cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implications of Complete Fertilization Failure After Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection for Subsequent Fertilization and Reproductive Outcome

With the introduction of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), couples with severe male factor infertility have achieved fertilization and clinical pregnancy rates comparable to other in-vitro fertilization (IVF) patients. However, failure of fertilization still occurs in some patients despite the utilization of microsurgical sperm injection techniques. How such fertilization failure after ICSI might impact later ICSI treatment(s) is unknown. In this investigation, couples with complete fertilization failure after ICSI treated from August 1993 to August 1996 were identified (index cycle, n J 21). Additionally, fertilization data from any previous or subsequent infertility treatments were evaluated. Seven patients (33%) had at least one IVF treatment before the index cycle, although no deliveries occurred. Of patients with complete fertilization failure in the index cycle, 48% (n J 10) underwent at least one subsequent ICSI cycle which proceeded to oocyte retrieval. The remainder (n J 11) elected to discontinue treatment. Although six subsequent cycles were cancelled due to poor follicular response (o2 mature oocytes), all patients electing to continue treatment eventually achieved a subsequent embryo transfer. The clinical pregnancy rate per transfer was 45.4% for this group; the delivery and ongoing pregnancy rate per transfer was 36.3%. Review of semen parameters, superovulation characteristics or other clinical parameters during the three study cycles (pre-index, index, and postindex) was not prognostic of fertilization success or reproductive outcomes in later treatments. Fertilization failure with ICSI therefore could not be predicted by prior cycle performance, although total immotility of spermatozoa at time of oocyte retrieval, total teratozoospermia, and low oocyte yield were common characteristics of couples experiencing complete fertilization failure with ICSI. These findings suggest that fertilization failure in one ICSI cycle does not preclude successful fertilization and delivery in a later ICSI treatment.
Fabrication of a dual-layer aluminum nanowires polarization filter array

In this paper we present a procedure for fabricating an array of micropolarization filter array via an optimized interference lithography and microfabrication procedure. The filter array is composed of two linear polarization filters offset by 45 degrees with pixel pitch of 18 microns. The individual polarization filters are composed of aluminum nanowires with 140 nm pitch, 140 nm height and 70 nm width.
Perfect equilibria in simultaneous-offers bargaining

A generalization of the Nash demand game is examined. Agents make simultaneous offers in each period as to how a pie is to be divided. Incompatible offers send the game to the next period, while compatible offers end the game with a split-the-difference trade. The set of perfect equilibria of this game includes any individually rational outcome, including inefficient outcomes and even including the outcome of perpetual disagreement. We suggest a stronger equilibrium concept of universal perfection, which requires robustness against every rather than just one sequence of perturbed games. The set of universally perfect equilibria also includes all individually rational outcomes. The results provide useful insights into both simultaneous-offers bargaining and the nature of the perfect equilibrium and similar concepts (such as stability and hyperstability) in infinite games.
Human temporal bone consortium for research resource enhancement.

Knowledge of the pathologic basis of disease is central to the study of medicine. Otology is unique because the inner ear is inaccessible during life, so that conventional techniques of pathologic studies such as biopsy and surgical excision are not feasible. Hence, insight into the pathologic basis of ear disease within the three-dimensional framework of the inner ear and its surroundings can be obtained only by postmortem study of temporal bones and by developing better animal models. Improved understanding of the pathology and pathogenesis of auditory and vestibular system disorders will lead to more rational diagnosis and management of these disorders. The procurement, processing, and study of human temporal bones are time consuming and costly and is a research endeavor performed in the few existing temporal bone laboratories.
Kinetics and microstructure of laser chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitride

Abstract Titanium nitride (TiN) films were deposited onto Ti–6Al–4V substrates by laser chemical vapor deposition using a cw CO 2 laser and TiCl 4 , N 2 and H 2 reactant gases. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and pyrometry determined relative titanium gas phase atomic number density and deposition temperature, respectively. Auger electron spectroscopy found substoichiometric films, caused by diffusion of nitrogen through TiN grain boundaries to the titanium alloy substrate. The morphology is a polyhedral structure with crystallite sizes ranging from 10 to 1000 nm. The activation energy was calculated to be 122 ± 9 kJ mol −1 using growth rates measured by film height and 117 ± 23 kJ mol −1 using growth rates measured by LIF signals. Above N 2 and H 2 levels of 1.25% and below TiCl 4 input of 4.5%, the growth rate has a half-order dependence on nitrogen and a linear dependence on hydrogen. The rate-determining steps of TiN growth are discussed.
FIELD PERFORMANCE OF FABRICS AND FIBERS TO RETARD REFLECTIVE CRACKING

