cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Low-State” Black Hole Accretion in Nearby Galaxies

I summarize the main observational properties of low-luminosity AGNs in nearby galaxies to argue that they are the high-mass analogs of black hole X-ray binaries in the “low/hard” state. The principal characteristics of low-state AGNs can be accommodated with a scenario in which the central engine is comprised of three components: an optically thick, geometrically accretion disk with a truncated inner radius, a radiatively inefficient flow, and a compact jet.
Wind Power Limitations Associated with Vortices

The total pressure dissipation inside vortices due to viscous shear has been analyzed. The reduced level of the total pressure flux of the flow inside a vortex has an adverse effect on all vortex-ingesting wind machines. The Betz limit of wind turbines ingesting the vortex generated by an airfoil has been computed and is nondimensionalized using the area of the vortex generator. The vacuum-pumping ability of vortices is also limited. The Betz-type limit for wind turbines exhausting into the core of a vortex has been computed for both wingtip and tornado-tower-type vortex generators. The energy required to eliminate a tornado has been computed.
Farewell to the Exclusive–Inclusive Debate

In recent years there has an ongoing debate between two versions of legal positivism. According to one, called exclusive positivism, whenever the law refers to morality, the law necessarily directs its subjects to an external, non-legal, standard, because there is a conceptual impossibility in incorporating moral standards into the law. According to the rival inclusive positivist position, such incorporation is possible, and therefore moral standards can be (although they need not be) part of the law. In this article I argue that both views are mistaken since they both assume that whenever words like `equality`, `justice` etc. appear in the law they refer to moral standards. Rather, I argue, these words refer to legal standards, which are different from the moral standards. As a result the question of the possibility of incorporation can be avoided, and the debate between exclusive and inclusive positivists put to rest.
Enantioselective [2,3] wittig ring contraction induced by chiral bases. The total synthesis and absolute configuration of (+)-aristolactone

Abstract [2,3] Wittig ring contraction of the achiral 13-membered acetylenic ether 1 via treatment with lithio (R,R) or (S,S)-bis-(1-phenylethyl)amide afforded the (R)-(+) or (S)-(-)-propargylic alcohol (+)-2 or (-)-2, respectively, of > 60% ee in 75% yield.
The design of the clinical and research information system for psychiatry

The Clinical and Research Information System for Psychiatry (CRISP) is a general mental health information system for clinical, research, and administrative functions. From a software perspective, CRISP is designed to solve three problems: First, by attaching procedures to databases, it is designed to permit dynamic addition of new database formats and organizations without the need to restructure existing information. Second, CRISP uses a message-passing architecture with security checks on each message so that each user can be given a different set of access rights on each individual patient. Finally, the process attachment combined with message architecture makes it easier to distribute CRISP across a network. The network can, in turn, be used to provide smooth storage migration across different secondary storage devices.
A dynamical systems approach to actin-based motility in Listeria monocytogenes

A simple kinematic model for the trajectories of Listeria monocytogenes is generalized to a dynamical system rich enough to exhibit the resonant Hopf bifurcation structure of excitable media and simple enough to be studied geometrically. It is shown how L. monocytogenes trajectories and meandering spiral waves are organized by the same type of attracting set.
Merrifield Resin-C6H4CH2N3P(MeNCH2CH2)3N: an efficient reusable catalyst for room-temperature 1,4-addition reactions and a more convenient synthesis of its precursor P(MeNCH2CH2)3N.

1,4-Additions to a variety of Michael acceptors with a wide variety of donors were efficiently catalyzed at room temperature by the title reusable Merrifield resin-supported catalyst. Advantages of this catalyst include a simple workup (filtration of the reaction mixture) and good to excellent product yields. We also report a substantially simplified synthesis of the commercially available strong nonionic base 1, a precursor to the title polymer-bound catalyst.
Evaluation of perfused porcine skin as a model system to quantitate tissue distribution of fullerene nanoparticles

