cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toxicity of azathioprine and monocrotaline in murine sinusoidal endothelial cells and hepatocytes: The role of glutathione and relevance to hepatic venoocclusive disease

The mechanisms leading to hepatic venoocclusive disease (HVOD) remain largely unknown. Azathioprine and monocrotaline were studied as part of a series of studies looking at a variety of toxins that induce HVOD to find common features that might be of pathogenic significance. In a previous study, dacarbazine showed selective in vitro toxicity to sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) compared with hepatocytes and a key role for SEC glutathione (GSH) was demonstrated. Murine SEC and hepatocytes were isolated and studied in culture. Azathioprine and monocrotaline were found to be selectively more toxic to SEC than to hepatocytes. The relative resistance of hepatocytes to azathioprine was due to enhanced GSH defense: hepatocytes exposed to azathioprine maintained intracellular GSH levels better than SEC, particularly when supplemental GSH precursors were added, and hepatocyte resistance was completely overcome by depletion of intracellular GSH. In contrast, monocrotaline toxicity in hepatocytes was largely unaffected by depletion of GSH, which suggests that selectivity of monocrotaline for SEC may be attributable to differences in metabolic activation. Both compounds are detoxified by GSH in SEC, as demonstrated by enhanced toxicity in the presence of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) and attenuation of toxicity with exogenous GSH. SEC GSH levels were more than 70% to 80% depleted by monocrotaline and azathioprine, respectively, before cell death. Azathioprine and monocrotaline are selectively toxic to SEC; the mechanism of toxicity in the SEC may be caused by profound GSH depletion.
Capillary Flow Solder Wettability Test

A test procedure was developed to assess the capillary flow wettability of solders inside a confined geometry. The test geometry comprised two parallel plates with a controlled gap of constant thickness (0.008 cm, 0.018 cm, 0.025 cm and 0.038 cm). Capillary flow was assessed by: (1) the meniscus or capillary rise of the solder within the gap; (2) the extent of void formation in the gap; and (3) the time dependence of the risen solder film. Tests were performed with the lead‐free solders 95Sn‐5Sb, 96.5Sn‐3.5Ag, and 91.84Sn‐3.33Ag‐4.83Bi. The capillary rise of the lead‐free solders was less than that observed with the 63Sn‐37Pb control. Reducing the solder surface tension and contact angle improved capillary flow. Void formation by the non lead solders increased as the gap became smaller. The extent of voiding was determined primarily by the gap size rather than the wettability parameters (contact angle or surface tension) of the individual alloys.
Metallization to asymmetric cladding separate confinement heterostructure lasers

Annealed and nonannealed p‐contact metallization for asymmetric cladding separate confinement heterostructure lasers with a thin p‐cladding layer is reported. Ti–Au and annealed Ti–Pt–Au p‐type contacts are demonstrated to improve the adhesion over a pure gold contact and allow annealing of the metallization to thin p‐cladding laser structures at the expense of an increase in the optical loss. The increased optical loss is due to the decreased conductivity of titanium and platinum as compared to gold. As little as 10 A of titanium is adequate for an adhesion layer and only increases the optical loss by 1.6 cm −1 over a pure gold metallization which has an optical loss of 10.0 cm−1. A metallization of 15 A Ti−15 A Pt−1500 A Au is adequate for an anneal at 410 °C for 10 s and increases the optical loss by 7.0 cm −1.
High burnup performance of LMFBR fuel rods—Recent GE experience☆

Abstract A series of tests designed to evaluate the high burnup irradiation performance of mixed oxide fuel rods has acheived substantial burnup in EBR-II without incidence of failure. Several stainless steel cladding alloys and fuel configurations were irradiated over a broad range of operating conditions up to 16.3 at. % burnup, 47 kW/m linear power, and 570°C cladding temperature. Extensive examination showed the rods to be in good condition after extended operation in both loose and tight wire wrap spaced assembly configurations. In fuel rods with typical near-term LMFBR design parameters, cladding inelastic strains in the range from 0.3 to 0.8% were commonly observed at about 10 atom % burnup. The inelastic strain appears to increase with burnup and fluence, with the possibility of threshold values for these variables. Preliminary analyses suggest that the cladding inelastic strain was not entirely caused by pressure from released fission gases. Microstructural examinations indicated good fuel-cladding chemical compatibility and comparable behavior for both physically-mixed and coprecipitated fuel. Significant results include: the observation of negligible fuel-cladding gap in low power fuel at ∼8 atom % burnup, and partial closure of the central void in annular fuel at ∼10 atom % burnup.
Modeling of fracture in ferroelectric ceramics

Ferroelectric ceramics are used in applications ranging from actuators and sensors to ultrasonic motors. A significant shortcoming of these materials in structural applications is their inherent brittleness. Specifically, most ferroelectrics have fracture toughness levels on the order of \( K_{Ic} = 1 MPa\sqrt m \). The characteristic of ferroelectric ceramics that makes them useful as smart materials is their ability to deform and change polarization irreversibly by the mechanism of domain switching. In a manner akin to transformation toughening, domain switching leads to R-curve behavior and toughness enhancement during crack growth in ferroelectrics. Hence, an understanding of the dissipation due to domain switching and the fracture mechanics governing these materials is crucial for the efficient design of ferroelectric devices.
Progress on the active alignment system for the IXO mirrors

