, presumably generated through instabilities in the accretion flow, can both heat the plasma through resonant wave-particle coupling and cool the electrons by radiation. The electron distribution can generally be approximated as relativistic Maxwellian. To account for the observed correlation, we find that the magnetic field needs to be anticorrelated with the electron "temperature." NIR and X-ray light curves are produced for a cooling and a heating phase. The model predicts simultaneous flare activity in the NIR and X-ray bands, which can be compared with observations. These results can be applied to MHD simulations to study the radiative characteristics of collisionless plasmas, especially accretion flows in low-luminosity active galactic nuclei.
QMDS: a file system metadata management service supporting a graph data model-based query language

File system metadata management has become a bottleneck for many data-intensive applications that rely on high-performance file systems. Part of the bottleneck is due to the limitations of an almost 50-year-old interface standard with metadata abstractions that were designed at a time when high-end file systems managed less than 100 MB. Today's high-performance file systems store 7–9 orders of magnitude more data, resulting in a number of data items for which these metadata abstractions are inadequate, such as directory hierarchies unable to handle complex relationships among data. Users of file systems have attempted to work around these inadequacies by moving application-specific metadata management to relational databases to make metadata searchable. Splitting file system metadata management into two separate systems introduces inefficiencies and systems management problems. To address this problem, we propose QMDS: a file system metadata management service that integrates all file system metadata and uses a graph data model with attributes on nodes and edges. Our service uses a query language interface for file identification and attribute retrieval. We present our metadata management service design and architecture and study its performance using a text analysis benchmark application. Results from our QMDS prototype show the effectiveness of this approach. Compared to the use of a file system and relational database, the QMDS prototype shows superior performance for both ingest and query workloads.
Quasi-separatrix layers and three-dimensional reconnection diagnostics for line-tied tearing modes

Abstract In three-dimensional magnetic configurations for a plasma in which no closed field line or magnetic null exists, no magnetic reconnection can occur, by the strictest definition of reconnection. A finitely long pinch with line-tied boundary conditions, in which all the magnetic field lines start at one end of the system and proceed to the opposite end, is an example of such a system. Nevertheless, for a long system of this type, the physical behavior in resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) essentially involves reconnection. This has been explained in terms comparing the geometric and tearing widths [1] , [2] . The concept of a quasi-separatrix layer [3] , [4] was developed for such systems. In this paper we study a model for a line-tied system in which the corresponding periodic system has an unstable tearing mode. We analyze this system in terms of two magnetic field line diagnostics, the squashing factor [5] , [6] , [7] and the electrostatic potential difference [8] , [9] which has been used in kinematic reconnection studies. We discuss the physical and geometric significance of these two diagnostics and compare them in the context of discerning tearing-like (reconnection-like) behavior in line-tied modes.
Are management‐based regulations effective? Evidence from state pollution prevention programs

This paper evaluates a recent innovation in regulating risk called management-based regulation. Traditionally, risk regulation has either specified a particular means of achieving a risk-reduction goal or specified the goal and left the means of achieving that goal up to the regulated entity. In contrast, management-based regulation neither explicitly imposes the means, nor the ends. Rather, what is required is that each regulated entity review its production processes and develop a set of goals and procedures that will reduce risk. I evaluate the effectiveness of management-based regulation by taking advantage of policy variation that occurred when 14 states adopted such regulations for toxic chemical control in the 1990s. Using panel data for just over 31,000 manufacturing plants in the United States, I investigate whether facilities subject to management-based regulations had larger changes in total quantities of toxic chemical releases, engaged in more pollution prevention activities, or reported fewer toxic chemicals to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The results indicate that management-based regulation has had a measurable positive effect on the environmental performance of manufacturing plants. In particular, plants subject to management-based regulation experienced larger decreases in total pounds of toxic chemicals released and were more likely to engage in source reduction activities. © 2007 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
Dynamic social network analysis using latent space models