Abstract The purpose of this project is to determine whether any of various uses of geotechnical fabrics and fibers will significantly retard reflective crack formation in an asphaltic concrete overlay. Four paving fabrics, one fiberized-asphalt membrane and one fiber-reinforced asphaltic concrete are the treatment alternatives being evaluated. All treatments are being compared with each other and control sections without treatment to determine relative performance, considering construction and maintenance costs, ease of placement or adaptability to normal overlay practices, and the ability to prevent or retard reflective cracking. Construction monitoring indicated that ease of placement varied considerably and contractor application experience was a significant factor affecting both efficiency and adequacy of placement. The fiber-reinforced asphalt concrete was rated least expensive and easiest to adapt to the normal paving operation. Generally, the paving fabrics were somewhat more expensive and more difficult to place. Wrinkling of the fabric and poor tack coat application were the most commonly encountered problems with placing paving fabrics. Fabrics which were heat-bonded had more construction difficulties. Proper identification of pavement base conditions and adequate preliminary treatment are important factors for correlating relative performance. Performance data are presented for surveys conducted eight months, 26 months, and 44 months after construction. All treatments retarded cracks over the evaluation period, although the amount and rates of reduction varied. One paving fabric and the fiber-reinforced asphalt concrete had the highest crack reduction ratios after the 44-month evaluation. However, based on the extent of cracking evident after the 44-month survey and considering current and proposed crack sealing costs, in addition to the documented construction costs, none of the treatments used on this project is now considered cost-effective and they are not recommended for use. Additional follow-up inspections and examination of cores from the respective evaluation sections are required to verify future crack prediction rates and evaluate any remaining sealing qualities of the treatments employed.
Test configurations, large deviations and geodesic rays on toric varieties

This article contains a detailed study in the case of a toric variety of the geodesic rays ϕt defined by Phong and Sturm corresponding to test configurations T in the sense of Donaldson. We show that the ‘Bergman approximations’ ϕk(t,z) of Phong and Sturm converge in C1 to the geodesic ray ϕt, and that the geodesic ray itself is C1,1 and no better. In particular, the Kahler metrics ωt=ω0+i∂∂¯ϕt associated to the geodesic ray of potentials are discontinuous across certain hypersurfaces and are degenerate on certain open sets. A novelty in the analysis is the connection between Bergman metrics, Bergman kernels and the theory of large deviations. We construct a sequence of measures μkz on the polytope of the toric variety, show that they satisfy a large deviations principle, and relate the rate function to the geodesic ray.
High resolution observations of 150 km echoes at Jicamarca

High resolution soundings of equatorial upper E-region echoes at Jicamarca exhibit gravity wave modulated signal intensity distributions and Doppler velocities corresponding to vertical plasma drifts. A gravity wave wind driven interchange instability is suggested as a possible generation mechanism of the field-aligned plasma irregularities responsible for the echoes. The echoes may be utilized in gravity wave studies and in zonal electric field measurements by radars with modest sensitivities.
Mathematical Modeling of Electrochemical Capacitors

Analytic solutions to the mathematical model of an electrochemical capacitor (EC) are used to study cell performance under two types of operating conditions: (i) constant current and (ii) electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The analytic solution under constant‐current operation is used to investigate the relative importance of ionic resistance in the separator, and ionic and electronic resistances in the porous electrode in the design and operation of an EC. Model results are presented that show the trade‐off between energy and power density, as the physical properties of the cell components are varied (e.g., electrode thickness). The analytic solution is also used to study the effect of cell design and operation on the heat generation during constant‐current cycling. The impedance model is presented as an alternative to equivalent‐circuit models for data analysis. The analytic solution can be used to gain a physical understanding of the various processes that occur in an EC. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Multimedia database management systems

In this tutorial we present the current-state-of-the art in multimedia database management systems. We discuss various issues related to semantic modeling and indexing of multimedia information. Various schemes to represent temporal synchronization requirements are explored and the current research challenges facing the multimedia database community are highlighted.
The identity string field and the tachyon vacuum

We show that the triviality of the entire cohomology of the new BRST operator Q around the tachyon vacuum is equivalent to the Q-exactness of the identity I of the star-algebra. We use level truncation to show that as the level is increased, the identity becomes more accurately Q-exact. We carry our computations up to level nine, where an accuracy of 3% is attained. Our work supports, under a new light, Sen's conjecture concerning the absence of open string degrees of freedom around the tachyon vacuum. As a by-product, a new and simple expression for I in terms of Virasoro operators is found.
Noncommutative Proj and coherent algebras

We prove that an abelian category equipped with an ample sequence of objects is equivalent to the quotient of the category of coherent modules over the corresponding algebra by the subcategory of finite-dimensional modules. In the Noetherian case a similar result was proved by Artin and Zhang.
Involved field radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease autologous bone marrow transplantation regimens.

