cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimum-Time Quantum Transport With Bounded Trap Velocity

We formulate the problem of efficient transport of a quantum particle trapped in a harmonic potential which can move with a bounded velocity, as a minimum-time problem on a linear system with bounded input. We completely solve the corresponding optimal control problem and obtain an interesting bang-bang solution, where the switching times are obtained from a transcendental equation. These results are expected to find applications in quantum information processing and atom interferometry.
A sensitivity-based approach to evaluating future changes in Colorado River Discharge

Projections of a drier, warmer climate in the U.S. Southwest would complicate management of the Colorado River system—yet these projections, often based on coarse resolution global climate models, are quite uncertain. We present an approach to understanding future Colorado River discharge based on land surface characterizations that map the Colorado River basin’s hydrologic sensitivities (e.g., changes in streamflow magnitude) to annual and seasonal temperature and precipitation changes. The approach uses a process-based macroscale land surface model (LSM; in this case, the Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrologic model, although methods are applicable to any LSM) to develop sensitivity maps (equivalent to a simple empirical model), and uses these maps to evaluate long-term annual streamflow responses to future precipitation and temperature change. We show that global climate model projections combined with estimates of hydrologic sensitivities, estimated for different seasons and at different change increments, can provide a basis for approximating cumulative distribution functions of streamflow changes similar to more common, computationally intensive full-simulation approaches that force the hydrologic model with downscaled future climate scenarios. For purposes of assessing risk, we argue that the sensitivity-based approach produces viable first-order estimates that can be easily applied to newly released climate information to assess underlying drivers of change and bound, at least approximately, the range of future streamflow uncertainties for water resource planners.
Heavy flavor physics at hadron colliders

Abstract The search for the top quark has dominated heavy flavor physics at hadron colliders. For Standard model decay of top the present mass limit is mt > 89 GeV(95% C.L.). Bottom production cross sections are quite large at hadron colliders, thus providing enough statistics for extensive studies. Results on cross sections, B 0 − B 0 mixing, exclusive channels and rare B decays will be summarized.
A Study of Prompt Emission Mechanisms in Gamma-Ray Bursts

The principal paradigm for the generation of the nonthermal particles that are responsible for the prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts invokes diffusive shock acceleration at shocks internal to the dynamic ultrarelativistic outflow. This paper explores expectations for burst emission spectra arising from shock acceleration theory in the limit of particles cooling much slower than their acceleration. Parametric fits to burst spectra obtained by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) are explored for the cases of the synchrotron, inverse Compton, and synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) radiation mechanisms, using a linear combination of thermal and nonthermal electron populations. These fits demand that the preponderance of electrons that are responsible for the prompt emission reside in an intrinsically nonthermal population, strongly contrasting particle distributions obtained from acceleration simulations. This implies a potential conflict for acceleration scenarios in which the nonthermal electrons are drawn directly from a thermal gas, unless radiative efficiencies only become significant at highly superthermal energies. It is also found that the CGRO data preclude effective spectroscopic discrimination between the synchrotron and inverse Compton mechanisms. This situation may be resolved with future missions probing gamma-ray bursts, namely Swift and GLAST. However, the SSC spectrum is characteristically too broad near the νFν peak to viably account for bursts such as GRB 910601, GRB 910814, and GRB 990123. We conclude that the SSC mechanism may be generally incompatible with differential burst spectra steeper than around E-2.5 above the peak, unless the synchrotron component is strongly self-absorbed.
Novel materials and devices for sunlight concentrating systems

Photovoltaic conversion under concentrated sunlight is a highly promising technique that could make solar-electric power generation economically competitive with fossil fuel power generation by the mid-1980's. An economic analysis has been performed which demonstrates that solar cell efficiency, concentrator efficiency, and concentrator cost are the most important parameters in a concentrating photovoltaic system; solar cell cost is only of secondary importance (at least for Si solar cells). Six novel structures are described, including modified conventional Si cells Ga1−xAlxAs/GaAs devices, interdigitated cells, vertical and horizontal multijunction cells and “multicolor” devices.
Critical behavior of the chiral condensate at the QCD phase transition

We study the critical behavior of the chiral condensate near the QCD phase transition in the background of two fixed light dynamical (sea) quarks. We study the condensate for 5.245 ≤ β ≤ 5.3 and 10−10 ≤ mval ≤ 10 (in lattice units) on a 163 × 4 lattice using staggered fermions with msea fixed at 0.01.
A Convenient New Synthesis of Aryl α-Keto Esters

Abstract A few of the many uses for α-keto esters include enzyme inhibitors1 and antiinflammitory agents.2 They are also useful reagents in organic synthesis.3 Until now, most efficient methods for synthesizing these compounds typically involved either toxic side products, such as hydrogen cyanide,4 or required expensive or highly reactive starting reagents, such as substituted ethynyl ethers.5 Other simple synthetic methods had only moderate yields or were effective with specific substrates.6 Now, we are proposing a convenient method to prepare aryl a-keto esters which minimizes these problems.
Effects of Ellipticity and Shear on Gravitational Lens Statistics

