cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Electrochemically-mediated Gas Separation Process for Carbon Abatement

This work describes a promising alternative to conventional thermal processes for absorber/desorber processing of for removal of CO2 from flue gas streams at fossil fuel fired power plants. Our electrochemically-mediated amine regeneration (EMAR) process offers the advantages of an electrical system coupled with the desirable high output purities typical of amine sorbents that are difficult to achieve with most electric systems such as pressure-swing sorption, membrane separation, and oxy-fuel combustion. Preliminary experimental results are presented that demonstrate the feasibility of using ethylenediamine as the CO2 sorbent and copper electro-cycling to isothermally modulate the amine affinity for CO2. Cupric ions entirely deactivate ethylenediamine at a ratio of 2:1 diamine to copper. Open-circuit potential measurements at 50 o C indicate the required energy to desorb CO2 and regenerate the ethylenediamine is 18 kJ/mole CO2 under open-circuit conditions. Kinetic over-potentials are sufficiently low to ensure acceptable energy losses. Lower energies can be achieved by increasing the temperature or by changing the amine.
Explaining answers from the Semantic Web: the Inference Web approach

The Semantic Web lacks support for explaining answers from web applications. When applications return answers, many users do not know what information sources were used, when they were updated, how reliable the source was, or what information was looked up versus derived. Many users also do not know how implicit answers were derived. The Inference Web (IW) aims to take opaque query answers and make the answers more transparent by providing infrastructure for presenting and managing explanations. The explanations include information concerning where answers came from (knowledge provenance) and how they were derived (or retrieved). In this article we describe an infrastructure for IW explanations. The infrastructure includes: IWBase - an extensible web-based registry containing details about information sources, reasoners, languages, and rewrite rules; PML - the Proof Markup Language specification and API used for encoding portable proofs; IW browser - a tool supporting navigation and presentations of proofs and their explanations; and a new explanation dialogue component. Source information in the IWBase is used to convey knowledge provenance. Representation and reasoning language axioms and rewrite rules in the IWBase are used to support proofs, proof combination, and Semantic Web agent interoperability. The Inference Web is in use by four Semantic Web agents, three of them using embedded reasoning engines fully registered in the IW. Inference Web also provides explanation infrastructure for a number of DARPA and ARDA projects.
Final analysis of the ALS lattice magnet data

A preliminary analysis of the measured magnet data of the multipole magnets to be installed in the Advanced Light Source (ALS) storage ring had been given in the last conference of this series. That analysis was based on measurements of about one-third of the entire magnet complement, and some of its findings had to be revised after obtaining more data. The present paper gives an account of the integrated fundamental field strengths of all installed storage ring lattice magnets. For the multipole magnets, these values are listed as analytical expressions with four or five parameters, that cover the entire excitation range and include residual strength. Based on this final analysis, all gradient and quadrupole magnets were qualified for installation, whereas the sextupole magnets had to be individually trimmed to bring their effective fundamental strengths into the desired tolerance band. >
Biologically active, synthetic ion transporters

The compelling chemical goal of modeling protein channel behavior has led to synthetic compounds that are true ion channels. Although they largely lack the selectivity and sophistication of highly evolved proteins, they successfully perform a variety of biological functions. This tutorial review describes these novel structures and their activity in living systems. Different channel structures show antibacterial to anticancer activity when tested against a variety of cell types.
Redox Dynamics of Mixed Metal (Mn, Cr, and Fe) Ultrafine Particles

The impact of particle composition on metal oxidation state, and on changes in oxidation state with simulated atmospheric aging, are investigated experimentally in flame-generated nanoparticles containing Mn, Cr, and Fe. The results demonstrate that the initial fraction of Cr(VI) within the particles decreases with increasing total metal concentration in the flame. In contrast, the initial Mn oxidation state was only partly controlled by metal loading, suggesting the importance of other factors. Two reaction pathways, one reductive and one oxidative, were found to be operating simultaneously during simulated atmospheric aging. The oxidative pathway depended upon the presence of simulated sunlight and O{sub 3}, whereas the reductive pathway occurred in the presence of simulated sunlight alone. The reductive pathway appears to be rapid but transient, allowing the oxidative pathway to dominate with longer aging times, i.e. greater than {approx}8 hours. The presence of Mn within the particles enhanced the importance of the oxidative pathway, leading to more net Cr oxidation during aging implying that Mn can mediate oxidation by removal of electrons from other particulate metals.
How Medicare could get better prices on prescription drugs.

