cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NON-EQUILIBRIUM PHASE TRANSITIONS IN CONDENSED MATTER AND COSMOLOGY: SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION, CONDENSATES AND DEFECTS ∗

These lectures address the dynamics of phase ordering out of equilibrium in condensed matter and in quantum field theory in cosmological settings, emphasizing their similarities and differences. In condensed matter we describe the phenomenological approach based on the Time Dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) description. We study the exact solution to the dynamics after a quench in this limit in Minkowski space time and in radiation dominated Friedman-Robertson-Walker Cosmology. There are some remarkable similarities between these very different settings such as the emergence of a scaling regime and of a dynamical correlation length at late times that describe the formation and growth of ordered regions. In quantum field theory and cosmology this length scale is constrained by causality and its growth in time is also associated with coarsening and the onset of a condensate. We provide a density matrix interpretation of the formation of defects and the classicalization of quantum fluctuations.
Metal-free, carbon-based catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions

Developing metal-free, carbon-based catalysts to replace platinum-based catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) is an emerging area of research. In recent years, different carbon structures including carbon doped with IIIA-VIIA heteroatoms (C–M site-based, where M represents the doped heteroatom) and polynitrogen (PN) compounds encapsulated in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (N–N site-based) have been synthesized. Compared to metallic catalysts, these materials are highly active, stable, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. This review discusses the development of these materials, their ORR performances and the mechanisms for how the incorporation of heteroatoms enhances the ORR activity. Strategies for tailoring the structures of the carbon substrates to improve ORR performance are also discussed. Future studies in this area will need to include optimizing synthetic strategies to control the type, amount and distribution of the incorporated heteroatoms, as well as better understanding the ORR mechanisms in these catalysts.
Giant component in random multipartite graphs with given degree sequences

We study the problem of the existence of a giant component in a random multipartite graph. We consider a random multipartite graph with p parts generated according to a given degree sequence nid(n)...
Magma supply dynamics at Westdahl volcano, Alaska, modeled from satellite radar interferometry

[1] A group of satellite radar interferograms that span the time period from 1991 to 2000 shows that Westdahl volcano, Alaska, deflated during its 1991–1992 eruption and is reinflating at a rate that could produce another eruption within the next several years. The rates of inflation and deflation are approximated by exponential decay functions having time constants of about 6 years and a few days, respectively. This behavior is consistent with a deep, constant-pressure magma source connected to a shallow reservoir by a magma-filled conduit. An elastic deformation model indicates that the reservoir is located about 6 km below sea level and beneath Westdahl Peak. We propose that the magma flow rate through the conduit is governed by the pressure gradient between the deep source and the reservoir. The pressure gradient, and hence the flow rate, are greatest immediately after eruptions. Pressurization of the reservoir decreases both the pressure gradient and the flow rate, but eventually the reservoir ruptures and an eruption or intrusion ensues. The eruption rate is controlled partly by the pressure gradient between the reservoir and surface, and therefore it, too, decreases with time. When the supply of eruptible magma is exhausted, the eruption stops, the reservoir begins to repressurize at a high rate, and the cycle repeats. This model might also be appropriate for other frequently active volcanoes with stable magma sources and relatively simple magma storage systems.
Very low sound velocities in iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O: Implications for the core-mantle boundary region

The sound velocities of (Mg_(.16)Fe_(.84))O have been measured to 121 GPa at ambient temperature using nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. The effect of electronic environment of the iron sites on the sound velocities were tracked in situ using synchrotron Mossbauer spectroscopy. We found the sound velocities of (Mg_(.16)Fe_(.84))O to be much lower than those in other presumed mantle phases at similar conditions, most notably at very high pressures. Conservative estimates of the effect of temperature and dilution on aggregate sound velocities show that only a small amount of iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O can greatly reduce the average sound velocity of an assemblage. We propose that iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O be a source of ultra-low velocity zones. Other properties of this phase, such as enhanced density and dynamic stability, strongly support the presence of iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O in localized patches above the core-mantle boundary.
Universality of logarithmic loss in lossy compression

We establish two strong senses of universality of logarithmic loss as a distortion criterion in lossy compression: For any fixed length lossy compression problem under an arbitrary distortion criterion, we show that there is an equivalent lossy compression problem under logarithmic loss. In the successive refinement problem, if the first decoder operates under logarithmic loss, we show that any discrete memoryless source is successively refinable under an arbitrary distortion criterion for the second decoder.
Political Economic Pressures in Financial Crisis Resolution

The free flow of global capital has resulted in destabilizing financial crises, coupled with significant redistributive effects. However, the existing literature has not adequately addressed the channels for this redistribution, nor the different factors that influence the formation of post-crisis redistributive policy. This paper develops a microfounded theoretical model that applies the modeling framework of special interest lobbying together with bilateral bargaining to the formation of equilibrium lending, bailout, and reallocation decisions. The paper then takes the theoretical model to the data, testing two key predictions of the model using both micro- and macro-level datasets. Finally, implications for international financial reform are then examined in light of the model's findings.
China : urban services and governance