Abstract From 1986 through 1992, involved-field radiation therapy (IF-RT) was administered to 29 of 86 patients with recurrent Hodgkin's disease (HD) who received a high-dose cyclophosphamide/etoposide regimen with autologous bone marrow transplantation (A-BMT). Patients without a significant history of prior RT received total body irradiation (TBI), initially as a single dose 5–7.5 Gy, and subsequently with fractionated TBI (F-TBI) delivering 12 Gy. Previously irradiated patients received a high-dose BCNU regimen instead of TBI. IF-RT was employed selectively, usually for sites of bulky disease (>5 cm). IF-RT doses were typically 20 Gy at 2 Gy per fraction for TBI patients and 30–40 Gy at 1.8-2.0 Gy per fraction for non-TBI Patients. Fatal complications developed in four patients while second malignancies have developed in two. The region which received IF-RT was the site of first recurrence in only two cases (7%). With a median follow-up of 28 months, the two-year disease-free survival rate was 44%. For the 22 patients treated by either F-TBI or high-dose BCNU, the 2-year disease-free survival rate was 50% with a median follow up of 29 months. Selective use of IF-RT may increase the chances of complete remission and disease free survival in HD patients with a history of bulky disease.
Lanthanide induced intramolecular coupling of aldehydes and ketones with electron-deficient olefins

Abstract Aldehydes or ketones with a δ,e-olefin bearing a conjugating electron-withdrawing group undergo reductive cyclization with samarium iodide to afford five-membered rings. Diastereoselectivities of > 250:1 have been obtained.
Thermal x-ray line emission from accreting black holes

We present model X-ray spectra of accreting black holes with hot advection-dominated accretion flows, paying attention to thermal emission lines from the hot plasma. We discuss the emission-line diagnostics that are potentially observable with the next generation of X-ray observatories, emphasizing the possibilities for determining the outer radius of the hot plasma, the presence of a wind, and the relative importance of photoionization. We present example spectra of V404 Cyg in quiescence, the Galactic center black hole Sagittarius A*, and the nucleus of M87.
Ruthenium catalyzed oxidative annulation with alkynes via cascade C-H/N-H bond functionalizations

Abstract Ruthenium(II) complexes catalyzed tandem C–H/N–H bonds functionalizations of 2-phenyl imidazole and its derivatives with alkynes were realized. This transformations allowed for rapid synthesis of isoquinoline derivatives under open-flask condition.
Gene-level pharmacogenetic analysis on survival outcomes using gene-trait similarity regression

Gene/pathway-based methods are drawing significant attention due to their usefulness in detecting rare and common variants that affect disease susceptibility. The biological mechanism of drug responses indicates that a gene-based analysis has even greater potential in pharmacogenetics. Motivated by a study from the Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention (VISP) trial, we develop a gene-trait similarity regression for survival analysis to assess the effect of a gene or pathway on time-to-event outcomes. The similarity regression has a general framework that covers a range of survival models, such as the proportional hazards model and the proportional odds model. The inference procedure developed under the proportional hazards model is robust against model misspecification. We derive the equivalence between the similarity survival regression and a random effects model, which further unifies the current variance-component based methods. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method through simulation studies. In addition, we apply the method to the VISP trial data to identify the genes that exhibit an association with the risk of a recurrent stroke. TCN2 gene was found to be associated with the recurrent stroke risk in the low-dose arm. This gene may impact recurrent stroke risk in response to cofactor therapy.
Densely functionalized cyclopentenones

Abstract The cationic cyclopentannelation reaction tolerates alkyl substitution both on the allene ether fragment as well as on the terminus of the enone fragment. The densely functionalized cyclopentenone products are models for a marine prostanoid synthesis.
Inhibition of weak-affinity epitope-IgE interactions prevents mast cell degranulation

A set of tetravalent antigens reveals that low-affinity interactions between an allergen epitope and IgE antibodies contribute to allergic responses through FcɛRI receptors on mast cells, and inhibiting these low-affinity epitopes prevents degranulation.
Is There Excess Capacity in Rural Banking Markets

The literature indicates that it is difficult to identify and quantify the degree of excess capacity in banking. Economic theory indicates that there are at least three indicators of excess capacity in banking: (a) low loan-to-asset ratios, (b) low profitability and (c) high per unit operating expense relative to some norm. If excess capacity exists, it will be easiest to identify, through these indicators, at small rural banks. This paper finds significant evidence of excess capacity at rural Colorado banks using univariate analysis; simultaneous equations analysis reinforces this conclusion. It appears that the “excess capacity effect”outweighs the “market power effect”in these rural banking markets.
Prediction Skill and Bias of Tropical Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures in the NCEP Climate Forecast System Version 2

AbstractThe prediction skill and bias of tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) in the retrospective forecasts of the Climate Forecast System, version 2 (CFSv2), of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction were examined. The CFSv2 was initialized from the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) over 1982–2010. There was a systematic cold bias in the central–eastern equatorial Pacific during summer/fall. The cold bias in the Nino-3.4 index was about −2.5°C in summer/fall before 1999 but suddenly changed to −1°C around 1999, related to a sudden shift in the trade winds and equatorial subsurface temperature in the CFSR.The SST anomaly (SSTA) was computed by removing model climatology for the periods 1982–98 and 1999–2010 separately. The standard deviation (STD) of forecast SSTA agreed well with that of observations in 1982–98, but in 1999–2010 it was about 200% too strong in the eastern Pacific and 50% too weak near the date line during winter/spring. The shift in STD bias was partially re...
Use of poly(ethylene glycol) to control the end group structure and molecular weight of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) formed by Alcaligenes latus DSM 1122

