cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A large-system analysis of the imperfect-CSIT Gaussian broadcast channel with a DPC-based transmission strategy

The Gaussian broadcast channel (GBC) with K transmit antennas and K single-antenna users is considered for the case in which the channel state information is obtained at the transmitter via a finite-rate feedback link of capacity r bits per user. The throughput (i.e., the sum-rate normalized by K) of the GBC is analyzed in the limit as K → ∞ with r over K → r. Considering the transmission strategy of zeroforcing dirty paper coding (ZFDPC), a closed-form expression for the asymptotic throughput is derived. It is observed that, even under the finite-rate feedback setting, ZFDPC achieves a significantly higher throughput than zeroforcing beamforming. Using the asymptotic throughput expression, the problem of obtaining the number of users to be selected in order to maximize the throughput is solved.
Merger Review by the Federal Communications Commission: Comcast–NBC Universal

The Communications Act of 1934 created a dual review process in which mergers in the communications industry are reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as well as the antitrust authorities. Commentators have criticized dual review not only as costly and redundant, but also as subject to substantive and procedural abuse. The process of clearing the 2011 Comcast–NBC Universal merger provides a useful case study to examine whether such concerns are justified. A review of the empirical context reveals that the FCC intervened even though the relevant markets were not structured in a way that would ordinarily raise anticompetitive concerns. In addition, the FCC was able to use differences between its review process and that used by the Justice Department to extract concessions from the merging parties that had nothing to do with the merger and which were more properly addressed through general rulemaking. Moreover, the use of voluntary commitments also allowed the FCC to avoid subjecting certain aspects of its decision to public comment and immunized it from having to offer a reasoned explanation or subjecting its decision to judicial review. The aftermath of the merger provides an opportunity to assess whether the FCC’s intervention yielded consumer benefits.
Positive Gorenstein ideals

We introduce positive Gorenstein ideals. These are Gorenstein ideals in the graded ring $\RR[x]$ with socle in degree 2d, which when viewed as a linear functional on $\RR[x]_{2d}$ is nonnegative on squares. Equivalently, positive Gorenstein ideals are apolar ideals of forms whose differential operator is nonnegative on squares. Positive Gorenstein ideals arise naturally in the context of nonnegative polynomials and sums of squares, and they provide a powerful framework for studying concrete aspects of sums of squares representations. We present applications of positive Gorenstein ideals in real algebraic geometry, analysis and optimization. In particular, we present a simple proof of Hilbert's nearly forgotten result on representations of ternary nonnegative forms as sums of squares of rational functions. Drawing on our previous work, our main tools are Cayley-Bacharach duality and elementary convex geometry.
ISAAC: integrated silicon automotive accelerometer

Abstract The pervasiveness of automotive passive restraint systems has emphasized the need for improving system reliability while simultaneously reducing the cost and size of the system. This paper describes the integrated silicon automative accelerometer (ISAAC), which consists of a silicon micromachined die fabricated in a dissolved-wafer process and a CMOS ASIC trial are combined in a standard plastic package. The resultant device meets the functional, cost, and reliability requirements of the next generation of automotive passive restraint systems.
Implications of gauge unification for time variation of the fine structure constant

Abstract Unification of the gauge couplings would imply that time variations of the fine structure constant are accompanied by calculable and very significant time variations in the QCD scale parameter Λ QCD . Since Λ QCD is the dominant factor in setting the hadron masses, estimates made by simple variations of the fine structure constant may not provide meaningful limits. There may also be related variations in Yukawa couplings and the electroweak scale. Implications for the 21 cm hyperfine transition, big bang nucleosynthesis, and the triple alpha process are discussed. We find that the first of these already provides strong constraints on the underlying theory. It is emphasized more generally that time (and space) variations of fundamental couplings and their correlations may be a significant probe of ultra-high-energy physics.
Meta-Functional Benefit Transfer for Wetland Valuation: Making the Most of Small Samples

This study applies functional Benefit Transfer via Meta-Regression Modeling to derive valuation estimates for wetlands in an actual policy setting of proposed groundwater transfers in Eastern Nevada. We illustrate how Bayesian estimation techniques can be used to overcome small sample problems notoriously present in Meta-functional Benefit Transfer. The highlights of our methodology are: (i) The hierarchical modeling of heteroskedasticity; (ii) The ability to incorporate additional information via refined priors; and (ii) The derivation of measures of model performance with the corresponding option of model-averaged Benefit Transfer predictions. Our results indicate that economic losses associated with the disappearance of these wetlands can be substantial and that primary valuation studies are warranted.
The common elements of atomic and hadronic physics