Abstract Nanomaterials are increasingly playing a role in society for uses ranging from biomedicine to microelectronics, however pharmacokinetic studies, which will be necessary for human health risk assessments, are limited. Tissue distribution, one component of pharmacokinetics, can be assessed by quantifying arterial extraction of materials in an isolated perfused porcine skin flap (IPPSF). The objective of this study was to assess the IPPSF as a model system to quantitate the distribution of fullerene nanoparticles (nC 60 ) from the vascular space into tissues. IPPSFs were perfused for 4 h with 0.885 μg/mL nC 60 in media with immunoglobulin G present (IgG + ) or absent (IgG − ) followed by a 4 h perfusion with media only during a washout phase. Arterial and venous concentrations of nC 60 were measured in the media by HPLC–UV/vis chromatography. Steady state differences in the arterial and venous nC 60 concentrations were compared to determine extraction from the vascular space of the IPPSF, and the venous nC 60 concentration versus time profiles were used to calculate compartmental pharmacokinetic parameters. The steady state differences in the arterial and venous concentrations in the IPPSF were small with extraction percentages (mean ± sd) of 8.2 ± 5.7% and 4.2 ± 6.7% for IgG + and IgG − media, respectively, and were not significantly different between the types of media. The venous concentrations of nC 60 in both types of media were best fit with a 2 compartment model with terminal half lives (harmonic mean) of 17.5 and 28.0 min for IgG + and IgG − media, respectively. The apparent volumes of distribution at steady state were 0.12 ± 0.047 and 0.10 ± 0.034 L/kg, for IgG + and IgG − media, respectively. By 4 h following infusion of nC 60 , the recovery of nC 60 in the venous effluent was 94 ± 5.5% and 97 ± 6.8% of the infused nC 60 for IgG + and IgG − media, respectively. Based on the apparent volume of distribution, the low extraction during the perfusion, and the high percentage recovery following the washout phase, there was limited distribution of nC 60 from the vascular space into the extracellular space and negligible intracellular uptake of nC 60 in this system.
Associations and Democracy

Few issues occupy a more central place on the agenda than democracy. In those societies where representative democracy has long been installed there are today new issues connected with its vitality, scope and quality. Elsewhere, whether in Latin America, the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe or South Africa, dictatorship has retreated but the new forms of democratic life are still to be consolidated. In some parts of the world - China, the Middle East and much of Africa - the breakthrough to any form of democracy has yet to be made, but the test may not be long postponed. This book is organized around a specific proposal, advanced by the editors, for deepening democracy. They argue that reinvigorating today's fragile democratic institutions depends upon extending the role of "secondary associations" - associations intermediate between the state and the market - as vehicles representing citizens and for formulating and executing policy. This argument leads up to a set of specific aides for reform to which the other contributors respond. The contributors include: Iris Young, Phillipe Schmitter, Andy Szasz, Jenny Mansbridge, Wolfgang Streeck, Ira Katznelson, Ellen Immergut, Paul Hirst, Joshua Cohen, Andrew Levine and Claus Offe. Joshua Cohen and Joel Rogers are the authors of "On Democracy" and "Rules of the Game".
HEXADECAPOLE APPROXIMATION IN PLANETARY MICROLENSING

The frequency of microlensing planet detections, particularly in difficult-to-model high-magnification events, is increasing. Their analysis can require tens of thousands of processor hours or more, primarily because of the high density and high precision of measurements whose modeling requires time-consuming finite-source calculations. I show that a large fraction of these measurements, those that lie at least one source diameter from a caustic or the extension from a cusp, can be modeled using a very simple hexadecapole approximation, which is one to several orders of magnitude faster than full-fledged finite-source calculations. Moreover, by restricting the regions that actually require finite-source calculations to a few isolated "caustic features," the hexadecapole approximation will, for the first time, permit the powerful "magnification map" approach to be applied to events for which the planet's orbital motion is important.
Detonating Failed Deflagration Model of Thermonuclear Supernovae I. Explosion Dynamics

We present a detonating failed deflagration model of Type Ia supernovae. In this model, the thermonuclear explosion of a massive white dwarf follows an off-center deflagration. We conduct a survey of asymmetric ignition configurations initiated at various distances from the stellar center. In all cases studied, we find that only a small amount of stellar fuel is consumed during deflagration phase, no explosion is obtained, and the released energy is mostly wasted on expanding the progenitor. Products of the failed deflagration quickly reach the stellar surface, polluting and strongly disturbing it. These disturbances eventually evolve into small and isolated shock-dominated regions that are rich in fuel. We consider these regions as seeds capable of forming self-sustained detonations that, ultimately, result in the thermonuclear supernova explosion. Preliminary nucleosynthesis results indicate that the model supernova ejecta are typically composed of about 0.1-0.25 M? of silicon group elements and 0.9-1.2 M? of iron group elements and are essentially carbon-free. The ejecta have a composite morphology, are chemically stratified, and display a modest amount of intrinsic asymmetry. The innermost layers are slightly egg shaped with the axis ratio ?1.2-1.3 and dominated by the products of silicon burning. This central region is surrounded by a shell of silicon group elements. The outermost layers of ejecta are highly inhomogeneous and contain products of incomplete oxygen burning with only small admixture of unburned stellar material. The explosion energies are ?(1.3-1.5) ? 1051 ergs.
Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Diarylureas via Pd-Catalyzed C–N Cross-Coupling Reactions

A facile synthesis of unsymmetrical N,N′-diarylureas is described. The utilization of the Pd-catalyzed arylation of ureas enables the synthesis of an array of diarylureas in good to excellent yields from benzylurea via a one-pot arylation–deprotection protocol, followed by a second arylation.
The sectoral implications of macroeconomic policy: The case of postreform China☆

