cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of the active-site serine in human lecithin: Cholesterol acyltransferase☆

Purified human lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) was covalently labeled by [3H]diisopropylflourophosphate with concomitant loss of enzymatic activity (M. Jauhiainen and P.J. Dolphin (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 7023-7043). Some 60% of the enzyme was labeled in 1 h. Cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage of the labeled, reduced, and carboxymethylated protein, followed by gel permeation chromatography yielded a 5- to 6-kDa peptide (LCAT CNBr-III) containing at least 60-70% of the incorporated label. Comparison of the amino acid composition of LCAT CNBr-III with that of the CNBr peptides predicted from the LCAT sequence (J. McLean et al. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83, 2335-2339) indicates that LCAT CNBr-III is peptide 168-220. In 22 cycles of automated Edman degradation of CNBr-III a radioactive derivative was only observed at cycle 14, and of the predicted CNBr fragments only peptide 168-220 contains a serine at position 14 from the amino terminus. Tryptic peptides predicted from the sequence should contain Ser181 at positions 22 and 23 from the N-terminus of fragments 160-199 and 159-199, respectively. On the other hand, Ser216 should be in position 15 from the N-terminus in fragment 202-238. Radiolabel sequencing of the tryptic digest of [3H]diisopropylphosphate-LCAT resulted in recovery of radioactivity in cycles 22 and 23, whereas cycle 15 yielded negligible radioactivity. These results establish that Ser181 is the major active site serine in human LCAT.
Rights protection for relational data

we introduce a solution for relational database content rights protection through watermarking. Rights protection for relational data is of ever-increasing interest, especially considering areas where sensitive, valuable content is to be outsourced. A good example is a data mining application, where data is sold in pieces to parties specialized in mining it. Different avenues are available, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. Enforcement by legal means is usually ineffective in preventing theft of copyrighted works, unless augmented by a digital counterpart, for example, watermarking. While being able to handle higher level semantic constraints, such as classification preservation, our solution also addresses important attacks, such as subset selection and random and linear data changes. We introduce wmdb., a proof-of-concept implementation and its application to real-life data, namely, in watermarking the outsourced Wal-Mart sales data that we have available at our institute.
Development of a Phantom for Evaluation and Assurance Of Image Quality in CT Scanning

The development and use of a phantom for evaluation, comparison, and quality assurance of CT scanners will be discussed. Examples of measurements on seven CT scanners using early prototypes of the phantom will be presented along with measurements on several scanners using the final phantom configuration. The phantom contains four modular sections which are removable to allow for future fabrication and replacement of individual sections for specialized applications. Section I is used to measure contrast sensitivity and scan slice geometry of the system. Section II is used to measure the sensitometric response of the system. Section III is used to determine the spatial resolution of the system at various contrast levels. Section IV is used to determine the noise, spatial uniformity, alignment, and MTF of the system. In addition, it contains a part with fittings where items may be placed such as in vitro samples, dosimeters, or a motion phantom.
Forward Position Analysis of Nearly General Stewart Platforms

This paper presents the closed-form solution of the forward position analysis of the nearly general Stewart platform, which consists of a base and a moving planar platform connected by six extensible limbs through spherical joints in the two planar platforms. It becomes a general Stewart platform if the centers are not constrained to those two planes. In this study, the coordinate transformation matrix is used to represent the position of the moving platform. Based on the six dependency equations of the rotation matrix and the six constraint equations related to the six link lengths, a set of six 4th degree equations in three unknowns are derived. Further derivations produce 21 dependent constraint equations. By simultaneous elimination of two unknowns a 20th order polynomial equation in one unknown is obtained. Due to dual solutions of other unknowns, this indicates a maximum of 40 possible solutions. The roots of this polynomial are then solved numerically and the realistic solutions are constructed using computer graphics.
Fine-grained task reweighting on multiprocessors

We consider the problem of task reweighting\/ in fair-scheduled multiprocessor systems wherein each task's processor share is specified as a weight\/. When a task is reweighted, a new weight is computed for it, which is then used in future scheduling. Task reweighting can be used as a means for consuming (or making available) spare processing capacity. The responsiveness of a reweighting scheme can be assessed by comparing its allocations to those of an ideal scheduler that can reweight tasks instantaneously. A reweighting scheme is fine-grained if any additional per-task "error" (in comparison to an ideal allocation) caused by a reweighting event is constant. In prior work on uniprocessor\/ notions of fairness, a number of fine-grained reweighting schemes were proposed. However, in the multiprocessor case, prior work has failed to produce such a scheme. In this paper, we remedy this shortcoming by presenting a multiprocessor reweighting scheme that is fine-grained. We also present an experimental evaluation of this scheme that shows that it is often much more responsive than prior (non-fine-grained) schemes in enacting weight-change requests.
Three dimensional optical manipulation and structural imaging of soft materials by use of laser tweezers and multimodal nonlinear microscopy