Atomic physics and hadronic physics are both governed by the Yang Mills gauge theory Lagrangian; in fact, Abelian quantum electrodynamics can be regarded as the zero-color limit of quantum chromodynamics. I review a number of areas where the techniques of atomic physics can provide important insight into hadronic eigenstates in QCD. For example, the Dirac-Coulomb equation, which predicts the spectroscopy and structure of hydrogenic atoms, has an analog in hadron physics in the form of frame-independent light-front relativistic equations of motion consistent with light-front holography which give a remarkable first approximation to the spectroscopy, dynamics, and structure of light hadrons. The production of antihydrogen in flight can provide important insight into the dynamics of hadron production in QCD at the amplitude level. The renormalization scale for the running coupling is unambiguously set in QED; an analogous procedure sets the renormalization scales in QCD, leading to scheme-independent scale-fixed predictions. Conversely, many techniques which have been developed for hadron physics, such as scaling laws, evolution equations, the quark-interchange process and light-front quantization have important applicants for atomic physics and photon science, especially in the relativistic domain.
Control variates for quantile estimation

New point and interval estimators for quantiles that employ a control variate are introduced. The properties of these estimators do not depend on the usual assumption of joint normality between the random variable of interest and the control. Illustrative examples for queueing and stochastic activity network models are given. In those examples, the new estimators are superior to the standard estimator in terms of the mean squared error of the point estimator and the length of the confidence interval.
Foreign Professionals in the United States : Regulatory Impediments to Trade

Changes in demographics and patterns of investment in human capital are creating increased scope for international trade in professional services. India, one of the largest exporters of skilled services, and the United States, one of the largest importers of skilled services, are two countries that mirror these broader global trends. The scope for mutually beneficial trade is today inhibited not only by quotas and discriminatory taxation, but also by a number of domestic regulatory requirements--including qualification and licensing requirements. To illustrate the nature and implications of these regulatory impediments, this article focuses on the regulatory requirements that Indian professionals face in the US market. It explores the consequences of regulatory discrimination and the economic cost of regulations, and presents some illustrative estimates. The article concludes by examining how the trade-inhibiting impact of regulatory requirements could be addressed through bilateral and multilateral negotiations. Oxford University Press 2009, all rights reserved, Oxford University Press.
Circular and rectangular via holes formed in SiC via using ArF based UV excimer laser

Abstract Circular via holes with diameters of 10, 25, 50 and 70 μm and rectangular via holes with dimensions of 10 μm × 100 μm, 20 μm × 100 μm and 30 μm × 100 μm and drilled depths between 105 and 110 μm were formed in 300 μm thick bulk 4H-SiC substrates by Ar/F2 based UV laser drilling (λ = 193 nm) with a pulse width of ∼30 ns and a pulse frequency of 100 Hz. The drilling rate was linearly proportional to the fluence of the laser, however, the rate decreased for the larger via holes. The laser drilling produces much higher etch rates (229–870 μm/min) than conventional dry etching (0.2–1.3 μm/min) and the via entry can be tapered to facilitate subsequent metallization.
Suppression of superconductivity in the Hubbard model by buckling and breathing phonons.

We study the effect of buckling and breathing phonons, relevant for cuprate superconductors, on the d-wave superconductivity in the two-dimensional Hubbard model by employing dynamical cluster Monte Carlo calculations. The interplay of electronic correlations and the electron?phonon interaction produces two competing effects: an enhancement of the effective d-wave pairing interaction, which favors d-wave superconductivity, and a strong renormalization of the single-particle propagator, which suppresses superconductivity. In the region of the parameter space relevant for cuprate superconductors, we find that the buckling and the breathing phonons suppress the superconductivity.
RAPID TUNNELING AND PERCOLATION IN THE LANDSCAPE

Motivated by the possibility of a string landscape, we re-examine tunneling of a scalar field across single/multiple barriers. Recent investigations have suggested modifications to the usual picture of false vacuum decay that leads to efficient and rapid tunneling in the landscape when certain conditions are met. This can be due to stringy effects (e.g. tunneling via the DBI action), or effects arising from the presence of multiple vacua (e.g. resonance tunneling). In this paper we discuss both DBI tunneling and resonance tunneling. We provide a QFT treatment of resonance tunneling using the Schrodinger functional approach. We also show how DBI tunneling for supercritical barriers can naturally lead to conditions suitable for resonance tunneling. We argue, using basic ideas from percolation theory, that tunneling can be rapid in a landscape where a typical vacuum has multiple decay channels, and discuss various cosmological implications. This rapidity vacuum decay can happen even if there are no resonance/DBI tunneling enhancements, solely due to the presence of a large number of decay channels. Finally, we consider various ways of circumventing a recent no-go theorem for resonance tunneling in quantum field theory.
Surface plasmons at single nanoholes in Au films

The generation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at isolated nanoholes in 100nm thick Au films is studied using near-field scanning optical microscopy. Finite-difference time-domain calculations, some explicitly including a model of the scanning tip, are used to interpret the results. We find the holes act as point-like sources of SPPs and demonstrate that the interference between the SPP and a directly transmitted wave allows determination of the wavelength, phase, and decay length of the SPP. The near-field intensity patterns can be manipulated by varying the angle and polarization of the incident beam.
Multiscale signal detection in fractional Brownian motion

A multiresolution model of a discrete fractional Brownian motion is developed. The model leads to a multiscale algorithm for constructing the optimal filter that must be used in detection problems involving a fractional Brownian motion and white noise.
A longitudinal analysis of UK second-generation disadvantaged immigrants.