Abstract We construct a two-part model of the Chinese economy. The first part consists of a money-supply equation, a real money-demand equation, and a savings equation. The second part comprises a set of sectoral equations. The estimated model is then used to generate a dynamic simulation of the paths of real national income, aggregate price level, sectoral output, and sectoral prices. The model tracks quite well within sample, thus indicating that it may be used to analyze the future effects of policy changes. We therefore carry out counterfactual policy simulations based on monetary changes.
An Overview of the Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

The transactional interpretation of quantum mechanics (TI) is summarized and various points concerning the TI and its relation to the Copenhagen interpretation (CI) are considered. Questions concerning mapping the TI onto the CI, of advanced waves as solutions to proper wave equations, of collapse and the QM formalism, and of the relation of quantum mechanical interpretations to experimental tests and results are discussed.
Kaon production cross sections from baryon-baryon interactions

Abstract In a one-pion plus one-kaon exchange model, we calculate the kaon production cross sections in nucleon-nucleon, nucleon-delta and delta-delta interactions. We find that this model describes reasonably well the experimental data on kaon production in the proton-proton interaction. Near the kaon production threshold, the cross section obtained from this model is smaller than that from the linear parametrization of Randrup and Ko. For kaon production cross sections from the nucleon-delta and delta-delta interactions, the cross sections are singular in free space, so we calculate them in a nuclear medium by including the (complex) pion self-energy. The results are compared with the scaling ansatz of Randrup and Ko. The theoretical cross sections are then used in a transport model to study kaon production from Au+Au collisions at 1 GeV/nucleon.
Treatment of osteoporosis with bisphosphonates.

Bisphosphonates are safe and effective agents for treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. Alendronate and risedronate are the best studied of all agents for osteoporosis in terms of efficacy and safety. They increase bone mass. In patients who have established osteoporosis, they reduce the risk of vertebral fractures. They are the only agents shown in prospective trials to reduce the risk of hip fractures and other nonvertebral fractures. They are approved by the US FDA for prevention of bone loss in recently menopausal women, for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, and for management of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss. Other bisphosphonates (e.g., etidronate for oral use, pamidronate for intravenous infusion) are also available and can be used off-label for patients who cannot tolerate approved agents. Bisphosphonates combined with estrogen produce greater gains in bone mass compared with either agent used alone; whether there is a greater benefit of combination therapy on fracture risk is not clear. Combining a bisphosphonate with raloxifene or calcitonin is probably safe, although data on effectiveness are lacking.
Nash equilibrium when players account for the complexity of their forecasts

Abstract Nash equilibrium is often interpreted as a steady state in which each player holds the correct expectations about the other players' behavior and acts rationally. This paper investigates the robustness of this interpretation when there are small costs associated with complicated forecasts. The model consists of a two-person strategic game in which each player chooses a finite machine to implement a strategy in an infinitely repeated 2×2 game with discounting. I analyze the model using a solution concept called Nash Equilibrium with Stable Forecasts (ESF). My main results concern the structure of equilibrium machine pairs. They provide necessary and sufficient conditions on the form of equilibrium strategies and plays. In contrast to the “folk theorem,” these structural properties place severe restrictions on the set of equilibrium paths and payoffs. For example, only sequences of the one-shot Nash equilibrium can be generated by any ESF of the repeated game of chicken.
Which road leads to stable money demand

This paper denies that the demand for money function is any more unstable than other demand functions and maintains that the controversies regarding unstable money demand are produce by poor methodology that is not shared by other areas of the field of economics, when investigating demand function properties.
Dynamic credit relationships in general equilibrium

Abstract We construct a general equilibrium model with private information in which borrowers and lenders enter into long-term dynamic credit relationships. Each new generation of ex ante identical individuals is divided in equilibrium into workers and entrepreneurs. Workers save through financial intermediaries in the form of interest-bearing deposits and supply labor to entrepreneurs in a competitive labor market. Entrepreneurs borrow from financial intermediaries to finance projects which produce privately observed sequences of random returns. Each financial intermediary holds deposits from a large number of workers and operates a portfolio of dynamic contracts with different credit positions. We calibrate the model to the U.S. economy and find that dynamic contracting is very effective at mitigating the effects of private information. Moreover, restricting borrowers and lenders to use static (one-period) contracts with a costly monitoring technology has adverse effects both on the level of aggregate economic activity and on individual welfare unless monitoring costs are very small. Finally, the optimal provision of intertemporal incentives leads to increasing consumption inequality over time within generational cohorts as in U.S. data.
Signals for Noncommutative QED at Future e+e- Colliders

The signatures for noncommutative QED at e+ e- colliders with center of mass energies in the range of 0.5-5 TeV are examined. For integrated luminosities of 0.5-1 ab-1 or more, sensitivities to the associated mass scales greater than are possible.
Fast Distributed Simulation of Sensor Networks Using Optimistic Synchronization