The study addresses governance challenges in public service delivery in China. It builds on the citizen scorecard survey conducted in five Chinese cities in 2006 to gauge citizens experience with public services, and demonstrates the usefulness of citizens feedback for policy development and implementation. The survey found that citizens were generally pleased with urban public services, but worried about the associated fees. Compared with the official urban residents, the urban poor and rural migrants in cities reported sharper utilization constraints, lower readiness to complain or pay informal fees, and a much larger income share spent on public services. The reported citizens perceptions sometimes diverged from the evidence and pointed to significant information asymmetries. Explaining the survey results, the study reveals problems of inadequacy, inequality and misaligned incentives in public resource allocation. The study presents several successful experiments reducing the dependence on user fees in basic education and primary healthcare. It recognizes that China has been undertaking comprehensive reforms to enhance equity and quality in public service delivery. Such reforms have included measures to strengthen the regulatory, monitoring, and enforcement systems and accountability relationships. In the context of the ongoing reforms, this study highlights the need to: a) hold the provincial governments accountable for public service delivery performance; b) develop effective mechanisms to align public resources and incentives at each level of government with the national priorities; and c) develop proper means to empower the citizens. In this context, the study affirms that the Chinese government is rightly placing reforms in the intergovernmental, administrative, and public finance systems at the top of its agenda.
On Observing the Cosmic Microwave Background

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) comprises the oldest photons in the universe and is arguably our most direct cosmological observable. All precise and accurate measurements of its attributes serve to distinguish between cosmological models. Detector technology and observing techniques have advanced to the point where fluctuations in the CMB of order a few microkelvin are measured almost routinely. In these lecture notes, we review recent measurements of both the absolute temperature and the anisotropy of the CMB and discuss the relation between the data and the general theoretical framework. Future directions are indicated and the upcoming satellite experiments are discussed.
Earth and planetary system science game engine

The widespread use of on-line computer games makes this medium a valuable vehicle for information sharing, while scalability facilitates global collaboration between players in the game space. Game engines generally provide an intuitive interface allowing attention to be shifted to the understanding of scientific elements rather than hiding them between a wealth of menus and other counterintuitive user interfaces. These strengths are applied towards promoting the understanding of planetary systems and climate change. Unconventional interaction and visualization techniques are introduced as a method to experience geophysical environments. Players are provided with dynamic visualization assets, which enable them to discover, interrogate and correlate scientific data in the game space. The spirit of exploration is to give players the impetus to conceptualize how complex Earth and planetary systems work, understand their intrinsic beauty and the impact of humans, while providing a sense of responsibility for those systems.
X-Ray visualization of the placenta: Experiences with soft-tissue and cystographic techniques in the diagnosis of placenta previa

Abstract It is an established fact that the placenta can be visualized in soft-tissue x-ray films in over 90 per cent of all women who are in the third trimester of pregnancy. This was forecast by Speidel and Turner 1 in 1924. In a paper dealing chiefly with x-ray visualization of the uterus and adnexa with the aid of artificial pneumoperitoneum, they stated: "It should be possible, by means of the roentgenogram, by the relation that the head of the fetus bears to the lower segment of the uterus, to determine the degree of encroachment of the placenta upon the internal os, and whether we have a central, lateral, or marginal placenta previa." During the past several years at the Boston Lying-in Hospital we have made x-ray studies of all cases of uterine bleeding and of transverse or oblique position of the fetus occurring during the third trimester of pregnancy. The purpose of this paper is to report our experience regarding the x-ray diagnosis of placenta previa through the use of the soft-tissue technique introduced by Snow and Powell 2 and the cystographic method first described by Ude, Weum, and Urner 3 .
Saito–Kurokawa lifts and applications to the Bloch–Kato conjecture

Let f be a newform of weight 2k−2 and level 1. In this paper we provide evidence for the Bloch-Kato conjecture for modular forms. We demonstrate an implication that under suitable hypotheses if | Lalg(k, f) then p | #Hf (Q,Wf (1− k)) where p is a suitably chosen prime and a uniformizer of a finite extension K/Qp. We demonstrate this by establishing a congruence between the Saito-Kurokawa lift Ff of f and a cuspidal Siegel eigenform G that is not a Saito-Kurokawa lift. We then examine what this congruence says in terms of Galois representations to produce a non-trivial p-torsion element in Hf (Q,Wf (1− k)).
A New Regional Household Demand System for GTAP

The GTAP final demand system has some known defects: the computation of the equivalent variation is not exact; with non-standard demand parameters, the equivalent variation may be grossly in error; the decomposition of the equivalent variation contains a nuisance term. We find a further defect, that the upper-level demand equations are invalid. We revise the model to remove these defects.
Quantum Walks on the Hypercube