We consider the relative academic achievement in primary school of second-generation immigrant children in the UK. The education progress of these groups of children is of historical interest and is also relevant to the policy debate today, since ethnic minority students in England continue to have lower levels of achievement in primary school, though they go on to catch up with their white counterparts in secondary school. We use rich data for a cohort born in 1970 and find that children born to South Asian or Afro-Caribbean parents have significantly lower levels of cognitive achievement in both mathematics and language in primary school. Our analysis also reveals that the negative impact from being born to South Asian parents decreases during primary school, while the negative effect from being born to Afro-Caribbean parents remains approximately stable. Hence, our evidence shows that even as long ago as the late 1970s, while most ethnic minority groups had lower academic achievement in primary school,...
Complexity in Complex Analysis

Abstract We show that the classical kernel and domain functions associated to an n -connected domain in the plane are all given by rational combinations of three or fewer holomorphic functions of one complex variable. We characterize those domains for which the classical functions are given by rational combinations of only two or fewer functions of one complex variable. Such domains turn out to have the property that their classical domain functions all extend to be meromorphic functions on a compact Riemann surface, and this condition will be shown to be equivalent to the condition that an Ahlfors map and its derivative are algebraically dependent. We also show how many of these results can be generalized to finite Riemann surfaces.
Homegrown Democracy, Homegrown Democrats

Written on the eve of the 2004 American presidential election, this political narrative offers a critical reading of two models of democracy: Instant-Mix imperial democracy (bring to a boil, add oil, then bomb), criticized by Arundhati Roy, and Garrison Keillor’s Homegrown Democrat. Keillor’s pastoral view of democracy is anchored in LakeWobegon, his imaginary utopian community. His homegrown democracy is narrow, provincial, and White. The author concludes that he must look elsewhere for his alternative view of democracy.
Improving vehicle performance and operator ergonomics: Commercial application of smart materials and systems:

This article will discuss how controllable material technology, such as the use of active magnetorheological dampers, improves primary and secondary suspensions of vehicle. Although relatively new ...
Review of the performance of quantitative sensory testing methods to detect hyperalgesia in chronic pain patients on long-term opioids.

Background:Opioid-induced hyperalgesia is a clinical syndrome whereby patients on long-term opioids become more sensitive to pain while taking opioids. Opioid-induced hyperalgesia is characterized by increased pain intensity over time, spreading of pain to other locations, and increased pain sensati
Optical Scanner For Ball Bearing Inspection

A simple optical scanner has been designed to inspect bearing balls for surface defects. The scanner employs a fixed semicircular array of light sources to illuminate a rotating ball and an adjacent fixed array of light detectors to detect deviations from specularity on the ball surface. Each detector signal is processed by a separate channel of threshold detection electronics. The ball scanner must be able to inspect (track) balls which translate slightly as they rotate. To achieve high sensitivity and uniform surface coverage, a permanently balanced array of directional sources was built using fiber optics. Individual sources which can be accurately positioned and pointed were constructed using plastic fiber light guides and special cone shaped output apertures. Test results indicate that this scanner can reliably detect defects as small as 0.25 mm in diameter.
Lorentz invariance of effective strings

Abstract Starting from a Poincare-invariant field theory of a real scalar field with interactions governed by a double-well potential in 2+1 dimensions, the Lorentz representation induced on the collective coordinates describing low-energy excitations about an effective string background is derived. In this representation, Lorentz transformations are given in terms of an infinite series, in powers of derivatives along the world-sheet. Transformations that act on the direction transverse to the string world-sheet involve a universal dimension - 1 term. As a consequence, Lorentz invariance holds in this theory of long effective strings due to cancellations in the action between irrelevant terms and the dimension-2 term that describes free massless scalar fields in two dimensions.
AN ANALYTICAL SOLUTION FOR THE SELF- AND MUTUAL RADIATION RESISTANCES OF A RECTANGULAR PLATE

It is widely accepted that, for an arbitrary acoustic wavenumber, the radiation resistance of a simply supported rectangular plate has to be calculated through numerical integration. In this study, an analytical solution for the self- and mutual radiation resistances is obtained in the form of the power series of the non-dimensional acoustic wavenumber. Unlike the previous analytical or asymptotic solutions, it is not subject to any of the restrictions usually imposed upon the acoustic wavenumber. A few numerical examples are given simply to verify the solution and elucidate the reliance of the self- and mutual radiation resistances on the acoustic wavenumber and the plate aspect ratio. It is shown that the present formulae are extremely efficient by cutting the CPU time by orders of magnitude in comparison with the traditional numerical integration scheme. This investigation successfully fills the long-existing gap in solutions for the moderate wavenumbers that are often of primary concern in an acoustic analysis.
An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Cost Information and Feedback on Product Cost Decisions