The next large x-ray astrophysics mission launched will likely include soft x-ray spectroscopy as a primary capability. A requirement to fulfill the science goals of such a mission is a large-area x-ray telescope focusing sufficient x-ray flux to perform high-resolution spectroscopy with reasonable observing times. The IXO soft x-ray telescope effort in the US is focused on a tightly nested, thin glass, segmented mirror design. Fabrication of the glass segments with the required surface accuracy is a fundamental challenge; equally challenging will be the alignment of the ~7000 secondary mirror segments with their corresponding primary mirrors, and co-alignment of the mirror pairs. We have developed a system to perform this alignment using a combination of a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and a double-pass Hartmann test alignment system. We discuss the technique, its ability to correct low-order mirror errors, and results of a recent pair alignment including progress toward the required alignment accuracy of < 2 arcseconds. We then look forward toward its scalability to the task of building the IXO telescope.
A Large-Area Search for Low-Mass Objects in Upper Scorpius. I. The Photometric Campaign and New Brown Dwarfs

We present a wide-field photometric survey covering ~200 deg^2 toward the Upper Scorpius OB association. Data taken in the R and I bands with the Quest-2 camera on the Palomar 48 inch (1.2 m) telescope were combined with the Two Micron All Sky Survey JHK_S survey and used to select candidate pre-main-sequence stars. Follow-up spectroscopy with the Palomar 200 inch (5.1 m) telescope of 62 candidate late-type members identified 43 stars that have surface gravity signatures consistent with association membership. From the optical/near-infrared photometry and derived spectral types we construct an H-R diagram for the new members and find 30 likely new brown dwarfs, nearly doubling the known substellar population of the Upper Scorpius OB association. Continuation of our spectroscopic campaign should reveal hundreds of new stellar and substellar members.
Elevated peripheral blood mononuclear cell-derived superoxide production in healthy young black men

Several studies have demonstrated that blacks exhibit elevations in systemic oxidative stress. However, the source(s) and mechanism(s) contributing to the elevation in oxidative stress remain uncle...
High transverse momentum suppression and surface effects in Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions within the PQM model

We study parton suppression effects in heavy-ion collisions within the parton quenching model (PQM). After a brief summary of the main features of the model, we present comparisons of calculations for the nuclear modification and the away-side suppression factor to the data in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ =200 GeV. We discuss properties of light hadron probes and their sensitivity to the medium density within the PQM Monte Carlo framework.
Beginning anew: same principles, different direction for research ethics.

In “Rethinking Research Ethics,” Rosamond Rhodes offers a wide-ranging critique of the problems emerging from what she characterizes as “research dogmas” (Rhodes 2005, 7–28) underlying current prot...
Thermal Emission of Exoplanet XO-1b

We estimate flux ratios of the extrasolar planet XO-1b to its host star XO-1 at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 μm with IRAC on the Spitzer Space Telescope to be -->0.00086 ± 0.00007, -->0.00122 ± 0.00009, -->0.00261 ± 0.00031, and -->0.00210 ± 0.00029, respectively. The fluxes are inconsistent with a canonical cloudless model for the thermal emission from a planet and suggest an atmosphere with a thermal inversion layer and a possible stratospheric absorber. A newly emerging correlation between the presence of a thermal inversion layer in the planetary atmosphere and stellar insolation of the planet, as by Burrows and colleagues, is refined. The substellar point flux from the parent star at XO-1b of ~ -->0.49 × 109 erg cm−2 s−1 sets a new lower limit for the occurrence of a thermal inversion in a planetary atmosphere.
Renormalization of boundary fermions and world-volume potentials on D-branes

We consider a sigma model formulation of open string theory with boundary fermions carrying Chan–Paton charges at the string ends. This formalism is particularly suitable for studying world-volume potentials on D-branes. We perform explicit two-loop computations of the potential T-dual to the non-Abelian Born–Infeld action. We also discuss the world-volume couplings of NS fluxes which are responsible for Myers' dielectric effect.
Latent scope bias in categorization

Abstract Categories often have unobservable diagnostic features. For example, if a person is a lawyer, one might expect him to be both well dressed and knowledgeable about the law. However, without observing the person in a courtroom, one cannot tell whether or not he is knowledgeable about the law. How might we categorize the well-dressed person before we know whether or not he possesses a particular category feature? Two studies showed that, all else equal, individuals prefer to group exemplars into categories that specify fewer unobserved and unobservable features — i.e., those that have a narrower latent scope — to those with a broader latent scope. In Experiment 1, participants were more likely to classify novel exemplars as part of a social category that had a narrower latent scope in a verbal task. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the scope bias generalizes to contexts in which category structure is never explicitly specified.
Intergenerational risk sharing and fiscal policy