Recently, it has been shown that one-dimensional quantum walks can mix more quickly than classical random walks, suggesting that quantum Monte Carlo algorithms can outperform their classical counterparts. We study two quantum walks on the n-dimensional hypercube, one in discrete time and one in continuous time. In both cases we show that the instantaneous mixing time is (π/4)n steps, faster than the Θ(n log n) steps required by the classical walk. In the continuous-time case, the probability distribution is exactly uniform at this time. On the other hand, we show that the average mixing time as defined by Aharonov et al. [AAKV01] is Ω(n 3/2) in the discrete-time case, slower than the classical walk, and nonexistent in the continuous-time case. This suggests that the instantaneous mixing time is a more relevant notion than the average mixing time for quantum walks on large, well-connected graphs. Our analysis treats interference between terms of different phase more carefully than is necessary for the walk on the cycle; previous general bounds predict an exponential average mixing time when applied to the hypercube.
Medical Malpractice Claims in Radiation Oncology: A Population-Based Study 1985-2012.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine trends in radiation oncology malpractice claims and expenses during the last 28 years and to compare radiation oncology malpractice claims to those of other specialties. Methods and Materials We performed a retrospective analysis of closed malpractice claims filed from 1985 to 2012, collected by a nationwide medical liability insurance trade association. We analyzed characteristics and trends among closed claims, indemnity payments (payments to plaintiff), and litigation expenses. We also compared radiation oncology malpractice claims to those of 21 other medical specialties. Time series dollar amounts were adjusted for inflation (2012 was the index year). Results There were 1517 closed claims involving radiation oncology, of which 342 (22.5%) were paid. Average and median indemnity payments were $276,792 and $122,500, respectively, ranking fifth and eighth, respectively, among the 22 specialty groups. Linear regression modeling of time trends showed decreasing total numbers of claims ( β = −1.96 annually, P =.003), increasing average litigation expenses paid ( β = +$1472 annually, P ≤.001), and no significant changes in average indemnity payments ( β = −$681, P =.89). Conclusions Medical professional liability claims filed against radiation oncologists are not common and have declined in recent years. However, indemnity payments in radiation oncology are large relative to those of many other specialties. In recent years, the average indemnity payment has been stable, whereas litigation expenses have increased.
Staged inertial microfluidic focusing for complex fluid enrichment

Microfluidic inertial focusing reliably and passively aligns small particles and cells through a combination of competing inertial fluid forces. The equilibrium behavior of inertially focused particles in straight channels has been extensively characterized and has been shown to be a strong function of channel size, geometry and particle size. We demonstrate that channels of varying geometry may be combined to produce a staged device capable of high throughput particle and cell concentration and efficient single pass complex fluid enrichment. Straight and asymmetrically curved microchannels were combined in series to accelerate focusing dynamics and improve concentration efficiency. We have investigated single and multiple pass concentration efficiency and results indicate that these devices are appropriate for routine cell handling operations, including buffer exchange. We demonstrate the utility of these devices by performing a ubiquitous fluorescence staining assay on-chip while sacrificing very little sample or processing time relative to centrifugation. Staged concentration is particularly desirable for point of care settings in which more conventional instrumentation is impractical or cost-prohibitive.
Cascade rearrangement of furylcarbinols with hydroxylamines: Practical access to densely functionalized cyclopentane derivatives

This article describes the aza-Piancatelli rearrangement with hydroxylamines to 4-aminocyclopentenones and subsequent transformations that highlight the versatility of the cyclopentene scaffold and the value of the hydroxylamine nucleophile in this transformation.
EVIDENCE OF AN INITIALLY MAGNETICALLY DOMINATED OUTFLOW IN GRB 080916C

The composition of gamma-ray burst (GRB) ejecta is still a mystery. The standard model invokes an initially hot 'fireball' composed of baryonic matter. Here, we analyze the broadband spectra of GRB 080916C detected by the Fermi satellite. The featureless Band spectrum of all five epochs as well as the detections of {approx}>10 GeV photons in this burst place a strong constraint on the prompt emission radius R {sub {gamma}}, which is typically {approx}>10{sup 15} cm, independent of the details of the emission process. The lack of detection of a thermal component as predicted by the baryonic models strongly suggests that a significant fraction of the outflow energy is initially not in the 'fireball' form, but is likely in a Poynting flux entrained with the baryonic matter. The ratio between the Poynting and baryonic fluxes is at least {approx}(15-20) at the photosphere radius, if the Poynting flux is not directly converted to kinetic energy below the photosphere.
Doxastic paradoxes without self-reference

Certain doxastic paradoxes (paradoxes analogous to the Paradox of the Liar but involving ideal belief instead of truth ) demonstrate that some formal paradoxes cannot be avoided simply by limiting the expressiveness of one's formal language in order to exclude the very possibility of self-referential thoughts and beliefs. These non-self-referential paradoxes, moreover, should be of special interest to such investigators of rationality as game theorist, economists and cognitive psychologists, since they occur more frequently in the world beyond the Godel-theorist's laboratory.
The electrochemical fluorination of acetyl fluoride

