cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimum cost localization problem in wireless sensor networks

Localization is a fundamental problem in wireless sensor networks. Current localization algorithms mainly focus on checking the localizability of a network and/or how to localize as many nodes as possible given a static set of anchor nodes and distance measurements. In this paper, we study a new optimization problem, minimum cost localization problem, which aims to localize all sensors in a network using the minimum number (or total cost) of anchor nodes given the distance measurements. We show this problem is very challenging and then present a set of greedy algorithms using both trilateration and local sweep operations to address the problem. Extensive simulations have been conducted and demonstrate the efficiency of our algorithms.
A simple guide for predicting regioselectivity in the coupling of polyhaloheteroaromatics.

A simple guide for predicting the order and site of coupling (Suzuki, Stille, Negishi, Sonogashira, etc.) in polyhaloheteroaromatics based upon the 1H NMR chemical shift values of the parent non-halogenated heteroaromatics has been developed.
Regulation FD and the Financial Information Environment: Early Evidence

On October 23, 2000, the SEC implemented Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure), which prohibits firms from privately disclosing value‐relevant information to select securities markets professionals without simultaneously disclosing the same information to the public. We examine whether Regulation FD's prohibition of selective disclosure impairs the flow of financial information to the capital markets prior to earnings announcements. After implementation of FD, we find (1) improved informational efficiency of stock prices prior to earnings announcements, as evidenced by smaller deviations between pre‐and post‐announcement stock prices; (2) no reliable evidence of change in analysts' earnings forecast errors or dispersion; and (3) a substantial increase in the volume of firms' voluntary, forward‐looking, earnings‐related disclosures. Overall, we find no evidence Regulation FD impaired the information available to investors prior to earnings announcements, and some of our evidence is consistent with improvement.
Time-dependent models of magnetized pair plasmas

Attention is given to a numerical code developed to study the time evolution of electron-positron plasmas. The code solves in a self-consistent manner kinetic equations describing the effects of Compton scattering, two-photon pair production, pair annihilation, cooling of pairs via Coulomb scattering, e-e bremsstrahlung, and synchrotron radiation. The kinetic equations are derived under the approximation of homogeneous and isotropic particle distributions on the basis of a study by Coppi and Blandford (1993). Both stationary and time-varying output radiation spectra are computed. Good qualitative agreement with previous calculations is found, except where the differences are attributable to the improved treatment of the microphysics.
Asymmetric synthesis of goniothalamin, hexadecanolide, massoia lactone, and parasorbic acid via sequential allylboration–esterification ring-closing metathesis reactions

Abstract Acrylic esters of homoallylic alcohols prepared in 92–97% ee via the asymmetric allylboration of appropriate aldehydes with B -allyldiisopinocampheylborane, when refluxed in dichloromethane in the presence of 10 mol% of Grubbs' catalyst provided the natural enantiomers of ( S )-(+)-parasorbic acid, ( R )-(–)-massoia lactone, and ( R )-(+)-goniothalamin. ( S )-(–)-Hexadecanolide was prepared by hydrogenating the corresponding lactenone synthesized using the above sequence.
Arbitrators and Accuracy

An arbitrator's; primary duty remains the delivery of an accurate award, resting on a reasonably ascertainable picture of reality. Litigants wanting only quick or cheap solutions can roll dice, and have no need of lawyers. Evidentiary tools in arbitration should balance sensitivity towards cost and delay against the parties' interest in due process and correct decisions. If arbitration loses its moorings as a truth-seeking process, nostalgia for a golden age of simplicity will yield to a clarion call for reinvention of an adjudicatory process aimed at discovering what happened, finding relevant legal norms and properly construing contract language. Though not so jealous as to exclude all rivals, truth does insist on being first among equals.
Finding an unknown acyclic orientation of a given graph

Let c(G) be the smallest number of edges we have to test in order to determine an unknown acyclic orientation of the given graph G in the worst case. For example, if G is the complete graph on n vertices, then c(G) is the smallest number of comparisons needed to sort n numbers. We prove that c(G) ≤ (1/4 + o(1))n2 for any graph G on n vertices, answering in the affirmative a question of Aigner, Triesch and Tuza [Discrete Mathematics144 (1995) 3–10]. Also, we show that, for every ϵ > 0, it is NP-hard to approximate the parameter c(G) within a multiplicative factor 74/73 − ϵ.
A Test of the Theory of Exhaustible Resources

An empirical test of the theory of exhaustible resources requires an estimate of the time path of the shadow price of the unextracted resource that generally is not observable because of the prevalence of vertical integration in natural resource industries. In this paper we use duality theory to derive an econometric model that provides a statistical test of the theory of exhaustible resources. A restricted cost function is used to obtain estimates of the shadow prices of unextracted resources. The procedure is illustrated with data for the Canadian metal mining industry. For this industry the empirical implications of the theory of exhaustible resources are strongly rejected.
Resource Allocation Mechanisms