Abstract Risk-sharing implications of alternative fiscal policies are compared in a stochastic production economy with overlapping generations. Ex ante efficiency is shown to be achievable with optimal transfers, regardless of distributional concerns. For CRRA preferences, stylized real-world policies (notably safe debt and safe pensions) are found inefficient in the direction of imposing not enough productivity risk on retirees and too much on future generations. Safe transfers can be rationalized as efficient if preferences display age-increasing risk aversion, such as habit formation. The ubiquity of safe transfers suggests that governments treat the young as more risk tolerant than older cohorts.
Bijections for the Shi and Ish arrangements

The Shi hyperplane arrangementShi(n) was introduced by Shi to study the Kazhdan-Lusztig cellular structure of the affine symmetric group. The Ish hyperplane arrangementIsh(n) was introduced by Armstrong in the study of diagonal harmonics. Armstrong and Rhoades discovered a deep combinatorial similarity between the Shi and Ish arrangements. We solve a collection of problems posed by Armstrong (2013) and Armstrong and Rhoades (2012) by giving bijections between regions of Shi(n) and Ish(n) which preserve certain statistics. Our bijections generalize to the 'deleted arrangements' Shi(G) and Ish(G) which depend on a graph G on n vertices. The key tools in our bijections are the introduction of an Ish analog of parking functions called rook words and a new instance of the cycle lemma of enumerative combinatorics.
The synthesis and structural characterization of the first bis(benzocrown ethers) with polyyne linkages

Bis(benzo-15-crown-5)buta-1,3-diyne and bis(benzo-15-crown-5)octa-1,3,5,7-tetrayne were successfully synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. Experiments with poly[bis(benzocrown ethers)diacetylene] were also studied.
Significance of Geometric Nonlinearity in the Design of Thermally Loaded Structures

In reality, all structures exhibit some degree of nonlinearity; however, in many cases, its effects are negligible to the overall structural response and it is common to treat them as such in analysis and design optimization. Due in large part to this practice, severe consequences and structural failures may arise when this nonlinearity cannot be neglected. Currently, this occurs with increasing frequency as designers continue to explore innovative aircraft concepts that push the limits of existing design tools and industry standards. In this research, such a case is investigated where geometrically nonlinear effects result from an elevated temperature environment. The thermoelastic response of characteristic aerospace structures is investigated by comparison of linear and nonlinear analysis results. Results indicate that geometric nonlinearity, which manifests as stress stiffening behavior and deformation-dependent load contributions, plays a significant factor in properly predicting the structural respo...
On the structure of Blum measure

We assume that the reader is familiar with the basic paper of Blum, and Borodin's paper on the existence of complexity gaps.
New phosphonic acid reactive dyes for cotton

Abstract The synthesis of some new azo reactive dyes which contain a phosphonic acid group in a pendant chain of the coupling component is described. Four phosphonic acid couplers have been prepared and coupled to two different diazo compounds to produce eight reactive dyes which have good washfastness properties once fixed on cotton. The structures of the dyes were confirmed with the aid of 1 H-NMR.
Products of open manifolds with "R"

In this note we present a characterization of those open n-manifolds (n ≥ 5), whose products with the real line are homeomorphic to interiors of compact (n + 1)-manifolds with boundary.
High-Resolution Photothermal Laser Probe

At frequencies near 1 GHz, the acoustic wavelength in argon gas becomes half that of visible light, making possible collinear Bragg scattering of laser light by the sound. This acousto‐optic interaction has been used to detect photothermally generated acoustic power at the surface of solids. This new technique provides a noncontacting probe for the detection of 100–1000‐A thermal waves with optical resolution. The essential features of the theory behind this new photothermal probe are presented along with a description of the experimental implementation. High resolution images of implanted silicon are included which clearly demonstrate the sensitivity of the probe to variations in the thermal characteristics of solids.
Pricing Options on Defaultable Stocks

†Stock option price approximations are developed for a model which takes both the risk of default and the stochastic volatility into account. The intensity of defaults is assumed to be influenced by the volatility. It is shown that it might be possible to infer the risk neutral default intensity from the stock option prices. The proposed option price approximation has a rich implied volatility surface structure and fits the data implied volatility well. A calibration exercise shows that an effective hazard rate from bonds issued by a company can be used to explain the impliedvolatility skew of the option prices issued by the same company. It is also observed that the implied yield spread obtained from calibrating all the model parameters to the option prices matches the observed yield spread. *. This work is supported in part by the National Science Foundation, under grant DMS‐0604491. †. This work was inspired by the SAMSI workshops on Financial Mathematics, Statistics and Econometrics (Fall 2005, Spring...
A view of the world of computing as seen at the 1976 National Computer Conference

The twenty-fifth anniversary of joint computer conferencing and the bicentennial of the United States of America are celebrated during this 45th in a series of joint conferences. The Conference also commemorates the 25th anniversary of the introduction of commercial computing. The state of the computer profession and industry is mirrored in the conference program and these conference proceedings are a selected distillation of the program. The spirit of the American Revolution is reflected in the attention given to Computers and People in general and Societal Concerns in particular. About one third of the Conference is devoted to Computers and People and the remaining two thirds is divided almost equally between Systems and Science and Technology. The quality, scope and diversity of the papers in this volume, as they represent the state-of-the-art today, augurs well for the future.
The Central Limit Problem for Random Vectors with Symmetries