Network simulation is an important tool for testing and evaluating wireless sensor network applications. Parallel simulation strategies improve the scalability of these tools. However, achieving high performance depends on reducing the synchronization overhead among simulation processes. In this paper, we present an optimistic simulation algorithm with support for backtracking and re-execution. The algorithm reduces the number of synchronization cycles to the number of transmissions in the network under test. We implement SnapSim, an extension to the popular Avrora simulator, based on this algorithm. The experimental results show that our prototype system improves the performance of Avrora by 2 to 10 times for typical network-centric sensor network applications, and up to three orders of magnitude for applications that use the radio infrequently. We also implement a distributed version of SnapSim, D-SnapSim, which runs on a cluster. The experimental results show that D-SnapSim further improves the performance of SnapSim by up to 10 times for applications that use the radio frequently.
Integrated Nucleosynthesis in Neutrino-driven Winds

Although they are but a small fraction of the mass ejected in core-collapse supernovae, neutrino-driven winds (NDWs) from nascent proto-neutron stars (PNSs) have the potential to contribute significantly to supernova nucleosynthesis. In previous works, the NDW has been implicated as a possible source of r-process and light p-process isotopes. In this paper we present time-dependent hydrodynamic calculations of nucleosynthesis in the NDW which include accurate weak interaction physics coupled to a full nuclear reaction network. Using two published models of PNS neutrino luminosities, we predict the contribution of the NDW to the integrated nucleosynthetic yield of the entire supernova. For the neutrino luminosity histories considered, no true r-process occurs in the most basic scenario. The wind driven from an older 1.4M{sub {circle_dot}} model for a PNS is moderately neutron-rich at late times however, and produces {sup 87}Rb, {sup 88}Sr, {sup 89}Y, and {sup 90}Zr in near solar proportions relative to oxygen. The wind from a more recently studied 1.27M{sub {circle_dot}} PNS is proton-rich throughout its entire evolution and does not contribute significantly to the abundance of any element. It thus seems very unlikely that the simplest model of the NDW can produce the r-process. At most, it contributes to the production of the N = 50 closed shell elements and some light p-nuclei. In doing so, it may have left a distinctive signature on the abundances in metal poor stars, but the results are sensitive to both uncertain models for the explosion and the masses of the neutron stars involved.
Nickel(0)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions of terminal diynes for the synthesis of substituted cyclooctatetraenes.

The Ni(0)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions of 1,6- and 1,7-diynes are shown to provide an efficient and selective method for the preparation of 1,2,5,6-tetrasubstituted cyclooctatetraenes (COTs). Catalysts and conditions are described that favor in all cases COT formation over competing [2 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions. A hitherto unexplored crossed reaction is also described, providing access to non-symmetrical COTs.
Ethnonationalism and Political Stability: The Soviet Case

This chapter proposes a somewhat different framework for assessing the implications that rising ethnonationalism has for Soviet political stability. It argues that the preservation of important features of national identity is not of itself incompatible with Soviet goals. The political salience of ethnicity in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is not self-evident and automatic, but varies over time and among contexts, and is constrained and shaped by complex factors. The capacity of the Soviet system to manage ethnonational assertion in ways that reduce or eliminate its potential for instability is a critical variable in any assessment of Soviet prospects in the years ahead. An assessment of the potential scope and limits of ethnonationalism in the USSR therefore requires a close examination of the issues that have served as catalysts of national tensions in the Soviet context and the nature of the cleavages they have crystallized.
On the complexity of computing Kostka numbers and Littlewood-Richardson coefficients

Kostka numbers and Littlewood-Richardson coefficients appear in combinatorics and representation theory. Interest in their computation stems from the fact that they are present in quantum mechanical computations since Wigner [15]. In recent times, there have been a number of algorithms proposed to perform this task [1---3, 11, 12]. The issue of their computational complexity has received at-tention in the past, and was raised recently by E. Rassart in [11]. We prove that the problem of computing either quantity is #P-complete. Thus, unless P = NP, which is widely disbelieved, there do not exist efficient algorithms that compute these numbers.
Regularized Integration of Gravity-Perturbed Trajectories-A Numerical Efficiency Study

NINE methods for predicting the motion of a particle in a perturbed gravity field, many of which are based upon regularizing transformations and some of which are newly developed, are numerically compared. The class of motions studied in detail is the fractional-orbit case typical of ballistic trajectories. Results from 12 test trajectories in an oblate gravity field indicate that an asymptotic expansion technique based upon an Euler parameter regularization is extremely efficient when compared to standard Cowell and Encke methods. Additionally, algorithms based upon the Kustaanheimo-Stiefel (KS) transformation are found to be numerically attractive. Contents Since the analytical development of the equations of motion associated with most of the methods is very lengthy, this synoptic will briefly summarize the techniques with appropriate comments and references and then report the test results. For a full developmental treatment, please refer to Ref. 1. Method 1: Cowell Integration of the Equations of Motion in Rectangular Variables The well-known equations of orbital or suborbital motion in rectangular variables (x,y,z) are 3V —
The relationship of gender balance at work, family responsibilities and workplace characteristics to drinking among male and female attorneys.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of gender balance at work, family and home responsibilities and workplace factors to the drinking behaviors of attorneys. Method: Using a stratified random sampling procedure, attorneys were selected from the bar associations of two large Midwestern cities. Telephone interviews were completed with 300 men and 257 women (37.3% of those originally selected), who were asked about characteristics of their work, the numbers of female attorneys they had contact with in four types of working relationships, overall and work-related drinking, and family and home responsibilities. Multiple regression and discriminant analyses were used to study the influence of these variables on drinking. Results: Gender balance variables entered several of the analyses. For both men and women the frequency of work-related drinking positively correlated with the number of female attorneys in the organization, but was negatively related to the number of women ...
Contact terms and duality symmetry in the critical dissipative Hofstadter model