Abstract Poly(ethylene glycol), PEG, which is known to associate with lipid membranes and proteins, was used to control the molecular weight and end-group structure of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), P3HB, produced by Alcaligenes latus DSM 1122. A series of PEGs with varying molecular weights (PEG-106 to PEG-10,000) was added to the A. latus incubation medium. In general, PEGs of relatively lower molecular weight and high concentrations of PEG in the medium had deleterious effects on cell growth, polymer yield and P3HB productivity. PEGs with molecular weights at or below 1000 g/mol resulted in the formation of P3HB with reduced molecular weights. The extent of molecular weight reduction was dependent on the concentration and molecular weight of the PEG added to the incubation medium. Larger molecular weight reductions at identical medium concentrations were achieved by using PEG of relatively lower molecular weight. PEG-106 was most effective in regulating P3HB molecular weight in that only a 1% (w/v) medium concentration was required to reduce the number average molecular weight (Mn) by 89% (from 267,000 to 30,000 g/mol). Study of the purified polymers showed that for PEG molecular weights up to 1,000 g/mol, P3HB chains were esterified at their carboxyl terminus with PEG chain segments. Thus, products having “tailored” molecular weights and end-group structure were formed. This was explained by that for P3HB formation by A. latus, PEG of sufficiently low molecular weight served as a chain terminating agent. In other words, the in-vivo esterification of P3HB chain ends with PEG increases the rate of chain termination relative to propagation and, thereby, results in reduced P3HB molecular weight.
Critical considerations for helicopters during runway takeoffs

This article presents optimal runway takeoff trajectories of a multiengine helicopter in the event of one engine failure. A point-mass model representative of the UH-60A helicopter is employed. Pilot response delays are ignored. Two optimal control problems are formulated for both continued takeoff and rejected takeoff after a single engine failure. Subject to specified safety conditions, the first formulation minimizes the runway length required for a given takeoff weight, whereas the second maximizes the takeoff weight for a given runway length in continued takeoff and for an unspecified runway length in rejected takeoff. Constraints on thrust angle, and thrust magnitude are included. For the continued takeoff, an optimal choice of the takeoff safety speed is determined to be about 15 ft/s above the initial airspeed at engine failure. Maximum takeoff weight is dictated by the remaining power after one engine failure if the runway length is sufficient, and is determined by the available runway length otherwise. For the rejected takeoff, the minimum runway length is a function of initial conditions at engine failure, and is roughly independent of takeoff weights. These results replicate some key characteristics of those from flight tests reported in the literature.
Collider Production of TeV Scale Black Holes and Higher-Curvature Gravity

We examine how the production of TeV scale black holes at colliders is influenced by the presence of Lovelock higher-curvature terms in the action of models with large extra dimensions. Such terms are expected to arise on rather general grounds, e.g., from string theory and are often used in the literature to model modifications to the Einstein-Hilbert action arising from quantum and/or stringy corrections. While adding the invariant which is quadratic in the curvature leads to quantitative modifications in black hole properties, cubic and higher invariants are found to produce significant qualitative changes, e.g., classically stable black holes. We use these higher-order curvature terms to construct a toy model of the black hole production cross section threshold. For reasonable parameter values we demonstrate that detailed measurements of the properties of black holes at future colliders will be highly sensitive to the presence of the Lovelock higher-order curvature terms.
Quivers, tilings, branes and rhombi

We describe a simple algorithm that computes the recently discovered brane tilings for a given generic toric singular Calabi-Yau threefold. This therefore gives AdS/CFT dual quiver gauge theories for D3-branes probing the given non-compact manifold [1]. The algorithm solves a longstanding problem by computing superpotentials for these theories directly from the toric diagram of the singularity. We study the parameter space of a-maximization; this study is made possible by identifying the R-charges of bifundamental fields as angles in the brane tiling. We also study Seiberg duality from a new perspective.
The series hybrid bearing - A new high speed bearing concept

The series-hybrid bearing couples a fluid-film bearing with a rolling-element bearing such that the rolling-element bearing inner race runs at a fraction of shaft speed. A series-hybrid bearing was analyzed and experiments were run at thrust loads from 100 to 300 lb and speeds from 4000 to 30,000 rpm. Agreement between theoretical and experimental speed sharing was good. The lowest speed ratio (ratio of ball bearing inner-race speed to shaft speed) obtained was 0.67. This corresponds to an approximate reduction in DN value of 1/3 . For a ball bearing in a 3 million DN application, fatigue life would theoretically be improved by a factor as great as 8.
Zigzag Codes: MDS Array Codes With Optimal Rebuilding