Congress may reform drug pricing policies under Medicare Part D as part of a larger health reform effort. Currently, the “noninterference” provision prevents the government from negotiating drug prices on behalf of Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Commonly considered reform proposals borrow ideas from Medicaid, either through returning dual eligibles to Medicaid drug pricing or by imposing mandatory rebates across the Part D population. We examine a menu of other options, including value-based pricing; expansion of generic and therapeutically equivalent substitution; increased formulary diversity; importation; and limited antitrust waivers. These latter options may reduce federal spending without direct government price negotiations.
A facile method for the preparation of 4-hydroxy-Δ2-isoxazolines via a cycloaddition/oxidation procedure employing nitrile oxides and vinylboronic esters

Abstract The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of aromatic nitrile oxides with trans-1,2-disubstituted vinylboronic esters affords the 4-boronic ester substituted Δ2-isoxazoline as the major regioisomer. If the reaction mixture is treated with t-BuOOH the corresponding 4-hydroxy-Δ2-isoxazolines are obtained in good yield.
Posterior pharyngeal carcinoma resection with larynx preservation and radial forearm free flap reconstruction: a preliminary report.

Background Surgical management of selected posterior pharyngeal wall lesions can be performed with pharyngectomy, allowing for larynx preservation, with radial forearm free flap (RFFF) reconstruction. Methods Retrospective review of our experience using RFFF reconstruction in 9 patients. Results All 9 patients had a posterior pharyngectomy with larynx preservation, neck dissection (3 bilateral, 6 unilateral), and RFFF reconstruction. Six patients experienced 8 postoperative complications including one postoperative death. Only 3 patients were able to obtain all nutrition orally. Tracheotomy decannulation occurred in 4 patients and voice was maintained in all patients. American Society of Anesthesiologists score (ASA) was an accurate predictor of postoperative medical complications. Conclusions Posterior pharyngeal resections with larynx preservation and RFFF reconstruction can be accomplished with acceptable morbidity in healthy patients with carefully selected lesions of the posterior pharyngeal wall. However, in patients with significant co-morbidities as reflected by an ASA of 3 or more, larynx preservation and RFFF reconstruction was fraught with significant morbidity and is not recommended. HEAD & NECK 1996;18:501–505 © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Risk Stratification of Patients Presenting with Transient Loss of Consciousness

Important goals in the initial evaluation of patients with transient loss of consciousness include determining whether the episode was syncope and choosing the venue for subsequent care. Patients who have high short-term risk of adverse outcomes need prompt hospitalization for diagnosis and/or treatment, whereas others may be safely referred for outpatient evaluation. This article summarizes the most important available risk assessment studies and points out key differences among the existing recommendations. Current risk stratification methods cannot replace critical assessment by an experienced physician, but they do provide much needed guidance and offer direction for future risk stratification consensus development.
LOCALIZED FRAMES AND COMPACTNESS

We introduce the concept of weak localization for continuous frames and use this concept to define a class of weakly localized operators. This class contains many important classes of operators, including: short time Fourier transform multipliers, Calderon–Toeplitz operators, Toeplitz operators on various functions spaces, Anti-Wick operators, some pseudodifferential operators, some Calderon–Zygmund operators, and many others. In this paper, we study the boundedness and compactness of weakly localized operators. In particular, we provide a characterization of compactness for weakly localized operators in terms of the behavior of their Berezin transforms.
4,6-O-[1-cyano-2-(2-iodophenyl)ethylidene] acetals. improved second-generation acetals for the stereoselective formation of β-d-mannopyranosides and regioselective reductive radical fragmentation to β-d-rhamnopyranosides. scope and limitations

The [1-cyano-2-(2-iodophenyl)]ethylidene group is introduced as an acetal-protecting group for carbohydrate thioglycoside donors. The group is easily introduced under mild conditions, over short reaction times, and in the presence of a wide variety of other protecting groups by the reaction of the 4,6-diol with triethyl (2-iodophenyl)orthoacetate and camphorsulfonic acid, followed by trimethylsilyl cyanide and boron trifluoride etherate. The new protecting group conveys strong β-selectivity with thiomannoside donors and undergoes a tin-mediated radical fragmentation to provide high yields of the synthetically challenging β-rhamnopyranosides. The method is also applicable to the glucopyranosides when high α-selectivity is observed in the coupling reaction and α-quinovosides are formed selectively in the radical fragmentation step. In the galactopyranoside series, β-glycosides are formed selectively on coupling to donors protected by the new system, but the radical fragmentation is unselective and gives mix...
Separation of an Advectively Trapped Buoyancy Current at a Bathymetric Bend

Abstract The coastal current system along the east coast of North America, from the Labrador shelf to Cape Hatteras, must negotiate complex bathymetry with numerous sharp bends and large cross-shelf channels. The behavior of these shelf currents is studied here using an advectively trapped buoyancy current (ATBC) model, in which a coastal buoyancy current on a sloping bottom forms a surface-to-bottom density front that becomes trapped along an isobath by offshore advection of buoyancy in the bottom boundary layer. Alongfront flow is concentrated in a nearly geostrophic surface-intensified frontal jet. Trapping occurs where the cross-shelf bottom velocity vanishes on the shoreward side of the front, thus terminating offshore buoyancy advection and causing the bottom boundary layer to detach and to flow upward along frontal isopycnals. The dynamics of an ATBC at a sharp bend in bathymetry and at a cross-shelf channel are investigated using a primitive equation numerical model, focusing on the separation of ...
Noncentrosymmetric cubic thio- and selenogermanates: A0.5M1.75GeQ4 (A=Ag, Cu, Na; M=Pb, Eu; Q=S, Se)

