cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the development of an internetwork-centric defense for scanning worms

Studies of worm outbreaks have found that the speed of worm propagation makes manual intervention ineffective. Consequently, many automated containment mechanisms have been proposed to contain worm outbreaks before they grow out of control. These containment systems, however, only provide protection for hosts within networks that implement them. Such a containment strategy requires complete participation to protect all vulnerable hosts. Moreover, collaborative containment systems, where participants share alert data, face a tension between resilience to false alerts and quick reaction to worm outbreaks. This paper suggests an alternative approach where an autonomous system in an internetwork, such as the Internet, protects not only its local hosts, but also all hosts that route traffic through it, which we call internetwork-centric containment. Additionally, we propose a novel reputation-based alerting mechanism to provide fast dissemination of infection information while maintaining the fairness of the system. Through simulation studies, we show that the combination of internetwork-centric containment and reputation-based alerting is able to contain an extremely virulent worm with relatively little participation in the containment system. In comparison to other collaborative containment systems, ours provides better protection against worm outbreaks and resilience to false alerts.
Interlaminar Crack Growth Resistances of Various Ceramic Matrix Composites in Mode I and Mode II Loading

Interlaminar crack growth resistances were evaluated for five different SiC fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) including three gas-turbine grade melt-infiltrated SiC∕SiC composites. Modes I and II crack growth resistances, GI and GII, were determined at ambient temperature using double cantilever beam and end notched flexure methods, respectively. The CMCs exhibited GI=200–500J∕m2 and GII=200–900J∕m2. All the composites (except for one SiC/CAS composite) showed a rising R-curve behavior either in mode I or in mode II, presumably attributed to fiber bridging (in modes I and II) and frictional constraint (mode II) in the wake region of a propagating crack. A glass fiber-reinforced epoxy polymer matrix composite showed typically two to three times greater GI and eight times greater GII, compared to the CMCs. An experimental error analysis regarding the effect of the off-the-center of a crack plane on GI and GII was also made.
Do Native and Invasive Labels Affect Consumer Willingness to Pay for Plants? Evidence from Experimental Auctions

Ornamental plant sales have been identified as an important vector for the introduction of invasive plants. Increased concerns about the economic and ecological costs of invasive plants have spawned interest in identifying strategies to curtail introductions. One possible strategy is labeling plants based on whether they are invasive or native. The primary purpose of this paper was to explore how labeling plants based on invasive and native attributes might affect consumer demand. To accomplish this objective, a second price auction was used to elicit the willingness to pay (WTP) for plants with and without labels. On average, we found a $0.35 premium for plants labeled as noninvasive and native and a $1.01 to $1.66 discount for plants labeled as invasive. The size of these premiums and discounts differed in relation to various demographic, attitudinal, and preference-related factors. Overall, our results suggest that labeling plants as invasive or native could be a viable strategy for reducing the introduction of invasive plants.
Measuring Corporate Social Performance: An Efficiency Perspective

Aggregation of corporate social performance (CSP) metrics poses a major challenge to researchers and practitioners. This study provides a critical evaluation of current aggregation approaches and proposes a new methodology based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to compute a CSP index. DEA is independent of subjective weight specifications and provides an efficiency index to benchmark the CSP of firms. Using CSP data from 2,190 firms in three major industries from the Kinder, Lydenberg, and Domini Inc. database in 2007, our study presents the first application of the DEA model for CSP and ordinal data and opens up a new path for future empirical CSP research.
Light-Induced Excess Conductivity and the Role of Argon in the Deposition of Doping-Modulated Amorphous Silicon Superlattices

Amorphous semiconductor superlattice structures consisting of alternating n-type and p-type doped layers of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) have been made by silane glow discharge in a single chamber system. These multilayered films show the novel phenomenon of light-induced excess conductivity (LEC) associated with a metastable state having a lifetime of order of days. This report shows that the LEC effect is quite dependent on the specific details of the deposition parameters, namely dilution of the silane with inert gas, substrate temperature and layer thickness. In order to investigate the origin of the LEC effect, argon dilution was used for specific regions of the structure. This experiment shows that the slow states are distributed throughout the layers, and are not concentrated at the interfaces.
Queue response to input correlation functions: discrete spectral analysis

The authors explore a new concept of spectral characterization of wide-band input process in high speed networks. It helps them to localize wide-band sources in a subspace, especially in the low-frequency band, which has a dominant impact on queueing performance. They choose simple periodic-chains for the input rate process construction. Analogous to input functions in signal processing, they use elements of DC, sinusoidal, rectangular pulse, triangle pulse, and their superpositions, to represent various input correlation properties. The corresponding input power spectrum is defined in the discrete-frequency domain. In principle, a continuous spectral function of stationary random input process can be asymptotically approached by its discrete version as one sufficiently reduces the discrete-frequency intervals. An understanding of the queue response to the input spectrum will provide a great deal of knowledge to develop advanced network traffic measurement theory, and help to introduce effective network resource allocation policies. The new relation between queue length and input spectrum is a fruitful starting point for further research. >
Carcinogenic Risk Assessment in Proper Perspective