We develop an integrated system of holographic optical trapping and multimodal nonlinear microscopy and perform simultaneous three-dimensional optical manipulation and non-invasive structural imaging of composite soft-matter systems. We combine different nonlinear microscopy techniques such as coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, multi-photon excitation fluorescence and multi-harmonic generation, and use them for visualization of long-range molecular order in soft materials by means of their polarized excitation and detection. The combined system enables us to accomplish manipulation in composite soft materials such as colloidal inclusions in liquid crystals as well as imaging of each separate constituents of the composite material in different nonlinear optical modalities. We also demonstrate optical generation and control of topological defects and simultaneous reconstruction of their three-dimensional long-range molecular orientational patterns from the nonlinear optical images.
Evaluation of Several Geometric Models for Estimation of Left Ventricular Circumferential Wall Stress

Phasic left ventricular wall force and wall thickness were monitored with appropriate transducers to provide a direct measurement of circumferential wall stress in open-chest dogs. Left ventricular pressure and measurements of chamber geometry were used to estimate the wall stress using several geometric models. During the initial control period, peak and end-ejection measured wall stresses were 207 ± 19 and 104 ± 13 g/cm 2 , respectively. The best estimates of these values were 198 ± 18 and 117 ± 11 g/cm 2 obtained from a modified thin-wall ellipse formula in which the midwall rather than the endocardial radius was used. Wide variations in hemodynamic conditions were produced with intravenous infusions of nitroglycerin, phenylephrine, and isoproterenol. Comparison of directly measured and estimated values during all control periods and during the response to these interventions showed that both the modified thin-wall ellipse and a thick-wall ellipse were generally accurate predictors of the measured wall stress. All other models tended to underestimate measured stress. The sensitivity of the estimated wall stress computed by the models to geometric measurement errors was also evaluated. A thick-wall sphere was the most sensitive to both circumferential length and wall thickness measurement errors, and a thick-wall ellipse was the least sensitive. All models examined were relatively insensitive to base-to-apex length measurement errors.
LADDER: a language to describe drawing, display, and editing in sketch recognition

We have created LADDER, the first language to describe how sketched diagrams in a domain are drawn, displayed, and edited. The difficulty in creating such a language is choosing a set of predefined entities that is broad enough to support a wide range of domains, while remaining narrow enough to be comprehensible. The language consists of predefined shapes, constraints, editing behaviors, and display methods, as well as a syntax for specifying a domain description sketch grammar and extending the language, ensuring that shapes and shape groups from many domains can be described. The language allows shapes to be built hierarchically (e.g., an arrow is built out of three lines), and includes the concept of "abstract shapes", analogous to abstract classes in an object oriented language. Shape groups describe how multiple domain shapes interact and can provide the sketch recognition system with information to be used in top-down recognition. Shape groups can also be used to describe "chain-reaction" editing commands that effect multiple shapes at once. To test that recognition is feasible using this language, we have built a simple domain-independent sketch recognition system that parses the domain descriptions and generates the code necessary to recognize the shapes.
Global robust stabilization of minimum-phase nonlinear systems with uncertainty

The problem of global stabilization via state feedback is studied for a class of minimum-phase nonlinear systems with unknown unmodelled time-varying parameters or disturbances belonging to a given compact set. Sufficient conditions are presented for the existence of a robust stabilizing state-feedback controller. The controller is constructed explicitly by using a Lyapunov-based recursive design procedure. The proposed feedback control law is a smooth function of the state, and requires information of bounding functions on the size of uncertainties. In the case where the disturbance signals represent only an unknown constant vector parameter and appear linearly in the system, an adaptive controller is developed based on similar arguments, achieving global stability with state regulation. The main results of this paper incorporate and generalize a number of robust and adaptive control schemes for global stabilization of uncertain feedback linearizable systems without zero dynamics.
Finding Large Selmer Rank via an Arithmetic Theory of Local Constants

We obtain lower bounds for Selmer ranks of elliptic curves over dihedral extensions of number fields. Suppose K/k is a quadratic extension of number fields, E is an elliptic curve defined over k, and p is an odd prime. Let κ - denote the maximal abelian p-extension of K that is unramified at all primes where E has bad reduction and that is Galois over k with dihedral Galois group (i.e., the generator c of Gal(K/k) acts on Gal(κ-/K) by inversion). We prove (under mild hypotheses on p) that if the Zp-rank of the pro-p Selmer group Sp(E/K) is odd, then rank Zp S p (E/F) > [F: K] for every finite extension F of K in κ - .
A Diagrammatic Temperley-Lieb Categorification

The monoidal category of Soergel bimodules categorifies the Hecke algebra of a finite Weyl group. In the case of the symmetric group, morphisms in this category can be drawn as graphs in the plane. We define a quotient category, also given in terms of planar graphs, which categorifies the Temperley-Lieb algebra. Certain ideals appearing in this quotient are related both to the 1-skeleton of the Coxeter complex and to the topology of 2D cobordisms. We demonstrate how further subquotients of this category will categorify the irreducible modules of the Temperley-Lieb algebra.
Comparison of the Scaling Characteristics of Rainfall Derived from Space-Based and Ground-Based Radar Observations