Motivated by the central limit problem for convex bodies, we study normal approximation of linear functionals of high-dimensional random vectors with various types of symmetries. In particular, we obtain results for distributions which are coordinatewise symmetric, uniform in a regular simplex, or spherically symmetric. Our proofs are based on Stein’s method of exchangeable pairs; as far as we know, this approach has not previously been used in convex geometry. The spherically symmetric case is treated by a variation of Stein’s method which is adapted for continuous symmetries.
Asymmetric synthesis of the core structure of the Melodinus alkaloids

Abstract The strategy developed for an asymmetric synthesis of (+)-meloscine ( 1 ) features an early incorporation of the aromatic ring in 1 as the 5-benzyl substituent in 2 . The highly diastereoselective Birch reduction-alkylation 2 → 3 , the unraveling of 3 to the butyrolactone carboxylic acid 7 , and the Mannich cyclization 9c → 10c are the key steps in the synthesis of the core tricyclic unit in 1 .
Interleaved semantic interpretation in environment-based parsing

This paper extends a polynomial-time parsing algorithm that resolves structural ambiguity in input sentences by calculating and comparing the denotations of rival constituents, given some model of the application environment (Schuler, 2001). The algorithm is extended to incorporate a full set of logical operators, including quantifiers and conjunctions, into this calculation without increasing the complexity of the overall algorithm beyond polynomial time, both in terms of the length of the input and the number of entities in the environment model.
Synthesis of 9-Bromo-2-fluoro-6,7-dihydro-5H-benzocycloheptene-8-carboxaldehyde

Abstract Cinnamaldehye is an antioxidant shown to induce apoptotic cell death in a number of human cancer cells. This article reports a synthesis of 9-bromo, 2-fluoro substituted, and Z-ring locked (by a trimethylene bridge at C-8 and C-11) crystalline fluorine-substituted derivative of cinnamaldehyde. The synthon, 8-fluoro-1-benzosuberone was treated with PBr3, dimethylformamide (DMF), and CHCl3 as a solvent to obtain 9-bromo-2-fluoro-6,7-dihydro-5H-benzocycloheptene-8-carboxaldehyde. The one-step trifunctionalization process converts a bicyclic ring–fused ketone into a β-bromo-α,β-unsaturated aldehyde in a chemoselective and regioselective manner. The process also creates a new carbon–carbon bond between C-8 and C-12. The structure of the previously unreported product has been obtained by x-ray crystallographic analysis. It has been characterized spectroscopically by infrared (IR), 1H NMR, 13C NMR, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and elemental analysis. It is a structural element found in ...
From entropy and jet quenching to deconfinement

The challenge of demonstrating that the matter produced in heavy ion collisions is a deconfined quark-gluon plasma, as predicted by lattice QCD calculations, is the challenge of measuring the number of thermodynamic degrees of freedom $\nu\sim\varepsilon/T^4$ at the time t0 at which the matter comes into approximate local thermal equilibrium and begins to behave like a hydrodynamic fluid. Data from experiments done at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider have been used to estimate t0 and to put a lower bound on the energy density $\varepsilon(t_0)$ . However, measuring $\nu$ has seemed out of reach, because no current data serve even as qualitative proxies for the temperature T(t0). We point out that $\nu$ may equally appropriately be defined via $\nu\sim s^4/\varepsilon^3$ , where s is the entropy density, which can be estimated from the measured final state entropy. This estimate is based on the testable assumption of an isentropic expansion. The observation of jet quenching has the potential to provide an upper bound on the energy density at early times. Our goal is to motivate such an analysis by pointing out that it would set a lower bound on $\nu$ .
Exactly n-resolvable topological expansions

Abstract For a cardinal κ > 1 , a space X = ( X , T ) is κ - resolvable if X admits κ -many pairwise disjoint T -dense subsets; ( X , T ) is exactly κ - resolvable if it is κ -resolvable but not κ + -resolvable. The present paper complements and supplements the authorsʼ earlier work, which showed for suitably restricted spaces ( X , T ) and cardinals κ ⩾ λ ⩾ ω that ( X , T ) , if κ -resolvable, admits an expansion U ⊇ T , with ( X , U ) Tychonoff if ( X , T ) is Tychonoff, such that ( X , U ) is μ -resolvable for all μ λ but is not λ -resolvable (cf. Comfort and Hu, 2010 [11, Theorem 3.3] ). Here the “finite case” is addressed. The authors show in ZFC for 1 n ω : (a) every n -resolvable space ( X , T ) admits an exactly n -resolvable expansion U ⊇ T ; (b) in some cases, even with ( X , T ) Tychonoff, no choice of U is available such that ( X , U ) is regular (nor even quasi-regular); (c) if regular and n -resolvable, ( X , T ) admits an exactly n -resolvable regular expansion U if and only if either ( X , T ) is itself exactly n -resolvable or ( X , T ) has a subspace which is either n -resolvable and nowhere dense or is ( 2 n ) -resolvable. In particular, every ω -resolvable regular space admits an exactly n -resolvable regular expansion. Further, for many familiar topological properties P (e.g., Tychonoff; has a clopen basis), one may choose U so that ( X , U ) ∈ P if ( X , T ) ∈ P .
Bilayer quantum Hall phase transitions and the orbifold non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states

