cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How to Distinguish Neutron Star and Black Hole X-Ray Binaries? Spectral Index and Quasi-Periodic Oscillation Frequency Correlation

Recent studies have revealed strong correlations between 1-10 Hz frequencies of quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) and the spectral power law index of several Black Hole (BH) candidate sources when seen in the low/hard state, the steep power-law (soft) state, and in transition between these states. In the soft state these index-QPO frequency correlations show a saturation of the photon index GAMMA approximately equal to 2.7 at high values of the low frequency nu(sub L). This saturation effect was previously identified as a black hole signature. In this paper we argue that this saturation does not occur, at least for one neutron star (NS) source 4U 1728-34, for which the index GAMMA monotonically increases with nu(sub L) to the values of 6 and higher. We base this conclusion on our analysis of approximately 1.5 Msec of RXTE archival data for 4U 1728-34. We reveal the spectral evolution of the Comptonized blackbody spectra when the source transitions from the hard to soft states. The hard state spectrum is a typical thermal Comptonization spectrum of the soft photons which originate in the disk and the NS outer photospheric layers. The hard state photon index is GAMMA approximately 2. The soft state spectrum consists of two blackbody components which are only slightly Comptonized. Thus we can claim (as expected from theory) that in NS sources thermal equilibrium is established for the soft state. To the contrary in BH sources, the equilibrium is never established due to the presence of the BH horizon. The emergent BH spectrum, even in the high/soft state, has a power law component. We also identify the low QPO frequency nu(sub L) as a fundamental frequency of the quasi-spherical component of the transition layer (presumably related to the corona and the NS and disk magnetic closed field lines). The lower frequency nu(sub SL) is identified as the frequency of oscillations of a quasi-cylindrical configuration of the TL (presumably related to the NS and disk magnetic open field lines). We also show that the presence of Fe K(sub alpha), emission-line strengths, QPOs, and the link between them does not depend on radio flux in 4U 1728-34.
Synthesis of (+/-)-thiohalenaquinone by iterative metalations of thiophene.

The synthesis of a thiophene-containing analogue of halenaquinone was realized. Key steps include an alkynyl ketone−benzocyclobutane Diels−Alder reaction to construct the C,D-ring naphthalene subunit, a Heck cyclization to form the quaternary carbon, and a ring closing metathesis to add the A-ring.
Finding influencers in networks using social capital

The existing methods for finding influencers use the process of information diffusion to discover the nodes with the maximum expected information spread. These models capture only the process of information diffusion and not the actual social value of collaborations in the network. We have proposed a method for finding influencers based on the notion that people generate more value for their work by collaborating with peers of high influence. The social value generated through such collaborations denotes the individual social capital. We hypothesize and show that players with high individual social capital are often key influencers in the network. We propose a value-allocation model to compute the social capital and allocate the fair share of this capital to each individual involved in the collaboration. We show that our allocation satisfies several axioms of fairness and falls in the same class as the Myerson’s allocation function. We implement our allocation rule using an efficient algorithm SoCap and show that our algorithm outperforms the baselines in several real-life data sets. Specifically, in DBLP network, our algorithm outperforms PageRank, PMIA and Weighted Degree baselines up to 8 % in terms of precision, recall and $$F_1$$ -measure.
Trade and Growth: Reconciling the Macroeconomic and Microeconomic Evidence

Abstract. Many empirical studies based on plant-level data have found that firms that enter the export markets are more productive than non-exporters and that this difference in productivity is achieved before firms become involved in exporting. These findings have challenged the traditional view that openness to trade increases productivity and economic growth. This article reconsiders the literature on trade, growth, and trade policies and argues that a careful examination of these new findings is consistent with the idea that exporting increases productivity and economic growth.
The effect of high-dose fentanyl on human median nerve somatosensory-evoked responses

Median nerve somatosensory evoked responses (MnSSERs) were recorded in nine neurologically normal adult cardiac patients before and during the administration of high-dose fentanyl. MnSSERs were recorded prior to induction and at t = 20 win and t = 45 min postinduction. Fentanyl was administered as a slow bolus (53.2 ± 9.1 μg·kg-1), followed by a continuous infusion at 10-20 μg·kg-1·hr-1 (total dose 63.6 ± 10.1 μg·kg-1). All MnSSER waveform components remained recordable and easily identifiable during anaesthesia. The effect of fentanyl was more pronounced on cortical waveform components, leaving subcortical components largely unaffected. There was a significant increase in the latency of the cortical MnSSER at t = 20 min, e.g., for the initial negative cortical wave, N1, the latency was 21.18 ± 1.55 ms preinduction versus 22.18 ± 1.42 ms at t = 20 min. There was also a significant decrease in the amplitude of the cortical response at t = 20 min, i.e., 2.04 ± 1.30 μV preinduction versus 1.31 ± 0.74 μV at t = 20 min. However, the degree of change was quite variable (range = 0-65 per cent). No further changes occurred at t - 45 min. The authors conclude that MnSSERs can be consistently and reliably monitored during high-dose fentanyl anaesthesia. However, fentanyl produces modest but significant changes in the MnSSER which should be taken into account lest they be ministerpreted as neurologic injury in evolution.
Theoretical black hole mass distributions