Abstract The dissipative Hofstadter model describes the quantum mechanics of a charged particle in two dimensions subject to a periodic potential, uniform magnetic field, and dissipative force. Its phase diagram exhibits an SL(2, Z ) duality symmetry and has an infinite number of critical circles in the dissipation/magnetic field plane. In addition, multi-critical points on a particular critical circle correspond to non-trivial solutions of open string theory. The duality symmetry is expected to provide relations between correlation functions at different multi-critical points. Many of these correlators are contact terms. However, we expect them to have physical significance because under duality they transform into functions that are non-zero for large separations of the operators. Motivated by the search for exact, regulator independent solutions for these contact terms, in this paper we derive many properties and symmetries of the coordinate correlation functions at the special multi-critical points. In particular, we prove that the correlation functions are homogeneous, piecewise-linear functions of the momenta, and we prove a weaker version of the anticipated duality transformation. Consequently, the possible forms of the correlation functions are limited to lie in a finite dimensional linear space. We treat the potential perturbatively and these results are valid to all orders in perturbation theory.
An orbifold of Type 0B strings and non-supersymmetric gauge theories

Abstract We study a Z 2 orbifold of Type 0B string theory by reflection of six of the coordinates (this theory may also be thought of as a Z 4 orbifold of Type IIB by a rotation by π in three independent planes). We show that the only massless mode localized on the fixed fourplane R 3,1 is a U(1) gauge field. After introducing D3-branes parallel to the fixed fourplane we find non-supersymmetric non-abelian gauge theories on their worldvolume. One of our results is that the theory on equal numbers of electric and magnetic D3-branes placed at the fourplane is the Z 4 orbifold of N =4 supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory by the center of its R-symmetry group.
MiniBooNE and Sterile Neutrinos

Sterile neutrinos may be an important extension to the standard model, and could both hold the key to understanding neutrino mass and mixing as well as play an important role in leptogenesis. In many models, the sterile neutrinos could be light and accessible to current and near term experiments. The MiniBooNE experiment is set up to explore these possibilities in the Δ m 2 region from 0.3 to a few eV2 where the LSND experiment has reported a ν ¯ e appearance signal. This report will outline some of these extensions, give the status and prospects for the MiniBooNE experiment, and explore future investigations if MiniBooNE sees an oscillation signal.
Polymers in medicine.

The problems encountered in the use of artificial materials in the body are discussed, using as example the artificial heart. In the quest for suitable materials, numerous investigations have been carried out, including, inter alia, studies on the adsorption of proteins on polymer surfaces and on the passivation of such surfaces by coating with proteins or by the growth of cell cultures. The development of passive artificial substances is also discussed.
Genesis of the Mars Pathfinder “sulfur-free” rock from SNC parental liquids

Combined rock and soil measurements from the Mars Pathfinder APXS established the composition of the “sulfur-free” rock whose chemical characteristics suggest it is an igneous andesite. We experimentally investigated the formation of the sulfur-free rock through equilibrium crystallization of a primitive SNC basalt under hydrous (1.0–1.5 wt% H2O) and dry conditions at the QFM oxygen buffer. The experiments determined crystallization sequences and liquid lines of descent for a basalt with a high-FeO, low-Al2O3 (relative to tholeiitic magma) composition characteristic of SNC magmas. In the hydrous experiments, the crystallization sequence between ∼1090°C and 950°C is pigeonite → sub-calcic augite → Ti-magnetite → plagioclase → ilmenite + fayalite. The crystallization sequence of dry experiments between ∼1130°C and 980°C resembles that of the hydrous experiments except for the appearance of plagioclase and fayalite before Ti-magnetite. The liquid lines of descent reveal that fractionation of a hydrous, primitive SNC basalt can produce a melt equivalent to the sulfur-free rock composition whereas fractionation of a dry SNC basalt fails to produce such a melt. The effect of water on the timing and amount of phenocryst growth, particularly Fe-Ti oxide crystallization, is critical in achieving the observed SiO2 enrichment in the hydrous experiments. The hydrous basalt reaches andesitic residual melt compositions at ∼40% crystallization and the dry basalt eventually produces a minimum andesitic composition melt at ∼90% crystallization. The low degree of crystallization necessary to reach andesitic residual melt compositions in the hydrous experiments would greatly facilitate the extraction of this andesitic melt (and more evolved melts) from associated crystals. Further experiments at other oxygen fugacities reveal that oxidizing fO2’s (MnO-Mn3O4) encourage silicic melt formation by enhancing oxide crystallization; conversely, reducing fO2’s (GCH) hinder silicic melt formation. By analogy with terrestrial magmatic processes, water could enter basaltic melt on Mars through one or more pathways: partial melting of water-bearing mantle and concentration of water by fractional crystallization; stoping or assimilation of hydrothermally altered crust; direct introduction of hydrothermal fluids into a magma during caldera collapse.
Review of Recent Measurements of the Sides of the CKM Unitarity Triangle

