cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Particles and Polymer Binder Interaction: A Controlling Factor in Lithium-Ion Electrode Performance

Author(s): Liu, G; Zheng, H; Song, X; Battaglia, VS | Abstract: This paper investigates lithium-ion electrode laminates as polymer composites to explain their performance variation due to changes in formulation. There are three essential components in a positive electrode laminate: active material (AM) particles, acetylene black (AB) particles, and the polymer binder. The high filler content and discrete particle sizes make the electrode laminate a very unique polymer composite. This work introduces a physical model in which AB and AM particles compete for polymer binder, which forms fixed layers of polymer on their surfaces. This competition leads to the observed variations in electrode morphology and performance for different electrode formulations. The electronic conductivities of the cathode laminates were measured and compared to an effective conductivity calculation based on the physical model to probe the interaction among the three components to reveal the critical factors controlling electrode conductivity and electrochemical performance. The data and effective conductivity calculation results agree very well with each other. This developed physical model provides a theoretical guideline for optimization of electrode composition for most polymer binder-based Li-ion battery electrodes. © 2012 The Electrochemical Society.
The instrumentation of multics

An array of measuring tools devised to aid in the implementation of a prototype computer utility is discussed. These tools include special hardware clocks and data channels, general purpose programmed probing and recording tools, and specialized measurement facilities. Some particular measurements of interest in a system which combines demand paging with multiprogamming are described in detail. Where appropriate, insight into effectiveness (or lack thereof) of individual tools is provided.
Low-complexity bit-parallel canonical and normal basis multipliers for a class of finite fields

We present a new low-complexity bit-parallel canonical basis multiplier for the field GF(2m) generated by an all-one-polynomial. The proposed canonical basis multiplier requires m/sup 2/-1 XOR gates and m/sup 2/ AND gates. We also extend this canonical basis multiplier to obtain a new bit-parallel normal basis multiplier.
General isotropic flags are general (for Grassmannian Schubert calculus)

We show that general isotropic flags for odd-orthogonal and symplectic groups are general for Schubert calculus on the classical Grassmannian in that Schubert varieties defined by such flags meet transversally. This strengthens a result of Belkale and Kumar. Schubert varieties ­IEin a classical flag manifold G/P are given by a flag Eand a Schubert condition I (3). By Kleiman's Transversality Theorem (4), if the flags E 1
Pickup suppression in sagnac-based fiber-optic acoustic sensor array

Large-scale acoustic fiber sensor arrays consisting of hundreds of hydrophones distributed along kilometers-long fiber buses are required for applications such as undersea oil exploration. Sagnac-based sensor arrays (SSAs) exhibit attractive performance; however, the acoustic wave incident on the buses generates a pickup signal that can swamp the signals from the hydrophones. A simple technique for reducing this unwanted pickup is proposed, modeled, and demonstrated by periodically inserting deaf hydrophones in the buses instead of hydrophones so the pickup signal is measured at different locations along the buses. The first method directly subtracts the deaf hydrophone signal from the signal seen by the adjacent hydrophone (true signal and pickup) to recover the true hydrophone signal. This method is limited to small signal amplitudes by the nonlinearity of the Sagnac interferometer. The second method corrects the nonlinearity before pickup subtraction and allows in principle a full suppression of the pickup. When applied to an experimental two-rung SSA, this technique produced a -18.6-dB pickup suppression for pickup amplitudes as large as 0.44 rad and signal amplitudes of up to 0.44 rad and -15 dB for a signal as large as 0.88 rad. These values are limited by the accuracy of the 8-bit data acquisition and/or electronic noise. With a low-noise 12-bit data acquisition, the pickup suppression for small signal amplitudes is predicted to be -35 dB. This paper makes headway toward practical SSAs.
Solvent-free catalytic enantioselective C–C bond forming reactions with very high catalyst turnover numbers

Rhodium(II)-catalyzed reactions of donor/acceptor carbenoids can be achieved with catalyst loadings as low as 6 × 10−7 mol equivalents when the reactions are conducted in the absence of solvent. ReactIR studies demonstrate that donor/acceptor carbenoids are ideal for achieving high catalyst turnover numbers due to the rapid reactions of their diazo precursors and the enhanced selectivity of this class of carbenoids.
Contextual bandits with similarity information

