cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Path Integrals and Their Application to Dissipative Quantum Systems

The coupling of a system to its environment is a recurrent subject in this collection of lecture notes. The consequences of such a coupling are threefold. First of all, energy may irreversibly be transferred from the system to the environment thereby giving rise to the phenomenon of dissipation. In addition, the fluctuating force exerted by the environment on the system causes fluctuations of the system degree of freedom which manifest itself for example as Brownian motion. While these two effects occur both for classical as well as quantum systems, there exists a third phenomenon which is specific to the quantum world. As a consequence of the entanglement between system and environmental degrees of freedom a coherent superposition of quantum states may be destroyed in a process referred to as decoherence. This effect is of major concern if one wants to implement a quantum computer. Therefore, decoherence is discussed in detail in Chap. 5.
A hyperfinite inequality for free entropy dimension

If X,Y, and Z are finite sets of selfadjoint elements in a tracial von Neumann algebra and X generates a hyperfinite von Neumann algebra, then δ 0 (X∪Y∪Z) < δ 0 (X U Y) + δ 0 (X U Z) - δ 0 (X).
West Nile Virus and Botulism Portal: A Case Study in Infectious Disease Informatics

Information technologies and infectious disease informatics are playing an increasingly important role in preventing, detecting, and managing infectious disease outbreaks. This paper presents a collaborative infectious disease informatics project called the WNV-BOT Portal system. This Portal system provides integrated, Web-enabled access to a variety of distributed data sources related to West Nile Virus and Botulism. It also makes available a preliminary set of data analysis and visualization tools tailored for these two diseases. This system has helped to demonstrate the technological feasibility of developing a cross jurisdiction and cross species infectious disease information infrastructure and identify related technical and policy-related challenges with its national implementation.
Passive robotics: an exploration of mechanical computation

A passive wrist, of fixed design, can be programmed to execute a wide range of useful control laws. Considered in particular are wrists whose actuators are unpowered hydraulic cylinders, the ports of which are coupled to one another via variable-conductance constrictions. The wrist is programmed by selection of these conductances, much as an analog computer is programmed. The range of control laws such a device can compute is characterized mathematically. >
Is Game Semantics Necessary

We discuss the extent to which game semantics is implicit in the basic concepts of linear logic.
Development Finance via Diaspora Bonds: Track Record and Potential

A diaspora bond is a debt instrument issued by a country or potentially, a sub-sovereign entity or a private corporation to raise financing from its overseas diaspora. Israel and India have raised $35-40 billion using these bonds. Drawing on their experiences, this paper discusses the rationale, methodology, and factors affecting the issuance of diaspora bonds for raising external development finance. The rationale behind the Government of Israel's issuance of diaspora bonds has been different from that of the Government of India's. The Government of Israel has offered a flexible menu of diaspora bonds since 1951 to keep the Jewish diaspora engaged. The Indian authorities, in contrast, have used this instrument for balance of payments support, to raise financing during times when they had difficulty in accessing international capital markets. Diaspora bonds are often sold at a premium to the diaspora members, thus fetching a patriotic discount in borrowing costs. Besides patriotism or the desire to do good in the investor's country of origin, such a discount can also be explained by the fact that diaspora investors may be more willing and able to take on sovereign risks of default in hard currency as well as devaluation as they may have local currency liabilities and they may be able to influence the borrower's decision to service such debt. In terms of process, India was able to bypass U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration in the past. But that appears unlikely for the foreseeable future since U.S. investors are unlikely to be allowed to choose the law and the forum governing bond contracts. Finally, having a sizeable diaspora, especially first-generation migrants, is understandably an important factor affecting the issuance of diaspora bonds. Countries with strong and transparent legal systems for contract enforcement are likely to find it easier to issue such bonds. Absence of civil strife is a plus. While not a prerequisite, presence of national banks and other institutions in destination countries facilitates the marketing of bonds to the diaspora.
Dynamic Urban Models: Agglomeration and Growth