Abstract. In this paper we report the results of an experiment designed to investigate the potential benefits of more accurate costing systems. Subjects in our experiment participated in one of four single-person decision making settings, which varied in terms of the accuracy of costing systems (less accurate versus more accurate cost reports) and in the complexity of the economic environment (less heterogeneous versus more heterogeneous products). The costing systems provided imperfect reports that subjects could use to select forecasts of future product costs. Forecast accuracy determined the resulting payoffs for subjects. In addition to having the cost reports when making forecasts, subjects also observed the association between forecasts and actual profits for previous periods and the rank ordering of the products' relative usage of resources at each of the production processes. The results from our experiment indicate that subjects did not select forecasts based only on reported costs. Rather they updated forecasts using profit feedback and the supplemental rank information about the products' relative usage of resources. We found that profits decreased as the complexity of economic environment increased but increased with the accuracy of cost reports. The profits associated with less accurate costing systems, however, were not as low as we would have predicted had the subjects used the cost reports as their forecasts. In fact, using profit feedback, subjects were able to converge toward optimal profits even with imperfect cost information.
Overview of virtual national laboratory objectives, plans, and projects

Significant experimental and theoretical progress has been made in the U.S. heavy ion fusion program on high-current sources, transport, and focusing. Currents over 200 mA have been transported through a matching section and 10 half-lattice periods with electric quadrupoles. An experiment shows control of high-beam current with an aperture, while avoiding secondary electrons. New theory and simulations of the neutralization of intense beam space charge with plasma in various focusing chamber configurations predict that near-emittance-limited beam focal spot sizes can be obtained even with beam perveance (ratio of beam space potential to ion energy) >10× higher than in earlier HIF focusing experiments. Progress in a new focusing experiment with plasma neutralization up to 10 -3 perveance, and designs for a next-step experiment to study beam brightness evolution from source to target are described.
Scheduling robotic cells served by a dual-arm robot

This article assesses the benefits of implementing a dual-arm robot in a flow shop manufacturing cell. Such a robot has the ability to tend (unload or load) to two adjacent machines simultaneously. This significantly changes the analysis required to find sequences of robot actions that maximize a cell's throughput. For cells processing identical parts, optimal sequences are identified for two- and three-machine cells and also structural results are derived for cells with an arbitrary number of machines. Cells processing different part-types are fully analyzed for the case of two-machine cells. For each case the productivity of single-arm and dual-arm robotic cells is compared.
Yuyos Are Not Weeds An Ecocritical Approach to Horacio Quiroga

Regardlessof whether or not Quiroga’s stories have a moral green or political agenda,they also deserve consideration in modern day attempts to study therelationship between literature and ecology. The reason for this is that byvirtue of their contents and of their artistic value, these stories bring theawareness to the place, in this case the South American tropical jungle beforeit resembled a square fragment of rain forest left standing on land cleared forpasture.
Progressive damage and delamination in plain weave S-2 glass/SC-15 composites under quasi-static punch-shear loading

Abstract Quasi-static punch-shear tests are carried out on plain weave (PW) S-2 glass/SC-15 epoxy composite laminates with a right circular cylinder punch. Load–unload tests are performed to identify the sequence and extent of damage and the corresponding displacements at which they occur for a wide range of laminate thicknesses. Energies absorbed at different levels of damage are obtained from the load–unload curves. Two different support spans of 25.4 mm (1 in.) and 101.6 mm (4 in.) diameter with different layers (1, 2, 4, 6, 11, and 22 with 0.6 mm ply thickness) of composite laminates are tested under quasi-static loading to identify compression-shear and tension-shear dominated modes of damage. After each test, the damaged plates are sectioned to visualize the extent of delamination and material damage. Numerical punch-shear experiments are conducted using LS-DYNA 970. The numerical modeling is carried out using a newly developed composite damage model, namely MAT 162, which has been incorporated into LS-DYNA. MAT 162 uses damage mechanics principle for progressive damage and material degradation. Input data required in MAT 162 have been calibrated to match the experimental results of 22-layer composite plate of both spans (25.4 and 101.6 mm). The calibrated material properties have been used to simulate other thicknesses, and the simulated results show good agreement with experiment results. It has been found that the dominant damage mechanisms are delamination and fiber breakage due to shear and tension.
Vacancy Ordering and Bonding Competition in the Group 9 Tellurides MxTe2 (M = Rh, Ir; 0.75 ≤ x ≤ 2): A Theoretical Study