This paper explores two aspects of social network modeling. First, we generalize a successful static model of relationships into a dynamic model that accounts for friendships drifting over time. Second, we show how to make it tractable to learn such models from data, even as the number of entities n gets large. The generalized model associates each entity with a point in p-dimensional Euclidean latent space. The points can move as time progresses but large moves in latent space are improbable. Observed links between entities are more likely if the entities are close in latent space. We show how to make such a model tractable (sub-quadratic in the number of entities) by the use of appropriate kernel functions for similarity in latent space; the use of low dimensional KD-trees; a new efficient dynamic adaptation of multidimensional scaling for a first pass of approximate projection of entities into latent space; and an efficient conjugate gradient update rule for non-linear local optimization in which amortized time per entity during an update is O(log n). We use both synthetic and real-world data on up to 11,000 entities which indicate near-linear scaling in computation time and improved performance over four alternative approaches. We also illustrate the system operating on twelve years of NIPS co-authorship data.
Deterministic Chaotic Behavior of Heat Transfer in Gas Fluidized Beds

Instantaneous heat transfer signals acquired in the bubble flow regime in a gas fluidized bed were examined for evidence of deterministic chaotic behavior. Signals were acquired using a heat flux sensor mounted on the surface of a horizontal, heated cylinder. Both standard statistical measures and nonlinear analysis techniques were employed to provide qualitative as well as quantitative information regarding dynamic behavior of heat transfer in such a facility. Power spectra provided preliminary evidence that heat transfer in fluidized beds may be chaotic in nature. Positive finite estimates of the Kolmogorov entropy provide further evidence of behavior consistent with chaos. Mutual information has a dual purpose in this work. It was used to evaluate a time delay in which to embed the time series heat transfer signal, and as a qualitative measure of the degree of chaos inherent in the signals. The quantitative information derived from mutual information allows the system dynamics to be represented as phase trajectories in a pseudo-phase space created by embedding a measured discrete signal in the space defined by time-delay coordinate axes. Embedding dimensions determined via the correlation integral suggest that four degrees of freedom quantify the system dynamics for the fluidizing conditions investigated in this work. Embedding dimensions were found to be independent of the fluidization velocity. This is a consequence of maintaining operating conditions within the bubble flow regime. The Kolmogorov entropy was shown to delineate fundamental changes in hydrodynamics conditions at the surface of the cylinder. Phase plots provide a means of analyzing the dynamics of heat transfer occurring at the surface of the cylinder. Two distinct characteristic emulsion phase contacts were identified using phase space trajectories. Phase space trajectories that result from particles remaining motionless at the heat transfer surface are distinctly different from those that result from particles actively mixing at the surface of the cylinder.
When weak Hopf algebras are Frobenius

We investigate when a weak Hopf algebra H is Frobenius; we show this is not always true, but it is true if the semisimple base algebra A has all its matrix blocks of the same dimension. However, if A is a semisimple algebra not having this property, there is a weak Hopf algebra H with base A which is not Frobenius (and consequently, it is not Frobenius “over” A either). We give, moreover, a categorical counterpart of the result that a Hopf algebra is a Frobenius algebra for a noncoassociative generalization of weak Hopf algebra. 1
A silicon hall element for application in an analog multiplier

Abstract A Hall element with characteristics suitable for application in an analog multiplier has been designed and developed. General multiplier specifications called for inputs to ±2 mA and ± 104 G maximum. Stability and circuitry considerations led to the selection of silicon for the element material. Using approximately 150 ohms-cm n-type silicon, the resulting elements exhibited outputs of 1·6–1·7 volts at maximum input current and magnetic field and outputs of about 1 mV at maximum input current and zero magnetic field. Error in element output is generally less than ± 0·5 per cent of full scale range at room temperature over the full range of input parameters.
FLIGHT SIMULATOR FIDELITY ASSESSMENT IN A ROTORCRAFT LATERAL TRANSLATION MANEUVER