Abstract In view of the importance of tropical rainfall and the ubiquitous need for its estimates in climate modeling, the authors assess the ability of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) to characterize the scaling characteristics of rainfall by comparing the derived results with those obtained from the ground-based radar (GR) data. The analysis is based on 59 months of PR and GR rain rates at three TRMM ground validation (GV) sites: Houston, Texas; Melbourne, Florida; and Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. The authors consider spatial scales ranging from about 4 to 64 km at a fixed temporal scale corresponding to the sensor “instantaneous” snapshots (∼15 min). The focus is on the scaling of the marginal moments, which allows estimation of the scaling parameters from a single scene of data. The standard rainfall products of the PR and the GR are compared in terms of distributions of the scaling parameter estimates, the connection between the scaling pa...
Design of a Bioactive Small Molecule That Targets the Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 RNA via an RNA Motif–Ligand Database and Chemical Similarity Searching

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a triplet repeating disorder caused by expanded CTG repeats in the 3′-untranslated region of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) gene. The transcribed repeats fold into an RNA hairpin with multiple copies of a 5′CUG/3′GUC motif that binds the RNA splicing regulator muscleblind-like 1 protein (MBNL1). Sequestration of MBNL1 by expanded r(CUG) repeats causes splicing defects in a subset of pre-mRNAs including the insulin receptor, the muscle-specific chloride ion channel, sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase 1, and cardiac troponin T. Based on these observations, the development of small-molecule ligands that target specifically expanded DM1 repeats could be of use as therapeutics. In the present study, chemical similarity searching was employed to improve the efficacy of pentamidine and Hoechst 33258 ligands that have been shown previously to target the DM1 triplet repeat. A series of in vitro inhibitors of the RNA–protein complex were identified with low m...
Wages in a Factor Proportions Model with Energy Input

Abstract This paper examines US wage adjustment in a structural vector autoregression of the factor proportions model with capital, labor, and energy inputs. Data cover the years 1949 to 2006. The wage adjusts to changes in input levels and output prices over six to eight years. Energy has a more robust wage impact than capital. The wage reacts weakly if at all to the falling price of manufactures and rising price of services during the sample period. Estimates relate directly to factor proportions theory suggesting robust substitution with labor in the middle of the factor intensity ranking.
Federal Tax Legislation as an Implicit Contracting Cost Benchmark: The Definition of Excessive Executive Compensation

We examine how tax legislation that restricted firms' deductions of CEO compensation above $1 million reduced the implicit contracting cost of compensation for firms that were expected to pay below that amount and that were not directly affected by the law change. We find that firms that expected to pay their CEOs less than $1 million actually increased their CEOs' cash compensation, contrary to Congress's expectations. Moreover, the magnitude of the unexpected increase in compensation is proportional to how far the CEO's expected compensation fell below Congress's new $1 million reasonable‐compensation standard. Thus, our study provides evidence that some of the largest U.S. corporations responded in a manner contrary to policymakers' expectations. Our findings also support the theory of implicit contracting costs, by demonstrating that many firms reacted in an economically rational fashion when a change in the tax law decreased their implicit costs of CEO compensation.
Effect of opposing buoyancy on the flow in free and wall jets

An experimental investigation is carried out into the characteristics of the velocity and thermal fields in free and wall jets in which the buoyancy force opposes the flow. The flow configuration considered is that of a negatively buoyant two-dimensional jet discharged adjacent to a vertical surface, as well as that discharged away from the boundaries of the region. Such convective flows are frequently encountered in heat-rejection processes and in enclosure fires, where, at various locations, the buoyancy force is upward while the flow is downward, resulting in negative buoyancy. An experimental system is developed to study the downward penetration of such jets in which the buoyancy force opposes the externally induced flow. The penetration distance is measured and related to the inflow conditions, particularly the temperature and velocity at the discharge location. A steady state is simulated by allowing the fluid to flow out of the enclosure at the open top. The velocity and temperature distributions are also measured, in order to understand the basic nature of such flows. Several other effects, such as the entrainment into the flow, are also considered in this study.
Nonlinear realizations and the partial breaking of extended supersymmetry

Abstract In this paper we use nonlinear realizations to examine the breaking of N = 2 extended supersymmetry to N = 1. We derive Lagrangians and transformations laws for the generalized N = 2 Akulov-Volkov Goldstone field. We analyze the ghost states and show that they may be collected into N = 1 supermultiplets. We extend the transformation laws for the N = 1 chiral and vector multiplets to N = 2. Finally, we give the N = 2 generalization of an arbitrary N = 1 supersymmetric Lagrangian.
Widespread hillslope gullying on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau: Human or climate-change induced?

