cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and evaluation of a photolyzable derivative of sphingosine 1-phosphate--caged SPP.

Abstract The synthesis of a photolyzable sphingosine 1-phosphate derivative is reported via the reaction of N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-2-N,3-O-isopropylidenesphingosine7 and bis(α-methyl-o-nitrobenzyl) N,N-diisopropyl-phosphoramidite. Stimulation of DNA synthesis upon illumination of caged SPP-loaded cells is also described.
Increasing Inequality and Financial Instability

Rising inequality aects the composition of asset demands as well as aggregate demand. The poor have few …nancial assets and their portfolio is skewed towards …xed-income assets. The rich, by contrast, hold a large proportion of their wealth in stocks. Thus, an increase in inequality tends to raise the demand for stocks. This generates capital gains, and these gains can fuel a bubble, as desired portfolios shift further towards stocks.
Hydrazone-based switches, metallo-assemblies and sensors

The hydrazone functional group has been extensively studied and used in the context of supramolecular chemistry. Its pervasiveness and versatility can be attributed to its ease of synthesis, modularity, and most importantly unique structural properties, which enable its integration in different applications. This review provides an overview of the utilization of hydrazones in three supramolecular chemistry related areas: molecular switches, metallo-assemblies and sensors. These topics were chosen because they highlight the diversity of hydrazones, and emphasize their uniqueness vis-a-vis the imine functional group. Discussion entails (i) chemical and light activated switching of hydrazones, and how this can be used in controlling the properties of self-assembled systems, (ii) the use of hydrazones in the formation of dynamic and stimuli responsive metallogrids, and (iii) the use of hydrazones in detecting metal cations (Zn2+, Cu2+, Hg2+, etc.), anions (F−, CN−, P2O74−, etc.) and neutral molecules (amines, water, Cys, etc.).
A new planar feed for slot spiral antennas

A new planar, wideband feed for a slot spiral antenna is presented and tested at VHF frequencies. Radiation pattern measurements are presented to demonstrate the performance and usefulness of this feed. In contrast to most traditional printed spiral antenna designs, the one presented here incorporates a completely planar balun and feed, making it more attractive for conformal applications.
Spatially resolved chemistry in nearby galaxies. I. The center of IC 342

We have imaged emission from the millimeter lines of eight molecules—C2H, C 34 S, N2H + ,C H3OH, HNCO, HNC, HC3N, and SO—in the central half-kiloparsec of the nearby spiral galaxy IC 342. The 5 00 (� 50 pc) resolution images were made with the Owens Valley Millimeter Array. Using these and previously published CO and HCN images, we obtain a picture of the chemistry within the nuclear region on the size scales of individual giant molecular clouds. Bright emission is detected from all but SO. There are marked differences in morphology for the different molecules. A principal-component analysis is performed to quantify similarities and differences among the images. This analysis reveals that while all molecules are to zeroth order correlated, that is, that they are all found in dense molecular clouds, there are three distinct groups of molecules distinguished by the location of their emission within the nuclear region. N2H + ,C 18 O, HNC, and HCN are widespread and bright, good overall tracers of dense molecular gas. C2 Ha nd C 34 S, tracers of photodissociation region chemistry, originate exclusively from the central 50–100 pc region, where radiation fields are high. The third group of molecules, CH3OH and HNCO, correlates well with the expected locations of bar-induced orbital shocks. The good correlation of HNCO with the established shock tracer molecule CH3OH is evidence that this molecule, whose chemistry has been uncertain, is indeed produced by the processing of grain mantles. HC3N is observed to correlate tightly with 3 mm continuum emission, demonstrating that the young starbursts are the sites of the warmest and densest molecular gas. We compare our HNC images with the HCN images of Downes and coworkers to produce the first highresolution, extragalactic HCN/HNC map: the HNC/HCN ratio is near unity across the nucleus, and the correlation of both of these gas tracers with star formation is excellent. The ratio exhibits no obvious correlation with gas temperature or star formation strength. Subject headings: astrochemistry — galaxies: individual (IC 342) — galaxies: ISM — galaxies: starburst — radio lines: galaxies
Thionation Using Fluorous Lawesson's Reagent

[reaction: see text] Thionation of amides, 1,4-diketones, N-(2-oxoalkyl)amides, N,N'-acylhydrazines, and acyl-protected uridines with the use of a fluorous analogue of the Lawesson's reagent leads to thioamides, thiophenes, 1,3-thiazoles, 1,3,4-thiadiazoles, and acyl-protected 4-thiouridines. The isolation of the final products in high yields is achieved in most cases by a simple filtration (fluorous solid-phase extraction).
Design of state feedback for large-scale multivariable systems

This note presents a general method which reduces the computational requirements in the state feedback design of large-scale multivariable systems. The given system is first transformed into a general block canonical form by using simple equivalent transformation. The state feedback problem is then reformulated in terms of a Sylvester equation. Finally, the transformed system matrices along with certain assumed block forms for unknown matrices enable the Sylvester equation to be decomposed and solved effectively.
A dynamical systems approach to weighted graph matching