Maximum distance separable (MDS) array codes are widely used in storage systems to protect data against erasures. We address the rebuilding ratio problem, namely, in the case of erasures, what is the fraction of the remaining information that needs to be accessed in order to rebuild exactly the lost information? It is clear that when the number of erasures equals the maximum number of erasures that an MDS code can correct, then the rebuilding ratio is 1 (access all the remaining information). However, the interesting and more practical case is when the number of erasures is smaller than the erasure correcting capability of the code. For example, consider an MDS code that can correct two erasures: What is the smallest amount of information that one needs to access in order to correct a single erasure? Previous work showed that the rebuilding ratio is bounded between [1/2] and [3/4]; however, the exact value was left as an open problem. In this paper, we solve this open problem and prove that for the case of a single erasure with a two-erasure correcting code, the rebuilding ratio is [1/2]. In general, we construct a new family of r-erasure correcting MDS array codes that has optimal rebuilding ratio of [1/(r)] in the case of a single erasure. Our array codes have efficient encoding and decoding algorithms (for the cases r=2 and r=3, they use a finite field of size 3 and 4, respectively) and an optimal update property.
Ab Initio calculation of potential energy curves for the ion‐molecule reaction O+ + N2 → NO+ + N

Configuration interaction calculations verified an earlier hypothesis that the experimentally observed apparently anomalous behavior of the O++N2 → NO+ + N reaction is due to the symmetry and spin restrictions which prohibit the ground state reactants or products from correlating directly with the ground state intermediate. Complex symmetry adapted functions were used, and all single and double excitations were included for the ground and first excited 2Πi states, the lowest and second 2Σ+ states, the 4Π state and the 4Σ‐ state of the intermediate NNO+ for two cuts through the potential surface close to the reaction path. The number of configurations included were: 2Πi (123), 2Σ+ (177), 4Π (1349) and 4Σ‐ (1310). Analyses of the first order CI density matrices at large distances in terms of their ``fragmental'' MO's (or AO's) verified that the 4Σ‐ NNO+ state was formed from the ground state reactants O+(4Su) + N2(1Σg+) and that it separated into ground state products NO+(1Σ+) + N(4Su). The positions of oth...
Classification of Structural Motifs in Porphyrinic Coordination Polymers Assembled from Porphyrin Building Units, 5,10,15,20-Tetrapyridylporphyrin and Its Derivatives

In this review, we classify 1D, 2D, and 3D structural motifs found in porphyrinic coordination polymers assembled from 5,10,15,20-tetrapyridylporphyrin (TPyP) and its derivatives. The classifications are based on dimensionality, metal-to-porphyrin linkage, porphyrin type, and metal-to-porphyrin ratio. 1D porphyrin polymers often share the same connectivity (or structural motifs) with analogous 2D and 3D polymers. We identify interrelationships among 1D, 2D, and 3D coordination polymers and examine the connectivity of such interrelated structures. We also discuss the broad similarities and differences of the synthetic methods of all structures presented here. We classify 1D, 2D, and 3D structural motifs found in porphyrinic coordination polymers assembled from 5,10,15,20-tetrapyridylporphyrin (TPyP) and its derivatives. The classifications are based on dimensionality, metal-to-porphyrin linkage, porphyrin type, and metal-to-porphyrin ratio. We identify interrelationships among 1D, 2D, and 3D coordination polymers and examine the connectivity of such interrelated structures.
Effect of CAD on the jobs of drafters and engineers: a quantitative case study

Abstract Job characteristics and performance data for users and nonusers of a CAD system for mechanical design work were quantitatively compared. Results indicated that for engineers, CAD users experienced more interdependence on their job while, for drafters, CAD users experienced less discretion, creativity, and teamwork. These differences between users and nonusers were not related to individual performance. Implications for practitioners implementing CAD and researchers studying technological change are drawn.
Absolutely Uniform Illumination of Laser Fusion Pellets.

Absolutely uniform illumination of spherical laser fusion pellets is possible when the energy deposition from a single beam is given by a simple cos2 θ distribution. Conditions can be derived for which the laser beam targeting angles allow this absolute illumination uniformity. Configurations based upon the cube and higher order Platonic solids satisfy the constraints, as well as an infinite class of other less symmetric configurations.
Measuring Dispositional Cancer Worry in China and Belgium: A Cross-Cultural Validation

Dispositional cancer worry (DCW) is the uncontrollable tendency to dwell on cancer independent of relevant stimuli (e.g., diagnosis of the disease). Past research has suggested that DCW has two underlying dimensions: severity and frequency. Available measures of DCW severity and frequency were translated and validated in two countries: China and Belgium. Participants (N = 623) completed translated scales, as well as measures of general dispositional worry, cancer fear, and perceived risk. In both locations, DCW measures were reliable (Cronbach's alphas ranged from .78 – .93) and demonstrated strong convergent, divergent, and concurrent validity. Severity and frequency factors loaded as expected in exploratory factor analysis. Future research should pursue longitudinal tests of DCW's predictive validity and explore DCW in theoretical models predicting the relationship between worry and cancer prevention and early detection behaviors.
Scalable Synthesis of N-Acylaziridines from N-Tosylaziridines