In a multi-armed bandit (MAB) problem, an online algorithm makes a sequence of choices. In each round it chooses from a time-invariant set of alternatives and receives the payoff associated with this alternative. While the case of small strategy sets is by now well-understood, a lot of recent work has focused on MAB problems with exponentially or infinitely large strategy sets, where one needs to assume extra structure in order to make the problem tractable. In particular, recent literature considered information on similarity between arms. We consider similarity information in the setting of contextual bandits, a natural extension of the basic MAB problem where before each round an algorithm is given the context--a hint about the payoffs in this round. Contextual bandits are directly motivated by placing advertisements on web pages, one of the crucial problems in sponsored search. A particularly simple way to represent similarity information in the contextual bandit setting is via a similarity distance between the context-arm pairs which bounds from above the difference between the respective expected payoffs. Prior work on contextual bandits with similarity uses "uniform" partitions of the similarity space, so that each context-arm pair is approximated by the closest pair in the partition. Algorithms based on "uniform" partitions disregard the structure of the payoffs and the context arrivals, which is potentially wasteful. We present algorithms that are based on adaptive partitions, and take advantage of "benign" payoffs and context arrivals without sacrificing the worst-case performance. The central idea is to maintain a finer partition in high-payoff regions of the similarity space and in popular regions of the context space. Our results apply to several other settings, e.g., MAB with constrained temporal change (Slivkins and Upfal, 2008) and sleeping bandits (Kleinberg et al., 2008a).
Do CRA‐Related Events Affect Shareholder Wealth? The Case of Bank Mergers

This study explores how Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) protests and their resolution affect the market value of merging banks. We find, in contrast to earlier research, that CRA-related events are not associated with significant negative market reactions for either bidder or target institutions. Rather, the market does not seem to respond strongly to CRA-related events at all. The results appear to stem from the choice of an estimation period for establishing an institution's baseline stock-market price dynamics that does not include abnormal security price movements induced by the merger announcement.
An oracle separating ⊕ P from PP PH

Abstract We prove the existence of an oracle A such that ΘP A is not contained in PP PH A . This separation follows in a straightforward manner from a circuit complexity result, which is also proved here: To compute the parity of n inputs, any constant depth circuit consisting of a single threshold gate on top of and's and or's requires exponential size in n .
Deep play: notes on the Balinese cockfight

This reading alerts us that Americans hold no monopoly on popular culture. Geertz relates both the various events surrounding and the deeper cultural meaning of an example of popular culture, cockfighting on a South Pacific island. He contrasts his interpretation of engaging in “deep play” (extremely high stakes activities) with Jeremy Bentham’s famous earlier characterization of irrational behavior. For Geertz, cockfighting in Bali engages central cultural values such as honor, dignity, and respect. Thus, rather than seeing Balinese men betting unreasonable amounts of money on a mere game, Geertz portrays what appears as play to be a deadly serious struggle over relative status.
Effective field theory for the small x evolution

The small-x behavior of structure functions in the saturation region is determined by the non-linear generalization of the BFKL equation. I suggest the effective field theory for the small-x evolution which solves formally this equation. The result is the 2+1 functional integral for the structure functions at small x.
Practical Method for Transforming Alkynes into α-Diketones

Oxidation of alkynes to α-dicarbonyl derivatives through a convenient one-pot procedure via a Bronsted acid-promoted “hydration” and a DMSO-based oxidation sequence has been achieved in high yields. The scope and limitations of the reaction have also been investigated.
Quark masses, the Dashen phase, and gauge field topology

Abstract The CP violating Dashen phase in QCD is predicted by chiral perturbation theory to occur when the up–down quark mass difference becomes sufficiently large at fixed down-quark mass. Before reaching this phase, all physical hadronic masses and scattering amplitudes are expected to behave smoothly with the up-quark mass, even as this mass passes through zero. In Euclidean space, the topological susceptibility of the gauge fields is positive at positive quark masses but diverges to negative infinity as the Dashen phase is approached. A zero in this susceptibility provides a tentative signal for the point where the mass of the up quark vanishes. I discuss potential ambiguities with this determination.
Preparation and Sintering of Colloidal Silica‐Potassium Silicate Gels

Porous silica gelled from colloidal silica and potassium silicate mixtures as developed by Shoup has been investigated. Various gels exhibit an average pore size from 50 to 250 nm and a porosity up to 85%. Dealkalization by solution leaching is found to depend on the average pore size and is easier for large pore sizes. A domain model has been proposed for the gel networks to account for the observation of both macropores and mesopores as measured by Hg porosimetry and N2 desorption, respectively. The pore coarsening observed during sintering is explained by the material transport from areas around interdomain pores to those around intradomain pores in order to minimize the total surface energy.
Strategies to Fight Ad-Sponsored Rivals

We analyze the optimal strategy of a high-quality incumbent that faces a low-quality ad-sponsored competitor. In addition to competing through adjustments of tactical variables such as price or the number of ads a product carries, we allow the incumbent to consider changes in its business model. We consider four alternative business models: a subscription-based model; an ad-sponsored model; a mixed model in which the incumbent offers a product that is both subscription based and ad sponsored; and a dual model in which the incumbent offers two products, one based on the ad-sponsored model and the other based on the mixed business model. We show that the optimal response to an ad-sponsored rival often entails business model reconfigurations. We also find that when there is an ad-sponsored entrant, the incumbent is more likely to prefer to compete through the subscription-based or the ad-sponsored model, rather than the mixed or the dual model, because of cannibalization and endogenous vertical differentiation concerns. We discuss how our study helps improve our understanding of notions of strategy, business model, and tactics in the field of strategy.
Remarks on the Rayleigh-Bénard Convection on Spherical Shells