We derive the theoretical distribution function of black hole masses by studying the formation processes of black holes. We use the results of recent two-dimensional simulations of stellar core collapse to obtain the relation between remnant and progenitor masses and fold it with an initial mass function for the progenitors. Thus, we are able to derive the binary black hole mass distribution. We examine how the calculated black hole mass distributions are modified by (1) strong-wind mass loss at different evolutionary stages of the progenitors and (2) the presence of close binary companions to the black hole progenitors. The compact-remnant distribution is dominated by neutron stars in the mass range 1.2-1.6 M☉ and falls off exponentially at higher remnant masses. Our results are most sensitive to mass loss from stellar winds (particularly from Wolf-Rayet stars), and the effects of winds are even more important in close binaries. Wind mass loss leads to flatter black hole mass distributions and limits the maximum possible black hole mass (10-15 M☉). We also study the effects of the uncertainties in the explosion and unbinding energies for different progenitors. The distributions are continuous and extend over a broad range. We find no evidence for a gap at low values (3-5 M☉) or for a peak at higher values (~7 M☉) of black hole masses, but we argue that our black hole mass distribution for binaries is consistent with the current sample of measured black hole masses in X-ray transients. We discuss possible biases against the detection or formation of X-ray transients with low-mass black holes. We also comment on the possibility of black hole kicks and their effect on binaries.
Isotopic titanium abundances in local M dwarfs

Relative abundances of the five stable isotopes of titanium (46Ti to 50Ti) are measured for 11 M dwarfs belonging to the thin disk (four stars), thick disk (three stars), the halo (one star), and either the thick or the thin disk (three stars). Over the metallicity range of the sample (–1< [Fe/H] <0), the isotopic ratios are approximately constant at the solar system ratios. There is no discernible difference between the isotopic ratios for thin and thick disk stars. Isotopic ratios are in fair accord with recent calculations of Galactic chemical evolution despite the fact that such calculations underpredict [Ti/Fe] by about 0.4 dex at all metallicities.
HCI and MIS: shared concerns

The fields of HCI and MIS share many concerns but have traditionally not shared literatures, theories and results. This special issue is a first attempt at bridging the disciplinary divide. In this paper, the history of both fields is briefly outlined and reasons for the independence of each are examined. The criteria for paper inclusion are outlined and each paper is briefly introduced.
Repeated Auctions with Budgets in Ad Exchanges: Approximations and Design

Ad exchanges are emerging Internet markets where advertisers may purchase display ad placements, in real time and based on specific viewer information, directly from publishers via a simple auction mechanism. Advertisers join these markets with a prespecified budget and participate in multiple second-price auctions over the length of a campaign. This paper studies the competitive landscape that arises in ad exchanges and the implications for publishers' decisions. The presence of budgets introduces dynamic interactions among advertisers that need to be taken into account when attempting to characterize the bidding landscape or the impact of changes in the auction design. To this end, we introduce the notion of a fluid mean-field equilibrium FMFE that is behaviorally appealing and computationally tractable, and in some important cases, it yields a closed-form characterization. We establish that an FMFE approximates well the rational behavior of advertisers in these markets. We then show how this framework may be used to provide sharp prescriptions for key auction design decisions that publishers face in these markets. In particular, we show that ignoring budgets, a common practice in this literature, can result in significant profit losses for the publisher when setting the reserve price. This paper was accepted by Dimitris Bertsimas, optimization.
What is the value of the computer for the physician

Computer technology is advancing at an increasingly rapid rate. Although the computer's former role in the health care field was primarily limited to the financial and marketing departments of health care facilities, the computer is moving beyond the managerial departments and into the realm of the practicing physician. Much of this change in the use of computers in this field is due to the pressures of cost containment, DRG requirements, the availability of microcomputers, and the desire for improved health care. In the areas of clinical care, medical research, and medical education, the computer is rapidly becoming an indispensable tool through its technological adaptation. The computer is an obvious adjunct to the problem of improving cost efficiency without compromising the efforts toward better health care.
Pathogenesis of gallstones.

Gallstones form as a result of many disorders. Unphysiologic supersaturation, generally from hypersecretion of cholesterol, is essential for the formation of cholesterol gallstones. The other common abnormalities of the hepatobiliary system in gall-stone patients are accelerated nucleation, gallbladder hypomotility, and the accumulation of mucin gel. An attempt is made here to relate hypersecretion of cholesterol and biliary supersaturation to the molecular basis of the associated phenomena. Supersaturation of bile with calcium hydrogen bilirubinate, the acid calcium salt of unconjugated bilirubin, is essential for pigment gallstone formation, but its magnitude remains undefined in model systems. Nucleation and the precipitation of calcium hydrogen bilirubinate with the polymerization of the pigment in the gallbladder, together with the deposition of the inorganic salts, calcium carbonate and phosphate, result in black pigment gallstone formation. On the basis of ex vivo muscle studies, gallbladder hypomotility is unlikely in patients with black pigment stones but is invariably present in patients with cholesterol stones. Pigment supersaturation in the gallbladder is the result of hepatic hypersecretion of bilirubin conjugates in hemolytic disorders and possibly enterohepatic cycling of unconjugated bilirubin in nonhemolytic states. Less common is bile salt hyposecretion from impaired synthesis in constitutional disorders and cirrhosis, and uncompensated interruption of the enterohepatic circulation in ileal dysfunction syndromes. Bile salt deficiency causes incomplete solubilization of unconjugated bilirubin and impaired binding of calcium ions. Stasis and anaerobic bacterial infection are responsible for brown pigment stones, which usually form in the bile ducts. In addition to the precipitation of calcium hydrogen bilirubinate that remains unpolymerized, there is also the deposition of the calcium salts of saturated fatty acids and free bile acids, both of which are the result of bacterial enzymatic hydrolysis of biliary lipids.
Acidic properties of oxides containing niobia on silica and niobia in silica