A model-based methodology for assessing flight simulator fidelity in closed-loop fashion is exercised in analyzing a rotorcraft low-altitude maneuver for which flight test and simulation results were available. The addition of a handling qualities sensitivity function to a previously developed model-based assessment criteria allows an analytical comparison of both performance and handling qualities between simulation and flight test. Model predictions regarding the existence of simulator fidelity problems are corroborated by experiment. The modeling approach is used to assess analytically the effects of modifying simulator characteristics on simulator fidelity.
MONETARY–FISCAL INTERACTIONS WITH A CONSERVATIVE CENTRAL BANK

Abstract We study macroeconomic stabilization when monetary and fiscal policies interact via their effects on output and inflation and the monetary authority is more conservative than the fiscal. We find that monetary- fiscal interactions result in poor macroeconomic stabilization. With both policies discretionary, the Nash equilibrium is suboptimal with higher output and lower inflation than optimal; the Nash equilibrium may be extreme with output higher and inflation lower than either authority want. Leadership equilibria are not second best. Monetary commitment is completely negated by fiscal discretion and yields the same outcome as discretionary monetary leadership for all realizations of shocks. But fiscal commitment is not similarly negated by monetary discretion. Optimal macroeconomic stabilization requires either commitment of both monetary and fiscal policies, or identical targets for both authorities – output socially optimal and inflation appropriately conservative – or complete separation of tasks.
A review of failure models for ceramic matrix composite laminates under monotonic loads

A review of short-term failure models with potential for ceramic matrix composite laminates under monotonic loads is presented. Phenomenological, semi-empirical, shear-lag, fracture mechanics, damage mechanics, and statistical models for the fast fracture analysis of continuous fiber unidirectional ceramic matrix composites under monotonic loads are surveyed
Socio-Cognitive Functions of L1 Collaborative Interaction in the L2 Classroom

This paper studies the use of L1 in the collaborative interaction of adult learners of Spanish who are native speakers of English. Viewed as a psychological tool that mediates human mental activity on the external (interpsychological) and the internal (intrapsychological) planes, L1 use is found to serve a critical function in students' attempts to mutually define various elements of their task, that is, to establish and maintain intersubjectivity (Rommetveit, 1985). Also, L1 is shown to be an indispensable device for students in providing each other with scaffolded help (Wood, Bruner, & Ross, 1976). Finally, this study provides evidence of the use of L1 for the purpose of externalizing one's inner speech (Vygotsky, 1986) throughout the task as a means of regulating one's own mental activity. The analysis of student interaction presented here not only highlights these critical functions of L1 in the second language learning process, but attempts to show how various communicative moves and linguistic forms achieve these functions.
Interpretation and improved solution approach for ill-conditioned linear equations

A simple method for obtaining physically realistic solutions to ill-conditioned or singular algebraic systems of linear equations is proposed and interpreted on both physical and mathematical grounds. The relationship of this method called epsilon-decomposition to singular value, Bayesian estimation and Levenberg-Marquardt methods is also presented.
Mild Cognitive Impairment, Incidence, Progression, and Reversion: Findings from a Community-Based Cohort of Elderly African Americans

Objective: To examine the long-term outcomes of community-based elderly African Americans by following their transitions from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. Methods: Participants were from the communitybased Indianapolis Dementia Project. A total of 4,104 African Americans were enrolled in 1992 or 2001 and followed until 2009 with regularly scheduled evaluation of cognitive assessment. A two-stage sampling was used at each evaluation to select individuals for extensive clinical assessment following the results of Stage 1 cognitive testing. Age- and gender-specific incidence, progression, and reversion rates for MCI were derived using the person-year method in a dynamic cohort and predicted probabilities from weighted multinomial logistic models of transitional probabilities among normal cognition, MCI, and dementia. Results: Annual overall incidence rate for MCI was 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.6%e6.6%). Annual progression rate from MCI to dementia was 5.9% (95% CI: 5.3%e6.5%), and annual reversion rate from MCI to normal was 18.6% (95% CI: 16.7%e20.4%). Both MCI incidence rates and MCI to dementia progression rates increased with age, whereas reversion rates from MCI to normal decreased with age. Conclusion: MCI progression to dementia was much more frequent in the older age groups than in younger participants where reversion to normal cognition is more common. Future research is needed to determine factors related to the heterogeneous outcomes in MCI individuals. (Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2014; 22:670e681)
Quantitative attribution of major driving forces on soil organic carbon dynamics