We study continuous quantum phase transitions that can occur in bilayer fractional quantum Hall (FQH) systems as the interlayer tunneling and interlayer repulsion are tuned. We introduce a slave-particle gauge theory description of a series of continuous transitions from the $(ppq)$ Abelian bilayer states to a set of non-Abelian FQH states, which we dub orbifold FQH states, of which the ${Z}_{4}$ parafermion (Read-Rezayi) state is a special case. This provides an example in which ${Z}_{2}$ electron fractionalization leads to non-Abelian topological phases. The naive ``ideal'' wave functions and ideal Hamiltonians associated with these orbifold states do not in general correspond to incompressible phases but, instead, lie at a nearby critical point. We discuss this unusual situation from the perspective of the pattern-of-zeros/vertex algebra frameworks and discuss implications for the conceptual foundations of these approaches. Due to the proximity in the phase diagram of these non-Abelian states to the $(ppq)$ bilayer states, they may be experimentally relevant, both as candidates for describing the plateaus in single-layer systems at filling fractions $8/3$ and $12/5$ and as a way to tune to non-Abelian states in double-layer or wide quantum wells.
The Galaxy Environment of O VI Absorption Systems

We combine a FUSE sample of O VI absorbers (z < 0.15) with a database of 1.07 million galaxy redshifts to explore the relationship between absorbers and galaxy environments. All 37 absorbers with N ≥ 1013.2 cm-2 lie within 800 h kpc of the nearest galaxy, with no compelling evidence for O VI absorbers in voids. The O VI absorbers often appear to be associated with environments of individual galaxies. Gas with 10% ± 5% solar metallicity (O VI and C III) has a median spread in distance of 350-500 h kpc around L galaxies and 200-270 h kpc around 0.1L galaxies (ranges reflect uncertain metallicities of gas undetected in Lyα absorption). In order to match the O VI line frequency, (d/dz) ≈ 20 for N ≥ 1013.2 cm-2, galaxies with L ≤ 0.1L must contribute to the cross section. Lyα absorbers with N ≥ 1013.2 cm-2 cover ~50% of the surface area of typical galaxy filaments. Two-thirds of these show O VI and/or C III absorption, corresponding to a 33%-50% covering factor at 0.1 Z☉ and suggesting that metals are spread to a maximum distance of 800 h kpc, within typical galaxy supercluster filaments. Approximately 50% of the O VI absorbers have associated Lyα line pairs with separations (Δv)Lyα = 50-200 km s-1. These pairs could represent shocks at the speeds necessary to create copious O VI, located within 100 h kpc of the nearest galaxy and accounting for much of the two-point correlation function of low-z Lyα forest absorbers.
New scanner data for brand marketers: How neuroscience can help better understand differences in brand preferences

Abstract A core goal for marketers is effective segmentation: partitioning a brand's or product's consumer base into distinct and meaningful groups with differing needs. Traditional segmentation data include factors like geographic location, demographics, and shopping history. Yet, research into the cognitive and affective processes underlying consumption decisions shows that these variables can improve the matching of consumers with products beyond traditional demographic and benefit approaches. We propose, using managing a brand as an example, that neuroscience provides a novel way to establish mappings between cognitive processes and traditional marketing data. An improved understanding of the neural mechanisms of decision making will enhance the ability of marketers to effectively market their products. Just as neuroscience can model potential influences on the decision process — including pricing, choice strategy, context, experience, and memory — it can also provide new insights into individual differences in consumption behavior and brand preferences. We outline such a research agenda for incorporating neuroscience data into future attempts to match consumers to brands.
Integration of Microsoft Windows applications with MDSplus data acquisition on the National Spherical Torus Experiment at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Abstract Data acquisition on the National Spherical Torus Experiment at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has increasingly involved the use of Personal Computers and specially developed ‘turn-key’ hardware and software systems to control diagnostics. Interaction with these proprietary software packages is accomplished through use of Visual Basic, or Visual C++ and Component Object Model ( com) technology. com is a software architecture that allows the components made by different software vendors to be combined into a variety of applications. This technology is particularly well suited to these systems because of its programming language independence, standards for function calling between components, and ability to transparently reference remote processes. com objects make possible the creation of acquisition software that can control the experimental parameters of both the hardware and software. Synchronization of these applications for diagnostics, such as charged couple device cameras and residual gas analyzers, with the rest of the experiment event cycle at PPPL has been made possible by utilization of the MDSplus libraries for Windows. Instead of transferring large data files to remote disk space, Windows MDSplus events and I/O functions allow us to put raw data into MDSplus directly from interactive data language for Windows and Visual Basic. The combination of com technology and the MDSplus libraries for Windows provide the tools for many new possibilities in versatile acquisition applications and future diagnostics.
The Journey to Work: 25 Years on the Jamaicaway