Abstract A series of composite oxides containing niobia (Nb2O5) and silica (SiO2) was prepared by either incipient wetness impregnation to form surface phase oxides or by coprecipitation to form mixed oxides. At low Nb2O5 concentrations, both the surface phase and mixed oxides showed strong Lewis acidity as determined by thermogravimetric and infrared studies of adsorbed pyridine. A surface phase oxide containing 0.25 monolayer of Nb2O5 on SiO2 further showed strong Bronsted acidity. With increasing Nb2O5 concentration and/or treatment temperature, Nb2O5 in these composite oxides became more bulk-like and showed a corresponding decrease in acid strength. These acidic properties are discussed in terms of proposed structural models which contain tetrahedral niobia, octahedral niobia, and Nb0 bonds as basic building blocks.
High order asymptotic preserving DG-IMEX schemes for discrete-velocity kinetic equations in a diffusive scaling

In this paper, we develop a family of high order asymptotic preserving schemes for some discrete-velocity kinetic equations under a diffusive scaling, that in the asymptotic limit lead to macroscopic models such as the heat equation, the porous media equation, the advection-diffusion equation, and the viscous Burgers' equation. Our approach is based on the micro-macro reformulation of the kinetic equation which involves a natural decomposition of the equation to the equilibrium and non-equilibrium parts. To achieve high order accuracy and uniform stability as well as to capture the correct asymptotic limit, two new ingredients are employed in the proposed methods: discontinuous Galerkin (DG) spatial discretization of arbitrary order of accuracy with suitable numerical fluxes; high order globally stiffly accurate implicit-explicit (IMEX) Runge-Kutta scheme in time equipped with a properly chosen implicit-explicit strategy. Formal asymptotic analysis shows that the proposed scheme in the limit of e ? 0 is a consistent high order discretization for the limiting equation. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the stability and high order accuracy of the proposed schemes together with their performance in the limit. Our methods are also tested for the continuous-velocity one-group transport equation in slab geometry and for several examples with spatially varying parameters.
Spatial variation in water loss predicts terrestrial salamander distribution and population dynamics

Many patterns observed in ecology, such as species richness, life history variation, habitat use, and distribution, have physiological underpinnings. For many ectothermic organisms, temperature relationships shape these patterns, but for terrestrial amphibians, water balance may supersede temperature as the most critical physiologically limiting factor. Many amphibian species have little resistance to water loss, which restricts them to moist microhabitats, and may significantly affect foraging, dispersal, and courtship. Using plaster models as surrogates for terrestrial plethodontid salamanders (Plethodon albagula), we measured water loss under ecologically relevant field conditions to estimate the duration of surface activity time across the landscape. Surface activity time was significantly affected by topography, solar exposure, canopy cover, maximum air temperature, and time since rain. Spatially, surface activity times were highest in ravine habitats and lowest on ridges. Surface activity time was a significant predictor of salamander abundance, as well as a predictor of successful recruitment; the probability of a juvenile salamander occupying an area with high surface activity time was two times greater than an area with limited predicted surface activity. Our results suggest that survival, recruitment, or both are demographic processes that are affected by water loss and the ability of salamanders to be surface-active. Results from our study extend our understanding of plethodontid salamander ecology, emphasize the limitations imposed by their unique physiology, and highlight the importance of water loss to spatial population dynamics. These findings are timely for understanding the effects that fluctuating temperature and moisture conditions predicted for future climates will have on plethodontid salamanders.
EFFICIENT PREPARATION OF N-BENZYL SECONDARY AMINES VIA BENZYLAMINE–BORANE MEDIATED REDUCTIVE AMINATION

An efficient one-pot reductive amination protocol for preparing N-benzyl secondary amines is described.
Analysis of Starvation Effects on Hydrodynamic Lubrication in Nonconforming Contacts