The evidence that human cancers result in large measure from factors related to life style, working conditions, or other extrinsic variables--and are thus, in principle, preventable (Doll and Peto, 1981)--and the hypothesis that there is no threshold for the carcinogenic effects of many cancer-causing agents (Office of Science and Technology Policy, 1985) have spurred efforts to minimize human exposure to carcinogens. In pursuit of this goal, attempts have been made to identify airborne and other extrinsic carcinogens and to assess the extent to which they contribute to the occurrence of cancer. The status of such endeavors is summarized in the following, without any attempt at a comprehensive review, which would be beyond the scope of this report.
TeV gamma-ray astronomy

The fi eld of ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years. As an increasing number of sources are detected at TeV energies, the fi eld has matured and become a viable branch of modern astronomy. Lying at the uppermost end of the electromagnetic rainbow, TeV photons are always preciously few in number but carry essential information about the particle acceleration and radiative processes involved in extreme astronomical settings. Together with observations at longer wavelengths, TeV gamma-ray observations have drastically improved our view of the universe. In this review, we brie fl y describe recent progress in the fi eld. We will conclude by providing a personal perspective on the future of the fi eld, in particular, on the signi fi cant roles that China could play in advancing this young but exciting fi eld.
Does Gerrymandering Cause Polarization

Both pundits and scholars have blamed increasing levels of partisan conflict and polarization in Congress on the effects of partisan gerrymandering. We assess whether there is a strong causal relationship between congressional districting and polarization. We find very little evidence for such a link. First, we show that congressional polarization is primarily a function of the differences in how Democrats and Republicans represent the same districts rather than a function of which districts each party represents or the distribution of constituency preferences. Second, we conduct simulations to gauge the level of polarization under various “neutral” districting procedures. We find that the actual levels of polarization are not much higher than those produced by the simulations. We do find that gerrymandering has increased the Republican seat share in the House; however, this increase is not an important source of polarization. C ontemporary politics in the United States is historically distinctive in at least two respects. The first is the ever-increasing polarization of political elites. As McCarty, Poole, and Rosenthal (2006) have documented, partisan differences in congressional voting behavior have grown dramatically to levels not seen since the early twentieth century. The second distinction is the historically low levels of competition in congressional elections. This is especially true of the House of Representatives, where 99% of incumbents standing for reelection were successful in the 2002 and 2004 elections. In the swing to the Democrats in 2006, no individual Democrats were defeated and even 89% of standing Republicans were reelected. Given the conjunction of these two patterns, it seems natural to draw a link; namely, the increased polarization of Congress is a direct result of the increasing ease of reelection. Presumably in an era of declining competition politicians no longer feel the need to reach out to moderate and independent voters. Instead politicians are free to pander to their base. Politicians who do not pander may face primary challenges by ideologically purer candidates. Istherealinkbetweenincreasedpolarizationanddecliningcompetition?Scholarshaveyettoestablishacom
Technical Competence of Group Leaders, Managerial Role, and Productivity in Engineering Design Groups

This study focuses on nine group leaders of matched engineering design groups. A significant negative correlation was found between the group leaders' technical competence and their managerial role...
High-Temperature Electronics Applications in Space Exploration

One of the most exciting applications of high-temperature electronics is related to the exploration of the planet Venus. On this planet the atmospheric temperatures range from about 170 K at elevations of 100 km to a searing 730 K near the surface. Mechanisms for exploring the atmosphere might include balloons, airplanes, surface landers, and surface-launched probes. Balloons, for example, could fly in the region from 20(320°C at 22 bars) to 60 km (-20°C at 0.2 bar). Suitable balloon fabrics presently exclude excursions to lower altitudes; however, adequate electronic systems could survive to 325°C. Small airplanes would require more sophisticated electronics for guidance and control. Long life surface landers would most likely be developed first, as these could be used to measure long-term variations in weather. Ranging transponders would be important for ephemeris development, measurement of spin state, and studies of general relativity. Surface temperatures of 460°C and pressures of 90 bars present a challenge to the developers of such instruments.
Discharge physics of high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Abstract High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) is pulsed sputtering where the peak power exceeds the time-averaged power by typically two orders of magnitude. The peak power density, averaged over the target area, can reach or exceed 10 7 W/m 2 , leading to plasma conditions that make ionization of the sputtered atoms very likely. A brief review of HIPIMS operation is given in a tutorial manner, illustrated by some original data related to the self-sputtering of niobium in argon and krypton. Emphasis is put on the current–voltage–time relationships near the threshold of self-sputtering runaway. The great variety of current pulse shapes delivers clues on the very strong gas rarefaction, self-sputtering runaway conditions, and the stopping of runaway due to the evolution of atom ionization and ion return probabilities as the gas plasma is replaced by metal plasma. The discussions are completed by considering instabilities and the special case of “gasless” self-sputtering.
The effects of coupling variations on BBN