Soil organic carbon (SOC) storage plays a major role in the global carbon cycle and is affected by many factors including land use/management changes (e.g., biofuel production-oriented changes). However, the contributions of various factors to SOC changes are not well understood and quantified. This study was designed to investigate the impacts of changing farming practices, initial SOC levels, and biological enhancement of grain production on SOC dynamics and to attribute the relative contributions of major driving forces (CO2 enrichment and farming practices) using a fractional factorial modeling design. The case study at a crop site in Iowa in the United States demonstrated that the traditional corn-soybean (CS) rotation could still accumulate SOC over this century (from 4.2 to 6.8 kg C/m2) under the current condition; whereas the continuous-corn (CC) system might have a higher SOC sequestration potential than CS. In either case, however, residue removal could reduce the sink potential substantially. Long-term simulation results also suggested that the equilibrium SOC level may vary greatly (∼5.7 to ∼11 kg C/m2) depending on cropping systems and management practices, and projected growth enhancement could make the magnitudes higher (∼7.8 to ∼13 kg C/m2). Importantly, the factorial design analysis indicated that residue management had the most significant impact (contributing 49.4%) on SOC changes, followed by CO2 Enrichment (37%), Tillage (6.2%), the combination of CO2 Enrichment-Residue removal (5.8%), and Fertilization (1.6%). In brief, this study is valuable for understanding the major forces driving SOC dynamics of agroecosystems and informative for decision-makers when seeking the enhancement of SOC sequestration potential and sustainability of biofuel production, especially in the Corn Belt region of the United States.
Chemoselective Hydroxylation of Aliphatic sp3 C–H Bonds Using a Ketone Catalyst and Aqueous H2O2

The first ketone-catalyzed method for the oxidation of aliphatic C–H bonds is reported. The reaction conditions employ aryl trifluoromethyl ketones in catalytic amounts and hydrogen peroxide as the terminal oxidant. Hydroxylation is stereospecific and chemoselective for tertiary over secondary C–H bonds. A catalytic cycle invoking a dioxirane as the active oxidant is proposed.
Promotion and cyclic sieving via webs

We show that Schutzenberger's promotion on two and three row rectangular Young tableaux can be realized as cyclic rotation of certain planar graphs introduced by Kuperberg. Moreover, following work of the third author, we show that this action admits the cyclic sieving phenomenon.
Post-Acquisition Performance of Rural Banks

The effects of bank consolidation on available credit for small rural businesses and farmers is a major concern. It is often argued that larger organizations, which usually have an urban base, neglect the credit needs of their rural constituents. The effect of mergers on the banking and financial services industry was recently investigated by the U.S. House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. Janet Yellen, a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, testified that "mergers resulting in relatively high levels of local banking market concentration can adversely affect local bank customers." Similar concerns were also raised by the Texas House Committee on Small Business Access to Capital: "Experience with interstate banking tells us that out-of-state banks tend to decrease their lending service to small businesses-which are the backbone of job creation." The effect of consolidation on rural financial markets is not a new issue. A set of studies by the Federal Reserve System in the early 1970s examined the effects of bank structure on the
Microwave-Assisted Regioselective Addition of P(O)−H Bonds to Alkenes without Added Solvent or Catalyst

The addition of P(O)−H bonds to alkenes has been accomplished using microwave irradiation in the absence of added solvent and catalyst. In addition to single addition reactions, tandem hydrophosphinylation reactions with alkynes afforded unsymmetrical species such as phosphine oxide − phosphinates.
Limit Cycle Oscillation Flight Test Results of a Fighter with External Stores

