cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Financial intermediation and economic growth in less‐developed countries: A theoretical approach

In stressing the importance of financial intermediation in the development of the LDCs, neither the approach of financial deepening nor that of real interest rates has clarified the relationship between financial intermediation and real development. This paper shows—within a two‐sector model, but extendable to the n‐sector case—that high (equilibrium) real interest rates are growth‐promoting, even if total real savings is interest insensitive (a controversial empirical question), because they bring about an improvement in the quality of the capital stock in a well‐defined sense. The analysis also has implications for the theories of inflation and income distribution in the LDCs.
Pickup and delivery systems for overnight carriers

This paper demonstrates how the constraints of overnight delivery affect the design of pickup and delivery systems. Cost depends on the number of vehicle routes needed to pick up and deliver shipments. This number in turn depends on the critical parts of the driver's day: the morning delivery period, up to the delivery deadline; and the afternoon pickup period, after the cutoff time. Pickup routing is the more complicated, due to the dynamic nature of customer calls. Models are developed to assess the workload remaining to be completed at the cutoff time and, from this value, the number of routes required to pick up the shipments.
A soft vinyl enolization approach to α-acylvinyl anions: direct aldol/aldol condensation reactions of (E)-β-chlorovinyl ketones.

Treatment of the title compounds with NEt3 generates novel vinyl anion synthons which undergo aldol reaction with aldehydes to give aldol-type allene structures.
DUAL-CODING THEORY AND CONNECTIONIST LEXICAL SELECTION

We introduce the bilingual dual-coding theory as a model for bilingual mental representation. Based on this model, lexical selection neural networks are implemented for a connectionist transfer project in machine translation.
Primitive cohomology and the tube mapping

Let X be a smooth complex projective variety of dimension d. We show that its primitive cohomology in degree d is generated by certain “tube classes,” constructed from the monodromy in the family of all hyperplane sections of X. The proof makes use of a result about the group cohomology of certain representations that may be of independent interest.
Mapping Impervious Cover Using Multi-Temporal MODIS NDVI Data

Mapping impervious surfaces over regional or continental scale study areas with high spatial resolution imagery is difficult due to the cost and time involved in processing the large number of images required. This study investigated the benefits of using the coarse spatial resolution, high temporal resolution MODIS sensor to produce impervious surface maps. MODIS NDVI data for multiple years were analyzed with two multi-temporal image analysis methods: the Sequential Maximum Angle Convex Cone and Linear Spectral Unmixing. Impervious surface maps were generated and compared with a set of reference data and a Landsat-derived impervious cover map. The mapping accuracies for the algorithms used were generally good, particularly for the LSU approach, which was able to identify areas with 50-60% impervious cover at 77% accuracy and areas with a cumulative impervious cover of 50% or greater at 80% accuracy. The methods presented in this paper have potential for mapping impervious cover over large areas where the use of higher spatial resolution data is impracticable.
An efficient parallel solver for SDD linear systems

We present the first parallel algorithm for solving systems of linear equations in symmetric, diagonally dominant (SDD) matrices that runs in polylogarithmic time and nearly-linear work. The heart of our algorithm is a construction of a sparse approximate inverse chain for the input matrix: a sequence of sparse matrices whose product approximates its inverse. Whereas other fast algorithms for solving systems of equations in SDD matrices exploit low-stretch spanning trees, our algorithm only requires spectral graph sparsifiers.
Unraveling hadron structure with generalized parton distributions

Abstract The generalized parton distributions, introduced nearly a decade ago, have emerged as a universal tool to describe hadrons in terms of quark and gluonic degrees of freedom. They combine the features of form factors, parton densities and distribution amplitudes—the functions used for a long time in studies of hadronic structure. Generalized parton distributions are analogous to the phase-space Wigner quasi-probability function of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics which encodes full information on a quantum-mechanical system. We give an extensive review of main achievements in the development of this formalism. We discuss physical interpretation and basic properties of generalized parton distributions, their modeling and QCD evolution in the leading and next-to-leading orders. We describe how these functions enter a wide class of exclusive reactions, such as electro- and photo-production of photons, lepton pairs, or mesons. The theory of these processes requires and implies full control over diverse corrections and thus we outline the progress in handling higher-order and higher-twist effects. We catalogue corresponding results and present diverse techniques for their derivations. Subsequently, we address observables that are sensitive to different characteristics of the nucleon structure in terms of generalized parton distributions. The ultimate goal of the GPD approach is to provide a three-dimensional spatial picture of the nucleon, direct measurement of the quark orbital angular momentum, and various inter- and multi-parton correlations.
Oxidative formation of phosphorodithioates via H-phosphonodithioates

Abstract H-Phosphonodithioate esters can be linked to a second alcohol via an oxidative coupling procedure to generate a phosphorodithioate diester. Nucleoside-cholesterol and nucleoside-amino acid phosphorodithioates were synthesized via this route.
Entropy-constrained trellis-coded quantization