The main objective of this article is to study the effect of spherical geometry on dynamic transitions and pattern formation for the Rayleigh-Benard convection. The study is mainly motivated by the importance of spherical geometry and convection in geophysical flows. It is shown in particular that the system always undergoes a continuous (Type-I) transition to a 2l c -dimensional sphere $${S^{2l_c}}$$ , where l c is the critical wave number corresponding to the critical Rayleigh number. Furthermore, it has shown in Ma and Wang (Physica D 239:3–4, 167–189, 2010) that it is critical to add nonisotropic turbulent friction terms in the momentum equation to capture the large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns. We show in particular that the system with turbulent friction terms added undergoes the same type of dynamic transition, and obtain an explicit formula linking the critical wave number (pattern selection), the aspect ratio, and the ratio between the horizontal and vertical turbulent friction coefficients.
The Metrics of Human Rights: Complementarities of the Human Development and Capabilities Approach

Abstract Capabilities and human rights are closely related and share common commitments to freedom and justice as central political objectives. Much of the literature on this relationship has focused on defining the overlaps and differences between them as theoretical concepts. This paper explores a different aspect of the relationship, namely the overlaps and differences in their respective measurement approaches. The paper argues that human development indicators that are used to evaluate policies for capability expansion, or human development, cannot substitute for human rights indicators because of the differences in them as concepts as well as the way that these concepts are used and applied. Human rights indicators are used to assess the accountability of the state in complying with the obligations that are codified in international and domestic law. However, the literature of development economics and the methods of empirical analysis and aggregative summary measurements extensively used in the hum...
Chlorination of 3-Substituted Sydnones with Dichloroiodobenzene

Abstract 3-Substituted sydnones (cf. 1) form the 4-chloro congeners 3 cleanly, in good yield using PhICl2 in the presence of triethylamine.
HIDDEN UNITY IN THE QUANTUM DESCRIPTION OF MATTER

We introduce an algebraic framework for interacting quantum systems that enables studying complex phenomena, characterised by the coexistence and competition of various broken symmetry states of matter. The approach unveils the hidden unity behind seemingly unrelated physical phenomena, thus establishing exact connections between them. This leads to the fundamental concept of universality of physical phenomena, a general concept not restricted to the domain of critical behaviour. Key to our framework is the concept of languages and the construction of dictionaries relating them.
Tandem Z‐Selective Cross‐Metathesis/Dihydroxylation: Synthesis of anti‐1,2‐Diols

A stereoselective synthesis of anti-1,2-diols has been developed using a multitasking Ru catalyst in an assisted tandem catalysis protocol. A cyclometalated Ru complex catalyzes first a Z-selective cross-metathesis of two terminal olefins, followed by a stereospecific dihydroxylation. Both steps are catalyzed by Ru, as the Ru complex is converted to a dihydroxylation catalyst upon addition of NaIO4. A variety of olefins were transformed into valuable, highly functionalized, and stereodefined molecules. Mechanistic experiments were performed to probe the nature of the oxidation step and catalyst inhibition pathways. These experiments point the way to more broadly applicable tandem catalytic transformations.
And then there were none: a stall-free real-time garbage collector for reconfigurable hardware

Programmers are turning to radical architectures such as reconfigurable hardware (FPGAs) to achieve performance. But such systems, programmed at a very low level in languages with impoverished abstractions, are orders of magnitude more complex to use than conventional CPUs. The continued exponential increase in transistors, combined with the desire to implement ever more sophisticated algorithms, makes it imperative that such systems be programmed at much higher levels of abstraction. One of the fundamental high-level language features is automatic memory management in the form of garbage collection.We present the first implementation of a complete garbage collector in hardware (as opposed to previous "hardware-assist" techniques), using an FPGA and its on-chip memory. Using a completely concurrent snapshot algorithm, it provides single-cycle access to the heap, and never stalls the mutator for even a single cycle, achieving a deterministic mutator utilization (MMU) of 100%.We have synthesized the collector to hardware and show that it never consumes more than 1% of the logic resources of a high-end FPGA. For comparison we also implemented explicit (malloc/free) memory management, and show that real-time collection is about 4% to 17% slower than malloc, with comparable energy consumption. Surprisingly, in hardware real-time collection is superior to stop-the-world collection on every performance axis, and even for stressful micro-benchmarks can achieve 100% MMU with heaps as small as 1.01 to 1.4 times the absolute minimum.
0-Hecke algebra actions on coinvariants and flags