We study the effects of ellipticity in lens galaxies and external tidal shear from neighboring objects on the statistics of strong gravitational lenses. For isothermal lens galaxies normalized so that the Einstein radius is independent of ellipticity and shear, ellipticity reduces the lensing cross section slightly, and shear leaves it unchanged. Ellipticity and shear can significantly enhance the magnification bias, but only if the luminosity function of background sources is steep. Realistic distributions of ellipticity and shear lower the total optical depth by a few percent for most source luminosity functions, and increase the optical depth only for steep luminosity functions. The boost in the optical depth is noticeable (5%) only for surveys limited to the brightest quasars (L/L* 10). Ellipticity and shear broaden the distribution of lens image separations but do not affect the mean. Ellipticity and shear naturally increase the abundance of quadruple lenses relative to double lenses, especially for steep source luminosity functions, but the effect is not enough (by itself) to explain the observed quadruple-to-double ratio. With such small changes to the optical depth and image separation distribution, ellipticity and shear have a small effect on cosmological constraints from lens statistics: neglecting the two leads to biases of just ??M = 0.00 ? 0.01 and ??? = -0.02 ? 0.01 (where the error bars represent statistical uncertainties in our calculations).
Expanding technology for sensor design and fabrication

Abstract The question “Why sensors now?” is answered in the shadow of principles nearly 100 years old, and in the light of the past 40 years of sensor development. The principal role of new technologies, and contributions of chemists and physicists working together bring together the promising sensor developments that are not exclusively chemical. Contributions by analytical chemists for conventional analysis and for health sciences, biotechnology, and medical analysis and technology are stressed, but the pioneering electrochemistry-based sensors are receiving strong competition. Challenges for the future include (i) resisting a decline of chemical sensor development/application; (ii) continuing the breakingdown of barriers between electrochemists and physicists/electrical engineers/physiologists/biomedical engineers; (iii) solving of the chemical selectivity and sensitivity problems from first principles; and (iv) solving the lifetime and stability problems of sensors in real world, hostile environments.
High Spatial Resolution Mid-Infrared Observations of Three Seyfert Galaxies

Images at 12.5 μm of nuclei of three nearby Seyfert galaxies—NGC 1275, NGC 4151, and NGC 7469—have been obtained with the 10 m Keck Telescope. NGC 7469 is resolved and deconvolution delineates a structure (<0farcs04) × 0farcs08, or less than 13 × 26 pc at a position angle of 135°. From a comparison with structure seen at millimeter wavelengths, this structure is interpreted as a disk aligned with the molecular gas in the central few hundred parsecs of the galaxy. NGC 1275 and NGC 4151 are not resolved; limits on the sizes of these nuclei are 0farcs08 and 0farcs16, corresponding to physical spatial scales of 28 and 10 pc. The lower limits to the brightness temperatures implied by these size limits and the measured flux densities are within ~50 K of the 12–25 μm color temperatures of these systems, as inferred from IRAS observations. The angular size limits are within a factor of 2 of the sizes required to spatially resolve thermal emission from dust heated by a central luminosity source. These sizes preclude significant contributions to the nuclear infrared emission from star-forming regions.
The Influence of Client Preferences on Tax Professionals' Search for Judicial Precedents, Subsequent Judgments and Recommendations

Tax professionals provide valuable services to clients by reducing uncertainty about how clients should report transactions on their tax returns. To reduce uncertainty, tax professionals research applicable authorities (e.g., judicial precedents) and provide assessments to clients of the level of authoritative support for client‐favorable positions. Tax professionals have strong incentives to make accurate assessments of the strength of client‐preferred positions so that clients will understand the level of risk associated with the reporting position. Further, tax professionals must make accurate assessments of authoritative support in order to maintain compliance with tax professional standards and Federal income tax regulations. Incentives notwithstanding, psychological research on confirmation bias suggests that tax professionals' client advocacy role may inhibit professionals' ability to search objectively for relevant tax authority which, in turn, might inhibit their ability to accurately assess auth...
Retention of both parental mitochondrial DNA species in mouse-Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids

Interspecific somatic cell hybrids were isolated following the fusion of an oligomy-cin-resistant derivative of LM(TK−) mouse cells to a chloramphenicol-resistant derivative of AK412 Chinese hamster cells. Hybrids were selected in either HAT medium, HAT plus chloramphenicol (CAP), HAT plus oligomycin (OLI), or HAT plus chloramphenicol and oligomycin. Cytogenetic analysis of the hybrids indicated that their karyotype reflected the sum of the parents. Hybrids selected in HAT medium alone or HAT plus OLI retained primarily mouse mitochondrial DNA while those selected in HAT plus CAP, or HAT plus CAP plus OLI retained both species of mitochondrial DNA. There was no evidence for mitochondrial DNA recombination, despite the continued growth of these hybrids in CAP plus OLI. Hybrids that were removed from dual antibiotic selection for over three months retained both species of mitochondrial DNA in approximately equal amounts with no detectable loss or rearrangement.
Characteristics of Optimal Solutions to the Sensor Location Problem