We give a review of the status of the global effort to measure the sides of the CKM Unitarity Triangle.
Branes and N=2 theories in two dimensions

Type IIA brane configurations are used to construct N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories in two dimensions. Using localization of chiral multiplets in ten-dimensional space-time, supersymmetric non-linear sigma models with target space such as CPn−1 and the Grassmann manifolds are studied in detail. The quantum properties of these models are realized in M-theory by taking the strong Type IIA coupling limit. The brane picture implies an equivalence between the parameter space of N = 2 supersymmetric theories in two dimensions and the moduli space of vacua of N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories in four dimensions. Effects like level-rank duality are interpreted in the brane picture as continuation past infinite coupling. The BPS solitons of the CPn−1 model are identified as topological excitations of a membrane and their masses are computed. This provides the brane realization of higher rank tensor representations of the flavor group.
Fault Management Practice: A Roadmap for Improvement

Autonomous fault management (FM) is critical for deep space and planetary missions where the limited communication opportunities may prevent timely intervention by ground control. Evidence of pervasive architecture, design, and verification/validation problems with NASA FM engineering has been revealed both during technical reviews of spaceflight missions and in flight. These problems include FM design changes required late in the life-cycle, insufficient project insight into the extent of FM testing required, unexpected test results that require resolution, spacecraft operational limitations because certain functions were not tested, and in-flight anomalies and mission failures attributable to fault management. A recent NASA initiative has characterized the FM state-of-practice throughout the spacecraft development community and identified common NASA, DoD, and commercial concerns that can be addressed in the near term through the development of a FM Practitioner's Handbook and the formation of a FM Working Group. Initial efforts will focus on standardizing FM terminology, establishing engineering processes and tools, and training.
A HYBRID MAGNETICALLY/THERMALLY DRIVEN WIND IN THE BLACK HOLE GRO J1655−40?

During its 2005 outburst, GRO J1655–40 was observed twice with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer; the second observation revealed a spectrum rich with ionized absorption lines from elements ranging from O to Ni, indicative of an outflow too dense and too ionized to be driven by radiation or thermal pressure. To date, this spectrum is the only definitive evidence of an ionized wind driven off the accretion disk by magnetic processes in a black hole X-ray binary. Here we present our detailed spectral analysis of the first Chandra observation, nearly three weeks earlier, in which the only signature of the wind is the Fexxvi absorption line. Comparing the broadband X-ray spectra via photoionization models, we argue that the differences in the Chandra spectra cannot possibly be explained by the changes in the ionizing spectrum, which implies that the properties of the wind cannot be constant throughout the outburst. We explore physical scenarios for the changes in the wind, which we suggest may begin as a hybrid MHD/thermal wind, but evolves over the course of weeks into two distinct outflows with different properties. We discuss the implications of our results for the links between the state of the accretion flow and the presence of transient disk winds.
Metal Abundance in the Solar Interior

It is shown that the metal abundance in the solar interior is constrained by the current solar neutrino experiments under the assumption of neutrino conversion in the Sun due to neutrino oscillation via the Mikhyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) effect, the most widely accepted solution to the solar neutrino problem. The metal abundance strongly affects the CNO neutrino flux, and an excessive increase of the CNO flux is incompatible with the region allowed by the solar neutrino experiments in neutrino-oscillation parameter space. The result shows that the metal abundance in the interior should be within the range 0.5-1.4 times that in the surface, supporting the idea that the Sun formed by a contraction of a gas cloud with an almost homogeneous composition.
Heat transfer and pressure drop for short pin-fin arrays with pin-endwall fillet

The effects of array configuration and pin-endwall fillet on the heat transfer and pressure drop of short pin-fin arrays are investigated experimentally. The pin-fin element with endwall fillet, typical in actual turbine cooling applications, is modeled by a spool-like cylinder. The arrays studied include an in-line and a staggered array, each having seven rows of five pins
Piezoelectric cantilever microphone and microspeaker