The 0-Hecke algebra H n (0) is a deformation of the group algebra of the symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}_{n}$ . We show that its coinvariant algebra naturally carries the regular representation of H n (0), giving an analogue of the well-known result for $\mathfrak{S}_{n}$ by Chevalley---Shephard---Todd. By investigating the action of H n (0) on coinvariants and flag varieties, we interpret the generating functions counting the permutations with fixed inverse descent set by their inversion number and major index. We also study the action of H n (0) on the cohomology rings of the Springer fibers, and similarly interpret the (non-commutative) Hall---Littlewood symmetric functions indexed by hook shapes.
Searching for New Reactivity (Nobel Lecture)

The processes for the selective oxidation of olefins have long been among the most useful tools for day-to-day organic synthesis. Herein, the focus is on the asymmetric-epoxidation (AE) and asymmetric-dihydroxylation (AD) reactions developed by Sharpless and co-workers. The reactions have a wide scope, are simple to run, and involve readily available starting materials. Ligand-accelerated catalysis is crucial to these reactions and might be the agent for uncovering more catalytic processes. In addition to the selectivity benefits of catalysis, the phenomenon of turnover (amplification) raises its potential impact. The author and his co-workers developed small, highly enantioselective catalysts that were unfettered by the "lock-and-key" selectivity of Natures enzymes, and tolerant of substrates throughout the entire range of olefin substitution patterns.
Ascent Sequences Avoiding Pairs of Patterns

Ascent sequences were introduced by Bousquet-Melou et al. in connection with (2+2)-avoiding posets and their pattern avoidance properties were first considered by Duncan and Steingr i msson. In this paper, we consider ascent sequences of length $n$ avoiding two patterns of length 3, and we determine an exact enumeration for 16 different pairs of patterns. Methods include simple recurrences, bijections to other combinatorial objects (including Dyck paths and pattern-avoiding permutations), and generating trees. We also provide an analogue of the Erd ő s-Szekeres Theorem to prove that any sufficiently long ascent sequence contains either many copies of the same number or a long increasing subsequence, with a precise bound.
The real exchange rate and economic development

Fil: Rapetti, Martin. CEDES. Centro de Estudio de Estado y Sociedad, Area de Economia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET); Argentina
Sparse Image Reconstruction for Molecular Imaging

The application that motivates this paper is molecular imaging at the atomic level. When discretized at subatomic distances, the volume is inherently sparse. Noiseless measurements from an imaging technology can be modeled by convolution of the image with the system point spread function (psf). Such is the case with magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM), an emerging technology where imaging of an individual tobacco mosaic virus was recently demonstrated with nanometer resolution. We also consider additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) in the measurements. Many prior works of sparse estimators have focused on the case when H has low coherence; however, the system matrix H in our application is the convolution matrix for the system psf. A typical convolution matrix has high coherence. This paper, therefore, does not assume a low coherence H. A discrete-continuous form of the Laplacian and atom at zero (LAZE) p.d.f. used by Johnstone and Silverman is formulated, and two sparse estimators derived by maximizing the joint p.d.f. of the observation and image conditioned on the hyperparameters. A thresholding rule that generalizes the hard and soft thresholding rule appears in the course of the derivation. This so-called hybrid thresholding rule, when used in the iterative thresholding framework, gives rise to the hybrid estimator, a generalization of the lasso. Estimates of the hyperparameters for the lasso and hybrid estimator are obtained via Stein's unbiased risk estimate (SURE). A numerical study with a Gaussian psf and two sparse images shows that the hybrid estimator outperforms the lasso.
Discovery of the Ultra-Bright Type II-L Supernova 2008es

We report the discovery by the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE-IIIb) telescope of SN 2008es, an overluminous supernova (SN) at z = 0.205 with a peak visual magnitude of –22.2. We present multiwavelength follow-up observations with the Swift satellite and several ground-based optical telescopes. The ROTSE-IIIb observations constrain the time of explosion to be 23 ± 1 rest-frame days before maximum. The linear decay of the optical light curve, and the combination of a symmetric, broad Hα emission line profile with broad P Cygni Hβ and Na I λ5892 profiles, are properties reminiscent of the bright Type II-L SNe 1979C and 1980K, although SN 2008es is greater than 10 times more luminous. The host galaxy is undetected in pre-supernova Sloan Digital Sky Survey images, and similar to Type II-L SN 2005ap (the most luminous SN ever observed), the host is most likely a dwarf galaxy with Mr > – 17. Swift Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope observations in combination with Palomar 60 inch photometry measure the spectral energy distribution of the SN from 200 to 800 nm to be a blackbody that cools from 14000 K at the time of the optical peak to 6400 K 65 days later. The inferred blackbody radius is in good agreement with the radius expected for the expansion speed measured from the broad lines (10000 km s^–1). The bolometric luminosity at the optical peak is 2.8 × 10^44 erg s^–1, with a total energy radiated over the next 65 days of 5.6 × 10^50 erg. The exceptional luminosity of SN 2008es requires an efficient conversion of kinetic energy produced from the core-collapse explosion into radiation. We favor a model in which the large peak luminosity is a consequence of the core collapse of a progenitor star with a low-mass extended hydrogen envelope and a stellar wind with a density close to the upper limit on the mass-loss rate measured from the lack of an X-ray detection by the Swift X-Ray Telescope.
A Zero Divisor Graph Determined by Equivalence Classes of Zero Divisors