The sensor location problem is that of locating the minimum number of traffic sensors at intersections of a road network such that the traffic flow on the entire network can be determined. In this paper, we provide a new necessary condition on the location of these sensors to enable the traffic flow throughout the network to be computed. This condition is not sufficient in general, but we show that for a large class of problem instances, the condition is sufficient. Many typical road networks are included in this category, and we show how our condition can be used to inform traffic sensor placement.
Stopping and time-reversing a light pulse using dynamic loss-tuning of coupled-resonator delay lines

We introduce a light-stopping process that uses dynamic loss tuning in coupled-resonator delay lines. We demonstrate via numerical simulations that increasing the loss of selected resonators traps light in a zero group velocity mode concentrated in the low-loss portions of the delay line. The large dynamic range achievable for loss modulation should increase the light-stopping bandwidth relative to previous approaches based on refractive-index tuning.
Commentary on “Total Hadronic Cross-Section Data and the Froissart–Martin Bound,” by Fagundes, Menon, and Silva

This commentary on the paper “Total Hadronic Cross-Section Data and the Froissart–Martin Bound,” by Fagundes, Menon, and Silva (Braz. J. Phys. doi: 10.1007/s13538-012-0099-5 , 2012) was invited by the editors of the Brazilian Journal of Physics to appear directly after the above authors’ printed version, in the same journal issue. We here challenge the paper’s conclusions that the Froissart bound was violated. We will show that this conclusion follows from a statistical methodology that we question and will present compelling supplementary evidence that the latest ultrahigh-energy experimental pp cross-section data are consistent with a ln 2 s behavior that satisfies the Froissart bound.
Revisiting tectonic corrections applied to Pleistocene sea-level highstands

Tectonic displacement contaminates estimates of peak eustatic sea level (and, equivalently, minimum continental ice volumes) determined from the elevation of Quaternary interglacial highstand markers. For sites at which a stratigraphic or geomorphic marker of peak Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e sea level exists, the standard approach for estimating local tectonic uplift (or subsidence) rates takes the difference between the elevation of the local highstand marker and a reference MIS 5e eustatic value, commonly chosen as +6 m, and divides by the age of the marker. The resulting rate is then applied to correct the elevation of all other local observed sea-level markers for tectonic displacement, including peak highstands of different ages (e.g., MIS 5a, MIS 5c and MIS 11), under the assumption that the tectonic rate remained constant over those periods. This approach introduces two potentially significant errors. First, the peak eustatic value adopted for MIS 5e in most previous studies (i.e., +6 m) is likely incorrect. Second, local peak sea level during MIS 5e is characterized by significant departures from eustasy due to glacial isostatic adjustment in response to both successive glacial–interglacial cycles and excess polar ice-sheet melt relative to present day values. We use numerical models of glacial isostatic adjustment that incorporate both of these effects to quantify the plausible range of the combined error and show that, even at sites far from melting ice sheets, local peak sea level during MIS 5e may depart from eustasy by 2–4 m, or more. We also demonstrate that the associated error in the estimated tectonic rates can significantly alter previous estimates of peak eustatic sea level during Quaternary highstands, notably those associated with earlier interglacials (e.g., MIS 11).
Duality in SUSY $SU(N)$ with an Antisymmetric Tensor

Abstract We present a dual description for N = 1 SU(N) supersymmetric gause theory with an antisymmetric tensor and fundamentals, and no superpotential. This duality is derived from the dualities of Seiberg. Under a perturbation of the superpotential, the dual theory breaks supersymmetry at tree level.
Improving news ranking by community tweets

Users frequently express their information needs by means of short and general queries that are difficult for ranking algorithms to interpret correctly. However, users' social contexts can offer important additional information about their information needs which can be leveraged by ranking algorithms to provide augmented, personalized results. Existing methods mostly rely on users' individual behavioral data such as clickstream and log data, but as a result suffer from data sparsity and privacy issues. Here, we propose a Community Tweets Voting Model (CTVM) to re-rank Google and Yahoo news search results on the basis of open, large-scale Twitter community data. Experimental results show that CTVM outperforms baseline rankings from Google and Yahoo for certain online communities. We propose an application scenario of CTVM and provide an agenda for further research.
MNDO calculations applied to structural changes in 1,2,4-oxadiazole substituents