Resource Allocation Mechanisms derives the general welfare properties of systems in which individuals are motivated by self-interest. Satisfactory outcomes will emerge only if individual incentives are harnessed by means of a communication and payoff process, or mechanism, involving every agent. Professor Campbell employs a formal and abstract model of a mechanism that brings into prominence the criteria by which the performance of an economy is to be judged. The mechanism approach is used to prove some fundamental theorems about the possibility of designing an economic system satisfying the criteria. It also establishes a way of thinking about economic issues that is becoming increasingly useful in special branches of economics, such as industrial organization and public finance. This book can be viewed as two different texts: one constitutes an introduction to the theory of mechanism design and the other is a treatment of welfare economics with conventional emphasis on Pareto optimality as well as providing substantial material on incentives, uncertainty, and existence of equilibrium.
Evolving use of a system for education at a distance

Computers and networks are increasingly able to support distributed collaborative multimedia applications. In fact, the growing interest in distance learning reflects the awareness that these technologies could support the broad, complex interaction at the heart of instruction. However, we still have a way to go: users (instructors and students) and designers of such applications face many complex challenges. For example, social conventions governing use are needed, but for a given array of features in the application, we don't know what conventions are optimal or even adequate, or how they might vary with course content, class size, and instructional style. How will a flexible design that lets a class form its own practices fare? To what extent should conventions be designed in or promoted through training? Although researchers have begun to explore these issues, longitudinal studies are rare. In this paper, we look at these issues using Flatland, an extensible system that provides a wide range of interaction capabilities. We report on its use in three multi-session training courses. We comment on the overall reaction of students and instructors, changes in behavior and perception over sessions, and the formation of social conventions over sessions. We observed classes growing more comfortable with the technology (with exceptions) and developing conventions governing the use of features, but not always effectively. We discuss implications for adoption of such technology by organizations.
Me or We: The Effects of CEO Organizational Identification on Agency Costs

The corporate governance literature on potential remedies for the agency problem has focused largely on external control mechanisms, especially board independence. We instead consider how an intern...
Blame-game politics in a coalition government

Abstract Delays in the adoption of reforms is an important question in political economics. This paper explores this issue in the context of a representative democracy where the government is a coalition and citizens observe neither the decision-making process, nor politicians' preferences for a reform. We show that a coalition member who favors a reform may nonetheless choose to veto its adoption (thus delaying it until after the next election) and let his coalition partners share the blame for the non-adoption. We refer to this strategy as blame-game politics. We then identify three reasons for a politician to play the blame-game. One is to make an issue salient in the next election. A second reason is to avoid a split in his electorate, which is accomplished by hiding his stance on an issue. A third reason is to enhance ‘bargaining power’ during the formation of the next government.
Aerodynamic Effects on Blade Vibratory Stress Variations

Blade-to-blade variations in blade resonant frequencies, known as mistuning, and how these variations are related to vibratory stress amplitude and viscous damping variations were investigated for an integrally bladed disk, or blisk. Blade response to an inlet total pressure distortion was measured using dynamic strain gauges with the blisk at operating conditions. In addition, a reduced-order analytical model of the blisk was used to predict the blade resonant stress variations. The measured stress variations were found to be strongly ine uenced by unsteady aerodynamic coupling. Bladestructural mistuning and mechanical coupling through hub motion weredetermined to have only a minor ine uence on blade-to-blade stress variations. Stress distribution patterns at resonance and at constant speeds above and below resonance suggested a relationship between stress variations and unsteady aerodynamics. Tosupportthis,aerodynamicdamping variationsmeasured atresonancewereshown to correspond roughly to stress variations. Experimental results were compared to the predicted variations from the reducedorder model. Results from the model indicated that unsteady aerodynamic coupling played an important role in the mistuned response of the blisk.
Evaluation of a soil moisture data assimilation system over West Africa

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) International Production Assessment Division (IPAD) is responsible for providing monthly global crop estimates that heavily influence global commodity market access. These estimates are derived from a merging of many data sources including satellite and ground observations, and more than 20 years of climatology and crop behavior data over key agricultural areas. The goal of IPAD is to provide timely and accurate estimates of global crop conditions for use in up-to-date commodity intelligence reports. A crucial requirement of these global crop yield forecasts is the regional characterization of surface and sub-surface soil moisture. However, due to the spatial heterogeneity and dynamic nature of precipitation events and soil wetness, accurate estimation of regional land surface-atmosphere interactions based sparse ground measurements is difficult [1]. Temporal resolution is particularly important for predicting adequate surface wetting and drying between precipitation events and is closely integrated with CADRE. We attempt to improve upon the existing system by applying an Ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation system to integrate surface soil moisture retrievals from the NASA Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) into the USDA soil moisture model. The improved temporal resolution and spatial coverage of the satellite-based EOS Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) is envisaged to provide a better characterization of root zone soil moisture at the regional scale and enable more accurate crop monitoring in key agricultural areas This work aims at evaluating the utility of merging satellite-retrieved soil moisture estimates with the IPAD two-layer soil moisture model used within the DBMS. We present a quantitative analysis of the assimilated soil moisture product over West Africa (9°N-20°N; 20°W-20°E). This region contains many key agricultural areas and has a high agro-meteorological gradient from desert and semi-arid vegetation in the North, to grassland, trees and crops in the South, thus providing an ideal location for evaluating the assimilated soil moisture product over multiple land cover types and conditions. A data denial experimental approach is utilized to isolate the added utility of integrating remotely-sensed soil moisture by comparing assimilated soil moisture results obtained using (relatively) low-quality precipitation products obtained from real-time satellite imagery to baseline model runs forced with higher quality rainfall. An analysis of root-zone anomalies for each model simulation suggests that the assimilation of AMSR-E surface soil moisture retrievals can add significant value to USDA root-zone predictions derived from real-time satellite precipitation products.
Continuous Wave Simulations on the Propagation of Electromagnetic Fields Through the Human Head