More than 600 observations were recorded for the author's home-to-work trip for the same route from Boston to Cambridge, Mass., over the period 1980 to 2004. With this data, it is possible to graph the pattern of travel times and travel time reliability as a function of departure times during the morning rush hour. The image of rush hour performance that emerges from this study is more complex than what is often used in network models or abstract economic analysis. For example, as rush hour progresses, variability increases even though expected travel times start to decline. There may also be lulls in rush hour, i.e. intervals of 10-15 minutes when expected trip times and reliability temporarily improve. This type of performance cannot realistically be modeled as a linear function of traffic volume, nor can it be approximated using a steady state queuing analysis. It will be far better to view rush hour performance as a steady state cyclical queuing phenomenon: every day may start afresh, but expected conditions on next Tuesday at 8:30 am are likely to be similar to conditions last Tuesday at that time. Over the 25-year period, there was surprisingly little change in rush hour performance on this congested urban route. Average travel times were mostly in the range of 25-27 minutes with a standard deviation of three to four minutes. There was some spreading of the peak, especially during periods involving major construction, but performance in the most recent period was actually equivalent to performance in the 1980s despite an increase of about 10% in traffic volume. Variability in trip times is mostly related to variability in the delays associated with the most congested
Boron−Nitrogen (BN) Substitution Patterns in C/BN Hybrid Fullerenes: C60-2x(BN)x (x = 1−7)

Semiempirical AM1 and MNDO and density functional theory (B3LYP/3-21G and 6-31G*) are used to examine the relative stability of various isomers of successive BN substituted fullerenes C60-2x(BN)x, where x=1−7. It is found that stability is enhanced by keeping BN units and BN filled hexagons adjacent to one another. Successive BN substitution prefers N site attachment to the existing BN chain. The localization of MOs shows that lone-pairs of nitrogen atoms reside “inside” the cage, which may be the reason for outward displacement of N atoms. Geometric parameters and charge distribution of the carbon region of hybrid fullerenes are not much perturbed by BN substitution. Band gap (HOMO−LUMO gap), ionization potential, and electron affinities strongly depend on the number of BN units and filling of the hexagons. Partially BN filled hexagons or unsaturated BN fullerenes have a stronger effect than completely filled hexagons on perturbing these properties.
Probabilistic analysis for scheduling with conflicts

In this paper, we consider scheduling jobs that may be competing for mutually exclusive resources. We model the conflicts between jobs with a conflict graph, so that all concurrently running jobs must form an independent set in the graph. Our goal is to bound the maximum response time of any job in the system. We adopt a discrete model of time and assume that each job requires one time unit to be completed once it is started. It has been previously shown [S. Irani, V. Leung, Scheduling with conflicts, and applications to traffic signal control, in: Proceedings of the Seventh Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms, SIAM, 1996] that the best competitive ratio achievable by any online algorithm is @W(n), where n is the number of nodes in the graph. As a result, we study scheduling with conflicts under probabilistic assumptions about the input. Each node i has a value p"i such that a job arrives at node i in any given time unit with probability p"i. Arrivals at different nodes and during different time periods are independent. Under reasonable assumptions on the value for the p"i's, we are able to obtain a bounded competitive ratio for an arbitrary conflict graph. In addition, if the conflict graph is a perfect graph, we give an algorithm whose competitive ratio converges to 1.
Green’s Function Approach to Nonlinear Conduction and Surface Radiation Problems

An exact approach for solving both transient and steady state conduction and surface radiation problems is presented. The method is based on the use of Green’s function, and the temperature field is obtained by solving an integral equation. This is in contrast to the approach presented in radiative heat transfer texts in which temperature profiles are obtained from the simultaneous solution of coupled integral and differential equations. The analysis presented in this paper provides insight into the solution of this important class of problems. The method is illustrated by solving two representative problems. The first problem considered is the steady state analysis of a radiating fin. The second problem considered is the transient analysis of a radiating target, which is used to determine the temporal response of radiation thermometers. DOI: 10.1115/1.4000234
Money Employment and Inflation

This is a textbook on macroeconomic theory that attempts to rework the theory of macroeconomic relations through a re-examination of their microeconomic foundations. In the tradition of Keynes's General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (published in 1936), and Patinkin's Money, Interest, and Prices, published in 1956 and revised in 1965, this book represents a third generation of macroeconomic theory. This book presents a comprehensive choice-theoretic analysis of the determination of the level of employment and the rate of inflation. A central feature of the book is the recasting of macroeconomic analysis in terms of a theory of exchange under non-market-clearing conditions. In addition, the analysis incorporates other aspects of the current reformulation of macroeconomic theory, including the relation between inflationary expectations, rates of return, and unemployment, the dynamics of aggregate demand, and the significance of incomplete information regarding the spatial distribution of wages and prices.
Flux homomorphism on symplectic groupoids

An anologue of the Calabi invariant for Poisson manifolds is considered. For any Poisson manifold $P$, the Poisson bracket on $C^{\infty}(P)$ extends to a Lie bracket on the space $\Omega^{1}(P)$ of all differential one-forms, under which the space $Z^{1}(P)$ of closed one-forms and the space $B^{1}(P)$ of exact one-forms are Lie subalgebras. These Lie algebras are related by the exact sequence: $$0\lon \reals \lon C^{\infty}(P)\stackrel{d}{\lon} Z^{1}(P)\stackrel{f}{\lon} H^{1}(P, \reals)\lon 0, $$ where $H^{1}(P,\reals)$ is considered as a trivial Lie algebra, and $f$ is the map sending each closed one-form to its cohomology class. The goal of the present paper is to lift this exact sequence to the group level for compact Poisson manifolds under certain integrability condition. In particular, we will give a geometric description of a Lie group integrating the underlying Poisson algebra $C^{\infty}(P) $.
Rectified Surface Mosaics