Abstract MNDO calculations on several substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazole compounds are discussed. Changes in geometry, atomic charge distribution, rotational barriers and molecular orbital energies are examined. A correlation exists between the thermal stability of the heterocycle and the excess electronic charge accumulated inside the ring as well as its distribution. For the case of phenylated derivatives, the nonplanar conformation is energetically more stable than the corresponding planar one, which might explain the relative decrease in thermal stability of phenylated derivatives. It is observed that as the planar conformation starts being populated, a greater amount of electrons are donated to the 1,2, 4-oxadiazole ring.
The Coulomb branch in gauged linear sigma models

We investigate toric GLSMs as models for tachyon condensation in type II strings on space-time non-supersymmetric orbifold singularities. The A-model correlators in these theories satisfy a set of relations related to the topology of the resolved orbifold. Using these relations we compute the correlators and find a non-trivial chiral ring in the IR, which we interpret as supported on isolated Coulomb vacua of the theory.
Master oscillator with power amplifiers: performance of a two-element cw HF phased laser array.

The experimental performance of a two-element phased array of multiline cw HF chemical lasers in the master oscillator with power amplifier (MOPA) configuration has been measured. The mutual coherence of the two amplified beams was inferred from measurements of the visibility of interference fringes obtained when the beams were overlapped in the near field. When the optical path difference for the two beams was minimized, multiline visibilities of 0.90 ± 0.02 were measured. White light interferometry was used to equalize the optical path lengths. Spectral mismatch between the master oscillator output and the amplifier's preferred gain distribution affected neither the amplification factor nor the mutual coherence of the amplified beams. The effect of spatial coherence of the master oscillator beam on these near field measurements and the eventual requirement of far field measurements to precisely optimize path lengths are discussed. Spectra data, amplification factors, and mutual coherence measurements are shown, and the resulting phased array far field performance is presented.
Dynamics of Droplet Motion under Electrowetting Actuation

The static shape of droplets under electrowetting actuation is well understood. The steady-state shape of the droplet is obtained on the basis of the balance of surface tension and electrowetting forces, and the change in the apparent contact angle is well characterized by the Young-Lippmann equation. However, the transient droplet shape behavior when a voltage is suddenly applied across a droplet has received less attention. Additional dynamic frictional forces are at play during this transient process. We present a model to predict this transient behavior of the droplet shape under electrowetting actuation. The droplet shape is modeled using the volume of fluid method. The electrowetting and dynamic frictional forces are included as an effective dynamic contact angle through a force balance at the contact line. The model is used to predict the transient behavior of water droplets on smooth hydrophobic surfaces under electrowetting actuation. The predictions of the transient behavior of droplet shape and contact radius are in excellent agreement with our experimental measurements. The internal fluid motion is explained, and the droplet motion is shown to initiate from the contact line. An approximate mathematical model is also developed to understand the physics of the droplet motion and to describe the overall droplet motion and the contact line velocities.
ONE-SIDED IDEALS AND APPROXIMATE IDENTITIES IN OPERATOR ALGEBRAS

A left ideal on any C*-algebra is an example of an operator algebra with a right contractive approximate indentiy (r.c.a.i.). Indeed, left ideal in C*-algebras may be charcterized as the class of such operator algebras, which happen also to be triple systems. Conversely, we show here and in a sequel to this paper, that operator algebras with r.c.a.i. shoulod be studied in terms of a certain let ideal of a C*-algebra. We study left ideals from the perspective of ‘Hamana theory’ and using the multiplier algebras of an operator space studied elsewhere by the author. More generally, we develop some general theory for operator algebras which have a 1-sided identity or approzimate indentity, including a Banach-Stone theorem for these algebras, and an analysis of the ‘multiplier operator algebra’.
Adaptive triangular mesh generation

A general adaptive grid algorithm is developed on triangular grids. The adaptivity is provided by a combination of node addition, dynamic node connectivity and a simple node movement strategy. While the local restructuring process and the node addition mechanism take place in the physical plane, the nodes are displaced on a monitor surface, constructed from the salient features of the physical problem. An approximation to mean curvature detects changes in the direction of the monitor surface, and provides the pulling force on the nodes. Solutions to the axisymmetric Grad-Shafranov equation demonstrate the capturing, by triangles, of the plasma-vacuum interface in a free-boundary equilibrium configuration.
SYM ANOMALOUS DIMENSION FROM OPEN STRING ENGINEERED CURVATURE

In the full type IIB open superstring setup, we show that there exists a vertex operator, denoted by VL, whose renormalization reproduces the same anomalous dimension matrix that was obtained by Minahan and Zarembo (MZ) [J. High Energy Phys. 0303, 013 (2003)]. The vertex operator is a gauge singlet, and has the same SO(6) index structure as the operator used by MZ. To obtain the SYM anomalous dimensions, one of the key ingredients is the non-abelianization of the nonlinear sigma model action in a D-brane background. Park [Phys. Lett. B 660, 583 (2008)] conjectured that quantum effects of open strings on a stack of D-branes should generate the curvature. Even though the conjecture had passed a few consistency checks, the role of the higher order curvature terms has remain mostly unobserved until now. By choosing a special form of the non-abelianized counter vertex, VG, we show that the SYM result is reproduced. We comment on fermionic completion of VL and on how the special form of the non-Abelian vertex VG may arise.
Sol-gel coatings for high-power laser optics: past, present and future