Theoretical models of urban growth are surveyed in a common framework. Exogenous growth models, where growth in some capital stock as a function of investment is assumed, are examined first. Then endogenous growth models, where use of some factor by a firm increases the productivity of other firms, are studied. These are all models with perfect competition among agents. Next, models with imperfect competition are discussed. There are two varieties: those employing a monopolistic competition approach to product differentiation, and those employing explicit externalities but lacking some markets. Finally, avenues for future research are explored. Correlations between agglomeration and growth in the various models and data are compared.
NEXP -Completeness and Universal Hardness Results for Justification Logic

We provide a lower complexity bound for the satisfiability problem of a multi-agent justification logic, establishing that the general NEXP upper bound from our previous work is tight. We then use a simple modification of the corresponding reduction to prove that satisfiability for all multi-agent justification logics from there is \(\varSigma _2^p\)-hard – given certain reasonable conditions. Our methods improve on these required conditions for the same lower bound for the single-agent justification logics, proven by Buss and Kuznets in 2009, thus answering one of their open questions.
Motion Integration Using Competitive Priors

Psychophysical experiments show that humans are better at perceiving rotation and expansion than translation [5][9]. These findings are inconsistent with standard models of motion integration which predict best performance for translation. To explain this discrepancy, our theory formulates motion perception at two levels of inference: we first perform model selection between the competing models (e.g. translation, rotation, and expansion) and then estimate the velocity using the selected model. We define novel prior models for smooth rotation and expansion using techniques similar to those in the slow-and-smooth model [23] (e.g. Green functions of differential operators). The theory gives good agreement with the trends observed in four human experiments.
Selecting Correlated Random Actions

In many markets, it can be beneficial for competing firms to coordinate their actions. The average payoffs for everyone in the group can be improved by everyone agreeing on a deal to collude. However, such arrangements usually have the problem that nobody has an incentive to adhere to the agreement. In this paper we investigate a way for two companies to communicate together and agree on a coordinated strategy in such a way that both participants have an incentive to keep to the agreement.
Maximal theorems for the directional Hilbert transform on the plane

For a Schwartz function f on the plane and a non-zero v ∈ R 2 define the Hilbert transform of f in the direction v to be H v f(x) = p.v. ∫ R f(x-vy)dy y. Let ζ be a Schwartz function with frequency support in the annulus 1 2. The L 2 estimate is sharp. The method of proof is based upon techniques related to the pointwise convergence of Fourier series. Indeed, our main theorem implies this result on Fourier series.
Storing and indexing plan derivations through explanation-based analysis of retrieval failures

Case-Based Planning (CBP) provides a way of scaling up domain-independent planning to solve large problems in complex domains. It replaces the detailed and lengthy search for a solution with the retrieval and adaptation of previous planning experiences. In general, CBP has been demonstrated to improve performance over generative (from-scratch) planning. However, the performance improvements it provides are dependent on adequate judgements as to problem similarity. In particular, although CBP may substantially reduce planning effort overall, it is subject to a mis-retrieval problem. The success of CBP depends on these retrieval errors being relatively rare. This paper describes the design and implementation of a replay framework for the case-based planner DERSNLP+EBL. DERSNLP+EBL extends current CBP methodology by incorporating explanation-based learning techniques that allow it to explain and learn from the retrieval failures it encounters. These techniques are used to refine judgements about case similarity in response to feedback when a wrong decision has been made. The same failure analysis is used in building the case library, through the addition of repairing cases. Large problems are split and stored as single goal subproblems. Multi-goal problems are stored only when these smaller cases fail to be merged into a full solution. An empirical evaluation of this approach demonstrates the advantage of learning from experienced retrieval failure.
Collecting Metrics for CORBA-Based Distributed Systems

The Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) supports the creation of distributed systems that cross processor, language and paradigm boundaries. These systems can be large and complex entities that consume considerable resources in their creation and execution. Measurements of characteristics of software systems is an important area of study in general and of particular interest for distributed systems. In this paper, we present a specific technique for instrumenting components in a distributed system. The technique constructs a wrapper around the component being measured. The wrapper monitors interactions with the ORB (Object Request Broker) and other components. Each wrapper mimics the interface of the component that it is wrapping so that the remaining objects in the system do not need modification. Two approaches to wrapping the component are presented and contrasted. The result is an efficient and modular technique that can quickly be applied to a component.
The Impact of AMR in Numerical Astrophysics and Cosmology