Graph matching is a fundamental problem that arises frequently in the areas of distributed control, computer vision, and facility allocation. In this paper, we consider the optimal graph matching problem for weighted graphs, which is computationally challenging due the combinatorial nature of the set of permutations. Contrary to optimization-based relaxations to this problem, in this paper we develop a novel relaxation by constructing dynamical systems on the manifold of orthogonal matrices. In particular, since permutation matrices are orthogonal matrices with nonnegative elements, we define two gradient flows in the space of orthogonal matrices. The first minimizes the cost of weighted graph matching over orthogonal matrices, whereas the second minimizes the distance of an orthogonal matrix from the finite set of all permutations. The combination of the two dynamical systems converges to a permutation matrix, which provides a suboptimal solution to the weighted graph matching problem. Finally, our approach is shown to be promising by illustrating it on nontrivial problems.
Exxon Donor Solvent liquefaction process

The Exxon Donor Solvent (EDS) coal liquefaction system is a direct liquefaction procedure being developed by the Exxon Corporation. Coal is chemically reacted and dissolved in a recycle solvent that is hydrogenated between passes to the liquefaction reactor. More than 2.6 barrels (0.41 m 3) of a synthetic crude boiling below 1000 °F (538 °C) are produced per ton (0.907 t) of dry, high volatile coal feed. Other ranks of coal can be effectively liquefied. The process development has proceeded to a 250 ton/day (227 t/day) pilot plant stage that went into operation in June 1980. The presentation addresses the chemical reactions and process conditions that result in ease of operability and flexibility of the EDS process.
Percolation on fitness landscapes: effects of correlation, phenotype, and incompatibilities

We study how correlations in the random fitness assignment may affect the structure of fitness landscapes, in three classes of fitness models. The first is a phenotype space in which individuals are characterized by a large number n of continuously varying traits. In a simple model of random fitness assignment, viable phenotypes are likely to form a giant connected cluster percolating throughout the phenotype space provided the viability probability is larger than 1/2(n). The second model explicitly describes genotype-to-phenotype and phenotype-to-fitness maps, allows for neutrality at both phenotype and fitness levels, and results in a fitness landscape with tunable correlation length. Here, phenotypic neutrality and correlation between fitnesses can reduce the percolation threshold, and correlations at the point of phase transition between local and global are most conducive to the formation of the giant cluster. In the third class of models, particular combinations of alleles or values of phenotypic characters are "incompatible" in the sense that the resulting genotypes or phenotypes have zero fitness. This setting can be viewed as a generalization of the canonical Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller model of speciation and is related to K-SAT problems, prominent in computer science. We analyze the conditions for the existence of viable genotypes, their number, as well as the structure and the number of connected clusters of viable genotypes. We show that analysis based on expected values can easily lead to wrong conclusions, especially when fitness correlations are strong. We focus on pairwise incompatibilities between diallelic loci, but we also address multiple alleles, complex incompatibilities, and continuous phenotype spaces. In the case of diallelic loci, the number of clusters is stochastically bounded and each cluster contains a very large sub-cube. Finally, we demonstrate that the discrete NK model shares some signature properties of models with high correlations.
Losing Information Outside the Horizon

Suppose we allow a system to fall freely from infinity to a point near (but not beyond) the horizon of a black hole. We note that in a sense the information in the system is already lost to an observer at infinity. Once the system is too close to the horizon it does not have enough energy to send its information back because the information carrying quanta would get redshifted to a point where they get confused with Hawking radiation. If one attempts to turn the infalling system around and bring it back to infinity for observation then it will experience Unruh radiation from the required acceleration. This radiation can excite the bits in the system carrying the information, thus reducing the fidelity of this information. We find the radius where the information is essentially lost in this way, noting that this radius depends on the energy gap (and coupling) of the system. We look for some universality by using the highly degenerate BPS ground states of a quantum gravity theory (string theory) as our information storage device. For such systems one finds that the critical distance to the horizon set by Unruh radiation is the geometric mean of the black hole radius and the radius of the extremal hole with quantum numbers of the BPS bound state. Overall, the results suggest that information in gravity theories should be regarded not as a quantity contained in a system, but in terms of how much of this information is accessible to another observer.
Dual canonical bases and Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomials☆

We derive a formula for the entries of the (unitriangular) transi- tion matrices between the standard monomial and dual canonical bases of the irreducible polynomial representations of Uq(gln) in terms of Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials.
Homophobic Innumeracy? Estimating the Size of the Gay and Lesbian Population