We study the zero divisor graph determined by equivalence classes of zero divisors of a commutative Noetherian ring R. We demonstrate how to recover information about R from this structure. In particular, we determine how to identify associated primes from the graph.
Fermion production during and after axion inflation

We study derivatively coupled fermions in axion-driven ination, specically m 2 2 and monodromy ination, and calculate particle production during the inationary epoch and the post-inationary axion oscillations. During ination, the rolling axion acts as an eec- tive chemical potential for helicity which biases the gravitational production of one fermion helicity over the other. This mechanism allows for ecient gravitational production of heavy
On Poisson solvers and semi-direct methods for computing area based optical flow

Simchony, Chellappa, and Shao (1990) proposed a semi-direct method for computing area based optical flow. Their method is based on the iterative application of a direct Poisson solver. This method is restricted to Dirichlet boundary conditions, i.e., it is applicable only when velocity vectors at the boundary of the domain are known a priori. The authors show, both experimentally and through analysis, that the semi-direct method converges only for very large smoothness. At such levels of smoothness, the solution is obtained merely by filling in the known boundary values; the data from the image is almost totally ignored. Next, the authors consider the Concus and Golub method (1973), another semi-direct method, for computing optical flow. This method always converges, but the convergence is too slow to be of any practical value. The authors conclude that semi-direct methods are not suited for the computation of area based optical flow. >
Feedback‐driven Evolution of the Far‐Infrared Spectral Energy Distributions of Luminous and Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

We calculate infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from simulations of major galaxy mergers, and study the effect of active galactic nucleus (AGN) and starburst-driven feedback on the evolution of the SED as a function of time. We use a self-consistent three-dimensional radiative equilibrium code to calculate the emergent SEDs and to make images. To facilitate a simple description of our findings, we describe our results in reference to an approximate analytic solution for the far-IR SED. We focus mainly on the luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) and ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) phases of evolution. We contrast the SEDs of simulations performed with AGN feedback to simulations performed with starburst-driven wind feedback. We find that the feedback processes critically determine the evolution of the SED. Changing the source of illumination (whether stellar or AGN) has virtually no impact on the reprocessed far-infrared SED. We find that AGN feedback is particularly effective at dispersing gas and rapidly injecting energy into the ISM. The observational signature of such powerful feedback is a warm SED. In general, simulations performed with starburst-driven winds have colder spectra and reprocess more of their emission into the infrared, resulting in higher infrared to bolometric luminosities compared to (otherwise equivalent) simulations performed with AGN feedback. We depict our results in IRAS, as well as in Spitzer's MIPS bands, and in Herschel's PACS bands.
Skew strikes back: new developments in the theory of join algorithms

Evaluating the relational join is one of the central algorithmic and most well-studied problems in database systems. A staggering number of variants have been considered including Block-Nested loop join, Hash-Join, Grace, Sort-merge (see Grafe [17] for a survey, and [4, 7, 24] for discussions of more modern issues). Commercial database engines use finely tuned join heuristics that take into account a wide variety of factors including the selectivity of various predicates, memory, IO, etc. This study of join queries notwithstanding, the textbook description of join processing is suboptimal. This survey describes recent results on join algorithms that have provable worst-case optimality runtime guarantees. We survey recent work and provide a simpler and unified description of these algorithms that we hope is useful for theory-minded readers, algorithm designers, and systems implementors. Much of this progress can be understood by thinking about a simple join evaluation problem that we illustrate with the so-called triangle query, a query that has become increasingly popular in the last decade with the advent of social networks, biological motifs, and graph databases [36, 37]
Localized beampipe heating due to e- capture and nuclear excitation in heavy ion colliders

At heavy ion colliders, two major sources of beam loss are expected to be e+e− production, where the e− is bound to one of the nuclei, and photonuclear excitation and decay via neutron emission. Both processes alter the ions charged to mass ratio by well-defined amounts, creating beams of particles with altered magnetic rigidity. These beams will deposit their energy in a localized region of the accelerator, causing localized heating. The size of the target region depends on the collider optics. For medium and heavy ions, at design luminosity at the Large Hadron Collider, local heating may be more than an order of magnitude higher than expected. This could cause magnet quenches if the local cooling is inadequate. The altered-rigidity beams will also produce localized radiation damage. The beams could also be extracted and used for fixed target experiments.
An Efficient Algorithm for 2D Euclidean 2-Center with Outliers