Many drainage basins adjacent to the upper Tsangpo Valley on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau are pervasively gullied. These gullies expose a stratigraphic record alternating between slow aggradation and stability (i.e., soil development) for much of the Quaternary, suggesting that gullying is recent and unprecedented within at least the past 10–100 k.y. In this paper, we date the initiation of gullying at five sites in the region using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). We also test alternative hypotheses for gully initiation using numerical landform evolution modeling. OSL ages constrain the initiation of gullying to be mid-to-late Holocene in age. This period coincides with the onset of pastoralism in the upper Tsangpo Valley. Numerical modeling suggests that a reduction in vegetation density during the colder, drier conditions of Pleistocene glacial intervals did not trigger gullying because the reduction in vegetation density and hence rates of colluvial deposition in valleys coincided with an unusually dry period less capable of significant fluvial erosion from valleys. As such, low-order valleys most likely did not incise prior to the mid-to-late Holocene because an approximate balance was maintained between colluvial deposition and fluvial erosion. Vegetation changes associated with the onset of pastoralism, however, may have triggered gullying because such changes lowered the rate of colluvial deposition in valleys and/or increased the rate of fluvial erosion in valleys. The results of this paper provide insight into the ways in which drainage basins respond to climatic and anthropogenic perturbations in semiarid climates of moderate relief and underscore the dramatic landscape responses that can occur when geomorphic thresholds are crossed.
Spectral Formation in X-Ray Pulsar Accretion Columns

We present the first self-consistent model for the dynamics and the radiative transfer occurring in bright X-ray pulsar accretion columns, with a special focus on the role of the shock in energizing the emerging X-rays. The pressure inside the accretion column of a luminous X-ray pulsar is dominated by the photons, and consequently the equations describing the coupled radiative-dynamical structure must be solved simultaneously. Spectral formation in these sources is therefore a complex, nonlinear phenomenon. We obtain the analytical solution for the Green's function describing the upscattering of monochromatic radiation injected into the column from the thermal mound located near the base of the flow. The Green's function is convolved with a Planck distribution to model the X-ray spectrum resulting from the reprocessing of blackbody photons produced in the thermal mound. These photons diffuse through the infalling gas and eventually escape out the walls of the column, forming the observed X-ray spectrum. We show that the resulting column-integrated, phase-averaged spectrum has a power-law shape at high energies and a blackbody shape at low energies, in agreement with the observational data for many X-ray pulsars.
Industria del plástico en el noreste de México y Texas, 1995-2005

En este articulo se compara el peso especifico de la industria del plastico entre Texas y el noreste de Mexico; ambas regiones son fabricantes de plastico, e interactuan a traves de un comercio intenso, que las hace dependientes. Tambien se comparan las tendencias de su produccion, capacidades tecnologicas y localizacion geografica para abastecer el mercado, entre otros aspectos. El crecimiento de esta industria le permitira a Mexico agregar valor a su petroleo. Las importaciones crecientes de resinas, junto con su participacion escasa como proveedor de la industria maquiladora de exportacion generan la expectativa de un amplio mercado para el plastico; para lograrlo, necesita impulsar la petroquimica.
The costs of organized violence: a review of the evidence

I critically review recent studies that estimate those costs of violence and conflict that can emerge among organized political groupings, such as states, religious and ethnic organizations, guerillas and paramilitaries. The review includes studies that estimate direct and indirect costs due to internal conflicts (civil wars and other lower-level conflicts), terrorism, and external conflicts, including military spending. There are a number of key theoretical concerns on what counts as a cost, and, depending on the methods and evidence used, estimated costs vary widely. However, even minimum estimates are economically significant, especially for low-income countries. This is even more so when the costs of different types of organized conflict and violence are aggregated.
Global Behavior of Solutions to Two Classes of Second-Order Rational Difference Equations

For nonnegative real numbers , , , , , and such that and , the difference equation , has a unique positive equilibrium. A proof is given here for the following statements: (1) For every choice of positive parameters , , , , , and , all solutions to the difference equation , converge to the positive equilibrium or to a prime period-two solution. (2) For every choice of positive parameters , , , , and , all solutions to the difference equation , converge to the positive equilibrium or to a prime period-two solution.
Roll-over shapes of the human foot/ankle complex

Roll-over shapes of the human foot/ankle complex are shown for three subjects walking at five different self-selected walking speeds (very slow, slow, normal, fast, very fast). The results indicate that the roll-over shape of the foot does not change dramatically from heel contact to opposite heel contact at these different speeds and that the foot/ankle complex could be approximated using a passive structure during this period of the gait cycle. Both of these aspects seem promising for the future development of prosthetic feet. A prosthetic foot that deforms to a proper roll-over shape may perform similarly to the human foot/ankle complex for any walking speed. The findings of this work may also be useful in other areas of prosthetics and orthotics research and rehabilitation.
The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets

Persistent racial inequality in employment, housing, and a wide range of other social domains has renewed interest in the possible role of discrimination. And yet, unlike in the pre–civil rights era, when racial prejudice and discrimination were overt and widespread, today discrimination is less readily identifiable, posing problems for social scientific conceptualization and measurement. This article reviews the relevant literature on discrimination, with an emphasis on racial discrimination in employment, housing, credit markets, and consumer interactions. We begin by defining discrimination and discussing relevant methods of measurement. We then provide an overview of major findings from studies of discrimination in each of the four domains; and, finally, we turn to a discussion of the individual, organizational, and structural mechanisms that may underlie contemporary forms of discrimination. This discussion seeks to orient readers to some of the key debates in the study of discrimination and to provide a roadmap for those interested in building upon this long and important line of research.
User Partitioning for Less Overhead in MIMO Interference Channels

This paper presents a study on multiple-antenna interference channels, accounting for general overhead as a function of the number of users and antennas in the network. The model includes both perfect and imperfect channel state information based on channel estimation in the presence of noise. Three low-complexity methods are proposed for reducing the impact of overhead in the sum network throughput by partitioning users into orthogonal groups. The first method allocates spectrum to the groups equally, creating an imbalance in the sum rate of each group. The second proposed method allocates spectrum unequally among the groups to provide rate fairness. Finally, geographic grouping is proposed for cases where some receivers do not observe significant interference from other transmitters. For each partitioning method, the optimal solution not only requires a brute force search over all possible partitions, but also requires full channel state information, thereby defeating the purpose of partitioning. We therefore propose greedy methods to solve the problems, requiring no instantaneous channel knowledge. Simulations show that the proposed greedy methods switch from time-division to interference alignment as the coherence time of the channel increases, and have a small loss relative to optimal partitioning only at moderate coherence times.
Mechanochemical Polishing of Silicon Nitride

Two oxides of iron, Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, were identified as suitable soft abrasives for mechanochemical polishing of Si3N4. Removal rates up to 1.6 μ.m /h were observed when hot-pressed Si3N4 samples were mechanochemically polished using these abrasives on a linen plastic lap. The polished surfaces were flat and scratch-free, with a peak-to-valley roughness of <20 nm. Auger electron spectroscopy of these surfaces revealed a thin layer (≤10 nm) of a silicon oxynitride that contained carbon and ∼0.5 at.% iron.
Synthesis of sucrose-based surfactants through regioselective sulfonation of acylsucrose and the nucleophilic opening of a sucrose cyclic sulfate

Synthesis of a new class of anionic and amphoteric sucrose-based surfactants is described. Direct sulfonation of 6-O-acylsucrose using the pyridine‐sulfur trioxide complex led to a mixture of the regioisomeric monosulfates, 6-O-acyl-4 0 ‐O-sulfosucrose and 6-O-acyl-1 0 -O-sulfosucrose, while sulfonation of 1 0 -O-acylsucrose aAorded a mixture of 1 0 -O-acyl-6 0 -O-sulfosucrose and 1 0 -O-acyl-6O-sulfosucrose. The ratio of regioisomers ranged from 4.7:1.0 to 7.5:1.0, depending on reaction time and the size of the fatty acyl chain. The regiospecific synthesis of 6-O-acyl-4-O-sulfosucrose derivatives was accomplished by nucleophilic substitution of the sucrose 4,6-cyclic sulfate using various fatty acids. The amphoteric 6-alkylamino-6-deoxy-4-O-sulfosucrose surfactants were also synthesized by nucleophilic substitution of the sucrose cyclic sulfate by diAerent fatty amines. All the newly synthesized sucrose-based surfactants displayed excellent surface-active properties. # 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
THE COLOR-PERIOD DIAGRAM AND STELLAR ROTATIONAL EVOLUTION—NEW ROTATION PERIOD MEASUREMENTS IN THE OPEN CLUSTER M34*

We present the results of a 5 month photometric time-series survey for stellar rotation periods combined with a 4 year radial-velocity survey for membership and binarity in the 220 Myr open cluster M34. We report surface rotation periods for 120 stars, 83 of which are kinematic and photometric late-type cluster members. A comparison to previous work serves to illustrate the importance of high-cadence long baseline photometric observations and membership information. The new M34 periods are less biased against slow rotation and cleaned for non-members. The rotation periods of the cluster members span over more than an order of magnitude from 0.5 days up to 11.5 days, and trace two distinct rotational sequences—fast (C) and moderate-to-slow (I)—in the color-period diagram. The sequences represent two different states (fast and slow) in the rotational evolution of the late-type cluster members. We use the color-period diagrams for M34 and for younger and older clusters to estimate the timescale for the transition from the C to the I sequence and find 150 Myr, ~150-300 Myr, and ~300-600 Myr for G, early-mid K, and late K dwarfs, respectively. The small number of stars in the gap between C and I suggests a quick transition. We estimate a lower limit on the maximum spin-down rate (dP/dt) during this transition to be ~0.06 days Myr–1 and ~0.08 days Myr–1 for early and late K dwarfs, respectively. We compare the I sequence rotation periods in M34 and the Hyades for G and K dwarfs and find that K dwarfs spin down slower than the Skumanich rate. We determine a gyrochronology age of 240 Myr for M34. The gyro-age has a small formal uncertainty of 2% which reflects the tight I sequence in the M34 color-period diagram. We measure the effect of cluster age uncertainties on the gyrochronology age for M34 and find the resulting error on the gyro-age to be consistent with the ~15% error estimate for the technique in general. We use the M34 I sequence to redetermine the coefficients in the expression for rotational dependence on color used in gyrochronology. Finally, we propose that stability in the phase, shape, and amplitude of the photometric variability for the 120 rotators over the ~5 month duration of our survey is due to spot generation at active stellar longitudes.
Good trellises for IC implementation of Viterbi decoders for linear block codes