The Rh-Te and Ir-Te binary systems for 50--78 atom% Te show remarkable differences in their phase and structural features at temperatures below 1,100 C. Extended Hueckel calculations are employed to investigate the influence of various orbital interactions on these differences. In general, a strong interrelationship among valence electron count, orbital characteristics at and near the Fermi levels, and relative strengths of M-Te, Te-Te, and M-M orbital interactions control the occurrence and structures of various M{sub x}Te{sub 2} compounds (0.75 {le} x {le} 2). Stronger Ir-Te than Rh-Te orbital interactions lead to the different low-temperature structures of IrTe{sub 2} (CdI{sub 2}-type) and RhTe{sub 2} (pyrite-type), but then short and intermediate-range Te-Te interactions lead to the pyrite-type structure for the defect phases M{sub 1{minus}u}Te{sub 2}. At temperatures above 600 C, RhTe{sub 2} (pyrite-type) is unstable relative to disproportionation to the stuffed CdI{sub 2}-type Rh{sub 1+x}Te{sub 2} and the defect pyrite-type Rh{sub 1{minus}u}Te{sub 2}. The Rh-rich phases, Rh{sub 1+x}Te{sub 2}, show ordered vacancies in alternating layers of octahedral holes and can be formulated as (Rh{sub 3}){sub x}(Rh){sub 1{minus}2x}Te{sub 2} (x {le} {1/2}) and (Rh{sub 3}){sub 1{minus}x}(Rh){sub 4x{minus}2}Te{sub 2} (x {ge} {1/2}) to emphasize the occurrence of linear Rh{sub 3} units in their structures.more » The pattern of vacancies in these structures follows the preference of Rh{sub 4n+3} oligomers over Rh{sub 4n+1} chains. Charge-iterative calculations of Rh atomic orbital energies in Rh{sub 1+x}Te{sub 2} (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0) were carried out to analyze the electronic properties of Rh throughout the series. As x increases, Rh-Te orbital interactions become less attractive and the concentration of Rh-Rh repulsive interactions grows. Both effects control the maximum value of x (observed to be 0.84) for this series and influence the pattern of occupied octahedral holes in the close-packed tellurium matrix.« less
The Equation of State of Neutron Star Matter in Strong Magnetic Fields

We study the effects of very strong magnetic fields on the equation of state (EOS) in multicomponent, interacting matter by developing a covariant description for the inclusion of the anomalous magnetic moments of nucleons. For the description of neutron star matter, we employ a field-theoretical approach, which permits the study of several models that differ in their behavior at high density. Effects of Landau quantization in ultrastrong magnetic fields (B > 1014 G) lead to a reduction in the electron chemical potential and a substantial increase in the proton fraction. We find the generic result for B > 1018 G that the softening of the EOS caused by Landau quantization is overwhelmed by stiffening due to the incorporation of the anomalous magnetic moments of the nucleons. In addition, the neutrons become completely spin polarized. The inclusion of ultrastrong magnetic fields leads to a dramatic increase in the proton fraction, with consequences for the direct Urca process and neutron star cooling. The magnetization of the matter never appears to become very large, as the value of |H/B| never deviates from unity by more than a few percent. Our findings have implications for the structure of neutron stars in the presence of large frozen-in magnetic fields.
A Conversation with Ulf Grenander

Ulf Grenander was born in Vastervik, Sweden, on July 23, 1923. He started his undergraduate education at Uppsala University, and earned his B.A. degree in 1946, the Fil. Lic. degree in 1948 and the Fil. Dr. degree in 1950, all from the University of Stockholm. His Ph.D. thesis advisor was Harald Cramer. Professor Grenander is well known for pathbreaking research in a number of areas including pattern theory, computer vision, inference in stochastic processes, probabilities on algebraic structures and actuarial mathematics. He has published more than one dozen influential books, of which Statistical Analysis of Stationary Time Series (1957, coauthored with M. Rosenblatt), Probabilities on Algebraic Structures (1963; also in Russian) and Abstract Inference (1981b) are regarded as classics. His three-volume lecture notes, namely, Pattern Synthesis (vol. I, 1976), Pattern Analysis (vol. II, 1978) and Regular Structures (vol. III, 1981a; also in Russian) created and nurtured a brand new area of research. During 1951–1966, Professor Grenander’s career path took him to the University of Chicago (1951–1952), the University of California–Berkeley (1952–1953), the University of Stockholm (1953–1957), Brown University (1957–1958) and the Institute for Insurance Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (1958–1966) as its Professor and Director. From 1966 until his retirement he was L. Herbert Ballou University Professor at Brown University. Professor Grenander also held the position of Scientific Director (1971–1973) of the Swedish Institute of Applied Mathematics. He has earned many honors and awards, including Arhennius Fellow (1948), Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (1953), Prize of the Nordic Actuaries (1961), Arnberger Prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science (1962), Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science (1965), Guggenheim Fellowship (1979) and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, London (1989). He has delivered numerous prestigious lectures, including the Rietz Lecture (1985), the Wald Lectures (1995) and the Mahalanobis Lecture (2004). Professor Grenander received an Honorary D.Sc. degree (1993) from the University of Chicago and is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1995) and the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. (1998). Professor Grenander’s career, life, passion and hobbies can all be summarized by one simple word: Mathematics.
On the polyhedral structure of a multi–item production planning model with setup times