Abstract Five new isostructural cubic thiogermanates with the formula A0.5M1.75GeQ4 (A=Ag, Cu, Na; M=Pb, Eu; Q=S, Se) have been prepared by direct combination of stoichiometric amounts of the elements. The compounds crystallize in the noncentrosymmetric space group I-43d with Z=16 and a=14.0291(5) A for Ag0.5Pb1.75GeS4, a=14.5949(19) A for Ag0.5Pb1.75GeSe4, a=13.9491(14) A for Ag0.5Eu1.75GeS4, a = 13.8145(9) A for Cu0.5Pb1.75GeS4 and a = 14.662(4) A for Na0.5Pb1.75GeSe4. The adopted structure is similar to that of Ba3CdSn2S8, and features tetrahedral [GeQ4]4− building blocks. These compounds are semiconductors with energy gaps (Eg) ranging from 1.48 to 1.83 eV.
Solving the annuity puzzle: The role of mortality salience in retirement savings decumulation decisions

Abstract We propose mortality salience – increased accessibility of death-related thoughts – as one previously unexplored explanation for the annuity puzzle, the low rate at which retirees buy annuities even though economists recommend annuities as an optimal decision. Across four studies we show that mortality salience decreases how likely individuals are to put savings into an annuity. By forcing consumers to consider their own death, the annuity decision makes mortality salient, motivating them to avoid the annuity option as a proximal defense against the death-related thoughts triggered by considering an annuity. Moreover, we demonstrate the robustness of the mortality salience effect through measurement and manipulation of the underlying process, and we estimate an overall mean effect size using meta-analysis. With this research, psychological theory can inform economic theory by helping to explain the annuity puzzle phenomenon that has challenged economists for decades. This research also has important implications for consumer welfare by offering insights into annuity choice and helping to inform the increasingly complex financial decisions facing individuals as they navigate the retirement savings decumulation process.
Quantification of Tumor Vascularity With Contrast-Enhanced Sonography Correlation With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Fluorodeoxyglucose Autoradiography in an Implanted Tumor

Objective. To correlate the quantitated tumor vascularity of implanted murine tumors as depicted by contrast-enhanced sonography with estimates made with magnetic resonance imaging and with estimates of the percentage of viable (metabolically active) tumor as depicted by fluorodeoxyglucose autoradiography. Methods. Implanted tumors in 10 mice were imaged with contrast-enhanced sonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and fluorodeoxyglucose autoradiography. Tumor vascularity was estimated with each modality and compared with the percentage of viable tumor. Results. Quantitated estimates of tumor vascularity with contrast-enhanced sonography closely correlated (r = 0.95) with estimates made by magnetic resonance imaging and with the percentage of viable tumor (r = 0.93) as depicted by fluorodeoxyglucose autoradiography. Conclusions. Contrast-enhanced sonography accurately depicts tumor vascularity in these implanted tumors. Tumor vascularity corre
A DYNAMIC MODEL FOR DOUBLE-PLANET PLANETARY GEARSETS

In this study, a two-dimensional (2D), steady-state, discrete dynamic model of a double-planet planetary gearset is proposed. The dynamic model is generalized such that it can consist of N number of planet branches and can operate under any operating conditions (load and speed). The contact between each external to external and external to internal gear pair is modeled to obtain stiffnesses and mesh displacement excitations using a generalized load distribution model. The natural modes are computed by solving the corresponding eigenvalue problem. The forced vibration response to gear mesh excitations is obtained by applying the modal summation technique. The model is capable of predicting gear mesh dynamic load and dynamic transmission error spectra for each gear mesh, dynamic bearing load spectra for each bearing as well as gear body dynamic displacements. Forced vibration response of an example system that consists of three double-planet branches is studied to demonstrate the influence of some of the key design parameters.
On Approximation Algorithms For Microcode Bit Minimizationt

The bit (or width) minimization problem for microprograms is known to be NP-complete. Motivated by its practical importance, we address the question of obtaining near-optimal solutions. Two main results are presented. First, we establish a tight bound on the quality of solutions produced by algorithms which minimize the number of compatibility classes. Second, we show that the bit minimization problem has a polynomial time relative approximation algorithm only if the vertex coloring problem for graphs with n nodes can be approximated to within a factor of O(logn) in polynomial time.
Design of a testable RISC-to-CISC control architecture