Trellis-coded quantization is generalized to allow noiseless coding of the trellis branch reproduction symbols. An entropy-constrained trellis-coded quantization (ECTCQ) design algorithm is presented, based on the generalized Lloyd algorithm for trellis code design and the entropy-constrained vector quantization design algorithm. ECTCQ systems are designed for memoryless Gaussian and Laplacian sources, and for first- and second-order Gauss-Markov sources. With an 8-state trellis, the mean-squared error ECTCQ encoding performance for memoryless sources with smooth densities is within about 0.5 dB of the rate-distortion function. Small additional improvements are achieved with larger trellises. Similar, though not quite as good, performance is achieved for the Gauss-Markov sources by using the ECTCQ in a predictive coding structure. >
Electrically injected photonic crystal edge-emitting quantum-dot light source

An electrically injected photonic crystal (PC) edge-emitting light source with horizontally coupled waveguide, based on a GaAs heterostructure with self-organized InGaAs quantum dots emitting near 1 /spl mu/m, is demonstrated. The emission spectra and near-field images indicate that the spontaneous emission from the low-Q resonant PC cavity is coupled to an adjacent PC missing defect waveguide and guided over the 70-/spl mu/m waveguide length.
Zero Vibration On–off Position Control of Dual Solenoid Actuator

Solenoids are low-cost high-speed nonlinear actuators commonly used in switching mode. This paper presents a dual-solenoid actuator system for high-speed positioning applications. A novel control method that combines on-off control and input shaping is used to obtain low-vibration smooth transients when compared with traditional proportional and integral control and on-off control. Simulation results and experimental data confirm that this dual-solenoid position actuator with the novel control method is effective and practical.
Combining subjet algorithms to enhance ZH detection at the LHC

The signal for a highly boosted heavy resonance competing against a background of light parton jets at the LHC can be enhanced by analyzing subjets in the “fat” jet that possibly contains the heavy resonance. Three methods for doing this are known as filtering, pruning, and t rimming. We study the possibility of combining these methods using a relative likelihood approach. We find that, because the methods are not the same, one achieves an enhanced statistical power by combining them. We illustrate the possibilities first with a simple problem of combining t rimming and pruning to enhance the signal for finding a boosted top quark. We then study the more difficult problem of disentangling from the background the signal for the production of a Higgs boson in association with a Z-boson. For this problem, we combine filtering, trimming, and pruning.
Tensor Rank and the Ill-Posedness of the Best Low-Rank Approximation Problem

There has been continued interest in seeking a theorem describing optimal low-rank approximations to tensors of order 3 or higher that parallels the Eckart-Young theorem for matrices. In this paper, we argue that the naive approach to this problem is doomed to failure because, unlike matrices, tensors of order 3 or higher can fail to have best rank-$r$ approximations. The phenomenon is much more widespread than one might suspect: examples of this failure can be constructed over a wide range of dimensions, orders, and ranks, regardless of the choice of norm (or even Bregman divergence). Moreover, we show that in many instances these counterexamples have positive volume: they cannot be regarded as isolated phenomena. In one extreme case, we exhibit a tensor space in which no rank-3 tensor has an optimal rank-2 approximation. The notable exceptions to this misbehavior are rank-1 tensors and order-2 tensors (i.e., matrices). In a more positive spirit, we propose a natural way of overcoming the ill-posedness of the low-rank approximation problem, by using weak solutions when true solutions do not exist. For this to work, it is necessary to characterize the set of weak solutions, and we do this in the case of rank 2, order 3 (in arbitrary dimensions). In our work we emphasize the importance of closely studying concrete low-dimensional examples as a first step toward more general results. To this end, we present a detailed analysis of equivalence classes of $2 \times 2 \times 2$ tensors, and we develop methods for extending results upward to higher orders and dimensions. Finally, we link our work to existing studies of tensors from an algebraic geometric point of view. The rank of a tensor can in theory be given a semialgebraic description; in other words, it can be determined by a system of polynomial inequalities. We study some of these polynomials in cases of interest to us; in particular, we make extensive use of the hyperdeterminant $\Delta$ on $\mathbb{R}^{2\times 2 \times 2}$.
The Relationships Between Mass Media, Public Opinion, and Foreign Policy: Toward a Theoretical Synthesis

Democracy requires that citizens' opinions play some role in shaping policy outcomes, including in foreign policy. Yet, although the literature on public opinion and foreign policy has made great progress in recent decades, scholars have reached no consensus concerning what the public thinks, or thinks about, with respect to foreign policy; how it comes to hold those opinions; or whether those opinions influence (or even should influence) foreign policy. In this article, we first review the extensive gains in scholarly knowledge in the area of public opinion and foreign policy over the past several decades, emphasizing relatively recent work. We then suggest a framework, based on the concept of market equilibrium, aimed at synthesizing the disparate research programs that constitute the literature on public opinion and foreign policy. To do so, in addition to considering the relationship between leaders and the public, we incorporate a third strategic actor, the mass media, which we believe plays a critic...
Buffer insertion with adaptive blockage avoidance