This paper investigates trellis structures of linear block codes for the integrated circuit (IC) implementation of Viterbi decoders capable of achieving high decoding speed while satisfying a constraint on the structural complexity of the trellis in terms of the maximum number of states at any particular depth. Only uniform sectionalizations of the code trellis diagram are considered. An upper-bound on the number of parallel and structurally identical (or isomorphic) subtrellises in a proper trellis for a code without exceeding the maximum state complexity of the minimal trellis of the code is first derived. Parallel structures of trellises with various section lengths for binary BCH and Reed-Muller (RM) codes of lengths 32 and 64 are analyzed. Next, the complexity of the IC implementation of a Viterbi decoder based on an L-section trellis diagram for a code is investigated. A structural property of a Viterbi decoder called add-compare-select (ACS)-connectivity which is related to state connectivity is introduced. This parameter affects the complexity of wire-routing (interconnections within the IC). The effect of five parameters namely: (1) effective computational complexity; (2) complexity of the ACS-circuit; (3) traceback complexity; (4) ACS-connectivity; and (5) branch complexity of a trellis diagram on the very large scale integration (VLSI) complexity of a Viterbi decoder is investigated. It is shown that an IC implementation of a Viterbi decoder based on a nonminimal trellis requires less area and is capable of operation at higher speed than one based on the minimal trellis when the commonly used ACS-array architecture is considered.
Evidence on Simulation Inference for Near Unit-Root Processes with Implications for Term Structure Estimation

The high persistence of interest rates has important implications for the preferred method used to estimate term structure models. We study the finite-sample properties of two standard dynamic simulation methods—efficient method of moments (EMM) and indirect inference—when they are applied to an first order autoregressive (AR[1]) process with Gaussian innovations. When simulated data are as persistent as interest rates, the finite-sample properties of EMM differ both from their asymptotic properties and from the finite-sample properties of indirect inference and maximum likelihood. EMM produces larger confidence bounds than indirect inference and maximum likelihood, yet is much less likely to contain the true parameter value. This is primarily because the population variance of the data plays a much larger role in the EMM conditions than in the moment conditions for either indirect inference or maximum likelihood. These results suggest that, under Gaussian assumptions, indirect inference (if practical) is preferable to EMM when working with persistent data such as interest rates. EMM’s emphasis on the population variance strongly enforces stationarity on the underlying process, so this same reasoning suggests that EMM may be preferable in settings where stability and stationarity are important and difficult to impose.
Event driven software quality

Event-driven programming has found pervasive acceptance, from high-performance servers to embedded systems, as an efficient method for interacting with a complex world. The fastest research Web servers are event-driven, as is the most common operating system for sensor nodes.
Sodium nitroprusside decreases spinal cord perfusion pressure during descending thoracic aortic cross-clamping in the dog

Paraplegia is a devastating complication of surgery on the descending thoracic aorta. During surgical repair, the aorta is cross-clamped, and nitroprusside is often used to treat arterial hypertension that can occur above the cross-clamp. Twenty-one dogs were studied to determine the effects of nitroprusside on intraspinal pressures, mean aortic pressures below the cross-clamp, and spinal cord perfusion pressure. Perfusion pressure in spinal radicular arteries originating below the aortic cross-clamp was estimated as the distal aortic pressure minus intraspinal pressure. Nitroprusside was used to return the mean arterial pressure above the cross-clamp to values similar to the pre-cross-clamp levels in 7 dogs. Fourteen animals did not receive sodium nitroprusside. Aortic cross-clamping resulted in small but significant increases in intraspinal pressure (4.3 +/- 0.8 to 7.5 +/- 0.9 mm Hg in non-nitroprusside-treated dogs, and 3.4 +/- 1.0 to 5.6 +/- 1.5 mm Hg in the nitroprusside group before nitroprusside). Nitroprusside caused a further increase in intraspinal pressure (5.6 +/- 1.5 to 8.3 +/- 2.2 mm Hg) and a decrease in aortic pressure below the cross-clamp (26 +/- 5 to 18 +/- 4 mm Hg). The increase in intraspinal pressure and the decrease in aortic pressure below the cross-clamp after nitroprusside resulted in a decrease in spinal cord perfusion pressure from 19 +/- 5 mm Hg to 11 +/- 4 mm Hg. Because nitroprusside decreases spinal cord perfusion pressure and may increase the risk of spinal cord ischemia, the avoidance of large doses of nitroprusside to arbitrarily return mean arterial pressure above the cross-clamp to pre-cross-clamp levels is recommended.
Gold(I)-catalyzed enantioselective bromocyclization reactions of allenes