A new control architecture is introduced. It is highly testable, and it will support both simple and complex instruction sets. The flexibility is achieved by use of allocable-storage (AS) blocks. An AS block may be assigned to the control part to hold the microcode, or it may be assigned to the data part to hold data or instructions.
Risk Assessment of Emergency Diesel Generator Subject to Design-Basis Earthquake Shaking

A monitoring system intended to track vibrations associated with the operation of an emergency diesel generator (EDG) at a nuclear power plant was originally installed to trip generators during potential out-of-balance shaking. Years after original installation, plant engineers raised questions as to whether the monitoring system would have functioned properly in the event of excessive vibrations associated with earthquake ground shaking. As part of the plant’s examination of this issue, analytical models were developed for three vibration transducers via experimental characterization. A suite of ground motion records was selected and scaled such that their mean and dispersion were representative of the design-basis event (DBE) level of intensity at the plant site. The scaled suite of ground motions was used as an input for a three-dimensional (3D) analytical model representing the structure and soil-foundation interface, where the EDGs were installed. The voltage signal from the analytical transducer mod...
Nature of Stark Rubber

Abstract The melting behavior and x-ray diffraction patterns of four different samples of stark rubber have been investigated. The melting temperatures, 39° to 45.5° C, are substantially higher than that observed for natural rubber crystallized by cooling. The x-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the crystallites in stark rubber are oriented. This observation can explain the higher melting temperatures. Thus, the previous assignment of an equilibrium melting temperature, 28° (±1°) C, to unoriented crystalline natural rubber is shown to be appropriate. Several different methods that have been used successfully in preparing stark rubber under controlled conditions in the laboratory are outlined.
Oxygen Reduction at Pt0.65Cr0.35, Pt0.2Cr0.8 and Roughened Platinum

Oxygen reduction in has been investigated at , and at surfaces produced from them by selective dissolution of the Cr component. Rotating disk electrodes (RDE) were used to examine the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The published (1–2) surface analysis using x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) combined with sputter profiling and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) convincingly demonstrated that the surface region can be selectively depleted of the Cr component by electrochemical excursions to potentials positive of ~+1.25V vs. RHE. For the more Cr‐rich alloy very severe depletion (>500A) occurs upon prolonged potential excursions above +1.25V. For the sample, the surface depletion extends about 2–3 monolayers into the surface. Electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry also confirms that the surface becomes progressively roughened as the potential exceeds the region where chromium is passive. Extensive roughening of the surface results in a significant increase of the measured ORR current per geometric area of the RDE. Tafel slopes of the ORR for moderately rough surfaces (roughness factor, ), produced from either starting alloy, are nearly identical to pure smooth Pt. For rougher surfaces (produced only at the more Cr‐rich starting alloy) the Tafel slopes determined from a mass‐transfer corrected plot of are also nearly identical to those obtained at smooth Pt. It is concluded that the measured increase of ORR current following the roughening of the RDE alloy electrode is due solely to the increase of Pt surface area. The mechanistic and practical implications of this effect in fuel cell electrochemistry are discussed.
RAPID: randomized pharmacophore identification for drug design

Abstract This paper describes a randomized approach for finding invariants in a set of flexible and chemically distinct ligands (drug molecules) that underlies an integrated software system called RAPID currently under development. An invariant is a collection of features embedded in R 3 which is present in one or more of the possible low-energy conformations of each ligand. Such invariants are called pharmacophores and contain the parts of the ligand that are primarily responsible for its binding with a receptor. The identification of pharmacophores is crucial in drug design since frequently the structure of targeted receptor is unknown but a number of molecules that interact with it have been discovered by experiments. In these cases the pharmacophore is used as a template for building more effective drugs. It is expected that our techniques and results will prove useful in other applications such as molecular database screening and comparative molecular field analysis.
Anti-Parstatin Promotes Angiogenesis and Ameliorates Left Ventricular Dysfunction during Pressure Overload.

Parstatin, a novel protease activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) derived peptide is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. We and others have reported that imbalance between angiogenic growth factors and anti-angiogenic factors results in transition from compensatory cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure in a pressure overload condition. Though cardio protective role of parstatin was shown previously in ischemic cardiac injury, its role in pressure overload cardiac injury is yet to unveil. We hypothesize that supplementing anti-parstatin antibody during pressure overload condition augments angiogenesis and ameliorate left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure. To verify this, we created ascending aortic banding in mice to mimic pressure overload condition and then treated mice with anti-parstatin antibody. Left ventricular function was assessed by echocardiography and pressure-volume loop study. Angiogenic growth factors and anti-angiogenic factors along with MMP-2,-9 were evaluated by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Results: our results showed an improved left ventricular function in anti-parstatin treated aortic banding hearts compared to their corresponding wild type controls. Expression of angiogenic growth factor, VEGF, MMP-2 and CD31 expression was increased in treated aortic banding hearts compared to their corresponding wild type controls. Our results suggest that treating pressure overload mice with anti-parstatin antibody augments angiogenesis and ameliorates left ventricular dysfunction.
Performance Testing of Truck Brakes Reinforced with KEVLAR Aramid Fiber