Oscillatory wing response data were measured on an F-16A aircraft during flutter tests of several external store configurations. Previous testing had shown the F-16 to exhibit limit cycle oscillations (LCO) in the transonic regime, During the present tests, LCO were encountered as well as the sudden onset of high-amplitude oscillations. This sudden high-amplitude response closely resembled that of classical flutter. In all, three distinct categories of response behavior were seen during these tests: classical flutter, typical LCO, and nontypical LCO. These categories are representative of the broad spectrum of aeroelastic responses encountered by fighter aircraft with external stores. Theoretical flutter analyses are shown to adequately identify flutter- or LCO-sensitive store configurations and their instability oscillation frequencies. In addition, a strong correlation between the flight test response and the modal composition of the analytical flutter mechanism is evident. However, the linear analysis fails to provide insight into the oscillation amplitude or onset velocity, which are of primary importance for external store certification on fighter aircraft. Flutter analysis results are presented along with details of the analytical model, the store configurations, and the store mass properties for use as realistic check cases for the validation of nonlinear flutter analysis methods.
A Giant Outburst at Millimeter Wavelengths in the Orion Nebula

Berkely-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA) array observations of the Orion nebula discovered a giant flare from a young star previously undetected at millimeter wavelengths. The star briefly became the brightest compact object in the nebula at 86 GHz. Its flux density increased by more than a factor of 5 on a timescale of hours, to a peak of 160 mJy. This is one of the most luminous stellar radio flares ever observed. Remarkably, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory was in the midst of a deep integration of the Orion nebula at the time of the BIMA discovery; the source's X-ray flux increased by a factor of 10 approximately 2 days before the radio detection. Follow-up radio observations with the VLA and BIMA showed that the source decayed on a timescale of days, then flared again several times over the next 70 days, although never as brightly as during the discovery. Circular polarization was detected at 15, 22, and 43 GHz, indicating that the emission mechanism was cyclotron. VLBA observations 9 days after the initial flare yield a brightness temperature Tb > 5 × 107 K at 15 GHz. Infrared spectroscopy indicates that the source is a K5 V star with faint Br γ emission, suggesting that it is a weak-line T Tauri object. Zeeman splitting measurements in the infrared spectrum find B ~ 2.6 ± 1.0 kG. The flare is an extreme example of magnetic activity associated with a young stellar object. These data suggest that short observations obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array will uncover hundreds of flaring young stellar objects in the Orion region.
Performance assessment of Class 1E pressure transmitters subjected to environmental stresses

Abstract An experimental investigation into the performance of Class 1E electronic pressure transmitters exposed to environments within and beyond the design basis has been conducted. Emphasis was placed on determining the instruments' failure and degradation modes in separate and simultaneous environmental exposures. Five unaged ITT Barton Model 763 pressure transmitters were tested. Each transmitter was exposed to a unique environment. Evaluation of transmitter response showed that temperature is the primary environmental stress affecting performance. Large errors were observed at the onset of accident environment exposure. These errors decreased with time-at-temperature. We believe the source of these errors to be a common-mode design weakness in the transmitter's calibration potentiometers resulting from a dielectric property temperature dependency. The modification recommended by the manufacturer to reduce this temperature effect proved to work reasonably well in the long term. A second potential common failure mode which activates slowly with time-at-temperature was also identified. We believe this failure mechanism is catalyzed by the presence of a specific lubricant used in the production of some potentiometers. The transmitters tested proved to be exceptionally hard to radiation effects and there appeared to be no significant synergistic effects between radiation and temperature. The observed responses of the transmitters offer support for the position forwarded by IEEE 381–1977 recommending that electronic modules be aged to varying degrees of advanced life before testing.
Time and Cost Factors to Provide Regular, Periodic Dental Care for Children in a Fluoridated and Nonfluoridated Area: Final Report

A six-year study, designed to compare time and cost factors involved in providing regular dental care to children in fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas, indicates the advantages of a public health caries-prophylactic procedure. Cost of dental care for children who drank fluoridated water from infancy was less than half that for those who did not. Less time was needed for dental care of children in the fluoridated area. Detailed comparison shows the extent of economic benefits and improved dental health resulting from this procedure.
On the integral closure of ideals