Previous research has shown that mass perceptions about the sizes of minority populations are influenced by sociodemographic, threat, and context variables. This paper extends the analysis to a population group that has not previously been considered from a national perspective, that is, gays and lesbians. Our analysis of a statewide survey of Florida residents in 2002 shows that people in sociodemographic groups associated with low levels of political knowledge were more likely to report higher estimates of the gay population. Threat variables and objective context had relatively little impact, but estimates also were higher among individuals who reported personal contact with gays and lesbians.
Comparative genomic analysis as a tool for biological discovery

The recent completion of the human genome sequence has enabled the identification of a large fraction of our gene catalogue and their physical chromosomal position. However, current efforts lag at defining the cis-regulatory sequences that control the spatial and temporal patterns of each gene's expression. This task remains difficult due to our lack of knowledge of the vocabulary controlling gene regulation and the vast genomic search space, with greater than 95% of our genome being noncoding. Recent comparative genomic-based strategies are beginning to aid in the identification of functional sequences based on their high levels of evolutionary conservation. This has proven successful for comparisons between closely related species such as human–primate or human–mouse, but also holds true for distant evolutionary comparisons, such as human–fish or human–bird. In this review we provide support for the utility of cross-species sequence comparisons by illustrating several applications of this strategy, including the identification of new genes and functional non-coding sequences. We also discuss emerging concepts as this field matures, such as how to properly select which species for comparison, which may differ significantly between independent studies.
Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx): Another Good Reaction for Click Chemistry

Aryl sulfonyl chlorides (e.g. Ts-Cl) are beloved of organic chemists as the most commonly used S(VI) electrophiles, and the parent sulfuryl chloride, O2 S(VI) Cl2 , has also been relied on to create sulfates and sulfamides. However, the desired halide substitution event is often defeated by destruction of the sulfur electrophile because the S(VI) Cl bond is exceedingly sensitive to reductive collapse yielding S(IV) species and Cl(-) . Fortunately, the use of sulfur(VI) fluorides (e.g., R-SO2 -F and SO2 F2 ) leaves only the substitution pathway open. As with most of click chemistry, many essential features of sulfur(VI) fluoride reactivity were discovered long ago in Germany.6a Surprisingly, this extraordinary work faded from view rather abruptly in the mid-20th century. Here we seek to revive it, along with John Hyatt's unnoticed 1979 full paper exposition on CH2 CH-SO2 -F, the most perfect Michael acceptor ever found.98 To this history we add several new observations, including that the otherwise very stable gas SO2 F2 has excellent reactivity under the right circumstances. We also show that proton or silicon centers can activate the exchange of SF bonds for SO bonds to make functional products, and that the sulfate connector is surprisingly stable toward hydrolysis. Applications of this controllable ligation chemistry to small molecules, polymers, and biomolecules are discussed.
Note sur les polynômes de Kazhdan–Lusztig

In his article Brenti (J. Am. Math. Soc. 11(2): 480–497, 1973), Brenti gave a non-recursive formula for the Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomials of a Coxeter group and proved it by combinatorial methods [cf. Theorem 4.1 of Brenti (J. Am. Math. Soc. 11(2): 480–497, 1973)]. The goal of this note is to give a geometric interpretation of this formula for the Coxeter groups that are isomorphic to the Weyl group of a split group over a finite field. This interpretation rests on a result of Morel (J. Am. Math. Soc. 21(1): 23–61, 2008) (Theorem 3.3.5) that expresses the intermediate extension of a pure perverse sheaf as a “weight truncation” of the usual direct image.
Chromospheric heating by electron and proton bombardment in the solar flare of June 7, 1980

Using observations of both hard X rays and gamma rays in the large solar flare on June 7, 1980, the amount of chromospheric heating due to bombardment both by nonthermal electrons and by protons, respectively, are inferred. If a thick-target model for the X ray bremsstrahlung is adopted, then proton heating is shown to be important only in the lower chromosphere: however, if the hard X rays are substantially thermal in origin, then proton heating may play an important or indeed dominant role in determining the structure of the entire flaring chromosphere.
A Faà di Bruno Hopf algebra for a group of Fliess operators with applications to feedback

A Faa di Bruno type Hopf algebra is developed for a group of integral operators known as Fliess operators, where operator composition is the group product. Such operators are normally written in terms of generating series over a noncommutative alphabet. Using a general series expansion for the antipode, an explicit formula for the generating series of the compositional inverse operator is derived. The result is applied to analytic nonlinear feedback systems to produce an explicit formula for the feedback product, that is, the generating series for the Fliess operator representation of the closed-loop system written in terms of the generating series of the Fliess operator component systems. This formula is employed to provide a proof that local convergence is preserved under feedback.
Modeling the Ice-Age Climate