Numerical methods were used to determine the effects of lubricant starvation on the minimum film thickness under conditions of a hydrodynamic point contact. Starvation was effected by varying the fluid inlet level. The Reynolds boundary conditions were applied at the cavitation boundary and zero pressure was stipulated at the meniscus or inlet boundary. The analysis is considered valid for a range of speeds and loads for which thermal, piezoviscous, and deformation effects are negligible. It is applied to a wide range of geometries (i.e., from a ball-on-plate configuration to a ball in a conforming groove). Seventy-four cases were used to numerically determine a minimum-film-thickness equation as a function of the ratio of dimensionless load to dimensionless speed for varying degrees of starvation. From this, a film reduction factor was determined as a function of the fluid inlet level. Further, a starved fully flooded boundary was defined and an expression determining the onset of starvation was derived. As the degree of starvation was increased, the minimum film thickness decreased gradually until the fluid inlet level became critical. Reducing the fluid inlet level still further led to a sharp decrease in the minimum film thickness. An expression determining the critically starved fluid inlet level was derived. The changes in the inlet pressure buildup due to changing the available lubricant supply are presented in the form of three-dimensional isometric plots and also in the form of contour plots.
Measurement of wet deposition of inorganic and organic nitrogen in a forest environment

[1] Dissolved inorganic (NO3− and NH4+) and organic nitrogen (DON) were measured in precipitation at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) near Pellston, Michigan, in an open field and under the forest canopy from June to August 2004. Experiments to test the stability of the rain samples were conducted to evaluate different collection methods. Comparison of the two data sets allows the interactions between precipitation and the forest canopy to be examined. In addition, the measurements of wet-deposited total nitrogen were compared to calculated estimates of total dry-deposited nitrogen. Stability tests of the samples indicated that the samples must be frozen during collection. The average distribution of wet-deposited nitrogen for the summer was 32.9 (±0.5)% nitrate, 52.5 (±0.3)% ammonium, and 14.6 (±0.9)% DON in an open field and 42.5 (±0.9)% nitrate, 38.9 (±1.0)% ammonium, and 18.8 (±1.4)% DON under the forest canopy. Canopy-precipitation interactions were observed to cause a 68 (±4)% increase in nitrate, a 4 (±2)% decrease in ammonium, and an 81 (±16)% increase in DON in the collectors under the forest canopy. A comparison of wet and dry nitrogen deposition indicated that dry deposition may contribute more nitrogen than wet deposition to this site. However, our measurements indicate that much of the dry-deposited nitrogen is lost, some of which is likely revolatilized.
Palladium(II)-catalyzed rearrangement of glycal trichloroacetimidates: application to the stereoselective synthesis of glycosyl ureas.

The research on the area of glycosyl urea derivatives, in which the O- and N-glycosidic bonds are replaced with the urea-glycosidic linkages, has recently emerged with applications in the field of aminoglycoside antibiotics. We have developed a novel method for the stereoselective synthesis of α- and β-glycosyl ureas via Pd(II)-catalyzed rearrangement of glycal trichloroacetimidates. In our approach, the α- and β-selectivity at the anomeric carbon of N-glycosyl trichloroacetamides depends on the nature of the palladium−ligand catalyst. While the cationic Pd(II)-L-4 (2-trifluoroacetylphenol) complex promotes α-selectivity, the neutral Pd(II)-TTMPP-L-5 (4-chloro-2-trifluoroacetylphenol) complex favors β-selectivity. The resulting α- and β-N-glycosyl trichloroacetamides were further coupled with a diverse array of primary and hindered secondary nitrogen nucleophiles to provide the corresponding glycosyl ureas in moderate to good yields and with no loss of stereochemical integrity at the anomeric carbon. We h...
Stability contours for the analysis of analog/digital hybrid simulation loops

The use of hybrid computers for the simulation of dynamic systems has focused interest on the ill-effects of sampling and digital execution time upon solution accuracy. Techniques have been proposed for the compensation of these effects by various authors. However, there has been a noted lack of common denominator available to compare the relative merits of these methods of compensation. As a rule, one may observe that quality criteria used to evaluate different compensation methods have been local rather than global, and the resulting compensation algorithms are therefore largely tuned to whatever quality criteria has been selected a priori.
Elucidating continuities and discontinuities between schizotypy and schizophrenia in the nervous system.

Genetic epidemiological studies indicate that schizophrenia is a complexly inherited disorder, whereby multiple genes, additively and in interaction with environmental factors, contribute to increasing risk for phenotypic expression. Linkage studies have identified a number of chromosomal regions as likely to harbor susceptibility genes for schizophrenia, but the linked regions span relatively large chromosomal segments in each case. These efforts have been hindered in part by a lack of means to detect nonpenetrant carriers of predisposing genes and in part by uncertainties concerning the nature of the nongenetic factors involved and their mechanisms of action in relation to genetic factors. Our strategy has focused on elucidating changes in central nervous system structure, physiology, and function that mark an inherited genotype for schizophrenia and on identifying specific environmental and etiological contributors and their modes of action in relation to genetic factors. The research reviewed in this paper, making use of family and twin designs, suggests that certain neural system deficits in schizophrenia (e.g., prefrontal cortex, working memory) are reflective of an inherited diathesis to the disorder, while others (e.g., temporal cortex, episodic memory) result from the interacting influences of genetic factors and particular types of biologically disruptive environmental events (e.g., fetal hypoxia). These findings help to reveal continuities and discontinuities in the neural disturbances characteristic of the schizophrenia genotype and phenotype and encourage the use of quantitative neural trait measures in the search for schizophrenia susceptibility genes.
The enantioselective addition of dialkylphosphites to aldehydes: Catalysis by a lanthanum binaphthoxide complex