Buffer insertion is a fundamental technology for very large scale integration interconnect optimization. This work presents the repeater insertion with adaptive tree adjustment (RIATA) heuristic that directly extends van Ginneken's classic algorithm to handle blockages in the layout. Given a Steiner tree containing a Steiner point that overlaps a blockage, a local adjustment is made to the tree topology that enables additional buffer insertion candidates to be considered. This adjustment adapts to the demand on buffer insertion and is incurred only when it facilitates the maximal slack solution. RIATA can be combined with any performance-driven Steiner tree algorithm and permits various solution search schemes to achieve different solution quality and runtime tradeoffs. Experiments on several large nets confirms that high-quality solutions can be obtained through this technique with greater efficiency than simultaneous approaches.
Empowering Cities: Good for Growth? Evidence from China

This paper utilizes a countrywide, county-to-city upgrade in the 1990s to identify whether extending the powers of urban local governments leads to better firm outcomes. The paper hypothesizes that since local leaders in newly-promoted cities have an incentive to utilize their new administrative remit to maximize gross domestic product and employment growth, there should be improvements in economic outcomes. The analysis finds that aggregate firm-level outcomes do not necessarily improve after county-to-city graduation. However, it does find that state-owned enterprises perform better post-graduation, with increased access to credit through state-owned banks as a possible explanation for the improvement in performance. The most important finding is that newly-promoted cities with high capacity generally produce better aggregate firm outcomes compared with newly-promoted cities with low capacity. The conclusions are twofold. First, in terms of access to credit, the paper provides evidence that relaxing credit constraints for firms could lead to large increases in firm operation and employment. Second, increasing local government's administrative remit is not enough to lead to better firm and economic outcomes; local capacity is of paramount importance.
Incremental Organizational Learning from Multilevel Information Sources: Evidence for Cross-Level Interactions

The availability of both direct performance feedback at the organization level and vicarious information at the industry level raises the question of their relative impact, as well as potential multilevel interactions. Prior research suggests that an organization's own experience after adopting an innovative managerial practice tends to replace information collected by observing other organizations that implement the practice. The findings in this study show, however, that both organization-level performance feedback and population-level comparisons to other organizations affected incremental change of an innovative practice during its execution. The effects of these two information sources are not independent. Instead, results support a substitutional cross-level interaction. In addition, the study discovered that, when learning from their own experience, organizations engage in superstitious learning and do not let sufficient time pass before assessing the effects of prior changes. This study identifies principles that will promote a more integrated understanding of learning during the execution of innovative practices and contributes to the development of more fine-grained multilevel models of organizational learning.
HIGH-RESOLUTION, DIFFERENTIAL, NEAR-INFRARED TRANSMISSION SPECTROSCOPY OF GJ 1214b

The nearby star GJ 1214 hosts a planet intermediate in radius and mass between Earth and Neptune, resulting in some uncertainty as to its nature. We have observed this planet, GJ 1214b, during transit with the high-resolution, near-infrared NIRSPEC spectrograph on the Keck II telescope, in order to characterize the planet's atmosphere. By cross-correlating the spectral changes through transit with a suite of theoretical atmosphere models, we search for variations associated with absorption in the planet atmosphere. Our observations are sufficient to rule out tested model atmospheres with wavelength-dependent transit depth variations 5 × 10–4 over the wavelength range 2.1-2.4 μm. Our sensitivity is limited by variable slit loss and telluric transmission effects. We find no positive signatures but successfully rule out a number of plausible atmospheric models, including the default assumption of a gaseous, H-dominated atmosphere in chemical equilibrium. Such an atmosphere can be made consistent if the absorption due to methane is reduced. Clouds can also render such an atmosphere consistent with our observations, but only if they lie higher in the atmosphere than indicated by recent optical and infrared measurements. When taken in concert with other observational constraints, our results support a model in which the atmosphere of GJ 1214b contains significant H and He, but where CH4 is depleted. If this depletion is the result of photochemical processes, it may also produce a haze that suppresses spectral features in the optical.
Citation content analysis (CCA): A framework for syntactic and semantic analysis of citation content

This study proposes a new framework for citation content analysis (CCA), for syntactic and semantic analysis of citation content that can be used to better analyze the rich sociocultural context of research behavior. This framework could be considered the next generation of citation analysis. The authors briefly review the history and features of content analysis in traditional social sciences and its previous application in library and information science (LIS). Based on critical discussion of the theoretical necessity of a new method as well as the limits of citation analysis, the nature and purposes of CCA are discussed, and potential procedures to conduct CCA, including principles to identify the reference scope, a two-dimensional (citing and cited) and two-module (syntactic and semantic) codebook, are provided and described. Future work and implications are also suggested.
On the Complexity of Randomly Weighted Voronoi Diagrams