Abstract The electrochemical fluorination of acetyl fluoride in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride to produce trifluoroacetyl fluoride was investigated in a microprocessor-aided modified Simons' reactor. The product was recovered in acetic acid as trifluoroacetic acid. The experiments were carried out at a controlled anodic potential using a Cu/CuF2 reference electrode. Product yields of 36 - 45%, current efficiencies of 30 to 50% and energy efficiencies of 11 – 23% were obtained. Experimental results of this investigation are presented and discussed.
Future Detector Needs for High Energy Physics

High energy physics, as exemplified by the SSC, requires the analysis of increasingly complex events which occur at ever higher event rates. The SSC detectors embody an order of magnitude increase in cost and complexity. Research and development for a 500 M$ detector with 500K data channels must procede in step with accelerator design. Up to a decade of R&D at 1% per year (5M$) invested should be expected. This implies the close involvement of industry.
On the status of stability of interconnected systems

In the present paper we report on the status of stability of complex dynamical systems. We consider those systems which may be viewed as an interconnection of lower order subsystems. We emphasize those types of results which are phrased in terms of the stability properties of the subsystems and in terms of the qualitative properties of the system interconnecting structure. We consider both Lyapunov stability and input-output stability results. In our presentation, we concentrate on selected sample results and we show how some of these results are related. We then use these sample results to identify modifications, extensions, generalizations, and applications. In this way, we are able to provide a reasonably good picture of the entire subject on hand.
A dynamic marketing network with monopsonistic acquisition and perfectly competitive disposition

The marketing networks of third-world countries are large systems having many markets and many agents. The dynamic behavior of one form is modeled in this paper by examining the actions of the traders. Recursive analysis yields time series in all prices and commodity flows. The network has a unique equilibrium state. Under certain conditions on supply and demand elasticities, that equilibrium state is locally asymptotically stable.
A Mild and Convenient Oxidation of Aryl Nitriles to Aryl Amides by Aqueous Sodium Perborate

Abstract A series of benzonitriles has been reacted with sodium perborate in water and a cosolvent to produce the corresponding amides in good yield. The procedure is a mild and convenient alternative for the synthesis of aryl amides.
Continuous LERW started from interior points

Abstract We use the whole-plane Loewner equation to define a family of continuous LERW in finitely connected domains that are started from interior points. These continuous LERW satisfy conformal invariance, preserve some continuous local martingales, and are the scaling limits of the corresponding discrete LERW on the discrete approximation of the domains.
The globus project: a status report

Abstract The Globus project is a multi-institutional research effort that seeks to enable the construction of computational grids providing pervasive, dependable, and consistent access to high-performance computational resources, despite geographical distribution of both resources and users. Computational grid technology is being viewed as a critical element of future high-performance computing environments that will enable entirely new classes of computation-oriented applications, much as the World Wide Web fostered the development of new classes of information-oriented applications. In this paper, we report on the status of the Globus project as of early 1998. We describe the progress that has been achieved to date in the development of the Globus toolkit, a set of core services for constructing grid tools and applications. We also discuss the Globus Ubiquitous Supercomputing Testbed Organization (GUSTO) that we have constructed to enable large-scale evaluation of Globus technologies, and we review early experiences with the development of large-scale grid applications on the GUSTO testbed.
Kondo Effect in Quantum Dots

Kondo effect in a quantum dot is discussed. In the standard Coulomb blockade setting, tunneling between the dot and leads is weak, the number of electrons in the dot is well-defined and discrete; Kondo effect may be considered in the framework of the conventional one-level Anderson impurity model. It turns out however, that the Kondo temperature TK in the case of weak tunneling is extremely low. In the opposite case of almost reflectionless single-mode junctions connecting the dot to the leads, the average charge of the dot is not discrete. Surprisingly, its spin may remain quantized: s = 1/2 or s = 0, depending (periodically) on the gate voltage. Such a “spin-charge separation” occurs because, unlike Anderson impurity, quantum dot carries a broad-band, dense spectrum of discrete levels. In the doublet state, Kondo effect with a significantly enhanced TK develops.
Analysis of External Burning on Inclined Surfaces in Supersonic Flow

An earlier analysis of a viscous mixing region with heat addition interacting with a supersonic external flow has been extended to include cases with a sloped wall beneath the viscous region. Also, cases with a supersonic to subsonic transition at the viscous throat have been studied for the first time. Limitations on the allowable heating value of the fuel that correspond to smooth subsonic to supersonic, or supersonic to subsonic transitions, are delineated and explained. The effects of wall slope at the throat and external Mach number on these limitations are shown. The results of calculations for representative cases show that it is possible to cancel base drag and even produce net thrust for cases with downward sloped walls if the initial Mach number in the viscous zone is supersonic prior to addition of heat. This corresponds to a supersonic to subsonic transition. For an initially subsonic flow, the results indicate pressures below the freestream static pressure throughout the flowfield. This means that only very limited drag from flameholders, such that the flow remains supersonic before heat addition, are advisable. Finally, some directions for future work are outlined.
Social Network Effects on Productivity and Job Security: Evidence from the Adoption of a Social Networking Tool