We approach mosaicing as a camera tracking problem within a known parameterized surface. From a video of a camera moving within a surface, we compute a mosaic representing the texture of that surface, flattened onto a planar image. Our approach works by defining a warp between images as a function of surface geometry and camera pose. Globally optimizing this warp to maximize alignment across all frames determines the camera trajectory, and the corresponding flattened mosaic image. In contrast to previous mosaicing methods which assume planar or distant scenes, or controlled camera motion, our approach enables mosaicing in cases where the camera moves unpredictably through proximal surfaces, such as in medical endoscopy applications.
Optimal auctions with correlated bidders are easy

We consider the problem of designing a revenue-maximizing auction for a single item, when the values of the bidders are drawn from a correlated distribution. We observe that there exists an algorithm that finds the optimal randomized mechanism that runs in time polynomial in the size of the support. We leverage this result to show that in the oracle model introduced by Ronen and Saberi [FOCS'02], there exists a polynomial time truthful in expectation mechanism that provides a (1.5+e)-approximation to the revenue achievable by an optimal truthful-in-expectation mechanism, and a polynomial time deterministic truthful mechanism that guarantees 5/3 approximation to the revenue achievable by an optimal deterministic truthful mechanism.We show that the 5/3-approximation mechanism provides the same approximation ratio also with respect to the optimal truthful-in-expectation mechanism. This shows that the performance gap between truthful-in-expectation and deterministic mechanisms is relatively small. En route, we solve an open question of Mehta and Vazirani [EC'04].Finally, we extend some of our results to the multi-item case, and show how to compute the optimal truthful-in-expectation mechanisms for bidders with more complex valuations.
Absorption spectrophotometric and X-ray diffraction studies of the trihalides of promethium in the solid state

Abstract The anhydrous trihalides of promethium (Z = 61) were examined by absorption spectrophotometry and X-ray powder diffraction. Room temperature lattice parameters for PmF3, PmCl3 and PmBr3 were in agreement with those obtained by Weigel and Scherer. Two previously unreported crystallographic modifications of PmI3 were found. The low temperature, PuBr3-type orthorhombic form of PmI3 had lattice parameters a 0 = 4.24(1) A , b 0 = 13.93(7) A and c 0 = 9.96(2) A , and those for the high temperature, BiI3-type rhombohedral form (based on the corresponding hexagonal cell) were a 0 = 7.65(3) A and c 0 = 21.10(10) A . Each compound has been characterized on the basis of its solid state absorption spectrum, in addition to characterization by X-ray powder diffraction analysis.
Effects of QCD Resummation on Distributions of Leptons from the Decay of Electroweak Vector Bosons

Abstract We study the distributions of leptons from the decay of electroweak vector bosons produced in hadron collisions. The effects of the initial state multiple soft-gluon emission, using the Collins-Soper resummation formalism, are included. The resummed results are compared with the next-to-leading-order results for the distributions of the transverse momentum, rapidity asymmetry, and azimuthal angle of the decay leptons.
Estimating PageRank on graph streams

This article focuses on computations on large graphs (e.g., the web-graph) where the edges of the graph are presented as a stream. The objective in the streaming model is to use small amount of memory (preferably sub-linear in the number of nodes n) and a smaller number of passes.In the streaming model, we show how to perform several graph computations including estimating the probability distribution after a random walk of length l, the mixing time M, and other related quantities such as the conductance of the graph. By applying our algorithm for computing probability distribution on the web-graph, we can estimate the PageRankp of any node up to an additive error of √e p+e in O(√M/α) passes and O(min(nα+1/e√M/α+(1/e)Mα, α n√Mα + (1/e)√M/α)) space, for any α i (0,1]. Specifically, for e = M/n, α = M−1/2, we can compute the approximate PageRank values in O(nM−1/4) space and O(M3/4) passes. In comparison, a standard implementation of the PageRank algorithm will take O(n) space and O(M) passes. We also give an approach to approximate the PageRank values in just O(1) passes although this requires O(nM) space.
Compact Layer of Alkali Ions at the Surface of Colloidal Silica

The forces of electrical imaging strongly polarize the surface of colloidal silica. I used X-ray scattering to study the adsorbed 2-nm-thick compact layer of alkali ions at the surface of concentra...
Phosphorothioate and phosphoramide analogs of dihydroxyacetone phosphate

Abstract The phosphorothioate analog of dihydroxyacetone phosphate has been prepared by reaction of bromohydroxyacetone with trisodium thiophosphate in aqueous solution. The enzymatic oxidation of 3-amino-1,2-propanediol phosphoramide with glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase has been demonstrated as a route to the corresponding phosphoramide analog.
An Artificial Immune System-Inspired Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm with Application to the Detection of Distributed Computer Network Intrusions