N-Acylaziridines are important starting materials for the synthesis of chiral amine derivatives. The traditional methods for producing these activated aziridines have significant drawbacks. The gram scale synthesis of N-acylaziridines by deprotection of N-tosylaziridines and reprotection with N-hydroxysuccinimide derivatives is described. Mono- and disubstituted aziridines perform well, with complete retention of stereochemical purity. The consistently moderate yields are linked to the N-tosylaziridine deprotection step, while acylation with N-hydroxysuccinimide derivatives is highly efficient.
Bounded hyperbolic components of quadratic rational maps

Let ${\cal H}$ be a hyperbolic component of quadratic rational maps possessing two distinct attracting cycles. We show that ${\cal H}$ has compact closure in moduli space if and only if neither attractor is a fixed point.
Inversion of Masing models via continuous Iwan systems

Abstract It is shown that for any material or structural model expressible as a Masing model, there exists a unique parallel-series (displacement-based) Iwan system that characterizes that model as a function of displacement history. This poses advantages both in terms of more convenient force evaluation in arbitrary deformation histories as well as in terms of model inversion. Characterization as an Iwan system is demonstrated through the inversion of the Ramberg–Osgood model, a force(stress)-based material model that is not explicitly invertible. An implication of the inversion process is that direct, rigorous comparisons of different Masing models, regardless of the ability to invert their constitutive relationship, can be achieved through the comparison of their associated Iwan distribution densities.
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), a term referring to a group of disorders characterized by chronic arthritis, is the most common chronic rheumatic illness in children and is a significant cause of short- and long-term disability. This article discusses the classification, differential diagnosis, and treatment of JIA.
Bounds for multiplicities of unitary representations of cohomological type in spaces of cusp forms

Let Goo be a semisimple real Lie group with unitary dual Goo- We produce new upper bounds for the multiplicities with which representations ^ e of cohomological type appear in certain spaces of cusp forms on Goo* The main new idea is to apply noncommutative Iwasawa theory to certain p-adic completions of the cohomology of locally symmetric spaces.
Joint tracking and multiview video compression

In immersive communication applications, knowing the user's viewing position can help improve the efficiency of multiview compression and streaming significantly, since often only a subset of the views are needed to synthesize the desired view(s). However, uncertainty regarding the viewer location can have negative impacts on the rendering quality. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to improve the robustness of view-dependent compression schemes by jointly performing user tracking and compression. A face tracker tracks the user's head location and sends the probability distribution of the face locations as one or many particles. The server then applies motion model to the particles and compresses the multiview video accordingly in order to improve the expected rendering quality of the viewer. Experimental results show significantly improved robustness against tracking errors.
High Carbon in I Zwicky 18: New Results from Hubble Space Telescope Spectroscopy*

We present new measurements of the gas-phase C/O abundance ratio in both the northwest (NW) and southeast (SE) components of the extremely metal-poor dwarf irregular galaxy I Zw 18, based on ultraviolet spectroscopy of the two H II regions using the Faint Object Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. We determine values of log C/O = -0.63 ± 0.10 for the NW component and log C/O = -0.56 ± 0.09 for the SE component. In comparison, log C/O = -0.37 in the Sun, while log C/O = -0.85 ± 0.07 in the three most metal-poor irregular galaxies measured by Garnett et al. Our measurements show that C/O in I Zw 18 is significantly higher than in other comparably metal-poor irregular galaxies and above predictions for the expected C/O from massive star nucleosynthesis. These results suggest that carbon in I Zw 18 has been enhanced by an earlier population of lower-mass carbon-producing stars; this idea is supported by stellar photometry of I Zw 18 and its companion, which demonstrate that the current bursts of massive stars were not the first. Despite its very low metallicity, it is likely that I Zw 18 is not a "primeval" galaxy.
How many laplace transforms of probability measures are there

A bracketing metric entropy bound for the class of Laplace transforms of probability measures on [0, ∞) is obtained through its connection with the small deviation probability of a smooth Gaussian process. Our results for the particular smooth Gaussian process seem to be of independent interest.
Regioselective synthesis of ceralure B1 and A, ethyl cis-(and trans-) 5-iodo-trans-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate

Abstract Reaction of trans -2-methyl-6-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-7-one with trimethylsilyl iodide, generated in situ, followed by refluxing with ethanol gives regioselectively ethyl cis -(and trans -) 5-iodo-2-methylcyclohexane-1-carboxylate, a persistent attractant for male Mediterranean fruit flies.
Monitoring and Detection of Plutonium Movement in Storage Vaults

The neutron monitoring experiments conducted at ZPPR successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using 3He proportional counters to measure the neutron field in a plutonium storage vault. During the experiments, count rate stability at the ±0.04 to ±0.05% level was maintained for extended periods of time. A removal sensitivity of about 1 kg of plutonium from a nominal vault inventory of 2500 kg was achieved. This sensitivity applies to removal from any storage cell in the vault and is based on 4000-s counting periods. Statistically, for this situation, we had predicted a false-alarm rate with a 1-kg trip level to result in one false alarm per 2 years of continuous monitoring. The 8-month vault monitoring experience at ZPPR indicates that, with only modest hardware improvements, this level can be achieved.
Global distribution and migration of subsurface ice on mars