Characterizing the human head as a propagation medium is vital for the design of both on-body and implanted antennas and radio-frequency sensors. The following problem has been addressed: find the best radio-frequency path through the brain for a given receiver position—on the top of the sinus cavity. Two parameters, transmitter position and radiating frequency, should be optimized simultaneously such that 1) the propagation path through the brain is the longest; and 2) the received power is maximized. To solve this problem, we have performed a systematic and comprehensive study of the electromagnetic fields excited in the head by small on-body magnetic dipoles (small coil antennas). An anatomically accurate high-fidelity head mesh has been generated from the Visible Human Project data. The base radiator was constructed of two orthogonal magnetic dipoles in quadrature, which enables us to create a directive beam into the head. We have found at least one optimum solution. This solution implies that a distinct RF channel may be established in the brain at a certain frequency and transmitter location.
A practical synthesis of (S) 3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,5-benzodiazepine-1-acetic acid methyl ester as a conformationally restricted dipeptido-mimetic for caspase-1 (ICE) inhibitors

A simple and versatile method for the synthesis of (S) 3-tert-butoxycarbonylamino-2-oxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,5-benzodiazepine-1-acetic acid methyl ester (4), a dipeptide mimetic, has been developed. The regioselective functionalization of the N1 and N5 ring nitrogens and the C3 amino group is demonstrated in the synthesis of an interleukin-1beta converting enzyme inhibitor 13.
The Supply Adjustment Process in Retail Space Markets

Previous research has reported that the real estate market for retail space is slow to adjust, however, comparatively little research has investigated the supply of retail space for individual metropolitan markets. This study presents our findings by metropolitan statistical area (MSA) of the mean retail space supply lag, the short- and long-run retail space supply elasticities with respect to retail sales and the response of retail space supply to interest rate changes. The considerable variation in mean retail space supply lags and supply elasticities for our sample of fifty-six major MSAs has important implications for investors, developers and others who hold financial stakes in the supply of retail space.
Stochastic Billiards for Sampling from the Boundary of a Convex Set

Stochastic billiards can be used for approximate sampling from the boundary of a bounded convex set through the Markov Chain Monte Carlo paradigm. This paper studies how many steps of the underlying Markov chain are required to get samples (approximately) from the uniform distribution on the boundary of the set, for sets with an upper bound on the curvature of the boundary. Our main theorem implies a polynomial-time algorithm for sampling from the boundary of such sets.
Finite-Element Modeling of Idealized Infiltrated Composite Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes

The polarization resistance of idealized, branched, composite cathodes was modeled using a two-dimensional finite element calculation. The model structures consisted of micrometer-scale columns and nanoscale branches of ionically conducting materials that were coated with a mixed-conducting material. The structures approximate an ionic-conductor matrix infiltrated first with the same ionic-conductor material and then with a mixed conductor. Increasing the length of the ionically conducting nanobranches, and hence, the surface area of the infiltrated mixed conductor, resulted in a factor of ∼ 10 polarization resistance decrease compared to mixed-conductor-coated columns without ionically conducting nanobranches. For many solid oxide fuel cell relevant temperatures (500-900°C), cathode geometries, and materials, the cathode resistance was limited by surface oxygen exchange and hence, was inversely proportional to the mixed-conductor surface area. However, for cathode columns or branches with large enough aspect ratios, ionic-conduction losses also limited the polarization resistance. The characteristic length of nanostructured cathodes was found to depend on the cathode surface area ratio in addition to the traditional bulk diffusion constant to surface exchange constant ratio (D/k). Lastly, the effects of materials properties, particularly ionic conductivity and surface resistance, were investigated and discussed for common cathode materials.
Charged kaon condensation in high density quark matter