We present and study a mixed integer programming model that arises as a substructure in many industrial applications. This model provides a relaxation of various capacitated production planning problems, more general fixed charge network flow problems, and other structured mixed integer programs. After distinguishing the general case, which is N P-hard, from a polynomially solvable case, we analyze the polyhedral structure of the convex hull of this model, as well as of a strengthened LP relaxation. Among other results, we present valid inequalities that induce facets of the convex hull in the general case. These inequalities suffice to solve this model by linear programming in the polynomially solvable case mentioned above, and they have proven computationally effective in solving capacitated lot-sizing problems (see also Miller et al. [2000a, 2000b]).
Quantizers with uniform encoders and channel optimized decoders

Scalar quantizers with uniform encoders and channel optimized decoders are studied for uniform sources and binary symmetric channels. It is shown that the natural binary code (NBC) and folded binary code (FBC) induce point density functions that are uniform on proper subintervals of the source support, whereas the Gray code (GC) does not induce a point density function. The mean-squared errors (MSE) for the NBC, FBC, GC, and for randomly chosen index assignments are calculated and the NBC is shown to be mean-squared optimal among all possible index assignments, for all bit-error rates and all quantizer transmission rates. In contrast, it is shown that almost all index assignments perform poorly and have degenerate codebooks.
Exchange-rate pass through, openness, and the sacrifice ratio

Abstract Considerable recent work has reached mixed conclusions about whether and how globalization affects the inflation–output trade-off and suggests that the ultimate effect of openness on the output–inflation relationship is influenced by a variety of factors. In this paper, we consider the impact of exchange-rate pass through and examine how pass through conditions the effect of openness on the sacrifice ratio. We develop a simple theoretical model showing how the extent of both pass through and openness can interact to influence the output–inflation relationship. Next we empirically explore the nature of these two variables and their interaction. Results indicate that greater pass through increases the sacrifice ratio, that there is statistically significant interaction between pass through and openness, and—once the extent of pass through is taken into account alongside other factors that affect the sacrifice ratio, such as central bank independence—openness fails to exert an empirically robust effect on the sacrifice ratio.
Immobilization of Olefin Metathesis Catalysts on Monolithic Sol–Gel: Practical, Efficient, and Easily Recyclable Catalysts for Organic and Combinatorial Synthesis

Glass-bound Ru-based catalysts! Ru-containing glass pellets efficiently promote olefin metathesis reactions and are easily employed in syntheses of compound libraries. These robust catalysts are active in air and commercially available solvents, can be recycled up to 16 times, and removed from reaction mixtures with a simple pair of tweezers (minimal solvent waste).
More on lensing by a cosmological constant

The question of whether or not the cosmological constant affects the bending of light around a concentrated mass has been the subject of some recent papers. We present here a simple, specific and transparent example where A bending clearly takes place, and where it is clearly neither a coordinate effect nor an aberration effect. We then show that in some recent works using perturbation theory the A contribution was missed because of initial too stringent smallness assumptions. Namely, our method has been to insert a Kottler (Schwarzschild with A) vacuole into a Friedmann universe, and to calculate the total bending within the vacuole. We assume that no more bending occurs outside. It is important to observe that while the mass contribution to the bending takes place mainly quite near the lens, the A bending continues throughout the vacuole. Thus, if one deliberately restricts one's search for A bending to the immediate neighbourhood of the lens, one will not find it. Lastly, we show that the A bending also follows from standard Weyl focusing, and so again, it cannot be a coordinate effect.
The Valuation Impact on Distressed Residential Transactions: Anatomy of a Housing Price Bubble

Most previous empirical studies on foreclosure price discounts are based on data from housing-markets during periods of relative stability (Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Arlington, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nevada in 1980s and 1990s). The few studies with sample periods containing the Liquidity Crisis of 2008 were all focused on the Las Vegas market and even fewer studies have examined the pricing implications of short sale transactions. This study examines the discounts associated with foreclosure and short sale status in the Fresno, California from 2006 to 2010, a time period containing significant housing price volatility. Generally, we find approximately 20 % and 13 % discounts for foreclosure transactions and short sale transactions, respectively. These discounts remain consistent even after controlling for endogeneity of time-on-the-market and self-selection bias. We also document that both the foreclosure and short-sale discounts are time varying based on market conditions. Both foreclosure and short-sale discounts increase from 2008 to 2009 and decrease in 2010. Also, the foreclosure status decreases time on the market while the short-sale status increases time on the market.
Choosing fair lotteries to defeat the competition