Abstract The enantioselective addition of dialkylphosphites to aldehydes was catalyzed by a lanthanum (R)-binaphthoxide complex to give (S)-hydroxy phosphonates in good yield and modest enantioselectivity.
Generalized effective-medium theory of induced polarization

A rigorous physical-mathematical model of heterogeneous conductive media is based on the effective-medium approach. A generalization of the classical effective-medium theory (EMT) consists of two major parts: (1) introduction of effective-conductivity models of heterogeneous, multiphase rock formations with inclusions of arbitrary shape and conductivity using the principles of the quasi-linear (QL) approximation within the framework of the EMT formalism and (2) development of the generalized effective-medium theory of induced polarization (GEMTIP), which takes into account electromagnetic-induction (EMI) and induced polarization (IP) effects related to the relaxation of polarized charges in rock formations. The new generalized EMT provides a unified mathematical model of heterogeneity, multiphase structure, and the polarizability of rocks. The geoelectric parameters of this model are determined by the intrinsic petrophysical and geometric characteristics of composite media: the mineralization and/or fluid content of rocks and the matrix composition, porosity, anisotropy, and polarizability of formations. The GEMTIP model allows one to find the effective conductivity of a medium with inclusions that have arbitrary shape and electrical properties. One fundamental IP model of an isotropic, multiphase, heterogeneous medium is filled with spherical inclusions. This model, because of its relative simplicity, makes it possible to explain the close relationships between the new GEMTIP conductivity-relaxation model and an empirical Cole-Cole model or classical Wait's model of the IP effect.
Polydiagonal compactification of configuration spaces

A smooth compactification X〈n〉 of the configuration space of n distinct labeled points in a smooth algebraic variety X is constructed by a natural sequence of blowups, with the full symmetry of the permutation group Sn manifest at each stage. The strata of the normal crossing divisor at infinity are labeled by leveled trees and their structure is studied. This is the maximal wonderful compactification in the sense of De Concini–Procesi, and it has a strata-compatible surjection onto the Fulton–MacPherson compactification. The degenerate configurations added in the compactification are geometrically described by polyscreens similar to the screens of Fulton and MacPherson. In characteristic 0, isotropy subgroups of the action of Sn on X〈n〉 are abelian, thus X〈n〉 may be a step toward an explicit resolution of singularities of the symmetric products X/Sn.
Optimal parallel error diffusion dithering

Error diffusion dithering is a technique that is used to represent a grayscale image on a printer, a computer monitor or other bi-level displays. For a number of year it was believed that error diffusion algorithms can not be parallelized. On this paper we present a simple error- diffusion parallel algorithm that can be easily implemented on parallel computers that contain linear arrays of processing elements. It can also be implemented easily on specialized hardware. One of the advantages of our algorithm is its low implementation cost, its scalability, and its ability to benefit from standard fault-tolerance techniques.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Kinetics of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetatocerium(IV) complex

Abstract The rate of reaction of [Ce(EDTA)(OH)nn−] with H2O2 in 0.10 M KNO3 solution was investigated at various temperatures. The presence of a peroxy intermediate is inferred from spectrophotometric measurements. The general rate equation, is valid for pH 7-9 with n= 1 and 2 complexes involved. The rate constants kl and k2 were determined at 25 °C to be 0.054 and 0.171 M−1 s−1 respectively. The corresponding activation enthalpies, as calculated from Arrhenius plots, were δH1#= 51.3 ± 14.8 and δH2#= 41.8 ± 5.3 kJ m−1 and the activation entropies were δS1#=-97 ± 47 and ΔS2#=−119±17 J K−1 m−1.
ANALYSIS OF SUPER-KAMIOKANDE 5 DAY MEASUREMENTS OF THE SOLAR NEUTRINO FLUX

Data in 5 day bins, recently released by the Super-Kamiokande consortium, have been analyzed by a likelihood procedure that has certain advantages over the Lomb-Scargle procedure used by the consortium. The two most prominent peaks in the power spectrum of the 10 day data were at 9.42 and 26.57 yr-1, and it was clear that one was an alias of the other caused by the regularity of the binning. There were reasons to believe that the 9.42 yr-1 peak was an alias of the 26.57 yr-1 peak, but analysis of the 5 day data makes it clear that the reverse is the case. In addition to a strong peak near 9.42 yr-1, we find peaks at 43.72 and 39.28 yr-1. After comparing this analysis with a power-spectrum analysis of magnetic field data, we suggest that these three peaks may be attributed to a harmonic of the solar rotation rate and to an r-mode oscillation with spherical harmonic indices l = 2, m = 2.
Why do the kidneys release renin in patients with congestive heart failure? A nephrocentric view of converting-enzyme inhibition