An analytical model is developed for the factors which changed the initial distribution and state of H2O, mainly trapped as subsurface ice, on Mars. A uniform initial ice distribution is assumed, and changes in ice layer thickness are calculated at discrete latitudes of Mars. The thermal/diffusive model used for the calculations accounts for variations in the solar luminosity, the planetary obliquity and eccentricity, with obliquity starting 3.5 Gyr ago, and insolation at various latitudes. Attention is given to variations in the albedo due to seasonal CO2 variations, in the regolith temperature, and in atmospheric pressure. Migration of H2O into and out of the regolith is a function of the H2O vapor temperature at the subsurface ice boundary and the annual average H2O at the base of the atmosphere. Projections of the ice thickness over 100 obliquity periods indicate that the intensity of the obliquity effects are latitudinally dependent. H2O atmospheric concentrations are projected to vary up to six orders of magnitude over an obliquity cycle.
Crystal capture, sorting, and retention in convecting magma

The mystery of producing strong compositional diversity among suites of comagmatic igneous rocks is investigated by considering the dynamic evolution of basaltic magma in a sheet-like chamber. A central conclusion is that inward-progressing crystallization produces strong viscosity and temperature gradients that promote convection only near the leading edge of the upper thermal boundary layer. Convection is apparently confined to an essentially isoviscous, isothermal region that hugs the downward-growing roof zone. Strong changes in viscosity with crystallization divide the upper and lower thermal boundary layers into regions of decreasing viscosity and crystallinity (N) called "rigid crust" (N ≥ 0.5), "mush" (0.5 ≥ N ≥ 0.25), and "suspension" (N ≤ 0.25). The strong increase in viscosity near the mush-suspension interface acts as a capture front that overtakes and traps slowly settling crystals. Initial phenocrysts mostly escape capture, but crystals nucleated and grown in the suspension zone can escape only if the capture front slows to a critical rate attainable only in bodies thicker than about 100 m. Escaping crystals are redistributed and sorted by convection driven by the advance of the capture front itself. Crystal-laden plumes traverse the central, hot core of the body and deposit partially resorbed and sorted crystals within the lower suspension zone. Convection is never vigorous but is part of an overall intimate balance between roofward heat loss, rigid-crust growth, crystallization kinetics, and transport and sorting of sinking escaped crystals. There is a strong similarity between these processes and those producing both varves and saline pan deposits. It is clear that lavas, lava lakes, and sills are indeed examples of true magma chambers strongly exhibiting certain aspects of this over-all process. These aspects commonly also characterize the large mafic magmatic bodies. Because strong compositional changes in the residual melt occur largely outward (that is, at lower temperatures and higher crystallinities) of the capture front, which is immobile and mostly within rigid crust, the possible range in comagmatic compositions available for eruption anywhere within the active magma is very limited. This is in broad agreement with the compositional range observed in basaltic lava lakes, sills, and plutons like Skaergaard. The tuning of convection, crystallization kinetics, and phase equilibria in chambers of this type can produce a variety of textures and layering but not a diversity of compositions.
Bayesian distributed articulated object tracking using multiple collaborative trackers

In this paper, we propose two novel articulated object tracking approaches. The Decentralized Articulated Object Tracking approach avoids the common practice of using a high-dimensional joint state representation for articulated object tracking. Instead, it introduces a decentralized scheme and models the inter-part interaction within an innovative Bayesian framework. To handle severe self-occlusions, we further extend the first approach by modeling high-level inter-unit interactions and develop the Hierarchical Articulated Object Tracking algorithm within a consistent hierarchical framework. Preliminary experimental results have demonstrated the superior performance of the proposed approaches for real-world videos sequences.
Hypnosis, memory and amnesia

Hypnotized subjects respond to suggestions from the hypnotist for imaginative experiences involving alterations in perception and memory. Individual differences in hypnotizability are only weakly related to other forms of suggestibility. Neuropsychological speculations about hypnosis focus on the right hemisphere and/or the frontal lobes. Posthypnotic amnesia refers to subjects' difficulty in remembering, after hypnosis, the events and experiences that transpired while they were hypnotized. Posthypnotic amnesia is not an instance of state-dependent memory, but it does seem to involve a disruption of retrieval processes similar to the functional amnesias observed in clinical dissociative disorders. Implicit memory, however, is largely spared, and may underlie subjects' ability to recognize events that they cannot recall. Hypnotic hypermnesia refers to improved memory for past events. However, such improvements are illusory: hypermnesia suggestions increase false recollection, as well as subjects' confidence in both true and false memories. Hypnotic age regression can be subjectively compelling, but does not involve the ablation of adult memory, or the reinstatement of childlike modes of mental functioning, or the revivification of memory. The clinical and forensic use of hypermnesia and age regression to enhance memory in patients, victims and witnesses (e.g. recovered memory therapy for child sexual abuse) should be discouraged.
Synthesis of 2′-C-Branched Nucleosides