A micromachined piezoelectric cantilever transducer, which works both as a microphone and as a microspeaker, has been fabricated and tested. The 2000/spl times/2000/spl times/4.5 /spl mu/m/sup 3/ cantilever has a zinc oxide (ZnO) piezoelectric thin film on a supporting layer of low-pressure chemical-vapor-deposited (LPCVD) low-stress silicon nitride. A highlight of the fabrication process, which may also be relevant for other micromachined structures, is the technique for producing a flat, multilayer cantilever. The measured microphone sensitivity is fairly constant at 3 mV//spl mu/bar in the low frequency range and rises to 20 mV//spl mu/bar at the lowest resonant frequency of 890 Hz. The 3 mV//spl mu/bar sensitivity is the highest reported to date for a microphone with a micromachined diaphragm. When measured into a 2 cm/sup 3/ coupler with 4 V(zero-peak) drive, the microspeaker output sound pressure level (SPL) is 75 dB at 890 Hz. It increases to approximately 100 dB SPL at 4.8 kHz with 6 V(zero-peak) drive. The measured microphone frequency response agrees well with the results of an ABAQUS simulation.
Theory of positronium formation and positron emission at metal surfaces

The range of metallic surface processes available to the implanted positron is examined with a view to bare positron escape, positron surface state trapping, surface state detrapping, and positronium atom conversion. The stopping distance and its rms deviation are calculated. The effect of the elastic positron-ion core scattering, and the finite temperature corrections in the positron-phonon scattering are included. Overall conversion and emission efficiencies are calculated by solving an appropriate diffusion equation with boundary conditions set by the branching ratios for the surface processes. The temperature and incident energy dependence of the results for positronium atom conversion and positron emission efficiency are compared to experimental data.
VIV of a Composite Riser at Moderate Reynolds Number Using CFD

The vibratory response of a long slender riser, made of composite materials and subject to an ocean current, is examined for a range of conditions. A major focus of this study is the performance of composite materials when used for risers. The influence of the number of modes of vibration is studied, as is the influence of the mass ratio and the value of the damping coefficient. The flow past the riser is represented by a shear flow, ranging from Re=8000 at the lower end of the riser to Re=10,000 at the upper end of the riser. The riser vibration is treated as a coupled fluid-flow/vibration problem. The fluid-flow equations are represented by a large eddy simulation model for the wake turbulence present in the flow. Strip theory is used to represent different forcing locations along the length of the riser. Since the composite riser has a material damping that is frequency dependent (it decreases with increasing frequency), its response is different from, say, a steel riser with a constant material damping. The composite riser, with variable damping, has a larger rms displacement than a riser with constant damping, primarily because of the smaller mass ratio. The vibration amplitude is found to increase with an increase in the number of modes.
A computational general equilibrium approach to the shadow pricing of trade restrictions and the adjustment of the exchange rate, with an application to Argentina

Abstract A general equilibrium model of an open economy in which there are ad valorem texes on domestic production and export activities, and import activities are subject to both tariffs and quotas is constructed. A domestic monetary asset, foreign exchange, and a corresponding nominal exchange rate are introduced and a numerical example of the model is constructed. The example is solved via the Scarf fixed point algorithm, first with taut quotas and then after having relaxed quotas. Various price indices are then used to guide programs designed to stabilize the trade balance against the quota liberalization. An empirical example, using Argentine data, is carried out to find the quota equivalent of a particular tariff.
Degenerate coordinate rings of flag varieties and Frobenius splitting

Recently E. Feigin introduced the $$\mathbb G _a^N$$ -degenerations of semisimple algebraic groups and their associated degenerate flag varieties. It has been shown by Feigin, Finkelberg, and Littelmann that the degenerate flag varieties in types $$A_n$$ and $$C_n$$ are Frobenius split. In this paper, we construct an associated degeneration of homogeneous coordinate rings of classical flag varieties in all types and show that these rings are Frobenius split in most types. It follows that the degenerate flag varieties of types $$A_n, C_n$$ , and $$G_2$$ are Frobenius split. In particular, we obtain an alternate proof of splitting in types $$A_n$$ and $$C_n$$ ; the case $$G_2$$ was not previously known. We also give a representation-theoretic condition on PBW-graded versions of Weyl modules which is equivalent to the existence of a Frobenius splitting of the classical flag variety that maximally compatibly splits the identity.
Measuring the neutron energy spectrum of laser-fusion targets with CR-39

Abstract We are developing a detector capable of measuring the neutron energy spectrum from a laser fusion target containing DT fuel. From such a spectrum the compressed areal density of the DT can be inferred by observing the fraction of 14.1 MeV neutrons down-shifted in energy by elastic scattering. The detector consists of a 0.1 cm thick Ta x-ray and debris shield backed by a 50–200 μm polyethylene radiator followed by layers of CR-39. The energy of each neutron producing a knock-on proton in the radiator, that in turn creates a damage track in the CR-39, can be derived from the resultant track diameter, location, and orientation. We have analyzed the proton sensitivity and sample readability of 5 types of CR-39 in the energy range 3–11 MeV and have found a type fabricated by American Acrylics from a monomer made by a French company, Allymer, to be the most acceptable. Calibration curves were obtained for this plastic at energies of 3–15 MeV and dip angles ranging from 75 to 90 degrees. These curves were subsequently used to unfold a 14.7 MeV spectrum generated at the Livermore Rotating Target Neutron Source.
A Pyramid Scheme for particle physics