Using the boundary conditions of seasurface temperature, ice sheet topography, and surface albedo assembled by CLIMAP for 18,000 B.P., the global ice-age July climate has been simulated with a two-level dynamical atmospheric model. Compared with the simulation for present July climate, the ice age is substantially cooler and drier over the unglaciated continental areas, with the maximum zonal westerlies in the Northern Hemisphere displaced southward in the vicinity of the ice sheets. The simulated changes of surface air temperature agree reasonably well with the estimates available from the analysis of fossil pollen and periglacial data, and are consistent with the simulated changes of other climatic variables. These results are generally supported by independent investigations with simpler models. In spite of this qualified success, further analysis of both simulated and verification data is needed to establish the details of ice-age climate, especially the precipitation regimes, and to document the role of eddy fluxes in maintaining the heat, momentum, and moisture balances of the ice-age general circulation. New paleoclimatic data bases for both July and January of 18,000 B.P. are being assembled by CLIMAP and will be used in new simulations of the seasonal ice-age climate.
Iterative reweighted algorithms for sparse signal recovery with temporally correlated source vectors

Iterative reweighted algorithms, as a class of algorithms for sparse signal recovery, have been found to have better performance than their non-reweighted counterparts. However, for solving the problem of multiple measurement vectors (MMVs), all the existing reweighted algorithms do not account for temporal correlations among source vectors and thus their performance degrades significantly in the presence of the correlations. In this work we propose an iterative reweighted sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) algorithm exploiting the temporal correlations, and motivated by it, we propose a strategy to improve existing reweighted l 2 algorithms for the MMV problem, i.e. replacing their row norms with Mahalanobis distance measure. Simulations show that the proposed reweighted SBL algorithm has superior performance, and the proposed improvement strategy is effective for existing reweighted l 2 algorithms.
DESCRIBING HIGH-ORDER STATISTICAL DEPENDENCE USING \CONCURRENCE TOPOLOGY," WITH APPLICATION TO FUNCTIONAL MRI BRAIN DATA

For multivariate data, dependence beyond pair-wise can be important. This is true, for example, in using functional MRI (fMRI) data to investigate brain functional connectivity. When one has more than a few variables, however, the number of simple summaries of even third-order dependence can be un- manageably large. \Concurrence topology" is an apparently new nonparametric method for describing high-order dependence among up to dozens of dichotomous variables (e.g., seventh-order dependence in 32 vari- ables). This method generally produces summaries of p th -order dependence of manageable size no matter how big p is. (But com- puting time can be lengthy.) For time series, this method can be applied in both the time and Fourier domains. Write each observation as a vector of 0's and 1's. A \concur- rence" is a group of variables all \1" in the same observation. The collection of concurrences can be represented as a sequence of shapes (\ltration"). Holes in the ltration indicate weak or negative association among the variables. The pattern of the holes in the ltration can be analyzed using computational topology. This method is demonstrated on dichotomized fMRI data. The dataset includes subjects diagnosed with ADHD and healthy con- trols. In an exploratory analysis numerous group dierences in the topology of the ltrations are found.
High-performance financial simulation using randomized quasi-Monte Carlo methods

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) computing has become popular in computational finance, and many financial institutions are moving their CPU-based applications to the GPU platform. Since most Monte Carlo algorithms are embarrassingly parallel, they benefit greatly from parallel implementations, and consequently Monte Carlo has become a focal point in GPU computing. GPU speed-up examples reported in the literature often involve Monte Carlo algorithms, and there are software tools commercially available that help migrate Monte Carlo financial pricing models to GPU. We present a survey of Monte Carlo and randomized quasi-Monte Carlo methods, and discuss existing (quasi) Monte Carlo sequences in GPU libraries. We discuss specific features of GPU architecture relevant for developing efficient (quasi) Monte Carlo methods. We introduce a recent randomized quasi-Monte Carlo method, and compare it with some of the existing implementations on GPU, when they are used in pricing caplets in the LIBOR market model and mo...
ADJUSTING THE CAPM FOR THRESHOLD EFFECTS: AN APPLICATION TO FOOD AND AGRIBUSINESS STOCKS

The dynamics in stock returns and the market return for 21 food and agribusiness firms are estimated in a threshold switching-regression framework. Threshold adjustment levels and capital asset pricing model risk parameters are estimated and tested. Results indicate risk parameters differ for alternative regimes and are not constant over time. Accounting for periods of temporary disequilibrium leads to notably more stable risk measurement estimates.
Rent-Seeking and Gender in Local Governance

Abstract The paper examines the relationship between corruption and gender in the context of local government in India, using a Logit model. Recent debates about women's participation in electoral politics suggests that the presence of more women in government will engender public policy, and also tends to reduce corruption. The evidence we examined indicates that gender is not a significant factor in explaining levels of corruption. Although nearly 40 per cent of the elective positions in the institutions of local government are occupied by women, there is no significant gender difference in attitudes towards rent-seeking or in actual levels of corruption between male and female representatives.
Total synthesis of all (−)-agelastatin alkaloids