By studying the change in employees' network positions before and after the introduction of a social networking tool, I find that information-rich networks (low in cohesion and rich in structural holes), enabled by social media, have a positive effect on various work outcomes. Contrary to the notion that network positions are difficult to alter, I show that social media can induce a change in network structure, one from which individuals can derive economic benefits. In addition, I consider two intermediate mechanisms by which an information-rich network is theorized to improve work performance—information diversity and social communication—and quantify their effects on productivity and job security. Analysis shows that productivity, as measured by billable revenue, is more associated with information diversity than with social communication. However, the opposite is true for job security. Social communication is more correlated with reduced layoff risks than with information diversity. This, in turn, sug...
Superlight gravitinos in electron-photon collisions

Abstract Motivated by recent studies of supersymmetry in higher-dimensional spaces, we discuss the experimental signatures of a superlight gravitino ( mass ⩽10 −3 eV ). We concentrate on the process e − γ→ e R G as a probe of supersymmetry, where a single heavy superpartner and a superlight gravitino are produced. The fact that there is only one heavy superpartner in the final state in this process would require a lower center-of-mass energy for on-shell production compared to conventional pair production. For instance, for a 500 GeV machine, we find that a positive signal will be found if the supersymmetry breaking scale is less than about 2 TeV. If no positive signal is found, this process puts a bound on the supersymmetry breaking scale.
Elastic thickness and heat flux estimates for the uranian satellite Ariel

The surface of Ariel, an icy satellite orbiting Uranus, shows extensional tectonic features suggesting an episode of endogenic heating in the satellite's past. Using topography derived from stereo-photoclinometry, we identified flexural uplift at a rift zone suggesting elastic thickness values in the range 3.8-4.4 km. We estimate the temperature at the base of the lithosphere to be in the range 99 to 146 K, depending on the strain rate assumed, with corresponding heat fluxes of 28-92 mW/m2. Neither tidal heating, assuming Ariel's current eccentricity, nor radiogenic heat production from the silicate core are enough to cause the inferred heat fluxes. None of three proposed ancient mean-motion resonances produce equilibrium tidal heating values in excess of 4.3 mW/m2. Thus, the origin of the inferred high heat fluxes is currently mysterious.
Changes in Rotational Angular Momentum Due to Gravitational Interactions Between Two Finite Bodies

Interactions between an initially uniformly rotating body with a second degree and order gravity field and a sphere are analyzed. Explicit predictions of the change in rotational angular momentum of the non-spherical body are derived over one interaction (i.e. periapsis passage) between the bodies. The estimated changes are expressed in terms of trigonometric functions and generalized Hansen coefficients.
Gas- and liquid-phase 1h NMR study of syn⇌anti conformational exchange of n-propyl, n-butyl, and isobutyl nitrite

Abstract Gas-phase free activation energies, Δ G ‡ 298 , for syn⇌anti conformational exchange in n -propyl, n -butyl, and isobutyl nitrite are 11.3 (0.2), 11.4 (0.2) and 11.3 (0.2) kcal mol −1 , respectively. For 1 mol% solutions in CS 2 , Δ G ‡ 298 values are 11.6 (0.2), 11.6 (0.2), and 11.5 (0.1) kcal mol −1 , respectively. The gas-phase values are about 1 kcal mol −1 lower than the previously obtained Δ G ‡ 298 for syn⇌anti conformational exchange in methyl nitrite and similar to those obtained for ethyl and neopentyl nitrite. The observed trends may reflect steric destabilization of the syn conformer in the larger nitrites. Solvent effects on the kinetic parameters of these three nitrites are similar in direction and magnitude to those observed for the previously studied nitrites, again implying a balance between steric and dielectric effects on the conformational dynamics of these systems.
Molecular Docking of Cathepsin L Inhibitors in the Binding Site of Papain