During the 1970's, industry was urgently searching for alternatives to asbestos. The potential value of kevlar (tm) aramid fiber was recognized but the cost barrier, 50 to 100 times as expensive as asbestos, seemed insurmountable for applications in friction materials. However, the development of a special engineered form, a short fiber with attached fine subfibrils, led to the use of kevlar pulp as a primary reinforcement in friction applications worldwide. This paper discusses independent field testing of commercially available heavy duty truck brakes reinforced with kevlar and compares their performance with friction block wear and drum abrasion in brake blocks reinforced with asbestos and with glass fiber. Results of this controlled test series are compared with actual user experience on a worldwide basis (a).
Bootleggers and Baptists in the Theory of Regulation

Theories of regulation offer thought facilitating devices that may help to explain the functioning of government in a political economy. Among formal theories put forward in the 20 th century are public interest, capture, special interest, and money for nothing. The Bootlegger and Baptist theory is based on the frequent observation of two distinct and different interest groups pursuing the same regulatory end. The name comes from experiences observed in regions of the US where religious groups oppose the Sunday sale of alcoholic beverages, a positioned welcomed by bootleggers, illicit sellers who welcome a wider market for their services. In the context of regulation generally, the “Baptists” are those who take moral high ground in the efforts to gain regulation, as with environmental groups. The “bootleggers” are those who gain monopoly rents when the Baptists successfully provide an output restriction, as when producers of clean energy see coal operations closed down. Part of the rapid rise of US regulation since 1970 may be better understood by applying Bootlegger/Baptist theory to the political economy that produces regulation.
Real risk, inflation risk, and the term structure

I develop and estimate a general equilibrium model for the term structures of nominal and real interest rates in the UK that incorporates Markov-switching. The model allows for non-neutralities, nonlinear dynamics, and flexibility in the dynamics of the risk premia - features that are all present in the data. I use the model to assess how accurately the term structure reflects changing expectations of future yields and inflation. This analysis shows that the presence of time-varying risk premia make it very hard to accurately track changes in the expected path of real or nominal yields over horizons of less than five years. By contrast, variations in inflation expected over the next two to three years are very accurately reflected by changes in spread between real and nominal yields, or by changes in nominal yields alone. Over longer horizons, the term structures closely track changing expectations regarding future nominal and real yields but not future inflation.
Asymptotic Normality of Parametric Part in Partially Linear Models with Measurement Error in the Nonparametric Part

Abstract We consider the partially linear model relating a response Y to predictors ( X , T ) with mean function X T β + g ( T ) when the T 's are measured with additive error. We derive an estimator of β by modification of a local-likelihood method. The resulting estimator of β is shown to be asymptotically normal under the suitable conditions.
Discrete length-volume inequalities and lower volume bounds in metric spaces

A theorem of W. Derrick ensures that the volume of any Riemannian cube \(([0,1]^n,g)\) is bounded below by the product of the distances between opposite codimension-1 faces. In this paper, we establish a discrete analog of Derrick’s inequality for weighted open covers of the cube \([0,1]^n\), which is motivated by a question about lower volume bounds in metric spaces. Our main theorem generalizes a previous result of the author in Kinneberg (J Differ Geom 100(2):349–388, 2015) which gave a combinatorial version of Derrick’s inequality and was used in the analysis of boundaries of hyperbolic groups. As an application, we answer a question of Y. Burago and V. Zalgaller about length-volume inequalities for pseudometrics on the unit cube.
Thermal Analysis to Calculate the Vessel Temperature and Stress in Alcator C-Mod due to the Divertor Upgrade

Alcator C-Mod is planning an upgrade to its outer divertor. The upgrade is intended to correct the existing outer divertor alignment with the plasma, and to operate at elevated temperatures. Higher temperature operation will allow study of edge physics behavior at reactor relevant temperatures. The outer divertor and tiles will be capable of operating at 600oC. Longer pulse length, together with the plasma and RF heat of 9MW, and the inclusion of heater elements within the outer divertor produces radiative energy which makes the sustained operation much more difficult than before. An ANSYS model based on ref. 1 was built for the global thermal analysis of C-Mod. It models the radiative surfaces inside the vessel and between the components, and also includes plasma energy deposition. Different geometries have been simulated and compared. Results show that steady state operation with the divertor at 600oC is possible with no damage to major vessel internal components. The differential temperature between inner divertor structure, or "girdle" and inner vessel wall is ~70oC. This differential temperature is limited by the capacity of the studs that hold the inner divertor backing plates to the vessel wall. At a 70oC temperature differential the stress on the studs is within allowable limits. The thermal model was then used for a stress pass to quantify vessel shell stresses where thermal gradients are significant.
Engaging Alkenyl Halides with Alkylsilicates via Photoredox Dual Catalysis