In this paper, we provide an O(n polylog n) bound on the expected complexity of the randomly weighted Voronoi diagram of a set of n sites in the plane, where the sites can be either points, interior-disjoint convex sets, or other more general objects. Here the randomness is on the weight of the sites, not their location. This compares favorably with the worst case complexity of these diagrams, which is quadratic. As a consequence we get an alternative proof to that of Agarwal et al. [AHKS13] of the near linear complexity of the union of randomly expanded disjoint segments or convex sets (with an improved bound on the latter). The technique we develop is elegant and should be applicable to other problems.
Efficient microwave access to polysubstituted amidines from imidoylbenzotriazoles.

Microwave reactions of primary and secondary amines with imidoylbenzotriazoles 6a−w gave diversely substituted amidines 7a−Aa in 76−94% yields. Convenient preparations of a variety of amides 5a−Ab (87−96%) and imidoylbenzotriazoles 6a−w (56−95%) have also been developed using microwave irradiation under mild conditions and short reaction times. These results demonstrate further the advantages of microwave synthesis and introduce a new application of imidoylbenzotriazoles in the preparation of polysubstituted amidines.
Nonulcerating bacterial keratitis associated with soft and rigid contact lens wear

Abstract Objective An unusual presentation of contact lens-related bacterial keratitis is that of epithelial nodular infiltrates and stromal inflammation without epithelial ulceration. The authors study the initial diagnosis, clinical features, causative organisms, and outcomes of corneal infections presenting in this manner. Design The study design was a 20-month retrospective chart review. Participants Five patients with culture-proven bacterial keratitis who had predominantly nodular epithelial lesions were studied. Results Four infections were associated with soft contact lens wear and one with rigid lens wear. All patients had largely intact epithelium; typical gray-colored epithelial nodules, some with underlying anterior stromal haze; and diffuse, fine, cellular stromal inflammation. Two patients were referred with the tentative diagnosis of Acanthamoeba infection and two as contact lens-related sterile keratitis. Epithelial cultures from three cases yielded Serratia sp., one yielded Corynebacterium, and one Streptococcus pneumoniae . All responded to antibacterial medication; final corrected visual acuity in all cases was 20/30 or better. Conclusions Bacterial infection associated with contact lens wear can be established within the corneal epithelium without initially producing an ulcer. A wide range of both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms can be involved. Early recognition and treatment appear to result in a favorable outcome.
Media libel litigation: A search for more effective dispute resolution.

The libel litigation system does not efficiently or effectively resolve media libel disputes. Protracted and expensive litigation neither restores plaintiffs' reputations nor protects media defendants from intrusive discovery and potentially large damage awards. This article demonstrates how research on the characteristics of the libel litigation process and the interests and concerns of the disputants was synthesized with research on dispute resolution processes to develop an alternative process for resolving libel disputes outside the courts. The article discusses the potential feasibility of the voluntary, nonlitigation alternative program, informed by research on dispute processing and libel litigation. An evaluation of the program is being conducted to examine attorneys' and parties' reactions to the program and to assess the extent to which the program provides effective solutions to the problems of the libel litigation system.
Heterogeneously Integrated Silicon Photonics for the Mid-Infrared and Spectroscopic Sensing

Besides being the foundational material for microelectronics, crystalline silicon has long been used for the production of infrared lenses and mirrors. More recently, silicon has become the key material to achieve large-scale integration of photonic devices for on-chip optical interconnect and signal processing. For optics, silicon has significant advantages: it offers a very high refractive index and is highly transparent in the spectral range from 1.2 to 8 μm. To fully exploit silicon's superior performance in a remarkably broad range and to enable new optoelectronic functionalities, here we describe a general method to integrate silicon photonic devices on arbitrary foreign substrates. In particular, we apply the technique to integrate silicon microring resonators on mid-infrared compatible substrates for operation in the mid-infrared. These high-performance mid-infrared optical resonators are utilized to demonstrate, for the first time, on-chip cavity- enhanced mid-infrared spectroscopic analysis of organic chemicals with a limit of detection of less than 0.1 ng.
A Cold War Creature Which Sat Out the War

A substantial body of literature argues that government funding motivated by the Cold War shaped (or distorted) the content of the American academic disciplines. This article tests the impact of such funding on the academic study of the Soviet economy, a small field created to help fight the Cold War. It documents the amount of attention given by researchers to the military sector of the Soviet economy, the topic of central importance for the Cold War, and finds that their publications largely ignored it. Considerations other than the interests of the sponsors determined the choice of topics in the discipline.
The Impact of Share Tenancy on Resource Allocation: Evidence from Nepal