An investigation into the preparation of sol-gel coatings for high power lasers was started at LLNL in 1983 and AR coatings were successfully developed for use in the Nova laser in 1984. Several other large lasers now use these coatings. Subsequent work on HR coatings resulted in AlOOH/SiO2 and later ZrO2 or HfO2/SiO2 systems of good optical performance. The use of organic polymer binders gave increased damage threshold and enhanced optical performance. We are in the process of scaling up HR fabrication for substrates approximately 38 cm square. Concurrently we are developing sol-gel random phase plates for laser beam smoothing. These have a patterned surface design of silica which induces phase shifts in the beam by variation in the optical path length. Plates of this type on 80 cm diameter substrates have been used successfully on the Nova.
Divorce mediation outcome research: A meta-analysis

Results vary across divorce mediation and litigation outcome studies. Because a quantitative review has never been performed on this body of research, the present study conducts a meta-analysis on this literature. From five studies that met the established inclusion criteria, it was found that mediation produced a grand effect size of 0.36. This small-to-moderate effect size reveals that across the included studies mediation is a beneficial alternative to litigation for divorcing couples. Dependent variables measuring process satisfaction, outcome satisfaction, emotional satisfaction, spousal relationship, and understanding children's needs were aggregated across the studies, rendering moderate positive effect size.
Gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of N-Propargylindole-2-carboxamides: application toward the synthesis of lavendamycin analogues.

A series of N-propargylindole-2-carboxamides were found to undergo a AuCl3-catalyzed cycloisomerization to give β-carbolinones in high yield. The corresponding β-chlorocarboline derivative was prepared and used for Pd(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling chemistry directed toward the synthesis of lavendamycin analogues.
Monte Carlo renormalization group

Monte Carlo computer simulations have long been used to obtain information on the behavior of thermodynamic systems. The method has the advantages of being applicable to a very large class of models and of using only systematically improvable approximations (finite size of system, statistical errors, etc.). However, in the critical region, finite-size effects mask the critical singularities, and put severe practical limits onto the accuracy to which the true critical behavior can be determined. By combining Monte Carlo simulations with a real-space renormalization-group analysis, a large increase in efficiency and accuracy can be achieved—without the uncertainties of the usual truncation approximations. The methods are illustrated by explicit calculations on models exhibiting critical and tricritical behavior.
Spectroelectrochemical investigations of the reduction of benzaldehyde and p-cyano- and p-phenylbenzaldehyde in sulfolane

Spectroelectrochemical investigations are presented for the reduction of benzaldehyde and p-cyano- and p-phenylbenzaldehyde in the solvent sulfolane. Two reduction intermediates were observed for the p-cyanobenzaldehyde reduction. One intermediate was the radical anion which was consumed in a dimerization reaction, k/sub 2/ = 85--88 M/sup -1/ s/sup -1/. The other intermediate was the electrochemically inactive complex between the radical anion and the unreduced parent. The verification of this complexation clarifies previous voltammetric studies of this type of reduction mechanism.
The death of the sensuous chemist: The 'new' chemistry and the transformation of sensuous technology

A common understanding is that the historical development of precision scientific instruments has extended our senses, allowing us to ‘see’ nature more precisely and therefore to understand it better. Popular accounts of the history of chemistry describe eighteenth century chemistry as ‘advancing’ through the introduction of new laboratory apparatus and procedures that afforded increased precision in analytical investigations. Antoine Laurent Lavoisier has long been famous for championing instruments such as the balance. Recent studies disagree over whether his reliance on the balance should be seen as largely rhetorical or as manifesting a more profound element of his practice. Historians have generally focused on the theoretical content of Rouelle’s lecture course, teasing out a description of ‘French Stahlianism’ against which Lavoisier might later be seen as having rebelled. Physics treated bodies superficially in terms of their external measurements while chemistry was concerned with their particularities.
THE ENVIRONMENTS OF LOW- AND HIGH-LUMINOSITY RADIO GALAXIES AT MODERATE REDSHIFTS