Single-electron transmetalation via photoredox/nickel dual catalysis provides the opportunity for the construction of Csp3–Csp2 bonds through the transfer of alkyl radicals under very mild reaction conditions. A general procedure for the cross-coupling of primary and secondary (bis-catecholato)alkylsilicates with alkenyl halides is presented. The developed method allows not only alkenyl bromides and iodides but also previously underexplored alkenyl chlorides to be employed.
Jet maximization, axis minimization, and stable cone finding

Jet finding is a type of optimization problem, where hadrons from a high-energy collision event are grouped into jets based on a clustering criterion. As three interesting examples, one can form a jet cluster that (i) optimizes the overall jet four-vector, (ii) optimizes the jet axis, or (iii) aligns the jet axis with the jet four-vector. In this paper, we show that these three approaches to jet finding, despite being philosophically quite different, can be regarded as descendants of a mother optimization problem. For the special case of finding a single cone jet of fixed opening angle, the three approaches are genuinely identical when defined appropriately, and the result is a stable cone jet with the largest value of a quantity $J$. This relationship is only approximate for cone jets in the rapidity-azimuth plane, as used at the Large Hadron Collider, though the differences are mild for small radius jets.
Lenses: an on-demand approach to ETL

Three mentalities have emerged in analytics. One view holds that reliable analytics is impossible without high-quality data, and relies on heavy-duty ETL processes and upfront data curation to provide it. The second view takes a more ad-hoc approach, collecting data into a data lake, and placing responsibility for data quality on the analyst querying it. A third, on-demand approach has emerged over the past decade in the form of numerous systems like Paygo or HLog, which allow for incremental curation of the data and help analysts to make principled trade-offs between data quality and effort. Though quite useful in isolation, these systems target only specific quality problems (e.g., Paygo targets only schema matching and entity resolution). In this paper, we explore the design of a general, extensible infrastructure for on-demand curation that is based on probabilistic query processing. We illustrate its generality through examples and show how such an infrastructure can be used to gracefully make existing ETL workflows "on-demand". Finally, we present a user interface for On-Demand ETL and address ensuing challenges, including that of efficiently ranking potential data curation tasks. Our experimental results show that On-Demand ETL is feasible and that our greedy ranking strategy for curation tasks, called CPI, is effective.
Tandem Intramolecular Diels–Alder/1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Cascade of 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles: Initial Scope and Applications

A summary of the development and initial studies on the scope of a powerful tandem intramolecular [4 + 2]/[3 + 2] cycloaddition cascade of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles is detailed and provides the foundation for its subsequent use in organic synthesis. Implemented with substrates in which both the initiating dienophile and subsequent dipolarophile are tethered to the 1,3,4-oxadiazoles, the studies expanded the scope of oxadiazoles that participate in the reaction cascade, permitted the use of differentiated dienophiles and dipolarophiles, extended their use to unsymmetrical dienophiles and dipolarophiles, provided exclusive control of the cycloaddition regioselectivities, and imposed exquisite control on the cycloaddition stereochemistry. As key reactivity and stereochemical features of the reactions were being defined, the cascade cycloaddition reaction was implemented in the total synthesis of a series of alkaloids including (-)-vindoline, (-)-vindorosine, the closely related natural products (+)-4-desacetoxyvindoline and (+)-4-desacetoxyvindorosine, natural minovine, (+)-N-methylaspidospermidine, (+)-spegazzinine, (-)-aspidospermine, and a number of key analogues. Most recently, it was used in the divergent total syntheses of (+)-fendleridine, (-)-kopsinine, (-)-kopsifoline D, and (-)-deoxoapodine, in which four different strategic bonds in four different classes of the hexacyclic alkaloids were formed from a common cascade cycloaddition intermediate. A large number of vindoline analogues were prepared by variations on the cascade cycloaddition reaction for single step incorporation into analogues of vinblastine. These structural changes to vindoline permitted both systematic alterations to the peripheral substituents as well as deep-seated changes to the core structure and embedded functionality of vinblastine not previously accessible. Although explored initially for accessing vindoline and vinblastine, the use of the cycloaddition cascade in the total synthesis of an impressive range of additional natural products illustrate the power of the methodology. Alternative tethering strategies for the cascade cycloaddition reaction, combined intramolecular and intermolecular variants of either the initiating Diels-Alder reaction or the subsequent carbonyl ylide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, an expanded examination of the tethered dipolarophile scope, and applications to additional natural product classes represent attractive areas for future work.
Family types and intimate-partner violence: A historical perspective

This paper examines the long-term determinants of intimate partner violence (IPV) by analyzing its relationship with traditional family structures: stem families in which one child stays in the par...
Should I Stay or Should I Go: Investor Protection, Firm Selection and Aggregate Productivity