The pyrrole-imidazole family of marine alkaloids, derived from linear clathrodin-like precursors, constitutes a diverse array of structurally complex natural products. The bioactive agelastatins are members of this family that possess a tetracyclic molecular framework incorporating C4–C8 and C7–N12 bond connectivities. We provide a hypothesis for the formation of the unique agelastatin architecture that maximally exploits the intrinsic chemistry of plausible biosynthetic precursors. We report the concise enantioselective total syntheses of all known agelastatin alkaloids including the first total syntheses of agelastatins C, D, E, and F. Our gram-scale chemical synthesis of agelastatin A was inspired by our hypothesis for the biogenesis of the cyclopentane C-ring and required the development of new transformations including an imidazolone-forming annulation reaction and a carbohydroxylative trapping of imidazolones.
Linking species richness, biodiversity and ecosystem function in soil systems

Summary Soils are the central organizing entities in terrestrial ecosystems and possess extremely diverse prokaryotic and eukaryotic biota. They are physically and chemically complex, with micro- and macro-aggregates embedded within a solid, liquid and gaseous matrix that is continually changing in response to natural and human-induced perturbations. Recent advances in molecular techniques in systematics have provided opportunities for the study of biodiversity and biocomplexity of soil biota. A symposium and workshop on soil biogeochemistry and biodiversity International Symposium on Impacts of Soil Biodiversity on Biogeochemical Processes in Ecosystems, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan April 18-24, 2004. Convened an international array of participants working in biomes on virtually every continent on the planet (ranging from polar to tropical regions). This special issue reports on the theoretical bases and applications of molecular methods for the measurement of soil biodiversity. Themes addressed include a melding of classical taxonomic investigations with biochemical fingerprinting and molecular probing of organism identities. Several papers highlight new advances in identifications of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Examples include new developments in “fingerprinting” of microbes active in “mycorrhizospheres” using immunocapture and other innovative techniques. Developments in the study of impacts of invasive plant and animal species on ecosystem function and subsequent microbial community composition and function have been very great in the last 2-3 years. Soils are major repositories of legacies, including fine and coarse woody debris and other organic products, which have feedbacks on soil diversity. The ways in which species diversity and function of microbial and faunal communities interact and their importance to ecosystem function are examined in biological and biochemical detail. This paper provides an overview of soil biodiversity and its feedbacks on soil biogeochemical processes in ecosystems.
Multiresolution tomographic reconstruction using wavelets

Shows how the separable two-dimensional wavelet representation leads naturally to an efficient multiresolution tomographic reconstruction algorithm. This algorithm is similar to the conventional filtered backprojection algorithm, except that the filters are now angle dependent, and the backprojection gives the wavelet coefficients of the reconstruction, which are then used to synthesize the reconstruction at various resolution levels. By reconstructing only a small localized region at high resolution, the authors show how radiation exposure and computation can be significantly reduced, compared to a standard reconstruction. >
Thermal fluctuations and nanoscale effects in the nucleation of carbonaceous dust grains

We investigate the role of thermal fluctuations and of the finite number of monomers in small clusters of carbon atoms on the nucleation rate of carbonaceous grains. Thermal fluctuations are due to the quantized nature of the energy exchanges between the clusters, the gas and the radiation field. Nanoscale effects modify the spontaneous detachment of monomers due to the finite amount of internal energy contained in small clusters. We find that both corrections have a big impact on the stability of the clusters and on the rate of nucleation. We implement our model within a Monte Carlo code to derive the new stability conditions for clusters as well as nucleation rates. Due to computing limitations, we can explore the consequences of this approach only at high temperatures, at which particle interactions are not much less frequent than photon interactions. We found that the combined effect of the detachment correction and the temperature fluctuations produces faster nucleation. We also found that the nucleation rate depends on the composition of the gas and not only on the partial pressure of the compound that condensates into grains. This is a unique result of this model that can be used to prove or disprove it.
Modeling short-term interval-force relations in cardiac muscle

This study employs two modeling approaches to investigate short-term interval-force relations. The first approach is to develop a low-order, discrete-time model of excitation-contraction coupling t...
Stabilization Activities by Underwriters after Initial Public Offerings

Prior research has assumed that underwriters post a stabilizing bid in the aftermarket. We find instead that aftermarket activities are less transparent and include stimulating demand through short covering and restricting supply by penalizing the f lipping of shares. In more than half of IPOs, a short position of an average 10.75 percent of shares offered is covered in 22 transactions over 16.6 days in the aftermarket, resulting in a loss of 3.61 percent of underwriting fees. Underwriters manage price support activities by using a combination of aftermarket short covering, penalty bids, and the selective use of the overallotment option. RESEARCHERS ARE STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND the price behavior of initial public offerings ~IPOs!. 1 Short-run underpricing and long-run overpricing continue to be a puzzle. Underpricing refers to the initial trading of IPOs above the offer price in the immediate aftermarket, whereas overpricing refers to long-run underperformance. However, finance research has paid little attention to the specific activities of underwriters in the aftermarket that are likely to have an impact on IPO price performance. These interventions by underwriters are not well understood because of both lack of data and lack of transparency in industry practices. The unique data set used in this paper allows for the first time a comprehensive analysis of exactly how these aftermarket activities are conducted, the characteristics of IPOs in which un
In Situ Preparation of Oxide-Based Supported Catalysts by Solution Combustion Synthesis