The effect of variations of the fundamental nuclear parameters on big-bang nucleosynthesis are modeled and discussed in detail taking into account the interrelations between the fundamental parameters arising in unified theories. Considering only 4He, strong constraints on the variation of the neutron lifetime, neutron-proton mass difference are set. We show that a variation of the deuterium binding energy is able to reconcile the 7Li abundance deduced from the WMAP analysis with its spectroscopically determined value while maintaining concordance with D and 4He.
Processes of Discontinuing Chemotherapy for Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer at the End of Life

The authors conclude that date of last chemotherapy is not a proxy for when a decision to stop treatment is made.
Imaging cardiac electrical activity from body surface electrocardiograms

It is of scientific and clinical importance to image cardiac electrical activity from noninvasive body surface electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements. Such approaches include body surface ECG imaging and ECG inverse imaging to deduce information on distributions of cardiac bioelectrical sources from body surface ECGs. This article attempts to provide a brief review of research efforts towards ECG imaging, and a review of research activities on computational and experimental investigation of one of the ECG imaging approaches-body surface Laplacian mapping.
Witt’s Theorem for Noncommutative Conic Curves

Let k be a field. We extend the main result in Nyman (J. Algebra 434, 90–114, 2015) to show that all homogeneous noncommutative curves of genus zero over k are noncommutative \(\mathbb {P}^{1}\)-bundles over a (possibly) noncommutative base. Using this result, we compute complete isomorphism invariants of homogeneous noncommutative curves of genus zero, allowing us to generalize a theorem of Witt.
Mis)Understanding the atmospheric neutrino anomaly

The apparent attenuation of muon neutrinos relative to electron neutrinos is a bit too low to be compatible with the most popular values of $\Delta m^{2}$. Fits to $R(E_{\nu})$ favor values of $\Delta m^{2}>0.1$ eV$^{2}$. The fit minimized by the Super Kamioka group in estimating neutrino oscillation parameters neglects systematic errors. The fit is dominated by systematic effects. The data being combined in recent fits may not be compatible since there appear to be significant variations in the properties of the data with time. A simple two component neutrino oscillation with $\Delta m^{2}$ in the range of 10$^{-3}$ to 10$^{-2}$ eV$^{2}$ seems unable to account for the observations.
First-order conditional logic revisited

Conditional Zogics play an important role in recent attempts to investigate default reasoning. This paper investigates first-order conditional logic. We show that, as for first-order probabilistic logic, it is important not to confound statistical conditionals over the domain (such as "most birds fly"), and subjective conditionals over possible worlds (such as "I believe that lweety is unlikely to fly"). We then address the issue of ascribing semantics to first-order conditional logic. As in the propositional case, there are many possible semantics. To study the problem in a coherent way, we use plausibility structures. These provide us with a general framework in which many of the standard approaches can be embedded. We show that while these standard approaches are all the same at the propositional level, they are significantly different in the context of a first-order language. We show that plausibilities provide the most natural extension of conditional logic to the first-order case: We provide a sound and complete axiomatization that contains only the KLM properties and standard axioms of first-order modal logic. We show that most of the other approaches have additional properties, which result in an inappropriate treatment of an infinitary version of the lottery paradox.
A digit-serial architecture for gray-scale morphological filtering

We present a digit-serial architecture for gray-scale morphological operations that operate on radix-2 redundant numbers. We present new implementations for a redundant number adder and a maximum unit that are used in the morphological dilation unit. These new designs have areas comparable to 2's complement implementations but have significantly smaller latencies
Pest Control in the Presence of Pest Suppression by Natural Enemies

The control of pests by their natural enemies represents an important ecosystem service that maintains the stability of agroecosystems and has the potential to mitigate pest control costs both to private producers and to society. Extending the "economic threshold" concept, this paper proposes an "ecological economic threshold" for pesticide use that takes into account the implicit cost of injury to natural enemies. By explicitly accounting for natural pest suppression, the ecological economic threshold can potentially make pest management more cost-effective while reducing dependence on toxic insecticides. The threshold is illustrated via an intra-seasonal dynamic bioeconomic model of soybean aphid management in Michigan, USA. A dynamic programming model quantifies the economic value of natural suppression to optimal pest control. The results highlight the importance of assessing both pest and natural enemy populations in making insecticide application decisions and accounting for the opportunity cost of insecticide use due to its collateral damage effect on natural enemies. The paper offers a preliminary, lower bound estimate of the value of natural pest predation as inferred from the insecticide input replacement cost per acre for the area where the natural enemy complex can suppress pest population below the level at which it causes damage. A sensitivity analysis shows that numerical solutions for the ecological economic threshold are sensitive to biological parameters such as predation rate and net growth rate of pest population. We recommend that future research move beyond insecticide thresholds to develop guidelines for explicit management of habitat for the natural enemies of agricultural pests.
Response function theories that account for size distribution effects - A review