The large cross-country variation in income per capita and aggregate productivity is highly correlated with various measures of investor protection. To account for this pattern I propose a theory of aggregate productivity based on firm selection. According to this theory, improvements in investor protection reduce the cost of credit of young firms, increasing the value of starting a project anew. This increase in the outside option of an incumbent raises the exit rate of low quality firms. A consequence of this selection mechanism is that the average productivity of old firms relative to young ones is increasing in the quality of investor protection. Using a comprehensive cross-country panel of firms, I show that this prediction holds in the data. What is more, quantitative simulations indicate that this selection mechanism accounts for around 25 percent of the cross-country differences in aggregate productivity. The model provides additional testable predictions reenforcing the plausibility of the theory. I show that in countries with better investor protection there is a larger share of young firms, these firms start larger, grow more slowly and deleverage more quickly. Finally, I analyze the effect that an exclusion from credit markets for an insolvent debtor has on the cost of credit and on aggregate outcomes. I find that the length of the exclusion that maximizes income per capita, is decreasing in the quality of investor protection.
A Model of Climate Policy Using Board Game Mechanics

This paper provides a case study of how a board game can be modified to generate a serious game. We argue that board games are an interesting medium for serious games, especially when the goal is to teach players about particularly complex systems. In that case, the transparency of a board game makes it possible for players to “see the whole boards” – to see all of the various moving parts at work. That transparency also makes it very easy to modify board games. To demonstrate these claims, we present a modification to the board game CO2 that accurately models different policy options with regard to global warming. We show how a few major changes to the original game’s point systems, as well as removal of certain extraneous features, can significantly improve the game, adding an instructional value. The game allows players to experiment with several policy options, including carbon taxes, carbon emissions permit sales, and clean energy research support, and lets players see how these policies interact. We discuss ways that teachers, advocates, journalists, and others can the Climate Policy mod to more easily explain the incredibly complex interactions of power markets, carbon dioxide emissions, and public policy.
Facile Synthesis of 3-N-Alkyl Pyrimidin-2,4-diones from N-Sulfonyloxy Maleimides and Amines

Reaction of variously substituted N-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy maleimides with primary amines in the presence of potassium carbonate in DMF at room temperature results in the formation of 3-N-alkyl pyrimidin-2,4-diones in good yield.
Refractive Index of Rubber

Abstract This paper presents an exploratory study of the refractive index of rubber. Previous observations on the refractive index of rubber have been, for the most part, restricted to transparent samples. In the present investigation, however, by using reflected light rather than light at grazing incidence, it was found possible to extend the range of measurements to rubber samples that were somewhat dark in color or that were very nearly opaque. Such being the case, determinations of refractive index were made not only on translucent samples of unvulcanized or soft vulcanized rubber, but also on binary mixtures of rubber and different compounding materials, and on compounds of rubber and sulfur containing 0 to 19 per cent of sulfur and covering the range from soft to semi-hard rubber. Different samples of unvulcanized Hevea rubber, of plantation origin, all showed approximately the same refractive index, irrespective of considerable variations in the nonhydrocarbon components. The index was not apprecia...
Resistance in transition-edge sensors: A comparison of the resistively shunted junction and two-fluid models

The transition between the superconducting and normal states is of extreme practical importance because the very sharp onset of resistance in voltage biased thin films is the basis for transition-edge sensors (TESs). TESs are being successfully utilized in many new instruments despite the fact that there is no consensus model that describes the resistance as a function of both temperature and current $R(T,I)$. A new model assuming a TES can be described as a resistively shunted junction (RSJ) has generated much interest. Here we compare the predictions of this model with the predictions of a two-fluid model and measured data. Except for some small TESs (characteristic size $l$125 $\ensuremath{\mu}$m), the data are not consistent with the RSJ model but are consistent with the two-fluid model.
Palladium-Catalyzed Allylic Fluorination of Cinnamyl Phosphorothioate Esters

A highly regioselective, Pd-catalyzed allylic fluorination of phosphorothioate esters is reported. This chemistry addresses several limitations of previously reported methods in which elimination and lack of reactivity were problematic. Preliminary mechanistic investigations reveal that these reactions are stereospecific and provide fluorinated products with net retention of stereochemical configuration. In analogy to other Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions, this process likely proceeds through a palladium π-allyl intermediate.
Diastereoselective aziridination of 2-B(pin)-substituted allylic alcohols: an efficient approach to novel organoboron compounds.