The oxide-based supported catalysts with high specific surface area (>200 m2/g) were produced in one step through combination of the impregnation and solution combustion synthesis approaches. As a model system, iron oxide was selected, which was loaded on different porous supports including α-Al2O3, γ-Al2O3, and ZrO2, as well as activated alumina. It was shown that for the former three cases the specific surface areas of the supported catalysts are about or below the surface areas of the support. However, for the activated Al2O3 this characteristic significantly increases compared to that of the support. It was demonstrated that the developed approach may be used to produce different types of oxide-based supported catalysts, including perovskites.
IMPACT OF BRAND ADVERTISING ON FOOD CONSUMED AWAY FROM HOME

As consumption of food away from home increases, competition for consumers' dollar is intensifying among the major restaurant brands. This study examines the impact of brand advertising on consumers' choice of food away from home. Study results are in concert with our common sense regarding consumer FAFH behavior.
Quantum deformation of quantum gravity

Abstract We describe a deformation of the observable algebra of quantum gravity in which the loop algebra is extended to framed loops. This allows an alternative nonperturbative quantization which is suitable for describing a phase of quantum gravity characterized by states which are normalizable in the measure of Chern-Simons theory. The spinor identities are extended to a set of relations which are governed by the Kauffman bracket so that the spin network basis is deformed to a basis of SU(2)q spin networks. This deformation parameter, q, is e i h 2 G 2 Λ 6 , where Λ is the cosmological constant. Corrections to the actions of operators in nonperturbative quantum gravity may be readily computed using recoupling theory; the example of the area observable is treated here. Finally, eigenstates of the q-deformed Wilson loops are constructed, which may make possible the construction of a -deformed connection representation through an inverse transform.
INSURANCE AND TAXATION OVER THE LIFE CYCLE

We consider a dynamic Mirrlees economy in a life-cycle context and study the optimal insurance arrangement. Individual productivity evolves as a Markov process and is private information. We use a first-order approach in discrete and continuous time and obtain novel theoretical and numerical results. Our main contribution is a formula describing the dynamics for the labour-income tax rate. When productivity is an AR(1) our formula resembles an AR(1) with a trend where: (i) the auto-regressive coefficient equals that of productivity; (ii) the trend term equals the covariance productivity with consumption growth divided by the Frisch elasticity of labour; and (iii) the innovations in the tax rate are the negative of consumption growth. The last property implies a form of short-run regressivity. Our simulations illustrate these results and deliver some novel insights. The average labour tax rises from 0% to 37% over 40 years, whereas the average tax on savings falls from 12% to 0% at retirement. We compare the second best solution to simple history-independent tax systems, calibrated to mimic these average tax rates. We find that age-dependent taxes capture a sizable fraction of the welfare gains. In this way, our theoretical results provide insights into simple tax systems. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.
Southern Ocean control of glacial AMOC stability and Dansgaard‐Oeschger interstadial duration

Glacial periods exhibit abrupt Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) climatic oscillations that are thought to be linked to instabilities in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Great uncertainty remains regarding the dynamics of the DO cycle, as well as controls on the timing and duration of the individual events. Using ice core data we show that the duration of the warm (interstadial) phase is strongly correlated with Antarctic climate, and presumably with Southern Ocean (SO) temperature and the position of the southern hemisphere (SH) westerlies. We propose a SO control on AMOC stability and interstadial duration via the rate of Antarctic bottom water formation, meridional density/pressure gradients, Agulhas leakage and SO adiabatic upwelling. This hypothesis is supported by climate model experiments that demonstrate SO warming leads to a stronger AMOC that is less susceptible to freshwater perturbations. In the AMOC stability diagram, SO warming and strengthening of the SH westerlies both shift the vigorous AMOC branch towards higher freshwater values, thus raising the threshold for AMOC collapse. The proposed mechanism could provide a consistent explanation for several diverse observations, including maximum DO activity during intermediate ice volume/SH temperature, and successively shorter DO durations within each Bond cycle. It may further have implications for the fate of the AMOC under future global warming.
Death and dignity: Terminal illness and the market for non-treatment

Abstract We construct a stochastic model of illness, death and treatment choice to analyze two proposals – legally-binding advance directives and insurer-paid compensation schemes – to reduce the incidence of aggressive and possibly futile end-of-life treatment. We assess whether, in a competitive insurance market, the proposals are consistent with (i) individual rationality in selection of competitive insurance contracts; (ii) medically ethical treatment provision; and (iii) reductions in end-of-life expenditures. We conclude that binding advance directives are always medically unethical, while compensation schemes are medically ethical. We derive the compensation schedule arising in a competitive equilibrium, and show that it reduces aggressive treatment and satisfies individual rationality.
Low-level environmental lead exposure in childhood and adult intellectual function: a follow-up study