I have never yet examined the body of a patient dying of dropsy attended by coagulable urine, in whom some obvious derangement was not discovered in the kidneys.… In all cases, … it has appeared to me that the kidneys has itself acted a more important part, and has been more deranged both functionally and organically than has generally been imagined. Superficially, it might be said that the function of the kidneys is to make urine, but in a more considered view, one can say that the kidneys make the stuff of philosophy itself.
Selective radical amination of aldehydic C(sp2)–H bonds with fluoroaryl azides via Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis: synthesis of N-fluoroaryl amides from aldehydes under neutral and nonoxidative conditions

The Co(II) complex of the D2h-symmetric amidoporphyrin 3,5-DitBu-IbuPhyrin, [Co(P1)], has proven to be an effective metalloradical catalyst for intermolecular amination of C(sp2)–H bonds of aldehydes with fluoroaryl azides. The [Co(P1)]-catalyzed process can employ aldehydes as the limiting reagents and operate under neutral and nonoxidative conditions, generating nitrogen gas as the only byproduct. The metalloradical aldehydic C–H amination is suitable for different combinations of aldehydes and fluoroaryl azides, producing the corresponding N-fluoroaryl amides in good to excellent yields. A series of mechanistic studies support a stepwise radical mechanism for the Co(II)-catalyzed intermolecular C–H amination.
Synthesis of Photoactivatable 1,2-O-Diacyl-sn-glycerol Derivatives of 1-l-Phosphatidyl-d-myo-inositol 4,5-Bisphosphate (PtdInsP2) and 3,4,5-Trisphosphate (PtdInsP3)

Photoactivatable analogues of 1-l-phosphatidyl-d-myo-inositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2 or PtdInsP2) and the corresponding 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 or PtdInsP3) were prepared from the two chiral precursors, methyl α-d-glucopyranoside and 1,2-isopropylidene-sn-glycerol. Two key synthetic transformations included the Ferrier rearrangement reaction to construct the optically-pure inositol skeleton and the sequential acylation of the primary and secondary hydroxyl groups on the glycerol derivatives. The sn-1-O-(6-aminohexanoyl) PtdInsP2 and PtdInsP3 derivatives were further modified to contain benzophenone photophores in unlabeled and high specific activity tritium-labeled forms.
Design, synthesis and biological properties of structurally non-related endotoxin inhibitors

Abstract In order to test the role of the supramolecular structure of lipopolysaccahrides (LPS) in determining endotoxicity, tow synthetic inhibitors, E11 and E12, which are structurally unrelated to lipid A, were designed, synthesized and examined for their ability to inhibit the biological activities of LPS. Both molecules were capable of inhibiting the activity of lipopolysaccharides in standard assays. The syntheses and aspects of the biological activities are described here.
Mapping closures for turbulent mixing and reaction

The mapping closure for the one-point pdf of an inert scalar in homogeneous turbulence is explained and developed. It is shown that the pdf's calculated from the closure are in excellent agreement with those obtained from direct numerical simulations. The closure is then extended to many reactive scalars.
On Entropy and Monotonicity for Real Cubic Maps

Consider real cubic maps of the interval onto itself, either with positive or with negative leading coefficient. This paper completes the proof of the “monotonicity conjecture”, which asserts that each locus of constant topological entropy in parameter space is a connected set. The proof makes essential use of the thesis of Christopher Heckman, and is based on the study of “bones” in the parameter triangle as defined by Tresser and R. MacKay.
The loop expansion of the Kontsevich integral, the null-move and S-equivalence

Abstract The Kontsevich integral of a knot is a graph-valued invariant which (when graded by the Vassiliev degree of graphs) is characterized by a universal property; namely it is a universal Vassiliev invariant of knots. We introduce a second grading of the Kontsevich integral, the Euler degree, and a geometric null-move on the set of knots. We explain the relation of the null-move to S-equivalence, and the relation to the Euler grading of the Kontsevich integral. The null-move leads in a natural way to the introduction of trivalent graphs with beads, and to a conjecture on a rational version of the Kontsevich integral, formulated by the second author and proven in Geom. Top 8 (2004) 115 (see also Kricker, preprint 2000, math/GT.0005284).
Fujita's very ampleness conjecture for singular toric varieties

We present a self-contained combinatorial approach to Fujita's conjectures in the toric case. Our main new result is a generalization of Fujita's very ampleness conjecture for toric varieties with arbitrary singularities. In an appendix, we use similar methods to give a new proof of an analogous toric generalization of Fujita's freeness conjecture due to Fujino.
A bijection on core partitions and a parabolic quotient of the affine symmetric group

Let @?,k be fixed positive integers. In [C. Berg, M. Vazirani, (@?,0)-Carter partitions, a generating function, and their crystal theoretic interpretation, Electron. J. Combin. 15 (2008) R130], the first and third authors established a bijection between @?-cores with first part equal to k and (@?-1)-cores with first part less than or equal to k. This paper gives several new interpretations of that bijection. The @?-cores index minimal length coset representatives for S"@?@?/S"@? where S"@?@? denotes the affine symmetric group and S"@? denotes the finite symmetric group. In this setting, the bijection has a beautiful geometric interpretation in terms of the root lattice of type A"@?"-"1. We also show that the bijection has a natural description in terms of another correspondence due to Lapointe and Morse [L. Lapointe, J. Morse, Tableaux on k+1-cores, reduced words for affine permutations, and k-Schur expansions, J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 112 (1) (2005) 44-81].
Detection of interstellar N2O: A new molecule containing an N-O bond