Today's signature-based intrusion detection systems are reactive in nature and storage-limited. Their operation depends upon catching an instance of an intrusion or virus and encoding it into a signature that is stored in its anomaly database, providing a window of vulnerability to computer systems during this time. Further, the maximum size of an Internet Protocol-based message requires the database to be huge in order to maintain possible signature combinations. In order to tighten this response cycle within storage constraints, this paper presents an innovative Artificial Immune System-inspired Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm. This distributed intrusion detection system (IDS) is intended to measure the vector of tradeoff solutions among detectors with regard to two independent objectives: best classification fitness and optimal hypervolume size. Our antibody detectors promiscuously monitor network traffic for exact and variant abnormal system events based on only the detector's own data structure and the application domain truth set, responding heuristically. Applied to the MIT-DARPA 1999 insider intrusion detection data set, our software engineered algorithm correctly classifies normal and abnormal events at a high level which is directly attributed to a detector affinity threshold.
Chromium enhances insulin responsiveness via AMPK

Trivalent chromium (Cr(3+)) is known to improve glucose homeostasis. Cr(3+) has been shown to improve plasma membrane-based aspects of glucose transporter GLUT4 regulation and increase activity of the cellular energy sensor 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). However, the mechanism(s) by which Cr(3+) improves insulin responsiveness and whether AMPK mediates this action is not known. In this study we tested if Cr(3+) protected against physiological hyperinsulinemia-induced plasma membrane cholesterol accumulation, cortical filamentous actin (F-actin) loss and insulin resistance in L6 skeletal muscle myotubes. In addition, we performed mechanistic studies to test our hypothesis that AMPK mediates the effects of Cr(3+) on GLUT4 and glucose transport regulation. Hyperinsulinemia-induced insulin-resistant L6 myotubes displayed excess membrane cholesterol and diminished cortical F-actin essential for effective glucose transport regulation. These membrane and cytoskeletal abnormalities were associated with defects in insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation and glucose transport. Supplementing the culture medium with pharmacologically relevant doses of Cr(3+) in the picolinate form (CrPic) protected against membrane cholesterol accumulation, F-actin loss, GLUT4 dysregulation and glucose transport dysfunction. Insulin signaling was neither impaired by hyperinsulinemic conditions nor enhanced by CrPic, whereas CrPic increased AMPK signaling. Mechanistically, siRNA-mediated depletion of AMPK abolished the protective effects of CrPic against GLUT4 and glucose transport dysregulation. Together these findings suggest that the micronutrient Cr(3+), via increasing AMPK activity, positively impacts skeletal muscle cell insulin sensitivity and glucose transport regulation.
Cellulose nanofibril (CNF) reinforced starch insulating foams

In this study, biodegradable foams were produced using cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and starch (S). The availability of high volumes of CNFs at lower costs is rapidly progressing with advances in pilot-scale and commercial facilities. The foams were produced using a freeze-drying process with CNF/S water suspensions ranging from 1 to 7.5 wt% solids content. Microscopic evaluation showed that the foams have a microcellular structure and that the foam walls are covered with CNF’s. The CNF’s had diameters ranging from 30 to 100 nm. Pore sizes within the foam walls ranged from 20 to 100 nm. The materials’ densities ranging from 0.012 to 0.082 g/cm3 with corresponding porosities between 93.46 and 99.10 %. Thermal conductivity ranged from 0.041 to 0.054 W/m-K. The mechanical performance of the foams produced from the starch control was extremely low and the material was very friable. The addition of CNF’s to starch was required to produce foams, which exhibited structural integrity. The mechanical properties of materials were positively correlated with solids content and CNF/S ratios. The mechanical and thermal properties for the foams produced in this study appear promising for applications such as insulation and packaging.
Expanding Universe and the Origin of Elements

It is generally agreed at present that the relative abundances of various chemical elements were determined by physical conditions existing in the universe during the early stages of its expansion, when the temperature and density were sufficiently high to secure appreciable reaction-rates for the light as well as for the heavy nuclei. In all the so-far published attempts in this direction the observed abundance-curve is supposed to represent some equilibrium state determined by nuclear binding energies at some very high temperature and density [1] [2] [3]. This point of view encounters, however, serious difficulties in the comparison with empirical facts. Indeed, since binding energy is, in a first approximation, a linear function of atomic weight, any such equilibrium theory would necessarily lead to a rapid exponential decrease of abundance through the entire natural sequence of elements. It is known, however, that whereas such a rapid decrease actually takes place for the first half of chemical elements, the abundance of heavier nuclei remains nearly constant [4]. Attempts have been made2 to explain this discrepancy by the assumption that heavy elements were formed at higher temperatures, and that their abundances were already “frozen” when the adjustment of lighter elements was taking place. Such an explanation, however, can be easily ruled out if one remembers that at the temperatures and densities in question (about 1010 ◦ K, and 106 g/cm3) nuclear transformations are mostly caused by the processes of absorption and re-evaporation of free neutrons so that their rates are essentially the same for the light and for the heavy elements. Thus it appears that the only way of explaining the observed abundance-curve