Among the several types of closures of an idealI that have been defined and studied in the past decades, the integral closureĪ has a central place being one of the earliest and most relevant. Despite this role, it is often a difficult challenge to describe it concretely once the generators ofI are known. Our aim in this note is to show that in a broad class of ideals their radicals play a fundamental role in testing for integral closedness, and in caseI ≠Ī, ✓I is still helpful in finding some fresh new elements inĪ/I. Among the classes of ideals under consideration are: complete intersection ideals of codimension two, generic complete intersection ideals, and generically Gorenstein ideals.
Complex Acts of Knowing: Paradox and Descriptive Self-Awareness

We are reaching the end of the second generation of knowledge management, with its focus on tacit-explicit knowledge conversion. Triggered by the SECI model of Nonaka, it replaced a first generation focus on timely information provision for decision support and in support of BPR initiatives. Like BPR it has substantially failed to deliver on its promised benefits. The third generation requires the clear separation of context, narrative and content management and challenges the orthodoxy of scientific management. Complex adaptive systems theory is used to create a sense-making model that utilises self-organising capabilities of the informal communities and identifies a natural flow model of knowledge creation, disruption and utilisation. However the argument from nature of many complexity thinkers is rejected given the human capability to create order and predictability through collective and individual acts of freewill. Knowledge is seen paradoxically, as both a thing and a flow requiring diverse management approaches. The Cynefin Centre Membership of the Centre, which focuses on action research in organisational complexity is open to individuals and to organisations. It focuses on high-participation action research projects seeking new insights into the nature of organisations and markets using models derived from sciences that recognise the inherent uncertainties of systems comprised of interacting agents. However, the Centre is not about attempting to apply physical or biological models to organisations wholesale without attention to the uniquely human capacities of free will, awareness and social responsibility. It is about engaging human organisational complexity in its many manifestations, including the ancient collective and emergent patterns of narrative, ritual, negotiation of identity and truth, self-representation and knowledge exchange. The Centre is not about consultants or academics conducting multiple interviews or observations and deriving static hypothesises and models based on their outside "expertise". It is about creating focused dynamic interactions between traditional and unexpected sources of knowledge to enable the emergence of new meaning and insight. The Centre is based on a model of networked intelligence, creating a broad and loosely structured coalition of academics, industrial and governmental organisations to create new insight and understanding for its members into the complexity of managing in a new age of uncertainty. The basis of all Centre programmes is to look at any issue from multiple new perspectives and to facilitate problem solving through multiple interactions among programme participants. Programmes run on a national, international and regional basis and range from investigation of seemingly impossible or intractable problems to pragmatic early entry into new methods and tools such as narrative databases, social network stimulation and asymmetric threat response.
Formation of Titanium Nitride Whiskers by Reaction of Sodium Titanium Bronze with Molten Sodium Cyanide

The production of titanium nitride, TiN, whiskers by reaction of sodium titanium bronze, Na{sub x}TiO{sub 2}(STB), with excess sodium cyanide, NaCN, at 1000{degrees}C is reported. The solubility of Ti from a STB in molten NaCN has been estimated experimentally. The TiN whiskers obtained under different experimental conditions have been examined by scanning electron microscopy and analyzed by analytical electron microscopy.
Homological product codes

Quantum codes with low-weight stabilizers known as LDPC codes have been actively studied recently due to their potential applications in fault-tolerant quantum computing. However, all families of quantum LDPC codes known to this date suffer from a poor distance scaling limited by the square-root of the code length. This is in a sharp contrast with the classical case where good families of LDPC codes are known that combine constant encoding rate and linear distance. Here we propose the first family of good quantum codes with low-weight stabilizers. The new codes have a constant encoding rate, linear distance, and stabilizers acting on at most O(√n) qubits, where n is the code length. For comparison, all previously known families of good quantum codes have stabilizers of linear weight. Our proof combines two techniques: randomized constructions of good quantum codes and the homological product operation from algebraic topology. We conjecture that similar methods can produce good stabilizer codes with stabilizer weight O(nα) for any α > 0.
Eigenvalues and degree deviation in graphs