Early life lead exposure might be a risk factor for neurocognitive impairment in adulthood. We sought to assess the relationship between early life environmental lead exposure and intellectual function in adulthood. We also attempted to identify which time period blood-lead concentrations are most predictive of adult outcome. We recruited adults in the Boston area who had participated as newborns and young children in a prospective cohort study that examined the relationship between lead exposure and childhood intellectual function. IQ was measured using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). The association between lead concentrations and IQ scores was examined using linear regression. Forty-three adults participated in neuropsychological testing. Childhood blood-lead concentration (mean of the blood-lead concentrations at ages 4 and 10 years) had the strongest relationship with Full-Scale IQ (β = -1.89 ± 0.70, p = 0.01). Full-scale IQ was also significantly related to blood-lead concentration at age 6 months (β = -1.66 ± 0.75, p = 0.03), 4 years (β = -0.90 ± 0.41, p = 0.03) and 10 years (β = -1.95 ± 0.80, p = 0.02). Adjusting for maternal IQ altered the significance of the regression coefficient. Our study suggests that lead exposure in childhood predicts intellectual functioning in young adulthood. Our results also suggest that school-age lead exposure may represent a period of increased susceptibility. Given the small sample size, however, the potentially confounding effects of maternal IQ cannot be excluded and should be evaluated in a larger study.
Micromechanical Analysis of the Failure Process in Ceramic Matrix Composites

An analysis of the effectiveness of fiber reinforcement in brittle matrix composites is presented. The analytical method allows consideration of discrete fiber distribution and examination of the development of crack growth parameters on the microscale. The problem associated with bridging zone development is addressed here; therefore, the bridging zone is considered to be smaller than the main preexisting crack, and the small scale approach is used. The mechanics of the reinforcement is accurately accounted for in the process zone of a growing crack. Closed form solutions characterizing the initial failure process are presented for linear and nonlinear force-fiber pullout displacement relationships. The implicit exact solution for the extended bridging zone is presented as well.
Cubic threefolds and abelian varieties of dimension five

This paper proves the following converse to a theorem of Mumford: Let $A$ be a principally polarized abelian variety of dimension five, whose theta divisor has a unique singular point, and suppose that the multiplicity of the singular point is three. Then $A$ is isomorphic as a principally polarized abelian variety to the intermediate Jacobian of a smooth cubic threefold. The method of proof is to analyze the possible singularities of the theta divisor of $A$, and eventually to show that $A$ is the Prym variety of a possibly singular plane quintic.
The Lunar Laser OCTL Terminal (LLOT)

The NASA owned Optical Communication Telescope Laboratory (OCTL) telescope located at Table Mountain, CA is being readied as a backup ground station for the upcoming Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD). The backup ground terminal is called the Lunar Laser OCTL Terminal (LLOT). The 1-m diameter telescope will be configured as a mono-static transceiver for transmitting a laser beacon and receiving downlink at a data-rate of 39 Mb/s. Interfaces to an operations center with near-real time exchange of monitored data at OCTL will also be developed. A system level overview of this backup ground station for LLCD will be presented.
Interactive methods for exploring particle simulation data

In this work, we visualize high-dimensional particle simulation data using a suite of scatterplot-based visualizations coupled with interactive selection tools. We use traditional 2D and 3D projection scatterplots as well as a novel oriented-disk rendering style to convey various information about the data. Interactive selection tools allow physicists to manually classify "interesting" sets of particles that are highlighted across multiple, linked views of the data. The power of our application is the ability to correspond new visual representations of the simulation data with traditional, well understood visualizations. This approach supports the interactive exploration of the high-dimensional space while promoting discovery of new particle behavior.
A pseudospectral method for the optimal control of constrained feedback linearizable systems

We consider the optimal control of feedback linearizable dynamical systems subject to mixed state and control constraints. In general, a linearizing feedback control does not minimize the cost function. Such problems arise frequently in astronautical applications where stringent performance requirements demand optimality over feedback linearizing controls. In this paper, we consider a pseudospectral (PS) method to compute optimal controls. We prove that a sequence of solutions to the PS-discretized constrained problem converges to the optimal solution of the continuous-time optimal control problem under mild and numerically verifiable conditions. The spectral coefficients of the state trajectories provide a practical method to verify the convergence of the computed solution. The proposed ideas are illustrated by several numerical examples.
The true performance of the simplified data transition tracking loop

The tracking performance of a simplified (no transition detector in the in-phase arm and no delay in the quadrature arm) data transition tracking loop (SDTTL) suggested in the conference literature (Chiu and Lee, 1987) a number of years ago for symbol synchronization of an NRZ data stream is presented. It is shown that, contrary to what was previously stated in Chiu and Lee, 1987, the SDTTL and the traditional DTTL have performances that are quite different, the latter always being the more superior. In fact, asymptotically for large symbol SNR, the mean-squared timing error of the SDTTL is 3 dB worse than that of the DTTL which considerably negates its implementation simplification. Even at low SNR, where neither scheme would be motivated by maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of symbol sync considerations, the DTTL still outperforms the SDTTL.
Structural Equation Modeling