The paper presents theoretical models developed to account for the heterogeneity of composite propellants in expressing the pressure-coupled combustion response function. It is noted that the model of Lengelle and Williams (1968) furnishes a viable basis to explain the effects of heterogeneity.
Almost all triple systems with independent neighborhoods are semi-bipartite

The neighborhood of a pair of vertices u, v in a triple system is the set of vertices w such that uvw is an edge. A triple system H is semi-bipartite if its vertex set contains a vertex subset X such that every edge of H intersects X in exactly two points. It is easy to see that if H is semi-bipartite, then the neighborhood of every pair of vertices in H is an independent set. We show a partial converse of this statement by proving that almost all triple systems with vertex sets [n] and independent neighborhoods are semi-bipartite. Our result can be viewed as an extension of the Erdos-Kleitman-Rothschild theorem to triple systems. The proof uses the Frankl-Rodl hypergraph regularity lemma, and stability theorems. Similar results have recently been proved for hypergraphs with various other local constraints.
Nuclear powered CO2 capture from the atmosphere

A process for capturing CO2 from the atmosphere was recently proposed. This process uses a closed cycle of sodium and calcium hydroxide, carbonate, and oxide transformations to capture dilute CO2 from the atmosphere and to generate a concentrated stream of CO2 that is amenable to sequestration or subsequent chemical transformations. In one of the process steps, a fossil-fueled lime kiln is needed, which reduces the net CO2 capture of the process. It is proposed to replace the fossil-fueled lime kiln with a modified kiln heated by a high-temperature nuclear reactor. This will have the effect of eliminating the use of fossil fuels for the process and increasing the net CO2 capture. Although the process is suitable to support sequestration, the use of a nuclear power source for the process provides additional capabilities, and the captured CO2 may be combined with nuclear-produced hydrogen to manufacture liquid fuels via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis or other technologies. Conceivably, such plants would be carbon-neutral and could be placed virtually anywhere without being tied to fossil fuel sources or geological sequestration sites. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2009
Separating E from B

In a microwave background polarization map that covers only part of the sky, it is impossible to separate the E and B components perfectly. This difficulty in general makes it more difficult to detect theB component in a data set. Any polarization map can be separated in a unique way into “pure E,” “pure B,” and “ambiguous” components. Power that resides in the pure E (B) component is guaranteed to be produced by E (B) modes, but there is no way to tell whether the ambiguous component comes from E or B modes. A polarization map can be separated into the three components either by finding an orthonormal basis for each component, or directly in real space by using Green functions or other methods.
Does conflict disrupt growth? Evidence of the relationship between political instability and national economic performance

Current empirical growth models limit the determinants of country growth to geographic, economic, and institutional variables. This study draws on conflict variables from the Correlates of War (COW) project to ask a critical question: how do different types of conflict affect country growth rates? It finds that wars slow the economy. Estimates indicate that civil war reduces annual growth by 0.01–0.13 percentage points, and high-intensity inter-state conflict reduces annual growth by 0.18–2.77 percentage points. On the other hand, low-intensity conflict slows growth much less than high-intensity conflict, and may slightly increase it. The detrimental effect of conflict on growth is intensified when examining non-democracies, low-income countries, and countries in Africa.
DO MINIMUM LEGAL TOBACCO PURCHASE AGE LAWS WORK

This paper uses a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impact of the minimum legal tobacco purchase age (MLTPA) laws on smoking behavior among young adults. Using data from the confidential version of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997 Cohort), which contains information on the exact birth date of the respondents, we find that the effect of the MLTPA on several indicators of smoking among youth is minor and ofteninsignificant. However, we also show that granting legal access to cigarettes and tobacco products at the MLTPA leads to an increase in several indicators of smoking participation, includingup to a5percentage point increase in the probability of smoking for males and for those who reported to have smoked before. These results are robust under several alternative model specifications and imply that policies that are designed to restrict youth access to tobacco are quite effective in reducing smoking participation among certain groups of young adults.
Asymmetric hydrogenation of chiral vinyloxazaborolidines under ambient conditions