We introduce a new model, the Pyramid Scheme, of direct mediation of SUSY breaking, which is compatible with the idea of Cosmological SUSY Breaking (CSB). It uses the trinification scheme of grand unification and avoids problems with Landau poles in standard model gauge couplings. It also avoids problems, which have recently come to light [6], associated with rapid stellar cooling due to emission of the pseudo Nambu-Goldstone Boson (PNGB) of spontaneously broken hidden sector ``baryon" number. With a certain pattern of R-symmetry breaking masses, a pattern more or less required by CSB, the Pyramid Scheme leads to a dark matter candidate that decays predominantly into leptons, with cross sections compatible with a variety of recent observations [4]. The dark matter particle is not a thermal WIMP but a particle with new strong interactions, produced in the late decay of some other scalar, perhaps the superpartner of the QCD axion, with a reheat temperature in the TeV range. This is compatible with a variety of scenarios for baryogenesis, including some novel ones which exploit specific features of the Pyramid Scheme.
Shockwave lithotripsy with renoprotective pause is associated with renovascular vasoconstriction in humans

Animal studies have shown that shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) delivered with an initial course of low-energy shocks followed by a pause reduces renal injury. The pause correlates with increased arterial resistive index (RI) during SWL as measured by ultrasound. This suggests that renal vasoconstriction is associated with protecting the kidney from injury. This study explored whether a similar increase in RI is observed in humans. Patients were prospectively recruited from two hospitals. All received an initial dose of 250 lowest energy shocks followed by a two-minute pause. Shock power was then ramped up at the discretion of the physician; shock rate was maintained at 1 Hz. Spectral Doppler velocity measurements were taken from an interlobar artery at baseline after induction, during the pause at 250 shocks, after 750 shocks, after 1500 shocks, and at the end of the procedure. RI was calculated from the peak systolic and end diastolic velocities and a linear mixed-effects model was used to compare RIs. The statistical model accounted for age, gender, laterality, and body mass index (BMI). Measurements were taken from 15 patients. Average RI ± standard deviation pretreatment, after 250 shocks, after 750 shocks, after 1500 shocks, and post treatment was 0.68 ± 0.06, 0.71 ± 0.07, 0.73 ± 0.06, 0.75 ± 0.07 and 0.75 ± 0.06, respectively. RI was found to be significantly higher after 250 shocks compared to pretreatment (p = 0.04). RI did not correlate with age, gender, BMI, or treatment side. This is suggestive that allowing a pause for renal vascular vasoconstriction to develop may be beneficial, and can be monitored for during SWL, providing real-time feedback as to when the kidney is protected.
Transitions of protein traffic from cardiac ER to junctional SR

The junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (jSR) is an important and unique ER subdomain in the adult myocyte that concentrates resident proteins to regulate Ca(2+) release. To investigate cellular mechanisms for sorting and trafficking proteins to jSR, we overexpressed canine forms of junctin (JCT) or triadin (TRD) in adult rat cardiomyocytes. Protein accumulation over time was visualized by confocal fluorescence microscopy using species-specific antibodies. Newly synthesized JCTdog and TRDdog appeared by 12-24h as bright fluorescent puncta close to the nuclear surface, decreasing in intensity with increasing radial distance. With increasing time (24-48h), fluorescent puncta appeared at further radial distances from the nuclear surface, eventually populating jSR similar to steady-state patterns. CSQ2-DsRed, a form of CSQ that polymerizes ectopically in rough ER, prevented anterograde traffic of newly made TRDdog and JCTdog, demonstrating common pathways of intracellular trafficking as well as in situ binding to CSQ2 in juxtanuclear rough ER. Reversal of CSQ-DsRed interactions occurred when a form of TRDdog was used in which CSQ2-binding sites are removed ((del)TRD). With increasing levels of expression, CSQ2-DsRed revealed a novel smooth ER network that surrounds nuclei and connects the nuclear axis. TRDdog was retained in smooth ER by binding to CSQ2-DsRed, but escaped to populate jSR puncta. TRDdog and (del)TRD were therefore able to elucidate areas of ER-SR transition. High levels of CSQ2-DsRed in the ER led to loss of jSR puncta labeling, suggesting a plasticity of ER-SR transition sites. We propose a model of ER and SR protein traffic along microtubules, with prominent transverse/radial ER trafficking of JCT and TRD along Z-lines to populate jSR, and an abundant longitudinal/axial smooth ER between and encircling myonuclei, from which jSR proteins traffic.