The papain/CLIK-148 coordinate system was employed as a model to study the interactions of a nonpeptide thiocarbazate inhibitor of cathepsin L ( 1). This small molecule inhibitor, a thiol ester containing a diacyl hydrazine functionality and one stereogenic center, was most active as the S-enantiomer, with an IC 50 of 56 nM; the R-enantiomer ( 2) displayed only weak activity (33 microM). Correspondingly, molecular docking studies with Extra Precision Glide revealed a correlation between score and biological activity for the two thiocarbazate enantiomers when a structural water was preserved. The molecular interactions between 1 and papain were very similar to the interactions observed for CLIK-148 ( 3a and 3b) with papain, especially with regard to the hydrogen-bonding and lipophilic interactions of the ligands with conserved residues in the catalytic binding site. Subsequent docking of virtual compounds in the binding site led to the identification of a more potent inhibitor ( 5), with an IC 50 of 7.0 nM. These docking studies revealed that favorable energy scores and correspondingly favorable biological activities could be realized when the virtual compound design included occupation of the S2, S3, and S1' subsites by hydrophobic and aromatic functionalities of the ligand, and at least three hydrogen bonding contacts between the ligand and the conserved binding site residues of the protein.
Metallotherapeutics: Novel Strategies in Drug Design

A new paradigm for drug activity is presented, which includes both recognition and subsequent irreversible inactivation of therapeutic targets. Application to both RNA and protein biomolecules has been demonstrated. In contrast to RNA targets that are subject to strand scission chemistry mediated by ribose H-atom abstraction, proteins appear to be inactivated either through oxidative damage to amino acid side chains around the enzyme active site, or by backbone hydrolysis.
The Destruction of Thin Stellar Disks Via Cosmologically Common Satellite Accretion Events

Most Galaxy-sized systems (M host 1012 M ?) in the ?CDM cosmology are expected to have interacted with at least one satellite with a total mass M sat 1011 M ? 3M disk in the past 8 Gyr. Analytic and numerical investigations suggest that this is the most precarious type of accretion for the survival of thin galactic disks because more massive accretion events are relatively rare and less massive ones preserve thin disk components. We use high-resolution, dissipationless N-body simulations to study the response of an initially thin, fully formed Milky Way-type stellar disk to these cosmologically common satellite accretion events, and show that the thin disk does not survive. Regardless of orbital configuration, the impacts transform the disks into structures that are roughly three times as thick and more than twice as kinematically hot as the observed dominant thin disk component of the Milky Way. We conclude that if the Galactic thin disk is a representative case, then the presence of a stabilizing gas component is the only recourse for explaining the preponderance of disk galaxies in a ?CDM universe; otherwise, the disk of the Milky Way must be uncommonly cold and thin for its luminosity, perhaps as a consequence of an unusually quiescent accretion history.
Atomic layer deposited protective coatings for micro-electromechanical systems

Abstract This paper describes the novel fabrication approach of coating released micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices with nanometer-thin films using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The ALD process is capable of depositing a variety of thin-film materials to protect MEMS devices from electrical breakdown, mechanical wear and stiction failure. ALD ensures conformal film coverage on all sides of a released MEMS device and can be performed at relatively low temperature of 177 °C. The ALD film thickness can be precisely controlled at the atomic level as each reaction cycle deposits approximately one atomic monolayer. To demonstrate the concept of conformal layer deposition, ALD alumina (Al2O3) films were deposited onto released MEMS cantilever beams and the coated devices were subsequently analyzed using cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy. Electrostatic testing of the coated MEMS cantilever beams revealed that the ALD Al2O3 films prevented electrical shorting and failure when the devices were activated beyond the pull-in voltage. The curvature and increase in beam stiffness of MEMS devices resulting from the ALD Al2O3 coating were also investigated.
Challenges in computational statistical mechanics

Abstract Three challenges in statistical physics shall be discussed. The first is, how accurately does one have to solve the classical equations of motion of how many particles to make reliable hydrodynamic predictions? The second is, how to calculate the energy of a molecule to chemical accuracy? The third is, what model captures the essence of the high temperature superconductors?
Analysis of sideband spectra from untapered undulator using analytical technique

Abstract The sideband spectrum appearing in the free electron laser is analyzed. For an untapered undulator, we predict the wavelengths of local peaks arising from the sidebands; they are compared with numerical simulations. In our analytical theory, three laser-driving terms are derived: One term does not chirp in frequency, drives a number of sidebands simultaneously, and is always the strongest term with a fixed strength; the other two driving terms, which also drive multiple frequencies, chirp to both directions from a resonant frequency. We assume that the sidebands originate from a dipole oscillation of average electron energy where the average energy oscillates with the synchrotron oscillation frequency.
Mapping attosecond electron wave packet motion.