A fully interactive two group model is used to examine the issue of resource allocation under alternative tenancy systems in Nepal. The results support the Marsha llian hypothesis that both mixed and pure share tenants apply variable inputs less intensively in their rented-in plots than in owner operated plots.
Job Performance and Absenteeism: A Review and Meta-Analysis

The relationship between individual employee performance and absenteeism was examined using data from 46 articles. Meta-analyses (cf. Hunter & Schmidt, 1990) revealed a modest but significant tendency for frequently absent employees to be poor performers on many rating and non-rating indices. Importantly though, the associated credibility intervals were wide, and statistical artifacts did not account for all the variance among the studies. Several alternative theoretical mechanisms were identified, e.g., supervisor annoyance with frequent absences, employee disposition toward delinquency, progressive withdrawal, and stress coping, that could account for the remaining variation.
Convective and Interfacial Instabilities During Solidification of Succinonitrile Containing Ethanol

Even though slow convective flow is difficult to detect in solidifying metals, it can readily be observed in transparent materials by observing the motion of small neutrally buoyant particles. Succinonitrile, which solidifies with an unfaceted solid/liquid interface and has well characterized physical properties, is considered an excellent material for such studies. For studies of solute-induced convection, ethanol is a useful addition to succinonitrile since it has a lower density and a somewhat similar molecular structure. Samples of high purity and ethanol-doped succinonitrile are unidirectionally solidified in a vertical temperature gradient. Latex mimcrospheres 2 microns in diameter are suspended in the liquid to reveal the convective flow. Convective and morphological stability is observed as a function of solute concentration and growth velocity. These measurements are compared with theoretical calculations that predict the transition from stability to instability as a function of solidification conditions. The predicted transitions occur at low concentrations and solidification velocities; for this reason, extreme care must be taken in order to eliminate the effects of impurities or thermally induced convection.
An optimal proportional-plus-integral/tracking control law for aircraft applications

An optimal proportional-plus-integral/tracking control law is formulated. The control law has a command augmentation system configuration suitable for implementation on a digital computer on-board an aircraft. The proposed configuration offers the flexibility for choosing a feedforward matrix incorporating a set of additional control elements and for shaping the transient response without affecting the steady-state tracking property. Assuming the system is open-loop stable, then in the presence of a "jam" the disengaged system will maintain the steady-state tracking property which is desirable for aircraft continuing their mission.
Synthesis of (±)‐trans‐2,5‐Dialkylpyrrolidines from the Lukes‐Šorm Dilactam: Efficient Preparation of (±)‐trans‐2‐Butyl‐5‐heptylpyrrolidine and Analogs Present in Ant Venoms

A 7-step synthesis of (±)-trans-2-butyl-5-heptylpyrrolidine (14) from the Lukes-Sorm dilactam 1 was accomplished in 6% overall yield without counting for a reconversion of cis-isomer 13 into trans-isomer 14 which was also accomplished. Reduction of pyrroline 12, the precursor of 14, with NaBH4 afforded a 1:1 mixture of cis-isomer 13 and trans-isomer 14 separated by chromatography. Reductive N-methylation of 14 afforded the N-methyl analog 15, another ant alkaloid. The synthetic route to 14 was extended to a similar synthesis of analogs 23–25 and is representative for the synthesis of trans-2,5-diakyl-substituted pyrrolidines. Results on the screening of a few compounds for the effect on vascular permeability are reported.
Note on the debye temperature of palladium

The results of the calculation of the 0 °K equivalent Debye temperature of f.c.c. Pd are given, based on an elegant iterative approach due to Fedorov. The results of Fedorov's first and second approximations are presented for Pd along with their correlation with earlier theoretical results and with elastic and calorimetric experimental determinations. Les resultats de la calculation de la 0 °K temperature Debye du Pd fcc sont donnes, bases sur une methode elegante iteratife du Fedorov. Les resultats des approximations premiere et deuxieme du Fedorov sont presentes pour Pd avec leur correlation avec les resultats des autres theories et avec les mesurages elastiques et calorimetriques.
How Much does Sorting Increase Inequality

Some commentators argue that increased sorting into internally homogeneous neighborhoods, schools, and marriages is radically polarizing society. Calibration of a formal model, however, suggests that the steady-state standard deviation of education would increase only 1.7 percent if the correlation between neighbors' education doubled, and would fall only 1.6 percent if educational sorting by neighborhood disappeared. The steady-state standard deviation of education would grow 1 percent if the correlation between spouses' education increased from 0.6 to 0.8. In fact, marital and neighborhood sorting have been stable, or even decreasing historically. Sorting has somewhat more significant effects on intergenerational mobility than on inequality.
Gamma-Ray Burst Early Optical Afterglows: Implications for the Initial Lorentz Factor and the Central Engine