Novel homochiral vinyloxazaborolidines have been synthesized and subsequently hydrogenated using palladium on carbon under ambient conditions to produce, after oxidation of the boronate group, enantiomerically enriched secondary alcohols (up to 20% ee). Herein, the first example of asymmetric hydrogenation utilizing oxazaborolidines as chiral auxiliaries is reported.
Perceptions of congestion charging: Lessons for U.S. cities from London and Stockholm

The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a new strategy to improve mobility: congestion charging. The goal of this study is to analyze factors influencing public approval of congestion charging. Surveys in London and Stockholm, where congestion charging has been successfully introduced, evaluated the perceived effects of congestion charging on traffic, the environment, and public transport. Additional surveys in Atlanta, Washington DC, and New York City illustrated awareness and support of congestion charging in U.S. cities. Data analysis revealed that respondents who were familiar with congestion charging, who trusted the reported benefits, or who often used transportation modes other than cars were more likely to express support. U.S. cities should promote the environmental benefits of congestion charging, improve public transit accessibility, and have a clear plan for revenue spending to increase public approval.
Parallel Computations of Natural Convection Flow in a Tall Cavity Using an Explicit Finite Element Method

The Galerkin Finite Element Method was used to predict a natural convection flow in an enclosed cavity. The problem considered was a differentially heated, tall (8:1), rectangular cavity with a Rayleigh number of 3.4 x 10{sup 5} and Prandtl number of 0.71. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations were solved using a Boussinesq approximation for the buoyancy force. The algorithm was developed for efficient use on massively parallel computer systems. Emphasis was on time-accurate simulations. It was found that the average temperature and velocity values can be captured with a relatively coarse grid, while the oscillation amplitude and period appear to be grid sensitive and require a refined computation.
An approach to the A ring of neocarzinostatin chromophore via sequential carbometalation/anion capture

Abstract An intramolecular palladium catalyzed carbometalation followed by anion capture achieves construction of a model comprising the A ring of the proposed structure of Neocarzinostatin Chromophore-A with sufficient functionality to elaborate the B ring and explore the likely mode of biological action.
The Interrelationship Between the Society of Indian Psychologists and Counseling Psychology

Over the past four decades, the Society of Indian Psychologists (SIP) has grown from a small network of indigenous psychologists and students to a well-established network among the ethnic minority psychology organizations. SIP embraces both Western psychology and indigenous values of cooperation, group harmony, respect, generosity, careful listening, and observation—values shared by the field of counseling psychology. This article examines the interrelationship between SIP and counseling psychology, given their shared beliefs in social justice and culturally competent research, training, and service. Some of the early history of SIP is presented as well as the landmark moments for the organization.
A Mathematical Model of the Vagally Driven SA Nodal Pacemaker

A model is developed for the vagal control of SA nodal activity in the heart and consists essentially of a modified Bonhoeffer-Van der Pol (BVP) model of the ``free-running'' SA node and a lumped model of the neural terminations in that region. The model is capable of mimicking both the driven transient behavior of the node in terms of pacemaker and inhibition curves, as well as steady-state entrainment phenomena. The model data also agree very well with experimental data from dog experiments performed in our laboratory. The model is described by a set of nonlinear, third-order, ordinary differential equations and provides a relatively uncomplicated functional model of heart period changes due to vagal stimulation patterns.
A combinatorial proof of a partition identity of Andrews and Stanley.

In his paper, On a partition function of Richard Stanley, George Andrews proves a certain partition identity analytically and asks for a combinatorial proof.This paper provides the requested combinatorial proof.
Storage and Commodity Markets

Storage and Commodity Markets is primarily a work of economic theory, concerned with how the capability to store a surplus affects the prices and production of commodities. Its focus on the behaviour, over time, of aggregate stockpiles provides insights into such questions as how much a country should store out of its current supply of food considering the uncertainty in future harvests. Related topics covered include whether storage or international trade is a more effective buffer and whether stockpiles are more useful in raw or processed form. Several chapters are devoted to analysing such government programmes as price bands, buffer stocks, and strategic reserves. This material is in the domain of applied welfare analysis with public finance. Because the theory presented is sufficiently general, it should be of interest to macroeconomists studying aggregate inventories or savings and to those in operations research studying inventory and pricing policies of large firms.
NEW MEASUREMENTS OF THE MOTION OF THE ZODIACAL DUST