The enantioselective bromocyclization of allenes is accomplished through the use of a chiral dinuclear gold complex and/or chiral phosphate anions in the presence of an N-bromolactam as an electrophilic bromine source. This method provides access to heterocyclic vinyl bromides with an allylic stereocenter in excellent yield and enantioselectivity. These enantioenriched vinyl bromides may serve as a handle for further derivatization via cross-coupling reactions.
Geometric Observers for Dynamically Evolving Curves

This paper proposes a deterministic observer design for visual tracking based on nonparametric implicit (level-set) curve descriptions. The observer is continuous discrete with continuous-time system dynamics and discrete-time measurements. Its state- space consists of an estimated curve position augmented by additional states (e.g., velocities) associated with every point on the estimated curve. Multiple simulation models are proposed for state prediction. Measurements are performed through standard static segmentation algorithms and optical-flow computations. Special emphasis is given to the geometric formulation of the overall dynamical system. The discrete-time measurements lead to the problem of geometric curve interpolation and the discrete-time filtering of quantities propagated along with the estimated curve. Interpolation and filtering are intimately linked to the correspondence problem between curves. Correspondences are established by a Laplace-equation approach. The proposed scheme is implemented completely implicitly (by Eulerian numerical solutions of transport equations) and thus naturally allows for topological changes and subpixel accuracy on the computational grid.
Target directed enediyne prodrugs: hER and AhR degradation by a synthetic oxo-enediyne

Abstract An efficient route to oxo-enediynes is presented. A simple oxo-enediyne has been synthesized, which cyclizes to give an isochroman. The agent shows cytotoxicity for ER rich breast cancer cells and a model for its mode of action is proposed.
A cognitive perspective on resistance in psychotherapy

The phenomena that comprise resistance in therapy are described and discussed from a cognitive viewpoint. The cases of Brian, Julie, and Victoria are reviewed to illustrate similar and contrasting manifestations of resistance, and suggestions for further individualized conceptualization and intervention are presented. Emphasis is placed on gaining an accurate, empathic understanding of the client's difficulties in changing. This is coupled with methods that allow the client some autonomy in charting the course of therapy, at the same time reinforcing the importance of the therapist's active involvement in educating and stimulating the client toward greater awareness and adaptability. In order to be maximally effective in encouraging such changes, therapists must be aware of their own tendencies to react adversely to client resistance. It is vital that therapists maintain their professionalism and confidence in persevering toward a better understanding of what will be helpful to their clients.
Sales contests, promotion decisions and heterogeneous risk

This paper examines a general model of sales contests in which agents have heterogeneous attitudes toward risk. It shows that agents that are less risk averse have a higher probability of success. A corollary to this result shows that when absolute risk aversion is decreasing in wealth, wealthier agents have a higher probability of promotion. The same wealth effect makes it possible for more risk averse agents to take greater risks in a multi-round promotion tournament. Next, a stability analysis shows that these equilibria are attractors under a best response dynamic. While it is well-known that sales contests can be an effective incentive device for eliciting effort from employees, this research suggests the added benefit that when used as a basis for promotion decisions, sales contests act to filter the hardest working agents to the top of the corporate hierarchy. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improved proxy re-encryption schemes with applications to secure distributed storage

In 1998, Blaze, Bleumer, and Strauss (BBS) proposed an application called atomic proxy re-encryption, in which a semitrusted proxy converts a ciphertext for Alice into a ciphertext for Bob without seeing the underlying plaintext. We predict that fast and secure re-encryption will become increasingly popular as a method for managing encrypted file systems. Although efficiently computable, the wide-spread adoption of BBS re-encryption has been hindered by considerable security risks. Following recent work of Dodis and Ivan, we present new re-encryption schemes that realize a stronger notion of security and demonstrate the usefulness of proxy re-encryption as a method of adding access control to a secure file system. Performance measurements of our experimental file system demonstrate that proxy re-encryption can work effectively in practice.
Treating Rationality as a Continuous Variable