Abstract We show that at asymptotically high densities the “color-flavor-locked+neutral kaon condensate” phase of QCD develops a charged kaon condensate through the Coleman–Weinberg mechanism. At densities achievable in neutron stars a charged kaon condensate forms only for some (natural) values of the low energy constants describing the low-lying excitations of the ground state.
Who Is Willing to Sacrifice Ethical Values for Money and Social Status?: Gender Differences in Reactions to Ethical Compromises

Women select into business school at a lower rate than men and are underrepresented in high-ranking positions in business organizations. We examined gender differences in reactions to ethical compromises as one possible explanation for these disparities. In Study 1, when reading decisions that compromised ethical values for social status and monetary gains, women reported feeling more moral outrage and perceived less business sense in the decisions than men. In Study 2, we established a causal relationship between aversion to ethical compromises and disinterest in business careers by manipulating the presence of ethical compromises in job descriptions. As hypothesized, an interaction between gender and presence of ethical compromises emerged. Only when jobs involved making ethical compromises did women report less interest in the jobs than men. Women’s moral reservations mediated these effects. In Study 3, we found that women implicitly associated business with immorality more than men did.
Legitimating Clinical Research in the Study of Organizational Culture.

"Adapted from the text of the Sixteenth Annual Frederick J. Gaudet Lecture, sponsored by the Stevens Chapter of Psi Chi, The National Honor Society in Psychology, Stevens Institute, Hoboken, N.J., April 30, 1991"--P. 1.
Two-dimensional porous silicon photonic crystal light emitters

We present design and fabrication of two-dimensional photonic crystal cavities made in nanoporous silicon luminescent at 700-800 nm. Enhancement in photoluminescence extraction efficiency at the resonant wavelength is expected due to Purcell effect.
Model reduction and control of ASTREX using stable fractions

The Advanced Space Structures Technology Research Experiments (ASTREX) is a precision structure situated at the Phillips Laboratory Edwards Air Force Base, CA. The structure is a test bed to develop, test, and validate control strategies for large-angle three-axis slewing manoeuvres and vibration suppression. The ASTREX facility consists of the test article (with primary, secondary, and tertiary substructures along with mirrors). Rational fractional approach is used to obtain coprime equations in a multivariate setting. Parameterized compensators are obtained for regulation and stabilization. Simulation results are presented to show the accomplishment of vibration suppression.
Polynomial-time solvable #CSP problems via algebraic models and Pfaffian circuits

A Pfaffian circuit is a tensor contraction network where the edges are labeled with basis changes in such a way that a very specific set of combinatorial properties is satisfied. By modeling the permissible basis changes as systems of polynomial equations, and then solving via computation, we are able to identify classes of 0/1 planar #CSP problems solvable in polynomial time via the Pfaffian circuit evaluation theorem (a variant of L. Valiant's Holant Theorem). We present two different models of 0/1 variables, one that is possible under a homogeneous basis change, and one that is possible under a heterogeneous basis change only. We enumerate a collection of 1, 2, 3, and 4-arity gates/cogates that represent constraints, and define a class of constraints that is possible under the assumption of a "bridge" between two particular basis changes. We discuss the issue of planarity of Pfaffian circuits, and demonstrate possible directions in algebraic computation for designing a Pfaffian tensor contraction network fragment that can simulate a swap gate/cogate. We conclude by developing the notion of a decomposable gate/cogate, and discuss the computational benefits of this definition.
Examples of Riemannian manifolds with positive curvature almost everywhere

We show that the unit tangent bundle of S 4 and a real cohomology CP 3 admit Riemannian metrics with positive sectional curvature almost everywhere. These are the only examples so far with positive curvature almost everywhere that are not also known to admit positive curvature.
Instituciones y desarrollo: Una revisión conceptual

Este ensayo revisa el concepto de ´instituciones´ que utiliza la literatura economica reciente sobre las firmas y el desarrollo nacional, y senala sus limitaciones. Propone un marco alternativo que recurre a la teoria sociologica clasica y contemporanea para superar algunas de ellas, relacionando el concepto de instituciones con otros elementos basicos de la cultura y la estructura social. Luego lo usa para analizar el fracaso de los intentos de trasplantar las instituciones de los paises desarrollados a los paises del Sur y la privatizacion en Mexico. Tambien examina la influencia de este marco en las teorias institucionales del cambio social e identifica las fuentes de cambio en diferentes niveles de significancia y alcance causales. La teoria del cambio modificada se aplica a los debates demograficos sobre los factores historicos e institucionales que determinan la transicion de la fertilidad. Por ultimo, discute el valor de este marco institucionalista para la teoria social y las politicas de desarrollo.
Mass Murderers Discover Mass Murder: the Germans and Katyn, 1943