Using the Wisconsin Hα Mapper (WHAM), we have measured at high spectral resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio the profile of the scattered solar Mg I λ5184 Fraunhofer line in the zodiacal light. The observations were carried out toward 49 directions that sampled the ecliptic equator from solar elongations of 48° (evening sky) to 334° (morning sky) plus observations near +47° and +90° ecliptic latitude. The spectra show a clear prograde kinematic signature that is inconsistent with dust confined to the ecliptic plane and in circular orbits influenced only by the Sun's gravity. In particular, the broadened widths of the profiles, together with large amplitude variations in the centroid velocity with elongation angle, indicate that a significant population of dust is on eccentric orbits. In addition, the wide, flat-bottomed line profile toward the ecliptic pole indicates a broad distribution of orbital inclinations extending up to about 30°-40° with respect to the ecliptic plane. The absence of pronounced asymmetries in the shape of the profiles limits the retrograde population to less than 10% of the prograde population, and also places constraints on the scattering phase function of the particles. These results do not show the radial outflow or evening-morning velocity amplitude asymmetry reported in some earlier investigations. The reduction of the spectra included the discovery and removal of extremely faint, unidentified terrestrial emission lines that contaminate and distort the underlying Mg I profile. This atmospheric emission is too weak to have been seen in earlier, lower signal-to-noise ratio observations, but it probably affected the line centroid measurements of previous investigations.
RF transfer in the coupled-cavity free-electron laser two-beam accelerator

A significant technical problem associated with the coupled-cavity free-electron laser two-beam accelerator is the transfer of RF energy from the drive accelerator to the high-gradient accelerator. The author examines one possible solution in which the drive and high-gradient cavities are directly coupled to one another by means of holes in the cavity walls or coupled indirectly through a third intermediate transfer cavity. Energy cascades through the cavities on a beat frequency time scale which must be made small compared to the cavity skin time but large compared to the free-electron laser pulse length. The transfer is complicated by the fact that each of the cavities in the system can support many resonant modes near the chosen frequency of operation. A generalized set of coupled-cavity equations has been developed to model the energy transfer between the various modes in each of the cavities. For a two-cavity case transfer efficiencies in excess of 95% can be achieved. >
Financial development and economic growth : views and agenda

The author argues that the preponderance of theoretical reasoning and empirical evidence suggests a positive first order relationship between financial development and economic growth. There is evidence that the financial development level is a good predictor of future rates of economic growth, capital accumulation, and technological change. Moreover, cross-country, case-style, industry level and firm-level analysis document extensive periods when financial development crucially affects the speed and pattern of economic development. The author explains what the financial system does and how it affects, and is affected by, economic growth. Theory suggests that financial instruments, markets and institutions arise to mitigate the effects of information and transaction costs. A growing literature shows that differences in how well financial systems reduce information and transaction costs influence savings rates, investment decisions, technological innovation, and long-run growth rates. A less developed theoretical literature shows how changes in economic activity can influence financial systems. The author advocates a functional approach to understanding the role of financial systems in economic growth. This approach focuses on the ties between growth and the quality of the functions provided by the financial systems. The author discourages a narrow focus on one financial instrument, or a particular institution. Instead, the author addresses the more comprehensive question: What is the relationship between financial structure and the functioning of the financial system?
A Path Algorithm for Constrained Estimation.

Many least-square problems involve affine equality and inequality constraints. Although there are a variety of methods for solving such problems, most statisticians find constrained estimation challenging. The current article proposes a new path-following algorithm for quadratic programming that replaces hard constraints by what are called exact penalties. Similar penalties arise in l 1 regularization in model selection. In the regularization setting, penalties encapsulate prior knowledge, and penalized parameter estimates represent a trade-off between the observed data and the prior knowledge. Classical penalty methods of optimization, such as the quadratic penalty method, solve a sequence of unconstrained problems that put greater and greater stress on meeting the constraints. In the limit as the penalty constant tends to ∞, one recovers the constrained solution. In the exact penalty method, squared penalties are replaced by absolute value penalties, and the solution is recovered for a finite value of t...
Optimizing laboratory use of human vas deferens specimens for microsurgical practice.

Abstract Objectives. To determine whether freezing harvested human vas deferens would preserve the tissue for later microsurgical practice. Learning and maintaining microsurgical skills requires laboratory practice. The proper preservation of the human vas deferens is important if harvested specimens are to be used for laboratory vasovasostomy. Methods. Segments of human vas deferens harvested at the time of radical retropubic prostatectomy were preserved at −20°C without media, in normal saline and in glycerol. At 2 weeks, the specimens were thawed and graded for freshness of appearance, mucosal preservation, mucosal suturing quality, muscularis preservation, and muscularis suturing quality at laboratory vasovasostomy (grade 1, poor; 2, fair; and 3, good). Mucosa and muscularis scores were calculated as the sum of the respective preservation and suturing quality grades. The preserved samples were compared with fresh human vas deferens specimens. Results. Freezing human vas deferens segments in normal saline or glycerol improved the mucosa and muscularis scores at 2 weeks compared with freezing tissues without media. However, a decrease in the freshness of appearance grade was noted. None of the freezing methods resulted in tissue quality as good as fresh vas deferens. Conclusions. Human vas deferens can be preserved for later microsurgical vasovasostomy practice at −20°C. Freezing in normal saline and glycerol improved the mucosa and muscularis scores compared with freezing without media, although a decrease in the freshness of appearance grade was noted. All three methods of freezing provided sufficient preservation for laboratory microsurgical vasovasostomy compared with fresh tissue.
The Far-Ultraviolet Spectrum and Short-Timescale Variability of AM Herculis from Observations with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope

Using the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), we have obtained 850-1850 A spectra of the magnetic cataclysmic variable star AM Her in the high state. These observations provide high time resolution spectra of AM Her in the far-ultraviolet and sample much of the orbital period of the system. The spectra are not well modeled in terms of simple white dwarf (WD) atmospheres, especially at wavelengths shortward of Lyα. The continuum flux changes by a factor of 2 near the Lyman limit as a function of orbital phase; the peak fluxes are observed near magnetic phase 0.6 when the accreting pole of the WD is most clearly visible. The spectrum of the hot spot can be modeled in terms of a 100,000 K WD atmosphere covering 2% of the WD surface. The high time resolution of the HUT data allows an analysis of the short-term variability and shows the UV luminosity to change by as much as 50% on timescales as short as 10 s. This rapid variability is shown to be inconsistent with the clumpy accretion model proposed to account for the soft X-ray excess in polars. We see an increase in narrow-line emission during these flares when the heated face of the secondary is in view. The He II narrow-line flux is partially eclipsed at secondary conjunction, implying that the inclination of the system is greater than 45°. We also present results from models of the heated face of the secondary. These models show that reprocessing on the face of the secondary star of X-ray/EUV emission from the accretion region near the WD can account for the intensities and kinematics of most of the narrow-line components observed.
Alkylation studies of anions from pyruvate oxime ethers and related derivatives

Abstract Studies have demonstrated alkylations of a highly reactive monoanion via deprotonation of tert -butyl pyruvate oximino ethers. In similar fashion, the oximino THP ethers of α-hydroxyacetone derivatives have exhibited base-dependent regioselective aikylations.
Regioselective oxidative cleavage of functionalized unsymmetric tetraalkylstannanes via ozone

Abstract The direct oxidation of (α-alkoxyalkyl)trialkylstannanes to esters by reaction with ozone is described.
Meridional Transport in the Stratosphere of Jupiter

The Cassini measurements of C_2H_2 and C_2H_6 at ~5 mbar provide a constraint on meridional transport in the stratosphere of Jupiter. We performed a two-dimensional photochemical calculation coupled with mass transport due to vertical and meridional mixing. The modeled profile of C_2H_2 at latitudes less than 70° follows the latitude dependence of the solar insolation, while that of C_2H_6 shows little latitude dependence, consistent with the measurements. In general, our model study suggests that the meridional transport timescale above 5-10 mbar altitude level is ≳1000 yr, and the time could be as short as 10 yr below 10 mbar level, in order to fit the Cassini measurements. The derived meridional transport timescale above the 5 mbar level is 100 times longer than that obtained from the spreading of gas-phase molecules deposited after the impact of Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet. There is no explanation at this time for this discrepancy.
Politics by number: indicators as social pressure in international relations

The ability to monitor state behavior has become a critical tool of international governance. Systematic monitoring allows for the creation of numerical indicators that can be used to rank, compare, and essentially censure states. This article argues that the ability to disseminate such numerical indicators widely and instantly constitutes an exercise of social power, with the potential to change important policy outputs. It explores this argument in the context of the United States' efforts to combat trafficking in persons and find evidence that monitoring has important effects: Countries are more likely to criminalize human trafficking when they are included in the U.S. annual Trafficking in Persons Report, and countries that are placed on a watch list are also more likely to criminalize. These findings have broad implications for international governance and the exercise of soft power in the global information age. Keywords: Human trafficking Language: en
Novel Synthetic Route to Fluoxetine

Racemic fluoxetine was synthesized from 3-benzoylpropionic acid in five steps in 54% overall yield.
Using machine learning for fast intra MB coding in H.264

H.264 is a highly efficient and complex video codec. The complexity of the codec makes it difficult to use all its features in resource constrained mobile devices. This paper presents a machine learning approach to reducing the complexity of Intra encoding in H.264. Determining the macro block coding mode requires substantial computational resources in H.264 video encoding. The goal of this work to reduce MB mode computation from a search operation, as is done in the encoders today, to a computation. We have developed a methodology based on machine learning that computes the MB coding mode instead of searching for the best match thus reducing the complexity of Intra 16x16 coding by 17 times and Intra 4x4 MB coding by 12.5 times. The proposed approach uses simple mean value metrics at the block level to characterize the coding complexity of a macro block. A generic J4.8 classifier is used to build the decision trees to quickly determine the mode. We present a methodology for Intra MB coding. The results show that intra MB mode can be determined with over 90% accuracy. The proposed can also be used for determining MB prediction modes with an accuracy varying between 70% and 80%.
Be Careful What You Wish For: The Rise of Responsible Parties in American National Politics