A new interstellar molecule, N2O, known as nitrous oxide or 'laughing gas,' has been detected using the NRAO 12 m telescope. The J = 3 - 2, 4 - 3, 5 - 4, and 6 - 5 rotational transitions of this species at 75, 100, 125, and 150 GHz, respectively, were observed toward Sgr B2(M). The column density derived for N2O in this source is N(sub tot) approx. 10(exp 15)/sq. cm, which corresponds to a fractional abundance of approx. 10(exp -9), relative to H2. This value implies abundance ratios of N2O/NO approx. 0.1 and N2O/HNO approx. 3 in the Galactic center. Such ratios are in excellent agreement with predictions of ion-molecule models of interstellar chemistry using early-time calculations and primarily neutral-neutral reactions. N2O is the third interstellar molecule detected thus far containing an N-O bond. Such bonds cannot be so rare as previously thought.
National Federations: The Role of Voluntary Organizations in Linking Macro and Micro Orders in Civil Society

The research described in this article represents a preliminary, qualitative, comparative analysis of voluntary national federations of local community organizations and voluntary national federations of local governmental units in the United States and England. The analysis is based on interviews; archival reports, budgets, and newsletters; and participant observation at meetings. These federations force a rethinking of theories of mass society that rely on overly simplistic distinctions between macro and micro, public and private. The research highlights the complex bridging roles that these voluntary national federations play and their essential position at the intersection of macro and micro, state and community.
Primary amine-metal Lewis acid bifunctional catalysts: the application to asymmetric direct aldol reactions

The first example of metal Lewis acid-primary amine bifunctional cooperative catalyst derived from primary amino acids was developed, and it was found to catalyze aldol reactions of cyclic ketones highly efficiently with very good to excellent stereoselectivities.
Harmony Search Algorithm Based on Cloud Theory

The parameter bw is a distance bandwidth between 0 and 1 in harmony search algorithm, which helps the algorithm in finding globally and locally improved solution. In this paper, a new harmony search algorithm is proposed in order to improve the convergence speed and the global search algorithm of the harmony search algorithm. The parameter bw is adjusted based on cloud theory in this new algorithm. The new algorithm is tested on some benchmark functions and the results are compared with the result of the traditional harmony search. Experimental results indicate that the new harmony search algorithm has a good performance in the global search ability and convergent speed.
The firm‐level effects of European monetary unification

Considers the likely microeconomic effects of European Monetary Union (EMU) and the European Central Bank (ECB), i.e. impact on firm‐level incentives and performance. Believes that firms’ uncertainty will be reduced by “a more stable and prudent macroeconomic environment”, and that a strong euro will lead to lower interest rates, reduced transaction costs, the elimination of exchange rate risk within the EMU and therefore increased output, investment and competition. Accepts that firms may find transition costs expensive and that opportunities for fraud and errors will increase in the transition period. Identifies the sectors and types of firm most likely to benefit in the short term and recognizes the possibility of longer term problems which may reverse the competitive advantages.
Corporate Governance: And the Bargaining Power of Developing Countries to Attract Foreign Investment

Following the rapid growth of foreign investment flows in the 1980s and 1990s some countries that had been dependent on official aid are now (even after the recent financial crises) obtaining most of their external financing from private sources. But low-income countries still receive little private capital flows. Arguing that corporate governance, broadly defined to include many business practices, is an important determinant of inward foreign investment this paper explores links between corporate Governance: And the ability of developing countries to attract foreign investment. It raises policy questions for developing countries and points to the need for complementary actions by government, businesses associations and institutional investors to promote corporate governance improvements.
Outer Shell Excitation Mechanisms and Static Mode Laser Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Sputtered Atoms

Secondary photon emission of sputtered atoms is reviewed in the light of current theories. Laser fluorescence (LFS) coupled with Auger spectroscopy for the first time measures the fractions of atoms sputtered in low-lying (0–2 eV) electronic states as a function of monolayer oxygen coverages. A "causal" collision model based on TRIM code calculations successfully accounts for the observed excitation functions.
NLIE and finite size effects of the spin-1/2 XXZ and sine-Gordon models with two boundaries revisited

Starting from the T-Q equation of an open integrable \( {\text{spin}} - \frac{1}{2} \) XXZ quantum spin chain with nondiagonal boundary terms, we derive a nonlinear integral equation (NLIE) of the sine-Gordon model on a finite interval. We compute the boundary energy and the Casimir energy for the sine-Gordon model with both left and right boundaries. A relation between the boundary parameters of the continuum model and the lattice model is given. We also present numerical results for the effective central charge of an open \( {\text{spin}} - \frac{1}{2} \) XXZ quantum spin chain which find agreement with our analytical result for the central charge of the sine-Gordon model in the ultraviolet (UV) limit.
Electron Emission from Nickel-Alloy Surfaces in Cesium Vapor