Early optical afterglows have been observed from GRB 990123, GRB 021004, and GRB 021211, which reveal rich emission features attributed to reverse shocks. It is expected that Swift will discover many more early afterglows. Here we investigate in a unified manner both the forward and the reverse external shock emission components, and introduce a straightforward recipe for directly constraining the initial Lorentz factor of the fireball using early optical afterglow data. The scheme is largely independent of the shock microphysics. We identify two types of combinations of the reverse and forward-shock emission, and explore their parameter regimes. We also discuss a possible diagnostic for magnetized ejecta. There is evidence that the central engine of GRB 990123 is strongly magnetized.
Insulin dimer dissociation and unfolding revealed by amide I two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy

The monomer–dimer transition of insulin has been probed with two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy and related infrared spectroscopies to isolate spectral signatures of the conformational changes concomitant with dissociation. These experiments were atomistically interpreted using 2D IR spectra calculated from an ensemble of monomer and dimer structures including the effects of disorder, which provided a complement and a point of comparison to NMR and X-ray crystallography models. The amide I ν⊥ mode, which is delocalized over both monomer units through an intermolecular antiparallel β sheet, was lost upon dimer dissociation and shifts were observed in the ν∥ β-sheet and α-helix bands. These spectral changes provided a structurally sensitive probe of dimer dissociation, which was used to measure the binding constant, KD, and to parameterize a thermodynamic model for the dimer fraction. The solvent conditions surveyed the effects of ethanol and salt addition on the dimer fraction in acidic, deuterated water as a function of temperature. It was found that addition of ethanol had a significant destabilizing effect on the dimer state, and shifted KD from 70 μM in D2O to 7.0 mM in 20% EtOD at 22 °C. Simulation of the monomer 2D IR spectra indicates that the B-chain C terminus is partially disordered, although not fully solvated by water.
Nutritional requirements in severe head injury.

Patients with severe head injury have an alteration in metabolic homeostasis, resulting in increased energy expenditure and increased protein catabolism. These changes arise secondary to the head injury itself and to the use of steroids.1,2 In the early 1980s, several studies were conducted to assess the metabolic effect of severe head injury.3–5 These studies measured metabolic expenditure, nitrogen loss, and cardiovascular parameters and then compared these with data from patients without head injuries. Hypermetabolism and nitrogen wasting were well documented, and early feeding was found to reduce the mortality rate.
A Wind-driven Warping Instability in Accretion Disks

A wind passing over a surface may cause an instability in the surface, such as the flapping seen when wind blows across a flag or waves when wind blows across water. We show that when a radially outflowing wind blows across a dense thin rotating disk, an initially flat disk is unstable to warping. When the wind is subsonic, the growth rate is dependent on the lift generated by the wind and the phase lag between the pressure perturbation and the vertical displacement in the disk caused by drag. When the wind is supersonic, the growth rate is primarily dependent on the form drag caused by the surface. While the radiative warping instability proposed by Pringle is promising for generating warps near luminous accreting objects, we expect that the wind-driven instability introduced here would dominate in objects that generate energetic outflows.
Distributed storage codes through Hadamard designs

In distributed storage systems that employ erasure coding, the issue of minimizing the total repair bandwidth required to exactly regenerate a storage node after a failure arises. This repair bandwidth depends on the structure of the storage code and the repair strategies used to restore the lost data. Minimizing it requires that undesired data during a repair align in the smallest possible spaces, using the concept of interference alignment (IA). Here, a points-on-a-lattice representation of the symbol extension IA of Cadambe et al. provides cues to perfect IA instances which we combine with fundamental properties of Hadamard matrices to construct a new storage code with favorable repair properties. Specifically, we build an explicit (k+2, k) storage code over GF(3), whose single systematic node failures can be repaired with bandwidth that matches exactly the theoretical minimum. Moreover, the repair of single parity node failures generates at most the same repair bandwidth as any systematic node failure. Our code can tolerate any single node failure and any pair of failures that involves at most one systematic failure.
Photoacoustic determination of optical absorption to extinction ratio in aerosols

The photoacoustic technique has been used in conjunction with an optical transmission measurement to determine the fraction of light absorbed in cigarette and acetylene smoke aerosols. At 0.5145-μm wavelength, the absorption-to-extinction fraction is 0.01 ± 0.003 for cigarette smoke and is in excellent agreement with predictions from Mie theory for smoke particles having a refractive index of 1.45–0.00133i and a median diameter in the 0.15–0.65-μm range. For acetylene smoke the absorbed fraction was 0.85 ± 0.05.
High Level Waste (HLW) Vitrification Experience in the US: Application of Glass Product/Process Control to Other HLW and Hazardous Wastes