▪ Abstract Among advanced democracies, the United States has traditionally been unique owing to the absence of ideological mass political parties. American parties’ scholars have nevertheless traditionally viewed stronger and more ideologically distinct national parties as essential to improve the quality of the American democratic process, a view reflected in the 1950 APSA report, Toward a More Responsible Party System. In the following decades the American parties appeared to weaken still further in all aspects, but this apparent party decline in fact signified a transition to a contemporary American party system with more polarized parties similar to those envisaged by the 1950 report. It remains doubtful, however, that American democracy has been enhanced by these developments. Ironically, the advent of more ideologically coherent parties has also made party scholars more aware of the potentially unhealthy side effects that may attend such a development in a separated governing system.
Sol–Gel Fabrication of Epitaxial and Oriented TiO2 Thin Films

Thin films of titania have been prepared by spin coating on fused silica, Si(100), and rutile(110), starting with a sol–gel process. The alkoxide solution was chelated with diisopropanolamine, and the resulting precursor solution was hydrolyzed prior to coating. Oriented rutile films were obtained on fused silica and Si(100), while epitaxially oriented film was formed on rutile (110). X-ray diffraction results indicated that the as-deposited films transformed to rutile via anatase with increasing temperature. The phase transformation temperature was found to be dependent on the substrate, and it was in general higher on the substrates than that observed for the gel powder. Microstructural studies revealed that these films consisted of finely dispersed grains of 0.05 to 0.15 μm in size.
Can Patents Deter Innovation? The Anticommons in Biomedical Research

The “tragedy of the commons” metaphor helps explain why people overuse shared resources. However, the recent proliferation of intellectual property rights in biomedical research suggests a different tragedy, an “anticommons” in which people underuse scarce resources because too many owners can block each other. Privatization of biomedical research must be more carefully deployed to sustain both upstream research and downstream product development. Otherwise, more intellectual property rights may lead paradoxically to fewer useful products for improving human health.
MISCELLANEOUS NEW SPECIES IN THE PLEUROTHALLIDINAE (ORCHIDACEAE)

Abstract. Forty-one new species and one new forma from regions north and west of Brazil are described and illustrated in miscellaneous genera of the Pleurothallidinae. The genera follow logical taxonomic delimitations. In alphabetical order, the new species and forma proposed herein are: Acianthera biseta, A. bryonii, A.carcinopsis, A. dubbeldamii, A. ericae; Acronia thoerleae; Alaticaulia apoloae, A. jimenezii; Brachionidium demissum; Crocodeilanthe vasquezii; Dracula soennemarkii, D. tobarii, D. vierlingii; Lepanthes biruviensis, L. calocerca, L. cercopetala, L. dactylopetala, L. gonzalezii, L. larsenii, L. nautica, L. nephridia, L. oblivia, L.pachychila, L. scoliosa, L. uncinata, L.yamileana; Lindleyalis saueri; Masdevallia deburghgraevei, M. dickinsoniana, M. ecallosa, M. rosacea, M. wetzelii; Porroglossum zelenkoi; Restrepia aristulifera forma leathersii; Scaphosepalum ximenae; Spilotantha aureoportensis; Stelis aguirreae, S. caesariata, S. ebenea, S. marioi, S. perexigua; and Trichosalpinx carmeniae...
Controlled Lagrangians and Potential Shaping for Stabilization of Discrete Mechanical Systems

The method of controlled Lagrangians for discrete mechanical systems is extended to include potential shaping in order to achieve complete state-space asymptotic stabilization. New terms in the controlled shape equation that are necessary for matching in the discrete context are introduced. The theory is illustrated with the problem of stabilization of the cart-pendulum system on an incline. We also discuss digital and model predictive control
Multinationals, Technology, and the Introduction of Varieties of Goods

Abstract Multiproduct firms and product turnover are widespread phenomena. This paper develops a theoretical framework that links advantages in R&D and variable costs with firm's ability to expand its portfolio of products. The framework is then applied to explain systematic differences in product introduction by affiliates of multinationals and firms that only operate domestically. Using firm-level data for the Chinese manufacturing sector during 1998–2000, I compare the performance of foreign and domestic firms in terms of the new varieties that they introduce and I estimate the quantitative relevance of technological factors as a determinant. I find that firms with more than 50% of foreign ownership introduce on average more than twice as many more new varieties of goods as private domestic firms. Advantages in productivity account for 32 to 62% of the difference in the number and sales of new varieties, while advantages in the cost of development account for 3 to 6% of these differences.