Many constructs in psychology, such as intelligence, achievement motivation, and mental health status, cannot be measured directly. Such constructs are termed latent variables, or factors, and the data analytic technique designed to study the relationships among such variables is called structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM merges multivariate regression and factor analysis. In regression, a dependent variable y is predicted from p predictors as y = α + β1x1 + β2x2 + … + βpxp + e. SEM extends regression by allowing (1) latent variables, in which the xs are unobserved factors (a measurement model); (2) latent regressions, in which both xs and ys are latent variables; (3) multiple equations simultaneously with dependent variables y1, y2, … , ym, latent or observed; and (4) a dependent variable in one equation to be a predictor in another equation, and vice versa. A model with only observed xs and ys is called a path or simultaneous equation model. Keywords: latent variables; mean and covariance structure analysis; factor analysis; simultaneous equations
Ultra-Rapid Laser Protein Micropatterning: Screening For Directed Polarization of Single Neurons

Protein micropatterning is a powerful tool for studying the effects of extracellular signals on cell development and regeneration. Laser micropatterning of proteins is the most flexible method for patterning many different geometries, protein densities, and concentration gradients. Despite these advantages, laser micropatterning remains prohibitively slow for most applications. Here, we take advantage of the rapid multi-photon induced photobleaching of fluorophores to generate sub-micron resolution patterns of full-length proteins on polymer monolayers, with sub-microsecond exposure times, i.e. one to five orders of magnitude faster than all previous laser micropatterning methods. We screened a range of different PEG monolayer coupling chemistries, chain-lengths and functional caps, and found that long-chain acrylated PEG monolayers are effective at resisting non-specific protein adhesion, while permitting efficient cross-linking of biotin-4-fluorescein to the PEG monolayers upon exposure to femtosecond laser pulses. We find evidence that the dominant photopatterning chemistry switches from a two-photon process to three- and four-photon absorption processes as the laser intensity increases, generating increasingly volatile excited triplet-state fluorophores, leading to faster patterning. Using this technology, we were able to generate over a hundred thousand protein patterns with varying geometries and protein densities to direct the polarization of hippocampal neurons with single-cell precision. We found that certain arrays of patterned triangles as small as neurite growth cones can direct polarization by impeding the elongation of reverse-projecting neurites, while permitting elongation of forward-projecting neurites. The ability to rapidly generate and screen such protein micropatterns can enable discovery of conditions necessary to create in vitro neural networks with single-neuron precision for basic discovery, drug screening, as well as for tissue scaffolding in therapeutics.
SECANT-METHOD ADJUSTMENT FOR STRUCTURAL MODELS

On-orbit testing will be required for final tuning and validation of any mathematical model of large space structures. Identification methods using limited response data to produce optimally adjusted property matrices seem ideal for this purpose, but difficulties exist in the application of previously published methods to large space truss structures. This article presents new stiffness matrix adjustment methods that generalize optimal-update secant methods found in quasi-Newton approaches for nonlinear optimization. Many aspects of previously published methods of stiffness matrix adjustment may be better understood within this new framework of secant methods. One of the new methods preserves realistic structural connectivity with minimal storage requirements and computational effort. A method for systematic compensation for errors in measured data is introduced that also preserves structural connectivity. Two demonstrations are presented to compare the new methods' results to those of previously published techniques.
Gamma-ray Luminosity and Photon Index Evolution of FSRQ Blazars and Contribution to the Gamma-ray Background

We present the redshift evolutions and distributions of the gamma-ray luminosity and photon spectral index of flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) type blazars, using non-parametric methods to obtain the evolutions and distributions directly from the data. The sample we use for analysis consists of almost all FSRQs observed with a greater than approximately 7σ detection threshold in the first-year catalog of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope's Large Area Telescope, with redshifts as determined from optical spectroscopy by Shaw et al. We find that FSQRs undergo rapid gamma-ray luminosity evolution, but negligible photon index evolution, with redshift. With these evolutions accounted for we determine the density evolution and luminosity function of FSRQs and calculate their total contribution to the extragalactic gamma-ray background radiation, resolved and unresolved, which is found to be 16(+10/–4)%, in agreement with previous studies.
COGAS Propulsion for LNG Ships

Propulsion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships is undergoing significant change. The traditional steam plant is losing favor because of its low cycle efficiency. Medium-speed diesel-electric and slow-speed diesel-mechanical drive ships are in service, and more are being built. Another attractive alternative is combined gas and steam turbine (COGAS) drive. This approach offers significant advantages over steam and diesel propulsion. This paper presents the case for the COGAS cycle.