After the German army in 1943 discovered the graves of murdered Polish army officers in the Katyn Forest, Joseph Goebbels embarked upon a cynical publicity campaign to spread before the world the perils of Bolshevik success. But the Nazi discovery of Soviet crimes against leaders of Polish state and society elided the reality that from the very beginning of the German invasion of Poland, the SS had carried out identical mass murders of Polish intellectuals and other social leaders. Goebbels's campaign amounted to mass murderers ““uncovering” mass murders on the part of their adversaries and seeking cynically to use that “shocking” discovery to the advantage of the Third Reich. This essay situates the Nazi campaign to mobilize the Katyn discovery to German advantage in three steps. First, it sketches the events leading up to the Katyn massacre in April 1940 and the Nazi discovery of the victims in late March 1943. Second, it examines the course and substance, as well as the immediate consequences of Nazi propaganda exploitation of the Katyn massacre to promote Goebbels's ends. And third, it adverts to the impact of that propaganda campaign on the Allied war effort, on the Polish government in exile in London, and thus on the course of wartime and post-war Cold War history. To conclude, it situates Katyn in the bloody twentieth-century history of Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine as the cockpit of genocide that Timothy Snyder has called the ““Bloodlands.”
2-(Anilinomethyl)imidazolines as α1 adrenergic receptor agonists: α1a subtype selective 2′-heteroaryl compounds

The structure-activity relationship of 2'-pyrrole, pyrazole and triazole substituted 2-(anilinomethyl)imidazolines as alpha(1) adrenergic agonists was investigated. The size and orientation of substituents, as well as the position of the heteroatoms, were found to have a profound effect on the potency and selectivity of the molecules. Potent alpha(1A) subtype selective agonists have been identified.
Synthesis of 3-phenylpyrazolo[4,3-b]pyridines via a convenient synthesis of 4-amino-3-arylpyrazoles and SAR of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type-1 antagonists.

Abstract 3-Phenylpyrazolo[4,3-b]pyridines were synthesized via a cyclization of 4-amino-3-phenylpyrazoles 11–13 with ethyl acetoacetate. These compounds were found to be potent CRF1 antagonists. The 2-alkylpyrazolo[4,3-b]pyridines were more polar but less active than the corresponding 1-alkyl-isomers.
Prospect Pricing in Cognitive Radio Networks

Advances in cognitive radio networks have primarily focused on the design of spectrally agile radios and novel spectrum sharing techniques that are founded on expected utility theory (EUT). In this paper, we consider the development of novel spectrum sharing algorithms in such networks taking into account human psychological behavior of the end-users, which often deviates from EUT. Specifically, we consider the impact of end-user decision making on pricing and management of radio resources in a cognitive radio enabled network when there is uncertainty in the quality of service (QoS) guarantees offered by the service provider (SP). Using prospect theory (a Nobel-Prize-winning behavioral economic theory that captures human decision making and its deviation from EUT), we design data pricing and channel allocation algorithms for use in cognitive radio networks by formulating a game theoretic analysis of the interplay between the price offerings, bandwidth allocation by the SP, and the service choices made by end-users. We show that, when the end-users under-weight the service guarantee, they tend to reject the offer, which results in under-utilization of radio resources and revenue loss. We propose prospect pricing, a pricing mechanism that can make the system robust to decision making and improve radio resource management. We present analytical results as well as preliminary human subject studies with video QoS.
Palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative alkoxycarbonylation of potassium aryltrifluoroborates with potassium oxalate monoesters

Palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative alkoxycarbonylation of potassium aryltrifluoroborates with potassium oxalate monoesters in the presence of potassium persulfate was performed under mild conditions. A number of benzoyl esters with a wide variety of substituents at different positions were efficiently synthesized with this method. Mechanism of the palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative carbonylation of aryltrifluoroborates was studied, and a radical-mediated Pd(II)/Pd(IV) catalytic cycle was proposed.
Approximate convex decomposition of polygons

We propose a strategy to decompose a polygon, containing zero or more holes, into ''approximately convex'' pieces. For many applications, the approximately convex components of this decomposition provide similar benefits as convex components, while the resulting decomposition is significantly smaller and can be computed more efficiently. Moreover, our approximate convex decomposition (ACD) provides a mechanism to focus on key structural features and ignore less significant artifacts such as wrinkles and surface texture. We propose a simple algorithm that computes an ACD of a polygon by iteratively removing (resolving) the most significant non-convex feature (notch). As a by product, it produces an elegant hierarchical representation that provides a series of 'increasingly convex' decompositions. A user specified tolerance determines the degree of concavity that will be allowed in the lowest level of the hierarchy. Our algorithm computes an ACD of a simple polygon with n vertices and r notches in O(nr) time. In contrast, exact convex decomposition is NP-hard or, if the polygon has no holes, takes O(nr^2) time. Models and movies can be found on our web-pages at: http://parasol.tamu.edu/groups/amatogroup/.
Metabolism of arachidonic acid in nervous system of marine mollusk Aplysia californica