In the local universe, high-power radio galaxies live in lower-density environments than low-luminosity radio galaxies. If this trend continued to higher redshifts, powerful radio galaxies would serve as efficient probes of moderate redshift groups and poor clusters. Photometric studies of radio galaxies at 0.3 z 0.5 suggest that the radio luminosity-environment correlation disappears at moderate redshifts, though this could be the result of foreground/background contamination affecting the photometric measures of environment. We have obtained multi-object spectroscopy of in the fields of 14 lower luminosity (L 1.4 GHz 1.2 × 1025 W Hz–1) radio galaxies at z ≈ 0.3 to spectroscopically investigate the link between the environment and the radio luminosity of radio galaxies at moderate redshifts. Our results support the photometric analyses; there does not appear to be a correlation between the luminosity of a radio galaxy and its environment at moderate redshifts. Hence, radio galaxies are not efficient signposts for group environments at moderate redshifts.
Electron tube and crystal diode experience in computing equipment

Three years ago, the first Conference on Electron Tubes for Computers was held in Atlantic City. At that meeting a paper of similar title was presented, outlining field experience with electron tubes employed in widely used IBM products. Data prepared at the time illustrated common causes and frequency of tube failure, as determined by laboratory analysis and statistics maintained on field replaced components. The program from which this data evolves is continuous, and since its inception in early 1949, has provided a substantial reduction in field tube failures. In some instances, improvement in machine performance has resulted from the introduction of newly developed tube types, and in others from corrections made in misapplication of existing tubes. It is the purpose of this paper to outline the program of component improvement phases of computer manufacturing.
Stability properties of magnetic tower jets

Stability properties of "magnetic tower" jets propagating in a gravitationally stratified background have been examined by performing three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations. The current-carrying, Poynting flux-dominated magnetic tower jet, which possesses a highly wound helical magnetic field, is subject to the current-driven instability (CDI). We find that, under general physical conditions including small perturbations in the initial background profiles, the propagating magnetic tower jets develop the nonaxisymmetric, m = 1 kink mode of the CDI. The kink mode grows on the local Alfven crossing timescale. In addition, two types of kink modes appear in the system. At the central region where external thermal pressure confinement is strong, only the internal kink mode is excited and will grow. A large distance away from the central region where the external thermal pressure becomes low, the external kink mode is observed. As a result, the exterior of magnetic tower jets will be deformed into a large-scale wiggled structure. We also discuss extensively the different physical processes that contribute to the overall stability properties of the magnetic tower jets. Specifically, when the jet propagates in an initially unperturbed background, we find that it can survive the kink mode beyond the point predicted by the well-known Kruskal-Shafranov (K-S) criterion. The stabilization in this case comes mainly from the dynamical relaxation of magnetic twists during the propagation of magnetic towers; the magnetic pitch is reduced, and the corresponding K-S critical wavelength becomes longer as the tower jet proceeds. Furthermore, we show that the pressure-driven and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities do not occur in the magnetic tower jets. This strongly suggests that the CDI is the primary reason for the wiggling structures in jets.
History, memory, and intractable conflict

This article is the first of a two-part series that explores history and memory and their impact on long-term, intractable conflict. Memory is strongly connected to narrative, commemoration, identity, and emotions and becomes embedded in societies fraught with long-term conflict. The conflict resolution literature is explored in terms of how it addresses issues of the past. This article presents us with a deeper theoretical understanding of these issues, while the second will offer empirical research in this area and suggest implications for practice.
Improved techniques for estimating signal probabilities

The problem is presented in the context of some recent theoretical advances on a related problem, called random satisfiability. These recent results indicate the theoretical limitations inherent in the problem of computing signal probabilities. Such limitations exist even if one uses Monte Carlo techniques for estimating signal probabilities. Theoretical results indicate that any practical method devised to compute signal probabilities would have to be evaluated purely on an empirical basis. An improved algorithm is offered for estimating the signal probabilities that takes into account the first-order effects of reconvergent input leads. It is demonstrated that this algorithm is linear in the product of the size of the network and the number of inputs. Empirical evidence is given indicating the improved performance obtained using this method over the straightforward probability computations. The results are very good, and the algorithm is very fast and easy to implement. >
On the Information Content of Going Concern Opinions: The Effects of SAS Numbers 58 and 59

The information content of audit opinions has been scrutinised in the past. Research and discussions attempted to ascertain whether audit opinions contain useful information for financial statement users and whether accountants are qualified to make accurate assessments about a firm's viability as a going concern. Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS) 58 and 59 eliminated the ‘subject to’ audit opinion because of doubts whether such opinions contained useful information. Instead, a ‘subject to’ qualified opinion is communicated as ‘special language’ included in unqualified audit opinions. Evidence is provided that the audit opinion name change in 1988, which did away with the ‘subject to’ qualified designation of going concern opinions (GCOs), was merely cosmetic and did not affect the information content of those opinions when the GCOs with ‘special language’ are announced in the financial media.
Adociasulfate 10, A New Merohexaprenoid Sulfate from the Sponge Haliclona (aka Adocia) sp.