We show, by numerical calculations, that attosecond bound electron wave packet dynamics can be measured from the spectrum of the attosecond optical pulses generated in the medium undergoing the dynamics.
Analgesia and sedation in critically ill children

Providing effective analgesia and sedation for critically ill children means addressing both their physical and psychological comfort. Correctable environmental and physical factors causing discomfort should be dealt with in the first instance; these factors might include medical devices, beds, lighting, noise reduction strategies, fluid and feeding regimes, day-night orientation and maintenance of sleep structure. Factors such as these should be considered before the introduction of any pharmacological agents, and should be continually reassessed during the course of a critical care admission. After a satisfactory level of analgesia has been achieved, additional sedative agents may be required by some children. The aims of sedation are to reduce levels of anxiety and distress in the child, and to allow for better tolerance of therapeutic or diagnostic procedures. The specific strategies employed to achieve satisfactory levels of analgesia and sedation in critically ill children will depend on whether prolonged sedation is required, as is normally needed to facilitate invasive mechanical ventilation, or if short-term sedation is required to facilitate a procedure. The requirement profile for sedative agents in critically ill children can vary considerably during the course of their admission; a young child mechanically ventilated for a week may require a gradually increasing level of “background” sedation to allow them to tolerate tracheal intubation, particularly if tolerance to sedative agents develops, and in addition they may require several episodes of controlled deepening of sedation to facilitate specific procedures. In both cases, environmental and non-pharmacological techniques can reduce the need for pharmacological agents. Massage and relaxation techniques have been shown to be beneficial in critically ill adults1–3 and the watching of videos has also been shown to reduce the sedation requirements of children undergoing procedures.4 The benefits of music therapy in critically ill adults have been well described and can …
New cascade molecules centered about phosphorus

Cascade molecules in which the branch points are phosphonium ion sites have been synthesized bearing phosphorus in a variety of oxidation states at the core. In addition to the previously reported phosphonium ion core species, these new cascade molecules include those bearing phosphine, phosphine oxide, and phosphorane cores.
Nuclear tracks from Cold Dark Matter interactions in mineral crystals: a computational study

Abstract Recoiling nuclei from Cold Dark Matter (CDM) elastic scattering interactions with the constituent elements of some minerals may produce etchable damage tracks in the crystal structure. Present calculations show that in muscovite mica, CDM tracks from recoiling potassium atoms could be readily distinguished from others due to alpha-decays in the uranium and thorium chains. Under favorable conditions, this technique could greatly improve the existing limits on Weakly Interacting Massive Particles as the constituents of the galactic halo.
Complex ichnofossils of solitary and social soil organisms: understanding their evolution and roles in terrestrial paleoecosystems

Abstract The range of extant nest architectures for different types of solitary to social insects as well as the key features in their architecture has assisted in the identification of their structures in the geologic record. The recognition and interpretation of complex ichnofossils as the product of insects that indicate varying degrees of sociality represents a major development in the study of continental ichnology. Complex ichnofossils constructed since the Mesozoic by termites (Isoptera), bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), wasps (Hymenoptera: Apoidea and Vespoidea), and ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) represent unique solutions through degrees of social cooperation to the problems of fossorial life in terrestrial environments. Other such trace-making organisms as various types of beetles and vertebrates also construct a range of simple to complex burrows that indicate solitary, subsocial, and gregarious behaviors. Burrows of vertebrates result from relative degrees of social behavior that are unlike those of social insects. Complex ichnofossils are highly variable in architecture and indicate the type of organism, the number of individuals per nest, the length of time the structure was used, the degree of sociality, and, in some cases, the amount of time the substrate has been exposed to surface processes. A pattern of interconnected structures of varying length, width, height, and number usually distinguishes complex traces. Nests of insect societies have the greatest variability in ichnofossil complexity – being simple to extremely elaborate structures. These traces also preserve major innovations in soil ecosystems that include food hoarding, adaptations to disturbance from flooding and precipitation, enduring unpredictable hypercapnic and hypoxic conditions, and reproductive strategies by employing a subterranean, hemimetabolous or holometabolous life cycle. Polychresichnia is proposed for trace fossils that were involved in many simultaneous, multiple behaviors and uses. Aedificichnia and calichnia could likely be subsets of polychresichnia because many of the ichnofossil nests originally included in those categories were protected by the adults during brood rearing, used as living and sleeping quarters for the adults, and used as shelter from adverse weather. Nest architecture is an important source of information on the evolution of behavior of social insects as well as for other social organisms. Many of the organisms mentioned here have trace-fossil records that extend to the earliest Mesozoic and predate their earliest body-fossil records in the Cretaceous. Most of these trace fossils have changed remarkably little in 225 million years, indicating evolutionary stasis of the basic building blocks in nest construction.
A SHORT, PRACTICAL SYNTHESIS OF 3-THIOPHENECARBOXALDEHYDE

The compound 3-thiophenecarboxaldehyde (2) was prepared in multi-kilogram quantities by a novel two-step process involving the condensation of acrolein with 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol, followed by sulfuryl chloride-mediated oxidation.
HEAVY QUARK LIFETIMES, MIXING AND CP VIOLATION

This paper emphasizes four topics that represent some of the year's highlights in heavy quark physics. First of all, a review is given of charm lifetime measurements and how they lead to better understanding of the mechanisms of charm decay. Secondly, the CLEO collaboration's new search for charm mixing is reported, which significantly extends the search for new physics in that sector. Thirdly, important updates in Bs mixing are summarized, which result in a new limit on ΔMs, and which further constrain the unitarity triangle. Finally, the first efforts to measure CP violation in the B system are discussed. Results are shown for the CDF and ALEPH measurements of sin 2β, as well as the CLEO branching fraction measurements of B→Kπ, ππ, which have implications for future measurements of α.
The rank of connection matrices and the dimension of graph algebras