Abstract Let G be a graph with n vertices and m edges and let μ(G) = μ1(G) ⩾ ⋯ ⩾ μn(G) be the eigenvalues of its adjacency matrix. Set s ( G ) = ∑ u ∈ V ( G ) ∣ d ( u ) - 2 m / n ∣ . We prove that s 2 ( G ) 2 n 2 2 m ⩽ μ ( G ) - 2 m n ⩽ s ( G ) . In addition we derive similar inequalities for bipartite G. We also prove that the inequality μ k ( G ) + μ n - k + 2 ( G ¯ ) ⩾ - 1 - 2 2 s ( G ) holds for every k = 2, … , n. Finally we prove that for every graph G of order n, μ n ( G ) + μ n ( G ¯ ) ⩽ - 1 - s 2 ( G ) 2 n 3 . We show that these inequalities are tight up to a constant factor.
Lewis acid induced tandem Diels-Alder reaction/ring expansion as an equivalent of a [4 + 3] cycloaddition.

Aluminum chloride induced reaction between cyclopentadiene and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes results in the stereoselective formation of the products of a formal [4 + 3] cycloaddition. The reaction pro...
THE DARK MATTER DENSITY PROFILE OF THE FORNAX DWARF

We construct axisymmetric Schwarzschild models to measure the mass profile of the Local Group dwarf galaxy Fornax. These models require no assumptions to be made about the orbital anisotropy of the stars, as is the case for commonly used Jeans models. We test a variety of parameterizations of dark matter density profiles and find cored models with uniform density {rho}{sub c} = (1.6 {+-} 0.1) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -2} M{sub Sun} pc{sup -3} fit significantly better than the cuspy halos predicted by cold dark matter simulations. We also construct models with an intermediate-mass black hole, but are unable to make a detection. We place a 1{sigma} upper limit on the mass of a potential intermediate-mass black hole at M{sub .} {<=} 3.2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} M{sub Sun }.
IONS IN FLUCTUATING CHANNELS: TRANSISTORS ALIVE

Ion channels are proteins with a hole down the middle embedded in cell membranes. Membranes form insulating structures and the channels through them allow and control the movement of charged particles, spherical ions, mostly Na+, K+, Ca++, and Cl-. Membranes contain hundreds or thousands of types of channels, fluctuating between open conducting and closed insulating states. Channels control an enormous range of biological function by opening and closing in response to specific stimuli using mechanisms that are not yet understood in physical language. Open channels conduct current of charged particles following laws of Brownian movement of charged spheres rather like the laws of electrodiffusion of quasi-particles in semiconductors. Open channels select between similar ions using a combination of electrostatic and "crowded charge" (Lennard-Jones) forces. The specific location of atoms and the exact atomic structure of the channel protein seem much less important than certain properties of the structure, namely the volume accessible to ions and the effective density of fixed and polarization charge. There is no sign of other chemical effects like delocalization of electron orbitals between ions and the channel protein. Channels play a role in biology as important as transistors in computers, and they use rather similar physics to perform part of that role. Understanding their fluctuations awaits physical insight into the source of the variance and mathematical analysis of the coupling of the fluctuations to the other components and forces of the system.
Distinguishing Propagation vs. Launch Physics of Astrophysical Jets and the Role of Experiments

The absence of other viable momentum sources for collimated flows leads to the likelihood that magnetic fields play a fundamental role in jet launch and/or collimation in astrophysical jets. To best understand the physics of jets, it is useful to distinguish between the launch region where the jet is accelerated and the larger scales where the jet propagates as a collimated structure. Observations presently resolve jet propagation, but not the launch region. Simulations typically probe the launch and propagation regions separately, but not both together. Here, I IDentify some of the physics of jet launch vs. propagation and what laboratory jet experiments to date have probed. Reproducing an astrophysical jet in the lab is unrealistic, so maximizing the benefit of the experiments requires clarifying the astrophysical connection.