Studies of the marine mollusk Aplysia californica indicate that products of the 12-lipoxygenase pathway may be involved in neuronal intracellular signaling. The nervous tissue of Aplysia has a 12-lipoxygenase activity that converts both exogenous and endogenous arachidonic acid to an array of products, which include 12-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HPETE) and its metabolites hepoxilin A3, hepoxilin B3, 12-ketoeicosatetraenoic acid, and 12-oxododecatrienoic acid. These eicosanoids were identified using a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography, ultraviolet spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Generation of 12-lipoxygenase products was stimulated by application of the neurotransmitters, histamine and FMRF-amide, or by stimulation of identified neural cells. In electrophysiological studies of identified L14 and sensory neurons it was found that 12-HPETE and its metabolic products exert physiological actions that resemble those of histamine and FMRF-amide. These results suggest that products of 12-HPETE metabolism may act as second messengers in Aplysia neurons.
Depletion-induced forces and crowding in polymer-nanoparticle mixtures: Role of polymer shape fluctuations and penetrability

Depletion forces and macromolecular crowding govern the structure and function of biopolymers in biological cells and the properties of polymer nanocomposite materials. To isolate and analyze the influence of polymer shape fluctuations and penetrability on depletion-induced interactions and crowding by nanoparticles, we model polymers as effective penetrable ellipsoids, whose shapes fluctuate according to the probability distributions of the eigenvalues of the gyration tensor of an ideal random walk. Within this model, we apply Monte Carlo simulation methods to compute the depletion-induced potential of mean force between hard nanospheres and crowding-induced shape distributions of polymers in the protein limit, in which polymer coils can be easily penetrated by smaller nanospheres. By comparing depletion potentials from simulations of ellipsoidal and spherical polymer models with predictions of polymer field theory and free-volume theory, we show that polymer depletion-induced interactions and crowding depend sensitively on polymer shapes and penetrability, with important implications for bulk thermodynamic phase behavior.
The class imbalance problem in UCS classifier system: a preliminary study

The class imbalance problem has been said recently to hinder the performance of learning systems. In fact, many of them are designed with the assumption of well-balanced datasets. But this commitment is not always true, since it is very common to find higher presence of one of the classes in real classification problems. The aim of this paper is to make a preliminary analysis on the effect of the class imbalance problem in learning classifier systems. Particularly we focus our study on UCS, a supervised version of XCS classifier system. We analyze UCS's behavior on unbalanced datasets and find that UCS is sensitive to high levels of class imbalance. We study strategies for dealing with class imbalances, acting either at the sampling level or at the classifier system's level.
New York's Post-Verdict Scheme for the Treatment of Insanity Acquittees: Balancing Public Safety with Rights of the Mentally Ill

A person who is acquitted by reason of mental disease or defect- commonly known as the insanity defense--does not get a "free walk." While spared punishment as an "offender," he nevertheless faces years of treatment as a "patient" in the mental health system.I This Article discusses New York's procedures following a successful insanity defense.
DISCRETE CHOICE MODELS WITH MULTIPLE UNOBSERVED CHOICE CHARACTERISTICS

Since the pioneering work by Daniel McFadden, utility-maximization-based multinomial response models have become important tools of empirical researchers. Various generalizations of these models have been developed to allow for unobserved heterogeneity in taste parameters and choice characteristics. Here we investigate how rich a specification of the unobserved components is needed to rationalize arbitrary choice patterns in settings with many individual decision makers, multiple markets, and large choice sets. We find that if one restricts the utility function to be monotone in the unobserved choice characteristics, then up to two unobserved choice characteristics may be needed to rationalize the choices.
YPL260W, a high-copy suppressor of a copper-sensitive phenotype in yeast, is linked to DNA repair and proteasome function

The ubiquitin–proteasome system directly impacts the metabolism of heavy metals and yeast has become an important model in understanding this interplay. We demonstrate that yeast mutants with defects in proteasome function are able to tolerate elevated levels of copper. In the course of our analysis, we isolate a yeast mutant that not only negates this copper tolerance in proteasome mutants, but renders yeast exquisitely sensitive to this metal. To better understand the nature of the defect, we carry out a plasmid-based genetic screen to identify high-copy suppressors of this strong copper sensitivity. We identify four genes not previously known to be associated with copper metabolism: CDC53, PSP1, YNL200C, and YPL260W. The latter is a highly conserved fungal gene of no known function. Here, we undertake the first characterization of YPL260W. We demonstrate YPL260W to have a role in bleomycin tolerance with links to DNA repair and proteasome function.
Multivariate subexponential distributions and their applications

We propose a new definition of a multivariate subexponential distribution. We compare this definition with the two existing notions of multivariate subexponentiality, and compute the asymptotic behaviour of the ruin probability in the context of an insurance portfolio, when multivariate subexponentiality holds. Previously such results were available only in the case of multivariate regularly varying claims.
The Dependence of Southern Ocean Meridional Overturning on Wind Stress