B = base A = adenine ABz = N 6-benzoyladenine C = cytosine CAc = N 4-acetylcytosine CBz = N 4-benzoylcytosine CMMTr = N 4-(Monomethoxytrityl)cytosine G = guanine GAc = N 2-acetylguanine GCHNMe2 = N...
On the Relationship between Novelty and Popularity of User-Generated Content

This work deals with the task of predicting the popularity of user-generated content. We demonstrate how the novelty of newly published content plays an important role in affecting its popularity. More specifically, we study three dimensions of novelty. The first one, termed contemporaneous novelty, models the relative novelty embedded in a new post with respect to contemporary content that was generated by others. The second type of novelty, termed self novelty, models the relative novelty with respect to the user’s own contribution history. The third type of novelty, termed discussion novelty, relates to the novelty of the comments associated by readers with respect to the post content. We demonstrate the contribution of the new novelty measures to estimating blog-post popularity by predicting the number of comments expected for a fresh post. We further demonstrate how novelty based measures can be utilized for predicting the citation volume of academic papers.
SELF-SIMILARITY LIMITS OF GENOMIC SIGNATURES

It is shown that metric representation of DNA sequences is one-to-one. By using the metric representation method, suppression of nucleotide strings in the DNA sequences is determined. For a DNA sequence, an optimal string length to display genomic signature in chaos game representation is obtained by eliminating effects of the finite sequence. The optimal string length is further shown as a self-similarity limit in computing information dimension. By using the method, self-similarity limits of bacteria complete genomic signatures are further determined.
Boronic Acids: New Coupling Partners in Room-Temperature Suzuki Reactions of Alkyl Bromides. Crystallographic Characterization of an Oxidative-Addition Adduct Generated under Remarkably Mild Conditions

The Suzuki reaction is an exceptionally useful cross-coupling process that has been widely applied in synthetic chemistry, and boronic acids are, by far, the most commonly employed coupling partner. To date, however, no versatile method has been developed for cross-coupling boronic acids with unactivated alkyl (as opposed to aryl or vinyl) electrophiles. This report describes a catalyst system that achieves this objective at room temperature. On the mechanistic side, this study demonstrates that Pd(P(t-Bu)2Me)2 undergoes oxidative addition under surprisingly mild conditions (0 °C). The resulting adduct is sufficiently stable toward β-hydride elimination that it can be structurally characterized, and it is a chemically competent intermediate in the cross-coupling process.
Alfvén-Wave Instability of Current Sheets in Force-Free Collisionless Plasmas

If the current sheet between adjacent twisted magnetic flux tubes is sufficiently thin, the electron flow velocity becomes comparable to the Alfven velocity and can destabilize collisionless Alfven waves. The threshold for instability in force-free plasmas is calculated for both inertial and kinetic Alfven-wave regimes. When there is strong magnetic shear, unstable kinetic Alfven waves can resonantly accelerate ions to energies much higher than the electron temperature.
PHOTZIP: A Lossy FITS Image Compression Algorithm That Protects User-defined Levels of Photometric Integrity

A lossy compression algorithm is presented for astronomical images that protects photometric integrity for detected point sources at a user-defined level of statistical tolerance. PHOTZIP works by modeling, smoothing, and then compressing the astronomical background behind self-detected point sources while completely preserving values in and around those sources. The algorithm also guarantees a maximum absolute difference (in terms of σ) between each compressed and original background pixel, allowing users to control quality and lossiness. For present purposes, PHOTZIP has been tailored to FITS format and is freely available over the World Wide Web. PHOTZIP has been tested over a broad range of astronomical imagery and is in routine use by the Night Sky Live (NSL) project for compression of all-sky FITS images. Compression factors depend on source densities, but for the canonical NSL implementation, a PHOTZIP (and subsequently gzip or bzip2) compressed file is typically 20% of its uncompressed size.
Diastereoselective synthesis of the top half of Kijanolide

Abstract A highly diastereoselective synthesis of the top half (4) of kijanolide is described. The key step is the exo and diastereoface selective Diels-Alder reaction of triene 6 and chiral dienophile 6.
Neutron Star Magnetic Field Evolution, Crust Movement, and Glitches

Spinning superfluid neutrons in the core of a neutron star interact strongly with coexisting superconducting protons. One consequence is that the outward (inward) motion of core superfluid neutron vortices during spin-down (spin-up) of a neutron star may alter the core's magnetic field. Such core field changes are expected to result in movements of the stellar crust and changes in the star's surface magnetic field that reflect those in the core below. Observed magnitudes and evolution of the spin-down indices of canonical pulsars are understood as a consequence of such surface field changes. If the growing crustal strains caused by the changing core magnetic field configuration in canonical spinning-down pulsars are relaxed by large-scale crust-cracking events, special properties are predicted for the resulting changes in spin period. These agree with various glitch observations, including glitch activity, permanent shifts in spin-down rates after glitches in young pulsars, the intervals between glitches, families of glitches with different magnitudes in the same pulsar, the sharp drop in glitch intervals and magnitudes as pulsar spin periods approach 0.7 s, and the general absence of glitching beyond this period.