Connection matrices were introduced in [M. Freedman, L. Lovasz, A. Schrijver, Reflection positivity, rank connectivity, and homomorphism of graphs (MSR Tech Report # MSR-TR-2004-41) ftp://ftp.research.microsoft.com/pub/tr/TR-2004-41.pdf], where they were used to characterize graph homomorphism functions. The goal of this note is to determine the exact rank of these matrices. The result can be rephrased in terms of the dimension of graph algebras, also introduced in the same paper. Yet another version proves that if two k-tuples of nodes behave in the same way from the point of view of graph homomorphisms, then they are equivalent under the automorphism group.
Synthesis and Anticonvulsant Evaluation of N-Aminosuccinimides

Twelve new N-aminosuccinimides were synthesized by the condensation of hydrazines with succinic anhydrides in glacial acetic acid. The compounds were evaluated in the maximal electroshock seizure and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazol seizure threshold tests for anticonvulsant activity and in the rotorod test for neurotoxicity in mice. The lowest dose at which several of the compounds exhibited anticonvulsant activity was 300 mg/kg.
A geometric realization of confinement

Abstract We study the geometric realization of the Higgs phenomenon in type II string compactification on Calabi-Yau manifolds. The string description is most directly phrased in terms of confinement of magnetic flux, with magnetic charged states arising from D-branes wrapped around chains as opposed to cycles. The rest of the closed cycle of the D-brane world-volume is manifested as a confining flux tube emanating from the magnetic charges, in the uncompactified space. We also study conections to hypermultiplet moduli for type II compactifications, in particular for type IIA near the conifold point.
DURATION, DEFAULT RISK, AND THE TERM STRUCTURE OF INTEREST RATES

We examine the interactive effect of default and interest rate risk on duration of defaultable bonds. We show that duration for defaultable bonds can be longer or shorter than default-free bonds depending on the relation between default intensity and interest rates. Empirical evidence indicates that in most cases duration for defaultable bonds is much shorter than for their default-free counterparts because of the negative relation between default risk and interest rates. Results suggest that the duration measure must be adjusted for the effects of default risk and stochastic interest rates to achieve an effective bond portfolio immunization.
Turbulence for flight simulation

The explicit role of third-order moments in the dynamical characteristics of the correlation structure of atmospheric turbulence is determined with a view to resolving the existing discrepancy between simulated and real turbulence. It is shown that third-order velocity-product moments provide a 'driving force' for the turbulence two-point velocity correlations, a force that is responsible for the unique features of the turbulence. Under select circumstances, third-order moments also reinforce the 'patchy' nature of turbulence.
Irregular period-tripling bifurcations in axisymmetric scalefree potentials.

: We investigate the phenomenon of irregular bifurcations in axisymmetric scalefree potentials, in which a tube orbit gives rise to a new family of orbits of period 3. A proper understanding of the formation of the this irregular family of orbits is important because the family occupies a fair portion of the phase space in models where it occurs. We show that these bifurcations are related to the transition of the rotation number of the phase-space torus through 1/3. This type of bifurcation is closely related to the behavior of nontwist maps.
Rocket observations of far-ultraviolet dust scattering in ngc 2023

The reflection nebula NGC 2023 was observed by a rocket-borne long-slit imaging spectrograph in the 900-1400 ? bandpass on 2000 February 11. A spectrum of the star, as well as that of the nebular scattered light, was recorded. Through the use of a Monte Carlo modeling process, the scattering properties of the dust were derived. The albedo is low, 0.2-0.4, and decreasing toward shorter wavelengths, while the phase function asymmetry parameter is consistent with highly forward-scattering grains, g ~ 0.85. The decrease in albedo, while the optical depth increases to shorter wavelengths, implies that the far-UV rise in the extinction curve is due to an increase in absorption efficiency.
Global and regional brain metabolic scaling and its functional consequences

Background Information processing in the brain requires large amounts of metabolic energy, the spatial distribution of which is highly heterogeneous, reflecting the complex activity patterns in the mammalian brain.
Estimating Photometric Redshifts Using Support Vector Machines

We present a new approach to obtaining photometric redshifts using a kernel learning technique called "support vector machines." Unlike traditional spectral energy distribution fitting, this technique requires a large and representative training set. When one is available, however, it is likely to produce results that are comparable to the best results obtained using template fitting and artificial neural networks. Additional photometric parameters such as morphology, size, and surface brightness can be easily incorporated. The technique is demonstrated using samples of galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2 and the hybrid galaxy formation code GalICS. The rms error in redshift estimation is below 0.03 for both samples. The strengths and limitations of the technique are assessed.