An eddy-resolving numerical model of a zonal flow, meant to resemble the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, is described andanalyzedusing the framework of J. MarshallandT. Radko.In additionto windand buoyancy forcing at the surface, the model contains a sponge layer at the northern boundary that permits a residual meridional overturning circulation (MOC) to exist at depth. The strength of the residual MOC is diagnosed for different strengths of surface wind stress. It is found that the eddy circulation largely compensates for the changes in Ekman circulation. The extent of the compensation and thus the sensitivity of the MOC to the winds depend on the surface boundary condition. A fixed-heat-flux surface boundary severely limits the ability of the MOC to change. An interactive heat flux leads to greater sensitivity. To explain the MOC sensitivity to the wind strength under the interactive heat flux, transformed Eulerian-mean theory is applied, in which the eddy diffusivity plays a central role in determining the eddy response. A scaling theory for the eddy diffusivity, based on the mechanical energy balance, is developed and tested; the average magnitude of the diffusivity is found to be proportional to the square root of the wind stress. The MOC sensitivity to the winds based on this scaling is compared with the true sensitivity diagnosed from the experiments.
Balanced permutation codes

Motivated by charge balancing constraints for rank modulation schemes, we introduce the notion of balanced permutations and derive the capacity of balanced permutation codes. We also describe simple interleaving methods for permutation code constructions and show that they approach capacity.
Distributed Scalar Quantization for Computing: High-Resolution Analysis and Extensions

Communication of quantized information is frequently followed by a computation. We consider situations of distributed functional scalar quantization: distributed scalar quantization of (possibly correlated) sources followed by centralized computation of a function. Under smoothness conditions on the sources and function, companding scalar quantizer designs are developed to minimize mean-squared error (MSE) of the computed function as the quantizer resolution is allowed to grow. Striking improvements over quantizers designed without consideration of the function are possible and are larger in the entropy-constrained setting than in the fixed-rate setting. As extensions to the basic analysis, we characterize a large class of functions for which regular quantization suffices, consider certain functions for which asymptotic optimality is achieved without arbitrarily fine quantization, and allow limited collaboration between source encoders. In the entropy-constrained setting, a single bit per sample communicated between encoders can have an arbitrarily large effect on functional distortion. In contrast, such communication has very little effect in the fixed-rate setting.
Tungsten-Catalyzed Heterocycloisomerization Approach to 4,5-Dihydro-benzo[b]furans and -indoles

A W(CO)5·THF-catalyzed cycloisomerization of bicyclo[4.1.0] substrates to afford mono C4-substituted 4,5-dihydro-benzo[b]furans and -indoles is reported. The title compounds are versatile intermediates that lead to a range of fused bicycles including the cores of various furan-, benzofuran-, and indole-containing natural products. In many cases, the functionalization of the dihydro-benzo[b]furans and -indoles is orthogonal to that of the corresponding benzofurans and indoles and, thus, offers complementary approaches for synthesis.
Role of anisotropic interactions for proteins and patchy nanoparticles.

Protein–protein interactions are inherently anisotropic to some degree, with orientation-dependent interactions between repulsive and attractive or complementary regions or “patches” on adjacent proteins. In some cases it has been suggested that such patch–patch interactions dominate the thermodynamics of dilute protein solutions, as captured by the osmotic second virial coefficient (B22), but delineating when this will or will not be the case remains an open question. A series of simplified but exactly solvable models are first used to illustrate that a delicate balance exists between the strength of attractive patch–patch interactions and the patch size, and that repulsive patch–patch interactions contribute significantly to B22 for only those conditions where the repulsions are long-ranged. Finally, B22 is reformulated, without approximations, in terms of the density of states for a given interaction energy and particle–particle distance. Doing so illustrates the inherent balance of entropic and energe...
Toda-like (0,2) mirrors to products of projective spaces

One of the open problems in understanding (0,2) mirror symmetry concerns the construction of Toda-like Landau-Ginzburg mirrors to (0,2) theories on Fano spaces. In this paper, we begin to fill this gap by making an ansatz for (0,2) Toda-like theories mirror to (0,2) supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models on products of projective spaces, with deformations of the tangent bundle, generalizing a special case previously worked out for $$ {\mathrm{\mathbb{P}}}^1\times {\mathrm{\mathbb{P}}}^1 $$ . We check this ansatz by matching correlation functions of the B/2-twisted Toda-like theories to correlation functions of corresponding A/2-twisted nonlinear sigma models, computed primarily using localization techniques. These (0,2) Landau-Ginzburg models admit redundancies, which can lend themselves to multiple distinct-looking representatives of the same physics, which we discuss.
The Effects of Elastic Stretch on the Infrared Spectrum of Rubber

The absorption spectrum of stretched rubber has been studied in the region between 2μ and 8μ. In the case of unilateral stretch transmission measurements indicate that the absorption bands near 3.3μ and 7μ become broader with increasing stretch while the general background absorption becomes more pronounced. Radial stretch was found to produce similar effects in the 3.3μ and 7μ regions while the bands near 6μ became less intense for both unilateral and radial stretch. In the spectrum of rubber stretched radially to approximately twelve times its original area a band was observed near 4.8μ in a region where there is no intense absorption in the unstretched material. Since both absorption and reflection are involved in transmission measurements, it was necessary to determine reflection and extinction coefficients. The results indicate that the reflection coefficient diminishes and the extinction coefficient increases with increasing stretch. The observed variations in the extinction coefficients are of grea...
Stereoselective synthesis of functionalized cyclic amino acid derivatives via a [2,3]-Stevens rearrangement and ring-closing metathesis.