For a set Pof npoints in i¾?2, the Euclidean 2-center problem computes a pair of congruent disks of the minimal radius that cover P. We extend this to the (2,k)-center problem where we compute the minimal radius pair of congruent disks to cover ni¾? kpoints of P. We present a randomized algorithm with O(nk7log3n) expected running time for the (2,k)-center problem. We also study the (p,k)-center problem in i¾?2under the i¾? i¾? -metric. We give solutions for p= 4 in O(kO(1)nlogn) time and for p= 5 in O(kO(1)nlog5n) time.
Perinatal outcome of triplet gestation: Does prophylactic cerclage make a difference

Objective: To compare the perinatal outcome of triplet gestations with and without prophylactic cerclage.Methods: A retrospective chart review of all triplet gestations delivered between January 1988 and June 1997 was performed. Only women initiating prenatal care before 15 weeks gestation were included. The cerclage group was compared to the no-cerclage group for maternal and perinatal outcome variables. Student t-test, Chi-square, and Fisher's exact test were used for analysis.Results: Twenty of the 59 (33.8%) sets of triplet gestations had prophylactic cerclage. There were no differences between groups when compared for maternal age, parity, preterm labor rate, gestational diabetes, anemia, antenatal steroid use, histologic chorioamnionitis, and postoperative endometritis. In addition, there were no differences in mean birth weight, Apgar scores, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), intraventricular hemorrhage/periventricular leucomalacia (IVH/PVL), and neonatal mortality. Although the mean gestational...
Functoriality and the inverse Galois problem

We prove that, for any primeand any even integer n, there are infinitely many exponents k for which PSp n (Fk) appears as a Galois group over Q. This generalizes a result of Wiese from 2006, which inspired this paper.
PLANNING, COORDINATING, AND MONITORING CLINICAL TRIALS*

Medication use dates far back into ancient times, when superstition, serendipity, bias, and religious beliefs determined the modes of medical care delivery. More recent times, where scientific methodology interacts with the art of medicine, still exude overtones of this unusual history.Evolution of the drug development process also brought with it a corresponding progression in human experimentation. The clinical trials sponsored between 1960 and 1980, while scientifically more advanced than previous efforts, were often sponsored in an indiscriminate fashion. Sometimes, sponsors supported clinical researchers and institutions that rarely delivered usable results. There was little direction and virtually no planning in many of these endeavors. The application of project management techniques is the parameter that has changed the most in clinical research.Drug development is the purposeful pursuit of scientific data to characterize and quantify a new drug product and document its usefulness. The usual terms...
Rotating intersecting M-branes

We present intersecting p-brane solutions of eleven-dimensional supergravity (M-branes) which upon toroidal compactification reduce to non-extreme rotating black holes. We identify harmonic functions, associated with each M-brane, and non-extremality functions, specifying a deviation from the BPS limit. These functions are modified due to the angular momentum parameters, which specify the rotation along the transverse directions of the M-branes. We spell out the intersection rules for the eleven-dimensional space-time metric for intersecting (up to three) rotating M-brane configurations (and a boost along the common intersecting direction).
Building Effective Online Marketplaces with Institution-Based Trust

Institution-based trust is a buyer's perception that effective third-party institutional mechanisms are in place to facilitate transaction success. This paper integrates sociological and economic theories about institution-based trust to propose that the perceived effectiveness of three IT-enabled institutional mechanisms-specifically feedback mechanisms, third-party escrow services, and credit card guarantees-engender buyer trust in the community of online auction sellers. Trust in the marketplace intermediary that provides the overarching institutional context also builds buyer's trust in the community of sellers. In addition, buyers' trust in the community of sellers (as a group) facilitates online transactions by reducing perceived risk. Data collected from 274 buyers in Amazon's online auction marketplace provide support for the proposed structural model. Longitudinal data collected a year later show that transaction intentions are correlated with actual and self-reported buyer behavior. The study shows that the perceived effectiveness of institutional mechanisms encompasses both "weak" (market-driven) and "strong" (legally binding) mechanisms. These mechanisms engender trust, not only in a few reputable sellers, but also in the entire community of sellers, which contributes to an effective online marketplace. The results thus help explain why, despite the inherent uncertainty that arises when buyers and sellers are separated in time and in space, online marketplaces are proliferating. Implications for theory are discussed, and suggestions for future research on improving IT-enabled trust-building mechanisms are suggested.
Detection of MicroRNAs in Dried Serum Blots

We observed the preservation of microRNAs in unrefrigerated dried serum blots. Preservation was not adversely affected by drying or storing at 37, 45, or 60°C instead of room temperature, but it was harmed when blots were dried incompletely before storage. Preservation of microRNAs in serum was not diminished if, instead of being kept frozen at -80°C, it was stored as dried blots at room temperature for 5 months or at 37°C for 4 weeks. Thus, dried blots can be a convenient and safer way to save, transport, and store serum for microRNA assays.
Programming pervasive spaces

