Managing Reforms on a Large Scale: What Role for OR/MS?

In this paper evidence is presented regarding the degree to which social reforms have been systematically managed by the Public Sector in Greece between 1975-1992. The findings reported here concur with the findings of others that, by and large, in developing countries, important social reforms tend not to be systematically handled. A twofold explanation is advanced for what seems to be an inverse relationship between the importance of social reforms and the use of OR/MS techniques for their management. First, the subsidiary role of OR/MS techniques in both developing and developed countries is partly due to the conflict-ridden and complex nature of important social reforms, which are not as amenable to systematic analysis as small-scale reforms. It is also partly due to the competitive nature of liberal democracies which compels governments to use social policies not only in a problem-solving mode but also in a tactical mode. Secondly, the low degrees of bureaucratization and rationalization that characterize developing countries, in particular, account for seeing social reforms not so much as manifestations of rational calculation designed to solve problems but as political tools in the service of their masters. It is concluded that OR/MS may be useful in developing countries not so much for its techniques as for its ideology; not for what it is but for what it stands for.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of some 4-(isoxazolinyl or 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl) coumarins

Reaction of compound 3 with nitrile oxide 4a affords compounds 5a and 6 in 73% and 3% yield respectively, while reaction of 3 with 4b affords only compound 5b (85%). Reactions of compound 8 with the nitrile oxides 4a,b result in compounds 9a,b . The compound 10 , prepared from 1 and O-methylhydroxylamine, reacts with nitrile oxide 4b to give the oxadiazole derivative 12 . The above referred coumarins are screened for antiinflammatory activity in vivo using the carrageenin rat paw edema and in vitro through their antiproteolytic activity and their ability to inhibit β-glucuronidase and 12-Lipoxygenase.     

1,4-Benzoxazin-2-ones,benzo[d]oxazoles and 2H-1,4-benzoxazines from the reaction of 2-(methoxyimino)benzen-1-ones with arylacetates,arylacetic acids and trans- stilbene

10-(Methoxyimino)phenanthrene-9-one 1 reacts thermally with the arylacetic derivatives 2(a-j ) to yield the corresponding 1,4-benzoxazin-2-ones 4(a-d,f ) and benzo[d]oxazoles 5(a-e,g ). Similarly, reaction of the monoximes 7a, 7b with compounds 2a, 2d respectively affords 8a, 8b , while action of trans-stilbene on the monoximes 1, 7a, 7b leads to the 1,4-benzoxazines 10, 11, 13 , obtained along with the corresponding 2-phenyloxazoles 5a, 8a, 8c and compound 12 .     

Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging of proteinaceous binders used in paintings

The differentiation of proteins commonly found as binding media in paintings is presented based on spectrally resolved and time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and total emission spectroscopy. Proteins from eggs and animal glue were analysed with pulsed laser excitation at 248 nm (KrF excimer) and 355 nm (third harmonic of Nd:YAG) for spectrally resolved measurements, and at 337 nm (N₂) and 405 nm (N₂ pumped dye laser) for spectrally resolved lifetime measurements and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM). Total emission spectra of binding media are used for the interpretation of LIF spectra. Time-resolved techniques become decisive with excitation at longer wavelengths as fluorescence lifetime permits the discrimination amongst binding media, despite minimal spectral differences; spectrally resolved measurements of fluorescence lifetime have maximum differences between the binding media examined using excitation at 337 nm, with maximum observed fluorescence at 410 nm. FLIM, which measures the average lifetime of the emissions detected, can also differentiate between media, is non-invasive and is potentially advantageous for the analysis of paintings. Figure The fluorescence of solid ox glue extracted from collagen can be visualised in this Total Fluorescence Spectrum; three different peaks from multiple fluorophores are present and allow the discrimination between collagen- and non-collagen proteinaceous binding media found in paintings     

A new oxime ligand in manganese chemistry: a [Mn8] and a [Mn6] cage from the use of 2-dihydroxy-2-phenylacetamidine

The use of phamidoxH(2) (phamidoxH(2) = 2-dihydroxy-2-phenylacetamidine) in manganese cluster chemistry led to the synthesis and characterization of a hexametallic and an octametallic Mn(III) cluster, both of which display a S = 3 ground state.     

Structural and relative stability studies of (IClO3) and (IBrO3) polyoxides

An effective-core-potential (ECP) methodology, augmented with extra polarization functions has been used at the MP2 level of theory to study the isomers of (IXO₃) polyoxides (X=Cl, Br). The reliability of the calculations has been checked by examining the well-characterized (ClClO₃) system. Consistent with the relative stability trends observed in the case of chlorine polyoxides, the calculations confirm that the I-hypercoordinated structures present high stability, especially the compounds containing five-coordinated I.     

The influence of electric fields and surface tension on Kelvin–Helmholtz instability in two-dimensional jets

We consider nonlinear aspects of the flow of an inviscid two-dimensional jet into a second immiscible fluid of different density and unbounded extent. Velocity jumps are supported at the interface, and the flow is susceptible to the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. We investigate theoretically the effects of horizontal electric fields and surface tension on the nonlinear evolution of the jet. This is accomplished by developing a long-wave matched asymptotic analysis that incorporates the influence of the outer regions on the dynamics of the jet. The result is a coupled system of long-wave nonlinear, nonlocal evolution equations governing the interfacial amplitude and corresponding horizontal velocity, for symmetric interfacial deformations. The theory allows for amplitudes that scale with the undisturbed jet thickness and is therefore capable of predicting singular events such as jet pinching. In the absence of surface tension, a sufficiently strong electric field completely stabilizes (linearly) the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability at all wavelengths by the introduction of a dispersive regularization of a nonlocal origin. The dispersion relation has the same functional form as the destabilizing Kelvin–Helmholtz terms, but is of a different sign. If the electric field is weak or absent, then surface tension is included to regularize Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and to provide a well-posed nonlinear problem. We address the nonlinear problems numerically using spectral methods and establish two distinct dynamical behaviors. In cases where the linear theory predicts dispersive regularization (whether surface tension is present or not), then relatively large initial conditions induce a nonlinear flow that is oscillatory in time (in fact quasi-periodic) with a basic oscillation predicted well by linear theory and a second nonlinearly induced lower frequency that is responsible for quasi-periodic modulations of the spatio-temporal dynamics. If the parameters are chosen so that the linear theory predicts a band of long unstable waves (surface tension now ensures that short waves are dispersively regularized), then the flow generically evolves to a finite-time rupture singularity. This has been established numerically for rather general initial conditions.     

Quantum correlations in two-particle Anderson localization

We predict quantum correlations between noninteracting particles evolving simultaneously in a disordered medium. While the particle density follows the single-particle dynamics and exhibits Anderson localization, the two-particle correlation develops unique features that depend on the quantum statistics of the particles and their initial separation. On short time scales, the localization of one particle becomes dependent on whether or not the other particle is localized. On long time scales, the localized particles show oscillatory correlations within the localization length. These effects can be observed in Anderson localization of nonclassical light and ultracold atoms.