Unnatural cyclic amino acids are valuable tools in biomedical research and drug discovery. A two-step stereoselective strategy for converting simple glycine-derived aminoesters into unnatural cyclic amino acid derivatives has been developed. The process includes a palladium-catalyzed tandem allylic amination/[2,3]-Stevens rearrangement followed by a ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis. The [2,3]-rearrangement proceeds with high diastereoselectivity through an exo transition state. Oppolzer’s chiral auxiliary was utilized to access an enantiopure cyclic amino acid by this approach, which will enable future biological applications.
Phase-change materials exhibiting tristability: interconverting forms of crystalline α-, β-, and glassy K2ZnSn3S8.

We show that K2ZnSn3S8 is a phase-change system that exhibits tristability. Kinetic and thermody- namic forms of different compounds in the K/Zn/Sn/S system have been synthesized and thoroughly charac- terized. We report an example where slow and rapid cooling of a melt of K2CO3/S/Sn/Zn leads to different kinetically stable products (crystalline layered α- K2ZnSn3S8, 1, and glassy K2ZnSn3S8, A, respectively). These forms convert to a thermodynamically stable compound (crystalline cubic β-K2ZnSn3S8, 2) upon annealing below their melting points. The band gaps of compounds 1, A, and 2 are 2.30, 2.15, and 2.55 eV, respectively.
Lithography-Free, Low-Cost Method for Improving Photodiode Performance by Etching Silicon Nanocones as Antireflection Layer

A three-step process has been demonstrated to improve the performance of photodiode by creating nanocone forest on the surface of photodiode as an antireflection layer. This high-throughput, low-cost process has been shown to decrease the reflectivity by 66.1%, enhance the quantum efficiency by 27%, and increase the responsivity by 25.7%. This low-cost manufacture process can be applied to increase the responsivity of silicon based photonic devices.
Hamiltonian Monte Carlo acceleration using surrogate functions with random bases

For big data analysis, high computational cost for Bayesian methods often limits their applications in practice. In recent years, there have been many attempts to improve computational efficiency of Bayesian inference. Here we propose an efficient and scalable computational technique for a state-of-the-art Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, namely, Hamiltonian Monte Carlo. The key idea is to explore and exploit the structure and regularity in parameter space for the underlying probabilistic model to construct an effective approximation of its geometric properties. To this end, we build a surrogate function to approximate the target distribution using properly chosen random bases and an efficient optimization process. The resulting method provides a flexible, scalable, and efficient sampling algorithm, which converges to the correct target distribution. We show that by choosing the basis functions and optimization process differently, our method can be related to other approaches for the construction of surrogate functions such as generalized additive models or Gaussian process models. Experiments based on simulated and real data show that our approach leads to substantially more efficient sampling algorithms compared to existing state-of-the-art methods.
Event history analysis of longitudinal data: a methodological application to sport sponsorship

Despite its potential to make causal inferences and unearth insights related to between-subject variation over time, a small percentage of sport-related research is considered longitudinal in natur...
Fractures of the Articular Processes of the Cervical Spine

Fractures of the articular processes occurred in 16 (20.8%) of 77 patients with cervical spine fractures as demonstrated by multidirectional tomography. Plain films demonstrated the fractures in only two patients. Acute cervical radiculopathy occurred in five of the patients with articular process fractures (superior process, two cases; inferior process, three cases). Persistent neck pain occurred in one other patient without radiculopathy. Three patients suffered spinal cord damage at the time of injury, which was not the result of the articular process fracture itself. In the other seven cases, no definite sequelae occurred. However, disruption of the facet joint may predispose to early degenerative joint disease and chronic pain; unilateral or bilateral facet dislocation was present in five patients. In patients with cervical trauma who develop cervical radiculopathy, tomography should be performed to evaluate the articular processes.
Benzoisothiazolone Organo/Copper-Cocatalyzed Redox Dehydrative Construction of Amides and Peptides from Carboxylic Acids using (EtO)3P as the Reductant and O2 in Air as the Terminal Oxidant

Carboxylic acids and amine/amino acid reactants can be converted to amides and peptides at neutral pH within 5–36 h at 50 °C using catalytic quantities of a redox-active benzoisothiazolone and a copper complex. These catalytic “oxidation–reduction condensation” reactions are carried out open to dry air using O2 as the terminal oxidant and a slight excess of triethyl phosphite as the reductant. Triethyl phosphate is the easily removed byproduct. These simple-to-run catalytic reactions provide practical and economical procedures for the acylative construction of C–N bonds.