I survey the use and impact of adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) simulations in numerical astrophysics and cosmology. Two basic techniques are in use to extend the dynamic range of Eulerian grid simulations in multi-dimensions: cell refinement, and patch refinement, otherwise known as block-structured adaptive mesh refinement (SAMR). In this survey, no attempt is made to assess the relative merits of these two approaches. Rather, the discussion focuses on how AMR is being used and how AMR is making a scientific impact in a diverse set of fields from space physics to the cosmology of the early universe. The increased adoption of AMR techniques in the past decade is driven in part by the public availability of AMR codes and frameworks. I provide a partial list of resources for those interested in learning more about AMR simulations.
A kink in a funny place

When the 3-dimensional gravitational Chern-Simons term is reduced to two dimensions a dilaton-like gravity theory emerges. Its solutions involve kinks, which therefore describe 3-dimensional, conformally flat spaces.
M51's spiral structure

The M51 system (NGC 5194/5195) provides an excellent problem both in spiral structure and in galaxy interactions. The authors present an analytic study of a computer experiment on the excitation mechanisms for M51's spiral arms and whether or not a halo is important for these mechanisms. This work extends previous numerical studies of the M51 system by including self-gravitation in a two component disk: gas and stars, and a dark halo. The analytic study provides two new observational constraints: the time (approx. 70 to 84 million years ago) and position angle of perigalacticon (300 degrees). By using these constraints and a simple conic approximation, the search for the companion's possible orbit is greatly simplified. This requires fewer N-body simulations than a fully self-gravitating orbit search.
The Standard Model and the Top Quark

The top quark is one of the least well-studied components of the standard model. In these lectures I discuss the expected properties of the top quark, which will be tested at the Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN Large Hadron Collider. I begin with a modern review of the standard model, emphasizing the underlying concepts. I then discuss the role the top quark plays in precision electroweak analyses. The last two lectures address the strong and weak interactions of the top quark, with an emphasis on the top-quark spin.
The role of assessment infrastructures in crafting project based science classrooms

Teachers in the midst of reforming their classroom environments need to make radical changes to the teaching and learning activities of themselves and their students. As teachers involved in the Learning through Collaborative Visualization (CoVis) Project [Pea, 1993] have discovered, classroom assessment is one of the most vital tools they have for shaping such changes. In general, teachers' assessment practices are key to structuring classroom activity and communicating expectations to students. In essence, assessment forms an infrastructure that both students and teachers rely upon as a mediational tool for classroom activity and communications. When teachers wish to change their pedagogical practices, they need to make concurrent changes in their classroom assessment infrastructure that will support and guide students in their new learning environment. The dissertation described here explores how classroom assessment infrastructures are used by four experienced, reform minded science teachers as a tool for crafting project based science classrooms.
Practical estimates of field‐saturated hydraulic conductivity of bedrock outcrops using a modified bottomless bucket method

[1] The bottomless bucket (BB) approach (Nimmo et al., 2009a) is a cost-effective method for rapidly characterizing field-saturated hydraulic conductivityKfsof soils and alluvial deposits. This practical approach is of particular value for quantifying infiltration rates in remote areas with limited accessibility. A similar approach for bedrock outcrops is also of great value for improving quantitative understanding of infiltration and recharge in rugged terrain. We develop a simple modification to the BB method for application to bedrock outcrops, which uses a nontoxic, quick-drying silicone gel to seal the BB to the bedrock. These modifications to the field method require only minor changes to the analytical solution for calculatingKfs on soils. We investigate the reproducibility of the method with laboratory experiments on a previously studied calcarenite rock and conduct a sensitivity analysis to quantify uncertainty in our predictions. We apply the BB method on both bedrock and soil for sites on Pahute Mesa, which is located in a remote area of the Nevada National Security Site. The bedrock BB tests may require monitoring over several hours to days, depending on infiltration rates, which necessitates a cover to prevent evaporative losses. Our field and laboratory results compare well to Kfs values inferred from independent reports, which suggests the modified BB method can provide useful estimates and facilitate simple hypothesis testing. The ease with which the bedrock BB method can be deployed should facilitate more rapid in situ data collection than is possible with alternative methods for quantitative characterization of infiltration into bedrock.
The Effect of Dielectric Capping on Few-Layer Phosphorene Transistors: Tuning the Schottky Barrier Heights