Abstract The meroterpenoid adociasulfate 10 was isolated from the Palauan sponge Haliclona (aka Adocia ) sp., together with the previously reported metabolites adociasulfates 1–6. Unlike other adociasulfates, which contain mono- or di-sulfated hydroquinones, adociasulfate 10 contains an unusual glycolic acid residue in place of one of the sulfate groups. Adociasulfate 10 is an inhibitor of the kinesin family of microtubule motor proteins with an IC 50 of 7 μM.
Filling and emptying of the plasma sheet: Remote observations with 1–70 keV energetic neutral atoms

[1] This paper shows the first energetic neutral atom (ENA) observations of the extended plasma sheet, taken with the Medium Energy Neutral Atom (MENA) imager on the IMAGE spacecraft. We show that ENA emissions can be routinely observed back to several tens of RE deep in the magnetotail when IMAGE is in an appropriate orbital position. Enhanced emissions (high plasma sheet densities) are associated with high solar wind densities and with super dense plasma sheet observations at geosynchronous orbit. We examine two magnetospheric storm intervals where plasma sheet loading begins prior to the storms and continues under all IMF BZ orientations, reaching its maximum during the peaks of the storms. For several days following these storms ENA emissions are weak, indicating that the plasma sheet is depleted after the storms. This study indicates that routine ENA observations of the plasma sheet content could become an important part of space weather monitoring.
The TRIPS Agreement and transfer of climate-change-related technologies to developing countries

Despite numerous international commitments to promote transfer of climate-change-related technologies to developing countries, such transfers are not occurring at a rate fast enough to aid these nations in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. The impact of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on transfer of these technologies is discussed through a detailed examination of relevant TRIPS provisions. The article also addresses options for improving technology transfer through exploitation of existing TRIPS flexibilities, modification of the Agreement, and other public and private legal and policy avenues.
Dimethylmethoxyborane: vibrational assignment, conformational stability, ab initio calculations and barriers to internal rotation

Abstract The infrared (4000-50 cm−1) and Raman spectra (3500-10 cm−1) have been recorded for dimethylmethoxyborane, (CH3)2BOCH3, in both the gaseous and solid states. Additionally, the Raman spectrum of the liquid has been recorded and qualitative depolarization values obtained. Only one conformation has been found in all three physical states and, on the basis of the polarized nature of the Raman band assigned as the BC2 antisymmetric stretch, this conformer is identified as being the “planar” form with Cs molecular symmetry. A complete vibrational assignment is proposed based on the depolarization data, infrared gas phase band contours, and group frequencies. Additionally, variable temperature 13C NMR studies have been carried out and the barrier to rotation about the BO bond has been determined as 8.9 kcal mol−1. Structural parameters have been obtained from ab initio Hartree—Fock gradient calculations employing 3-21G and 6-31G* basis sets. The results are compared with the rα values obtained earlier from an electron-diffraction study. Potential-surface calculations have been carried out to determine the conformational stability and barriers to internal rotation. Frequencies and potential-energy distributions for the normal modes have been calculated utilizing the 3-21G basis set. All results are compared to the corresponding data for some other organoboranes.
Buffering global interconnects in structured ASIC design

Structured ASICs present an attractive alternative to reducing design costs and turnaround times in nanometer designs. As with conventional ASICs, such designs require global wires to be buffered. However, via-programmable designs must prefabricate and preplace buffers in the layout. This paper proposes a novel and accurate statistical estimation technique for distributing prefabricated buffers through a layout. It employs Rent's rule to estimate the buffer distribution required for the layout, so that an appropriate structured ASIC may be selected for the design. Experimental results show that the buffer distribution estimation is accurate and economic, and that a uniform buffer distribution can maintain a high degree of regularity in design and shows a good timing performance, comparable with nonuniform buffer distribution.
Er-Yb double-clad fiber amplifier

We present model calculations of gain at 1550 nm for Er-Yb double-clad amplifiers as a function of pump power, signal input power, fiber length, and temperature. The calculated gain is ~20 dB for a 6-W pump for a 20-mW input signal at 25 C. More than 10 W of amplified power can be obtained using an 8-m-long fiber with ~25 W of pump power. The gain decreases with increasing input signal. We show that a high-power Er-Yb codoped double-clad fiber amplifier also exhibits high gain for Yb transition near 1060 nm. This is not unexpected, since the input pump causes population inversion in Yb also.
Extended gate operations at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach: a preliminary assessment

The paper examines the implementation of extended gate operations at the Los Angeles/Long Beach ports. The programme, known as PierPASS, assesses a Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) on eligible containers moved into and out of the ports during peak hours. The fees are intended to defray the costs of extended operations at the ports. In this paper we focus on the implementation of the programme and its outcomes over a year of operation. We discuss the motivations and actions of key stakeholders and place our examination in the institutional framework of the goods movement supply chain. Our results are based primarily on a series of extended interviews with stakeholders, together with data provided by PierPASS and by three drayage trucker surveys. We find that the PierPASS programme was a response by terminal operators and steamship companies to growing political pressure. Given their market power within the supply chain, they were able to create a programme that protected their interests yet responded to politi...
Use of Teflon sliders in a modification of the concept of soft first storey