We report that 2-B(pin)-substituted allylic alcohols are good substrates for diastereoselective aziridinations in the presence of PhI(OAc)2 and N-aminophthalimide. Under the aziridination conditions, the valuable B–C bond remains intact, affording a variety of novel boron-substituted aziridines in good yields and excellent diastereoselectivities. Oxidation of the aziridine B–C bond enables generation of syn-1,3-aminohydroxy-2-ketones with high diastereoselectivity.
Self-Similar Theory of Thermal Conduction and Application to the Solar Wind

We propose a self-similar kinetic theory of thermal conductivity in a magnetized plasma, and discuss its application to the solar wind. We study a collisional kinetic equation in a spatially expanding magnetic flux tube, assuming that the magnetic field strength, the plasma density, and the plasma temperature decline as power laws of distance along the tube. We demonstrate that the electron kinetic equation has a family of scale-invariant solutions for a particular relation among the magnetic-, density-, and temperature-scaling exponents. These solutions describe the heat flux as a function of the temperature Knudsen number $\ensuremath{\gamma}$, which we require to be constant along the flux tube. We observe that self-similarity may be realized in the solar wind; for the Helios data $0.3--1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{AU}$ we find that the scaling exponents for density, temperature, and heat flux are close to those dictated by scale invariance. We find steady-state solutions of the self-similar kinetic equation numerically, and show that these solutions accurately reproduce the electron strahl population seen in the solar wind, as well as the measured heat flux.
Prediction of solid-aqueous equilibria: Scheme to combine first-principles calculations of solids with experimental aqueous states

We present an efficient scheme for combining ab initio calculated solid states with experimental aqueous states through a framework of consistent reference energies. Our work enables accurate prediction of phase stability and dissolution in equilibrium with water, which has many important application areas. We formally outline the thermodynamic principles of the scheme and show examples of successful applications of the proposed framework on (1) the evaluation of the water-splitting photocatalyst material Ta${}_{3}$N${}_{5}$ for aqueous stability, (2) the stability of small nanoparticle Pt in acid water, and (3) the prediction of particle morphology and facet stabilization of olivine LiFePO${}_{4}$ as a function of aqueous conditions.
Investigating boredom and engagement during writing using multiple sources of information: the essay, the writer, and keystrokes

Writing training systems have been developed to provide students with instruction and deliberate practice on their writing. Although generally successful in providing accurate scores, a common criticism of these systems is their lack of personalization and adaptive instruction. In particular, these systems tend to place the strongest emphasis on delivering accurate scores, and therefore, tend to overlook additional indices that may contribute to students' success, such as their affective states during writing practice. This study takes an initial step toward addressing this gap by building a predictive model of students' affect using information that can potentially be collected by computer systems. We used individual difference measures, text indices, and keystroke analyses to predict engagement and boredom in 132 writing sessions. The results suggest that these three categories of indices were successful in modeling students' affective states during writing. Taken together, indices related to students' academic abilities, text properties, and keystroke logs were able classify high and low engagement and boredom in writing sessions with accuracies between 76.5% and 77.3%. These results suggest that information readily available in writing training systems can inform affect detectors and ultimately improve student models within intelligent tutoring systems.
Stochastic Perron for Stochastic Target Problems

In this paper, we adapt stochastic Perron's method to analyze stochastic target problems in a jump diffusion setup, where the controls are unbounded. Since classical control problems can be analyzed under the framework of stochastic target problems (with unbounded controls), we use our results to generalize the results of Bayraktar and S?rbu (SIAM J Control Optim 51(6):4274---4294, 2013) to problems with controlled jumps.
Wide Field-Of-View, Multi-Region Two-Photon Imaging of Neuronal Activity In Vivo

We present a custom two-photon microscope that provides cellular resolution over a 3.5 mm field of view. Temporally multiplexed excitation pathways can be independently positioned in XYZ to simultaneously image regions within the large field of view.
Palladium-Catalyzed α-Arylation of Aryl Nitromethanes

Catalytic conditions for the α-arylation of aryl nitromethanes have been discovered using parallel microscale experimentation, despite two prior reports of the lack of reactivity of these aryl nitromethane precursors. The method efficiently provides a variety of substituted, isolable diaryl nitromethanes. In addition, it is possible to sequentially append two different aryl groups to nitromethane. Mild oxidation conditions were identified to afford the corresponding benzophenones via the Nef reaction, and reduction conditions were optimized to afford several diaryl methylamines.
Trading the VIX Futures Roll and Volatility Premiums with VIX Options

This study examines VIX option trading strategies based on the systematic tendencies of VIX futures from January 2007 through March 2014. The strategies involve buying VIX options to exploit the tendency of VIX futures to rise and fall when the VIX futures curve is in backwardation and in contango, respectively, as well as the tendency of VIX futures ex ante volatility premiums to spike and then revert to more typical levels. Subject to caveats about the often wide VIX option bid–ask spread quotes in the first few years of trading, the results demonstrate that these limited risk strategies are highly profitable. An important factor driving the results is that long VIX option strategies greatly benefit from a tendency of VIX option implied volatilities to rise with increases in the volatilities of underlying VIX futures contracts, as the latter move toward settlement and their volatilities converge to the typically higher volatility of the VIX. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 37:184–208, 2017