In principle, the entire world can exploit ubiquitous and pervasive systems to great societal benefits. In practice, however, there is as yet no fundamental basis or widely accepted programming models for such systems. There is also no established curriculum for teaching pervasive and sensor-based computing. In this talk, I will present our ongoing research efforts in defining and supporting programmable pervasive spaces. I will start by presenting our experience and lessons learnt in building "assistive environments" for the elderly, to demonstrate the need for space programmability and to define critical new requirements particular to pervasive spaces. I will then present ATLAS, a middleware architecture and a sensor platform that supports self-integration and enables SODA - a service-oriented programming model. I will show how ATLAS was used as the foundation on which we built and programmed the Gator Tech Smart House, and how it enabled pervasive application development, and scalable data collection and analysis. I will then delineate the limitations of SODA and present programming model extensions that address space and user safety as well as reliability and scalability. Finally, I will present our views of a possible ecosystem within which our programming models and system support can be used to promote the proliferation of programmable and manageable pervasive systems.
Quantum Mechanics and the Metrics of General Relativity

A one-to-one correspondence is established between linearized space-time metrics of general relativity and the wave equations of quantum mechanics. Also, the key role of boundary conditions in distinguishing quantum mechanics from classical mechanics, will emerge naturally from the procedure. Finally, we will find that the methodology will enable us to introduce not only test charges but also test masses by means of gauges.
Splitting Methods for Convex Clustering

Clustering is a fundamental problem in many scientific applications. Standard methods such as k-means, Gaussian mixture models, and hierarchical clustering, however, are beset by local minima, which are sometimes drastically suboptimal. Recently introduced convex relaxations of k-means and hierarchical clustering shrink cluster centroids toward one another and ensure a unique global minimizer. In this work, we present two splitting methods for solving the convex clustering problem. The first is an instance of the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM); the second is an instance of the alternating minimization algorithm (AMA). In contrast to previously considered algorithms, our ADMM and AMA formulations provide simple and unified frameworks for solving the convex clustering problem under the previously studied norms and open the door to potentially novel norms. We demonstrate the performance of our algorithm on both simulated and real data examples. While the differences between the two algori...
Two CdZnTe detector-equipped gamma-ray spectrometers for attribute measurements on irradiated nuclear fuel

Some United States Department of Energy-owned spent fuel elements from foreign research reactors (FRRs) are presently being shipped from the reactor location to the US for storage at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Two cadmium zinc telluride detector-based gamma-ray spectrometers have been developed to confirm the irradiation status of these fuels. One spectrometer is configured to operate underwater in the spent fuel pool of the shipping location, while the other is configured to interrogate elements on receipt in the dry transfer cell at the INEEL’s Interim Fuel Storage Facility (IFSF) Both units have been operationally tested at the INEEL.
Single-cell and metagenomic analyses indicate a fermentative and saccharolytic lifestyle for members of the OP9 lineage

OP9 is a yet-uncultivated bacterial lineage found in geothermal systems, petroleum reservoirs, anaerobic digesters and wastewater treatment facilities. Here we use single-cell and metagenome sequencing to obtain two distinct, nearly complete OP9 genomes, one constructed from single cells sorted from hot spring sediments and the other derived from binned metagenomic contigs from an in situ-enriched cellulolytic, thermophilic community. Phylogenomic analyses support the designation of OP9 as a candidate phylum for which we propose the name 'Atribacteria'. Although a plurality of predicted proteins is most similar to those from Firmicutes, the presence of key genes suggests a diderm cell envelope. Metabolic reconstruction from the core genome suggests an anaerobic lifestyle based on sugar fermentation by Embden-Meyerhof glycolysis with production of hydrogen, acetate and ethanol. Putative glycohydrolases and an endoglucanase may enable catabolism of (hemi)cellulose in thermal environments. This study lays a foundation for understanding the physiology and ecological role of the 'Atribacteria'.
Nonassociative algebras and groups with property (T)

We extend the results of Ershov, Jaikin-Zaiprin, and Kassabov on property (T) to certain groups "coordinatized" by nonassociative algebras, thereby giving new examples of groups with property (T).
Molecular oxygen reactions catalyzed by an oxorhenium(V) compound

Abstract The new binuclear oxothiolatorhenium(V) compound, Re2O2(mtp)3, D1, mtpH2=2-(mercaptomethyl)thiophenol, was found to activate molecular oxygen, which has no precedent in oxorhenium catalysis. The kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of triaryl phosphines and methyl phenyl phosphines by O2 were investigated. The reaction pathway inferred from the kinetic data involves two Re(VII) intermediates, a peroxo and a μ-oxo species. The rate constants were determined for both steps in this reaction. The μ-oxo Re(VII) intermediate further reacts with a second phosphine forming more phosphine oxide as D1 is recovered. This step is very rapid, and does not affect the kinetics. Other substrates, taken alone, such as sulfides and dienes, which coordinate to D1 weakly, or do not coordinate, were not oxidized by molecular oxygen. However, in the presence of a small amount of phosphine to open up the sulfur bridge in D1, then sulfides and dienes were also oxidized to sulfoxides and epoxides accordingly. The relative reactivities of the substrates fall in the order: phosphines>sulfides>dienes.
The Economics of Energy Security