Abstract A practical system that deliberately introduces flexibility to the first storey of structures is described. The system utilizes Teflon sliders to carry a portion of the superstructure. Energy dissipation is provided by the first storey columns without sliders and by the Teflon sliders. The response characteristics of a multi-storey structure utilizing this concept are calculated and discussed. The results show that it is possible to provide effective protection to the superstructure while maintaining the stability of the first storey.
Improving patient safety in radiation oncology

Beginning in the 1990s, and emphasized in 2000 with the release of an Institute of Medicine report, health care providers and institutions have dedicated time and resources to reducing errors that impact the safety and well-being of patients. However, in January 2010, the first of a series of articles appeared in The New York Times that described errors in radiation oncology that grievously impacted patients. In response, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the American Society for Radiation Oncology sponsored a working meeting entitled "Safety in Radiation Therapy: A Call to Action." The meeting attracted 400 attendees, including medical physicists, radiation oncologists, medical dosimetrists, radiation therapists, hospital administrators, regulators, and representatives of equipment manufacturers. The meeting was co-hosted by 14 organizations in the United States and Canada. The meeting yielded 20 recommendations that provided a pathway to reducing errors and improving patient safety in radiation therapy facilities everywhere.
Impact of Orbital Eccentricity on the Detection of Transiting Extrasolar Planets

For extrasolar planets with orbital periods P > 10 days, radial velocity surveys find noncircular orbital eccentricities are common, e ~ 0.3. Future surveys for extrasolar planets using the transit technique will also have the sensitivity to detect these longer period planets. Orbital eccentricity affects the detection of extrasolar planets using the transit technique in two opposing ways: an enhancement in the probability for the planet to transit near pericenter and a reduction in the detectability of the transit due to a shorter transit duration. For an eccentricity distribution matching the currently known extrasolar planets with P > 10 days, the probability for the planet to transit is ~1.25 times higher than the equivalent circular orbit and the average transit duration is ~0.88 times shorter than the equivalent circular orbit. These two opposing effects nearly cancel for an idealized field transit survey with independent photometric measurements that are dominated by Poisson noise. The net effect is a modest ~4% increase in the transiting planet yield compared to assuming all planets have circular orbits. When intrinsic variability of the star or correlated photometric measurements are the dominant source of noise, the transit detectability is independent of the transit duration. In this case, the transit yield is ~25% higher than that predicted under the assumption of circular orbits. Since the Kepler search for Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone of a solar-type star is limited by intrinsic variability, the Kepler mission is expected to have a ~25% higher planet yield than that predicted for circular orbits if the Earth-sized planets have an orbital eccentricity distribution similar to the currently known Jupiter-mass planets.
Scalable approximate query processing with the DBO engine

This article describes query processing in the DBO database system. Like other database systems designed for ad hoc analytic processing, DBO is able to compute the exact answers to queries over a large relational database in a scalable fashion. Unlike any other system designed for analytic processing, DBO can constantly maintain a guess as to the final answer to an aggregate query throughout execution, along with statistically meaningful bounds for the guess's accuracy. As DBO gathers more and more information, the guess gets more and more accurate, until it is 100p accurate as the query is completed. This allows users to stop the execution as soon as they are happy with the query accuracy, and thus encourages exploratory data analysis.
Generalized canonical correlation analysis for disparate data fusion

Manifold matching works to identify embeddings of multiple disparate data spaces into the same low-dimensional space, where joint inference can be pursued. It is an enabling methodology for fusion and inference from multiple and massive disparate data sources. In this paper we focus on a method called Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) and its generalization Generalized Canonical Correlation Analysis (GCCA), which belong to the more general Reduced Rank Regression (RRR) framework. We present an efficiency investigation of CCA and GCCA under different training conditions for a particular text document classification task.
A model for calculating the effects of small inhomogeneities on electron beam dose distributions.

Charged particles penetrating a medium are repeatedly deflected from their line of motion by coulomb interactions with target nuclei. This physical feature should be included in the calculation of dose distributions when the irradiated medium contains small inhomogeneities. We use the mean path taken by particles in homogeneous media to represent their motion through inhomogeneous materials. This procedure adapts the small angle multiple scattering formalism to yield manageable, approximate solutions when a medium contains arbitrarily composed inhomogeneities. To promote the development of this procedure into an electron beam treatment planning program, we discuss the salient features which arise in connection with electron beam inhomogeneity calculations. We use a solid phantom containing an air cavity just below its surface as a particular example of a small inhomogeneity. We discuss qualitatively and quantitatively the dose distributions which result from their irradiation with an 11-MeV electron beam.