The cesiated electron emission was measured for three candidate electrodes for use as collectors in thermionic converters. Nickel, Inconel 600 and Hastelloy were tested with a 412°K cesium reservoir. Peak emission from the alloys was found to be comparable to that from pure nickel. Both the Inconel and the Hastelloy samples had work functions of 1.64 ev at peak emission. The minimum work functions were estimated to be 1.37 ev at a probe temperature of 750°K for Inconel and 1.40 ev for Hastelloy at 665°K. The bare work function for both alloys is estimated to be approximately the same as for pure nickel, 4.8 ev.
The Fermionic Dark Matter Higgs Portal: an effective field theory approach

We consider fermionic (Dirac or Majorana) cold thermal relic dark-matter cou- pling to standard-model particles through the eective dimension-5 Higgs portal operators � 1 ODMH y H, whereODM is an admixture of scalar � �� and pseudoscalar � �i5� DM op- erators. Utilizing the relic abundance requirement tox the couplings, we consider direct detection and invisible Higgs width constraints, and map out the remaining allowed param- eter space of dark-matter mass and the admixture of scalar and pseudoscalar couplings. We emphasize a subtlety which has not previously been carefully studied in the context of the EFT approach, in which an eect arising due to electroweak symmetry breaking can cause a na �vely pure pseudoscalar coupling to induce a scalar coupling at higher order, which has important implications for direct detection bounds. We provide some comments on indirect detection bounds and collider searches.
An Efficient Numerical Procedure for Thermohydrodynamic Analysis of Cavitating Bearings

An efficient and accurate numerical procedure to determine the thermo-hydrodynamic performance of cavitating bearings is described. This procedure is based on the earlier development of Elrod for lubricating films, in which the properties across the film thickness are determined at Lobatto points and their distributions are expressed by collocated polynomials. The cavitated regions and their boundaries are rigorously treated. Thermal boundary conditions at the surfaces, including heat dissipation through the metal to the ambient, are incorporated. Numerical examples are presented comparing the predictions using this procedure with earlier theoretical predictions and experimental data. With a few points across the film thickness and across the journal and the bearing in the radial direction, the temperature profile is very well predicted.
Base-Mediated Stereospecific Synthesis of Aryloxy and Amino Substituted Ethyl Acrylates

The stereospecific synthesis of aryloxy and amino substituted E- and Z-ethyl-3-acrylates is of interest because of their potential in the polymer industry and in medicinal chemistry. During work on a copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of ethyl (E)- and (Z)-3-iodoacrylates with phenols and N-heterocycles, we discovered a very simple (nonmetallic) method for the stereospecific synthesis of aryloxy and amino substituted acrylates. To study this long-standing problem on the stereoselectivity of aryloxy and amino substituted acrylates, a series of O- and N-substituted nucleophiles was allowed to react with ethyl (E)- and (Z)-3-iodoacrylates. Screening of different bases indicated that DABCO (1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) afforded successful conversion of ethyl (E)- and (Z)-3-iodoacrylates into aryloxy and amino substituted ethyl acrylates in a stereospecific manner. Herein are the details of this DABCO-mediated stereospecific synthesis of aryloxy and amino substituted E- or Z-acrylates.
The Research Program of Historical Ecology

AbstractHistorical ecology is a new interdisciplinary research program concerned with comprehending temporal and spatial dimensions in the relationships of human societies to local environments and the cumulative global effects of these relationships. Historical ecology contains core postulates that concern qualitative types of human-mediated disturbance of natural environments and the effect of these on species diversity, among other parameters. A central term used in historical ecology to situate human behavior and agency in the environment is the landscape, as derived from historical geography, instead of the ecosystem, which is from systems ecology. Historical ecology is similar to nonequilibrium dynamic theory, but differs in its postulate of human-mediated disturbance as a principle of landscape transformation. Such disturbances counterintuitively may involve anthropogenic primary and secondary succession that result in net increases of alpha and even beta diversity. Applied historical ecology can s...
One-parameter families of circle diffeomorphisms with strictly monotone rotation number

We show that if $f \colon S^1 \times S^1 \to S^1 \times S^1$ is $C^2$, with $f(x, t) = (f_t(x), t)$, and the rotation number of $f_t$ is equal to $t$ for all $t \in S^1$, then $f$ is topologically conjugate to the linear Dehn twist of the torus $(1&1 0&1)$. We prove a differentiability result where the assumption that the rotation number of $f_t$ is $t$ is weakened to say that the rotation number is strictly monotone in $t$.
Cross-coupling of mesylated phenol derivatives with potassium cyclopropyltrifluoroborate.

C–O activation of mesylates by a palladium catalyst and subsequent cross-coupling with potassium cyclopropyltrifluoroborate have been achieved with high yield. Both electron-enriched and electron-deficient aryl mesylates are suitable electrophilic partners for the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction. The scope was successfully extended to heteroaryl mesylates with yields up to 94%.
String dualities from matrix theory: A summary

Abstract I review the appearance, within Matrix theory, of the SL (5, Z ) U-duality group of M-theory on T 4 , and the duality between M-theory on K3 and the Heterotic string on T 3 . In both cases the duality is geometrical and manifest.