Granted, Behavioral Economics has demonstrated that “people” (implying all) are unable to act as strong definitions of rationality assume. Their cognitive limitations are “hard wired”. However Behavioral Economics’ own data show that important segments of the population find “the” rational answer to choices posed to them. How do these findings square with the thesis that limitations are hard wired and universal? And, more attention should be paid to the extent to which various people deviate from the rational choice, and—whether training can improve performance despite the claim that flaws are hard wired.
MLPCA Based Logistical Regression Analysis for Pattern Clustering in Manufacturing Processes

This article proposes a method of improving pattern clustering accuracy combined with a logistical regression model for manufacturing processes with binary inspection outputs. A latent variable model was incorporated into the classical logistical regression model, involving the use of Maximum Likelihood Principal Component Analysis (MLPCA) to identify the underlying variation sources governing the behaviors of the high dimensional measurable variables. The highly correlated continuous measurable predictors are projected onto a lower dimensional latent space, followed by a more precise pattern clustering algorithm to the inspected manufacturing products for in-line process monitoring. The example of the visual inspects from semiconductor manufacturing processes is shown that this new pattern clustering algorithm could help identify the root causes of the variations.
Synthesis of fluorinated azulenes

Abstract Fluorinated azulenes were prepared in moderate yields under mild conditions and short reaction times using Selectfluor ® , I , in methanol/ acetonitrile solution.
Model predictive control of feed flow reversal in a reverse osmosis desalination process

Model-predictive control algorithms are applied to a high capacity reverse osmosis (RO) membrane desalination process simulation that utilizes feed flow-reversal in order to prevent and/or reverse scale crystal formation on the membrane surface. A dynamic non-linear model which incorporates feed concentration and membrane properties is used for simulation and demonstration of optimally controlled feed flow reversal. Before flow reversal can take place on a high capacity RO plant, the flow into the membrane unit must be carefully reduced to eliminate the risk of membrane module damage and unnecessary energy consumption. A cost-function is formulated for the transition between the normal high flow steady-state operating point to a low flow steady-state operating point where it is safe to reverse the flow direction. Open-loop and closed-loop simulations demonstrate non-linear model-predictive control strategies that induce transition from the high-flow to low-flow steady-states in an optimal way.
Portable parallel algorithms for geometric problems

The development of algorithms which can be ported among different fine-grain, massively parallel architectures and yield reasonably good implementations on each is discussed. The approach is to write algorithms in terms of general data movement operations and then implement the data movement operations on the target architecture. Efficient implementation of the data movement operations requires careful programming, but since the data movement operations form the foundation of many programs, the cost of implementing them can be amortized. The use of data movement operations also helps programmers think in terms of higher-level programming units, in the same way that the use of standard data structures helps programmers of serial computers. An approach is described for designing efficient, portable algorithms, and sample algorithms are given to solve some fundamental geometric problems. The difficulties of portability and efficiency for these geometric problems are redirected into similar difficulties for the standardization operations. >
Magnetic resonance flow velocity and temperature mapping of a shape memory polymer foam device

Background Interventional medical devices based on thermally responsive shape memory polymer (SMP) are under development to treat stroke victims. The goals of these catheter-delivered devices include re-establishing blood flow in occluded arteries and preventing aneurysm rupture. Because these devices alter the hemodynamics and dissipate thermal energy during the therapeutic procedure, a first step in the device development process is to investigate fluid velocity and temperature changes following device deployment.
A system of constructor classes: overloading and implicit higher-order polymorphism

This paper describes a flexible type system that combines overloading and higher-order polymorphism in an implicitly typed language using a system of constructor classes—a natural generalization of type classes in Haskell. We present a range of examples to demonstrate the usefulness of such a system. In particular, we show how constructor classes can be used to support the use of monads in a functional language. The underlying type system permits higher-order polymorphism but retains many of the attractive features that have made Hindley/Milner type systems so popular. In particular, there is an effective algorithm that can be used to calculate principal types without the need for explicit type or kind annotations. A prototype implementation has been developed providing, amongst other things, the first concrete implementation of monad comprehensions known to us at the time of writing.
An Application of Syntactic Pattern Recognition to Seismic Discrimination

Two syntactic methods for the recognition of seismic waveforms are presented in this paper. The seismic waveforms are represented by strings of primitives. Primitive extraction is based on cluster analysis. Finite-state grammars are inferred from the training samples. The nearest-neighbor decision rule and error-correcting finite-state parsers are used for pattern classification. While both show equal recognition performance, the nearest-neighbor rule is much faster in computation speed. The classification of real data for earthquake/explosion is presented as an application example.
Extension of Inagaki General Weighted Operators and A New Fusion Rule Class of Proportional Redistribution of Intersection Masses

In this paper we extend Inagaki Weighted Operators fusion rule (WO) in information fusion by doing redistribution of not only the conflicting mass, but also of masses of non-empty intersections, that we call Double Weighted Operators (DWO). Then we propose a new fusion rule Class of Proportional Redistribution of Intersection Masses (CPRIM), which generates many interesting particular fusion rules in information fusion. Both formulas are presented. An application and comparison with other fusion rules are given in the last section.