We study the following game: each agent i chooses a lottery over nonnegative numbers whose expectation is equal to his budget b i . The agent with the highest realized outcome wins (and agents only care about winning). This game is motivated by various real-world settings where agents each choose a gamble and the primary goal is to come out ahead. Such settings include patent races, stock market competitions, and R&D tournaments. We show that there is a unique symmetric equilibrium when budgets are equal. We proceed to study and solve extensions, including settings where agents choose their budgets (at a cost) and where budgets are private information.
PARTICLE ACCELERATION IN PAIR-STARVED PULSARS

We investigate the physical situation above the pulsar polar cap (PC) where the accelerating primaries (electrons) are not capable of producing sufficient numbers of electron-positron pairs at low altitudes (within ~1-2 stellar radii above the PC surface) to screen the accelerating electric field, E∥, and continue accelerating up to at least the very high altitudes nearly approaching the light cylinder. We derive an analytic solution for the E∥ valid at high altitudes. The solution is based on the physical condition of asymptotic vanishing of the rotationally induced transverse electric field within the magnetic flux tube. This condition constrains the asymptotic value of the effective space charge that determines the distribution of electrostatic E∥ within the magnetic tube. Our estimates of low- to high-altitude values of E∥ imply the occurrence of a regime of primary acceleration [with the characteristic Lorentz factor up to ~(1-2) × 107] all the way from the PC to the light cylinder limited by curvature radiation reaction. In this model the primary outflow becomes asymptotically force-free and may turn into a relativistic wind beyond the light cylinder. Such a solution will apply to both older pulsars producing only inverse Compton scattering pairs and younger very high B pulsars (magnetars). We suggest that pulsars, which are lying below the pair death line, may be radio-quiet γ-ray sources.
Information Measures: The Curious Case of the Binary Alphabet

Four problems related to information divergence measures defined on finite alphabets are considered. In three of the cases we consider, we illustrate a contrast that arises between the binary-alphabet and larger alphabet settings. This is surprising in some instances, since characterizations for the larger alphabet settings do not generalize their binary-alphabet counterparts. In particular, we show that $f $ -divergences are not the unique decomposable divergences on binary alphabets that satisfy the data processing inequality, thereby clarifying claims that have previously appeared in the literature. We also show that Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence is the unique Bregman divergence, which is also an $f $ -divergence for any alphabet size. We show that KL divergence is the unique Bregman divergence, which is invariant to statistically sufficient transformations of the data, even when nondecomposable divergences are considered. Like some of the problems we consider, this result holds only when the alphabet size is at least three.
Benchmark problems in structural control: part I—Active Mass Driver system

This paper presents the overview and problem definition for a benchmark structural control problem. The structure considered—chosen because of the widespread interest in this class of systems—is a scale model of a three-storey building employing an active mass driver. A model for this structural system, including the actuator and sensors, has been developed directly from experimentally obtained data and will form the basis for the benchmark study. Control constraints and evaluation criteria are presented for the design problem. A simulation program has been developed and made available to facilitate comparison of the efficiency and merit of various control strategies. A sample control design is given to illustrate some of the design challenges. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Orbit transfer with very low acceleration

Abstract Minimum-fuel transfer in a specified duration tf is analyzed under the assumption of constant specific impulse and a limit AM on acceleration so low that orbital averaging is permissible. The initial orbit is assumed circular so that only three orbital parameters are required. The total ΔV then depends only on the initial and final orbits and on the product AMtf. This ΔV is evaluated for the cases of transfer to equatorial geosynchronous orbit from low parking orbits with inclinations zero and 28.5°.
An Estimation of the Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow Apparent Optical Brightness Distribution Function

By using recent publicly available observational data obtained in conjunction with the NASA Swift gamma-ray burst (GRB) mission and a novel data analysis technique, we have been able to make some rough estimates of the GRB afterglow apparent optical brightness distribution function. The results suggest that 71% of all burst afterglows have optical magnitudes with mR < 22.1 at 1000 s after the burst onset, the dimmest detected object in the data sample. There is a strong indication that the apparent optical magnitude distribution function peaks at mR ≈ 19.5. Such estimates may prove useful in guiding future plans to improve GRB counterpart observation programs. The employed numerical techniques might find application in a variety of other data analysis problems in which the intrinsic distributions must be inferred from a heterogeneous sample.
Stochastic Modeling of Traffic Flow Breakdown Phenomenon: Application to Predicting Travel Time Reliability

This paper presents a modeling approach in generating random flow breakdowns on congested freeways and capturing subsequent wave propagation among heterogeneous drivers. The approach is intended for predicting travel time variability caused by such stochastic phenomena. It is assumed that breakdown may occur at different flow levels with some probability and would sustain for a random duration. This is modeled at the microscopic level by considering speed changes that are initiated by a leading vehicle and propagated by the following vehicles with correlated-distributed behavioral parameters. Numerical results from a Monte Carlo simulation demonstrate that the proposed stochastic modeling approach produces a realistic macroscopic traffic flow behavior and can be used to generate travel time distributions.
Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) Thermometry in a Model Gas Turbine Can Combustor