Energy security is the ability of households, businesses, and government to accommodate disruptions in supply in energy markets. This survey considers the economic dimensions of energy security and political and other noneconomic security concerns and discusses policy approaches that could enhance US energy security. A number of points emerge. First, energy security is enhanced by reducing consumption, not imports. A policy to eliminate oil imports, for example, will not enhance US energy security, whereas policies to reduce energy consumption can improve energy security. Second, energy security is distinct from considerations of energy externalities. Energy security taxes are appealing on political grounds but are more difficult to justify on economic grounds. Finally, the contrasting concerns over energy security between policy makers and economists are striking. The article notes some possible reasons for these differing views and suggests possible research opportunities in this area.
Perception of Human Motion

AbstractHumans, being highly social creatures, rely heavily on the ability to perceive what others are doing and to infer from gestures and expressions what others may be intending to do. These perceptual skills are easily mastered by most, but not all, people, in large part because human action readily communicates intentions and feelings. In recent years, remarkable advances have been made in our understanding of the visual, motoric, and affective influences on perception of human action, as well as in the elucidation of the neural concomitants of perception of human action. This article reviews those advances and, where possible, draws links among those findings.
PATTERN OF THE APPROXIMATE MASS DEGENERACY OF MAJORANA NEUTRINOS

In view of the recently reported evidence for a nonzero Majorana mass of the electron neutrino, together with the established phenomena of atmospheric and solar neutrino oscillations, the case of three nearly mass-degenerate Majorana neutrinos is now an interesting possibility. We show in this paper how a natural pattern of symmetry breaking in the recently proposed A4 model of Majorana neutrino masses can accommodate the data on neutrino oscillations, resulting in the predictions sin2 2θatm = 1 and sin2 2θsol = 2/3.
Switched detector for beam position monitor

The NSLS (National Synchrotron Light Source) storage rings use sets of four button electrodes to determine the transverse position of the stored electron beam in the vacuum chamber. By means of GaAs switches, the 211 MHz component of the induced signals on each of the four buttons is measured in turn by a single amplifier-detector channel. These signals are then stored in four sample and hold circuits. The measurement cycle is repeated at a rate of 40 kHz. The required sums and differences of these signals are obtained by analog means. The results are normalized with respect to beam intensity by servoing the gain of the amplifier-detector channel such that the sum of the signals from the four buttons is maintained at a fixed value. The prototype receiver provides +or-20 mu m resolution within a 300 Hz bandwidth over a 30 dB dynamic range. The receiver is relatively insensitive to beam energy and to the number of bunches stored in the machine. >
Singular Trajectories in Multi-Input Time-Optimal Problems: Application to Controlled Mechanical Systems

This paper deals with the time-optimal control problem for a class of control systems which includes controlled mechanical systems with possible dissipation terms. The Lie algebras associated with such mechanical systems have certain special properties. These properties are explored and used in conjunction with the Pontryagin maximum principle to determine the structure of singular extremals and, in particular, time-optimal trajectories. The theory is illustrated by an application to a time-optimal problem for a class of underwater vehicles.
The Cooperation Argument for Fairness in International Trade

The Cooperation Argument for Fairness in International Trade ISUS X Panel: Welfare Consequentialism and Global Distribution Abstract. Many moral complaints about the way in which the contemporary multilateral trading regime distributes benefits and burdens across the members of distinct nations are put in terms of fairness. We are told that the current system of international trade not only impacts adversely on the basic welfare of the global poor, but is also unfair, in the sense that it arbitrarily skews distributive outcomes in favor of developed countries. The intuitive force of such complaints appears to pose a problem for welfare consequentialists. Not only do claims of fairness have no intrinsic significance within welfare consequentialism, but fairness can conflict with the pursuit of goals that do have clear welfare consequentialist warrant. Some have suggested that the connection between fairness and socially beneficial cooperation provides a way for welfare consequentialists to incorporate concerns of distributive fairness in international trade into their theory. This paper outlines that argument and considers the challenges that it faces. Helena de Bres Department of Philosophy Wellesley College hdebres@wellesley.edu
Control of decoherence in open quantum systems using feedback

Quantum feedback is assuming increasingly im- portant role in quantum control and quantum information processing. In this work we analyze the application of such feedback techniques in eliminating decoherence in open quan- tum systems. In order to apply such system theoretic methods we first analyze the invariance properties of quadratic forms which corresponds to expected value of a measurement and present conditions for decouplability of measurement outputs of such time-varying open quantum systems from environmental effects.