Vitrification is currently the most widely used technology for the treatment of high level radioactive wastes (HLW) throughout the world. At the Savannah River Site (SRS) actual HLW tank waste has successfully been processed to stringent product and process constraints without any rework into a stable borosilicate glass waste since 1996. A unique “feed forward” statistical process control (SPC) has been used rather than statistical quality control (SQC). In SPC, the feed composition to the melter is controlled prior to vitrification. In SQC, the glass product is sampled after it is vitrified. Individual glass property models form the basis for the “feed forward” SPC. The property models transform constraints on the melt and glass properties into constraints on the feed composition. The property models are mechanistic and depend on glass bonding/structure, thermodynamics, quasicrystalline melt species, and/or electron transfers. The mechanistic models have been validated over composition regions well outside of the regions for which they were developed because they are mechanistic. Mechanistic models allow accurate extension to radioactive and hazardous waste melts well outside the composition boundaries for which they were developed.
Low-Reynolds-Number Effects on Hypersonic Blunt-Body Shock Standoff

An approximate analytical theory of the onset of viscous effects on hypersonic-body nose shock standoff distance is developed. Boundary-layer displacement, shock layer vorticity, and longitudinal curvature effects are all included, as are the influence of both shock layer density ratio and arbitrary body surface temperature
Variabilities of Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows: Long-acting Engine, Anisotropic Jet, or Many Fluctuating Regions?

We show that simple kinematic arguments can give limits on the timescale and amplitude of variabilities in gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows, especially when the variability timescale is shorter than the observed time since the burst, Δt < t. These limits help us to identify the sources of afterglow variability. The afterglows of GRB 011211 and GRB 021004 marginally violate these limits. If such violation is confirmed by the Swift satellite, a possible explanation is that (1) the compact objects that power GRB jets continue to eject an intermittent outflow for a very long timescale (1 day), (2) the GRB jet from the central engine has a temporal anisotropy with a large brightness contrast 10 and small angular structure 10-2, or (3) many (103) regions fluctuate simultaneously in the emitting site.
The effects of unions on research and development: an empirical analysis using multi‐year data

A link between unionization and research and development rates (research and development expenditures divided by output) is tested for in thirteen aggregate Canadian industries. A balanced panel of thirteen industries covering 1968 to 1986 reveals a negative relationship between industry unionization rates and research and development. The results hold when a number of techniques are used to control for unobserved industry heterogeneity and non-linear responses to unionization. In an industry that moves from the 25th to the 75th percentile of unionization, research and development is predicted to fall by about 40 per cent. JEL Classification: J51 Les effets des syndicats sur l'intensite de la recherche et developpement: une analyse empirique sur plusieurs annees. Ce memoire examine le lien entre le degre de syndicalisation et les taux de depenses en recherche et developpement en proportion de la production dans treize industries canadiennes. Pour ces treize secteurs industriels, entre 1968 et 1986, il semble qu'il y ait une relation negative entre les taux de syndicalisation et les taux de depenses en recherche et developpement. Ces resultats sont robustesmeme quand on utilise des techniques pour tenir compte de l'heterogeneite des secteurs et des reponses non lineaires a la syndicalisation. Pour une industrie qui voit son taux de syndicalisation passer du 25e au 75e percentile, on prevoit une chute de 40% dans la recherche et developpement.
Openness, Centralized Wage Bargaining, and Inflation

Abstract This paper develops a model of an open economy containing both sectors in which wages are market-determined and sectors with wage-setting arrangements. A portion of the latter group of sectors coordinate their wages, taking into account that their collective actions influence the equilibrium inflation outcome in an environment in which the central bank engages in discretionary monetary policymaking. Key predictions forthcoming from this model are (1) increased centralization of wage setting initially causes inflation to increase at low degrees of wage centralization but then, as wage centralization increases, results in an inflation drop-off; (2) a greater degree of centralized wage setting reduces the inflation-restraining effect of greater central bank independence; and (3) increased openness is more likely to reduce inflation in nations with less centralized wage bargaining. Analysis of data for seventeen nations for the period 1970–1999 provides generally robust empirical support for all three of these predictions.
Novel Approach to Multifunctionalized Homoallylic Alcohols via Regioselective Ring Opening of Aryl Oxiranes with 3-Iodo Allenoates

3-Iodo allenoates were generated in situ and utilized, for the first time, in the ring opening of oxiranes in a regioselective fashion. This simple one-pot three-component reaction protocol provides easy access to highly functionalized homoallylic alcohols in good yields and moderate to very good (Z/E) selectivity. The two functional groups (ester and halogen) can be further subjected to many synthetic transformations.
Regioselective joining of prenyl units. A simple strategy for geometry control in Pd catalyzed allylic alkylations

Abstract Either E,E-3,9-dimethylundecadien-1,11-diol or its E,Z-isomer is selectively available via Pd catalyzed allylic alkylation as a function of alkylating agent and catalyst - an observation that establishes that reactions of vinyl epoxides and their related vinyl carbonates do not proceed through a common intermediate.
Comparison of spacecraft charging environments at the Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn

Studies of the Earth with the ATS-5, ATS-6, and SCATHA spacecraft led to the development of several simple tools for predicting the potentials to be expected on a spacecraft in the space environment. These tools have been used to estimate the expected levels of worst case charging at Jupiter and Saturn for the Galileo and the Cassini spacecraft missions. This paper reviews those results and puts them in the context of the design issues addressed by each mission including the spacecraft design mitigation strategies adopted to limit differential charging. The model shows that shadowed surfaces in Earth orbit can reach /spl sim/25 kV or higher in worst case environments. For Galileo, spacecraft-to-space potentials of /spl sim/900 V were predicted in shadow. Since such potentials could produce possible discharges and could effect low energy plasma measurements, the outer surface of Galileo was designed to rigid conductivity requirements. Even though the surface of Galileo is not entirely conducting, after 27 orbits no adverse effects due to surface charging aside from limited effects on low energy plasma measurements have been reported. The Saturnian environment results in spacecraft potentials to space in shadow of /spl sim/100 V or less. Although the overall surface of the Cassini spacecraft was not entirely conducting and grounded, it is shown that only in the most extreme conditions, is it expected that Cassini will experience any effects of surface charging at Saturn.
Authentic teaching and learning through synthetic biology

Synthetic biology is an emerging engineering discipline that, if successful, will allow well-characterized biological components to be predictably and reliably built into robust organisms that achieve specific functions. Fledgling efforts to design and implement a synthetic biology curriculum for undergraduate students have shown that the co-development of this emerging discipline and its future practitioners does not undermine learning. Rather it can serve as the lynchpin of a synthetic biology curriculum. Here I describe educational goals uniquely served by synthetic biology teaching, detail ongoing curricula development efforts at MIT, and specify particular aspects of the emerging field that must develop rapidly in order to best train the next generation of synthetic biologists.
Synthesis of Fused [5,5]‐1,2,4‐Triazoles via Tandem Thioimidate Cyclopropane Rearrangement–Cyclization

Abstract The synthesis of fused [5,5]‐1,2,4‐triazoles via a tandem cyclopropane rearrangement–cyclization sequence is described. Optimization of the cyclization reaction was achieved thermally using iPrOH as the solvent in the presence of TEA. This method was applied to the preparation of 3‐substituted‐7‐aryl‐pyrrolo‐1,2,4‐triazoles in good to excellent yields.
Joule heating and anomalous resistivity in the solar corona

Recent radioastronomical observations of Faraday rotation in the solar corona can be interpreted as evidence for coronal currents, with values as large as 2.5◊10 9 Amperes (Spangler, 2007). These estimates of currents are used to de- velop a model for Joule heating in the corona. It is assumed that the currents are concentrated in thin current sheets, as suggested by theories of two dimensional magnetohydrody- namic turbulence. The Spitzer result for the resistivity is adopted as a lower limit to the true resistivity. The calcu- lated volumetric heating rate is compared with an indepen- dent theoretical estimate by Cranmer et al. (2007). This latter estimate accounts for the dynamic and thermodynamic prop- erties of the corona at a heliocentric distance of several solar radii. Our calculated Joule heating rate is less than the Cran- mer et al estimate by at least a factor of 3◊10 5 . The cur- rents inferred from the observations of Spangler (2007) are not relevant to coronal heating unless the true resistivity is enormously increased relative to the Spitzer value. However, the same model for turbulent current sheets used to calculate the heating rate also gives an electron drift speed which can be comparable to the electron thermal speed, and larger than the ion acoustic speed. It is therefore possible that the coro- nal current sheets are unstable to current-driven instabilities which produce high levels of waves, enhance the resistivity and thus the heating rate.
Specification, Design, and Test of Aircraft Engine Isolators for Reduced Interior Noise

Improved engine vibration isolation was proposed to be the most weight and cost efficient retrofit structure borne noise control measure for single engine general aviation aircraft A study was carried out with three objectives: 1) to develop an engine isolator design specification for reduced interior noise transmission, 2) to select and/or design candidate isolators to meet a 15 dB noise reduction design goal, and 3) to carry out a proof of concept evaluation test A coupled analytical and empirical model was used to develop an engine isolator dynamic properties design specification for reduced noise transmission Candidate isolators were chosen from available products and retrofitted to a test aircraft, and a laboratory based test procedure was used to simulate engine induced noise transmission in the aircraft for a proof of concept evaluation test Several candidate isolator configurations were evaluated relative to the original equipment isolators Analyses of the resulting noise transmission data show that overall maximum interior noise level reductions on the order of 10 dB were realized from the candidate isolators, and the noise transmission model used in the isolator design specification was quite adequate for evaluating trends in improved isolation for known isolator dynamic properties