Non-intrusive, spatially resolved instantaneous temperature measurements are presented that were obtained from a reacting spray flame in a model gas turbine can combustor using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) thermometry. The results show that CARS measurements agree with thermocouple measurements at the exit of the combustor. The liquid droplet induced dielectric breakdown is not an obstacle in applying CARS to reacting sprays. The CARS measured temperature field also indicates that there is a relatively cool region (T < 1000 K) near the nozzle tip. Reaction occurs in the region where large numbers of droplets are present and in the interface of the swirl-induced recirculation zone. This study demonstrates that CARS is a viable diagnostic tool for non-intrusive, instantaneous temperature measurements in practical spray flames.Copyright © 1992 by ASME
Photonic crystal optical biosensor incorporating structured low-index porous dielectric

The sensitivity of a photonic crystal optical biosensor is greatly enhanced through the incorporation of low refractive index porous dielectric material into the device structure. In this work, computer models are used to predict the reflectance spectra and sensitivity performance of a one-dimensional photonic crystal biosensor. A manufacturable replication method is demonstrated that can produce a low-index dielectric periodic surface structure with a 550 nm period over large surface areas. The sensitivity of porous glass biosensors is characterized and compared with sensors incorporating non-porous polymer material. Results for detection of proteins, polymer layers, and bulk liquids indicate up to a four-fold sensitivity increase.
The logic behind thick, liquid-walled, fusion concepts

Abstract It may be possible to surround the region where fusion reactions are taking place with a neutronically thick liquid blanket which has penetrations that allow only a few tenths of a percent of the neutrons to leak out. Even these neutrons can be attenuated by adding an accurately placed liquid or solid near the target to shadow-shield the beam ports from line-of-sight neutrons. The logic of such designs is discussed and their evolution is described with examples applied to both magnetic and inertial fusion (HYLIFE-II). These designs with liquid protection are self-healing when exposed to pulsed loading, and have a number of advantages over the usual designs with solid first walls. For example, the liquid-protected solid components will last the life of the plant, and therefore the capacity factor is estimated to be approximately 10% higher than for the non-liquid-walled blankets, because no blanket replacement shutdowns are required. The component replacement, operations, and maintenance costs might be half the usual value because no blanket change-out costs or accompanying facilities are required. These combined savings might lower the cost of electricity by 20%. Nuclear-grade construction should not be needed, largely because the liquid attenuates neutrons and results in less activation of materials. Upon decommissioning, the reactor materials should qualify for disposal by shallow burial even when constructed of ordinary 304 stainless steel. The need for a high-intensity 14-MeV neutron test facility to develop first-wall materials is avoided or greatly reduced, saving billions of development dollars. Flowing molten Li, the molten salt Flibe (Li2BeF4), and molten Li17Pb83 have been considered. An advantage of molten salt is that it will not burn and has a low tritium solubility and therefore low tritium inventory.
Dynamic Verification of Memory Consistency in Cache-Coherent Multithreaded Computer Architectures

Multithreaded servers with cache-coherent shared memory are the dominant type of machines used to run critical network services and database management systems. To achieve the high availability required for these tasks, it is necessary to incorporate mechanisms for error detection and recovery. Correct operation of the memory system is defined by the memory consistency model. Errors can therefore be detected by checking if the observed memory system behavior deviates from the specified consistency model. Based on recent work, we design a framework for dynamic verification of memory consistency (DVMC). The framework consists of mechanisms to verify three invariants that are proven to guarantee that a specified memory consistency model is obeyed. We describe an implementation of the framework for the SPARCv9 architecture, and we experimentally evaluate its performance using full-system simulation of commercial workloads.
Modular monodentate oxaphospholane ligands: utility in highly efficient and enantioselective 1,4-diboration of 1,3-dienes

Chiral monodentate ligands are important tools for the control of enantioselectivity in catalytic reactions. These compounds are particularly important when transition metal catalysts lack sufficient coordination sites to bind a bidentate ligand and still retain activity. Along these lines, modular, tunable chiral carbenes[1] and phosphoramidites[2] have found particular prominence in the field of asymmetric catalysis. Aside from these compound classes, however, there is a relative paucity of effective, tunable monodentate chiral ligands that have found widespread utility. In recent studies on platinum-catalyzed enantioselective diene diboration, we achieved limited success when optimizing chiral phosphoramidite and phosphonite ligands for certain substrates.[3,4] Because catalytic diboration benefits from the presence of electron-rich monodentate phosphines[5], we considered that solutions to problematic substrates might arise from the availability of a readily preparable, tunable, chiral, Lewis basic phosphine ligand.[6] In this manuscript, we describe the synthesis and properties of enantiomerically enriched modular 1,3-oxaphospholanes (termed OxaPhos ligands, Scheme 1). These ligands are readily available from the combination of an enantiopure epoxide, a primary phosphine, and a ketone or the derived ketal.[7] In addition to describing their synthesis and properties, we also describe their use in the catalytic 1,4-diboration of challenging diene substrates.