Phosphorene is a unique single elemental semiconductor with two-dimensional layered structures. In this letter, we study the transistor behavior on mechanically exfoliated few-layer phosphorene with the top-gate. We achieve a high ON-current of 144 mA/mm and hole mobility of 95.6 cm 2 /V·s. We deposit Al 2 O 3 by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and study the effects of dielectric capping. We observe that the polarity of the transistors alternated from p-type to ambipolar with Al 2 O 3 grown on the top. We attribute this transition to the changes for the effective Schottky barrier heights for both electrons and holes at the metal contact edges, which is originated from fixed charges in the ALD dielectric.
The culture of entrepreneurship

Abstract We study the cultural process through which a society inculcates an entrepreneurial spirit. People work for a guaranteed wage or operate a firm whose risky return depends on business expertise. The latter is culturally acquired, within the family or outside, and people may choose an occupation different from the one they were socialized into. A cultural bias towards safer occupations from colonial and post-colonial policies leads to stagnation where entrepreneurs do not upgrade technology because of their proficiency with existing methods. An aggregate productivity shock can tip this economy towards growth led by established businesses. A human capital shock where existing business expertise is less useful is more disruptive; growth occurs through the emergence of a new class of entrepreneurs. We conclude that culture is not destiny: it adapts even when some cultural traits do not.
Nonperturbative Evaluation of the Sphaleron Transition Rate

We review nonperturbative calculations of the rate of sphaleron transitions on the lattice in 1 + 1-dimensional field theories and introduce a way to perform gauge-invariant Gibbs averages in classical non-Abelian Higgs theories.
Explicit computations with the divided symmetrization operator

Given a multi-variable polynomial, there is an associated divided symmetrization (in particular turning it into a symmetric function). Postinkov has found the volume of a permutohedron as a divided symmetrization (DS) of the power of a certain linear form. The main task in this paper is to exhibit and prove closed form DS-formulas for a variety of polynomials. We hope the results to be valuable and available to the research practitioner in these areas. Also, the methods of proof utilized here are simple and amenable to many more analogous computations. We conclude the paper with a list of such formulas.
Incentive Mechanisms for Participatory Sensing: Survey and Research Challenges

Participatory sensing is a powerful paradigm that takes advantage of smartphones to collect and analyze data beyond the scale of what was previously possible. Given that participatory sensing systems rely completely on the users’ willingness to submit up-to-date and accurate information, it is paramount to effectively incentivize users’ active and reliable participation. In this article, we survey existing literature on incentive mechanisms for participatory sensing systems. In particular, we present a taxonomy of existing incentive mechanisms for participatory sensing systems, which are subsequently discussed in depth by comparing and contrasting different approaches. Finally, we discuss an agenda of open research challenges in incentivizing users in participatory sensing.
Comparing Parametric and Non‐parametric Early Warning Systems for Currency Crises in Emerging Market Economies

This paper compares in-sample and out-of-sample performances of parametric and non-parametric early warning systems (EWS) for currency crises in emerging economies. The parametric EWS achieves superior out-of-sample results compared with the non-parametric EWS. The policymaker faces a trade-off when using EWS: greater cautiousness allows the policymaker to correctly call more crisis episodes, but this comes at the cost of issuing more false alarms. The benefit of correctly calling more currency crises needs to be traded off against the cost of issuing more false alarms and of implementing corrective policies prematurely.
Daily Precipitation and Tropical Moisture Exports across the Eastern United States: An Application of Archetypal Analysis to Identify Spatiotemporal Structure

AbstractThis study examines the spatiotemporal variability of two sets of daily precipitation from ERA-Interim across the eastern United States between 1979 and 2013: 1) total precipitation and 2) precipitation originating from tropical moisture exports (TMEs), which have been linked to extremes of midlatitude precipitation. Archetypal analysis (AA) is introduced as a new method to decompose and characterize structures within the spatiotemporal climate data. AA is uniquely suited to identify extremal patterns and is a complementary method to empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. The authors provide a brief comparison between AA and EOF analysis and then examine the spatiotemporal variability, circulation anomalies, and sea surface temperature teleconnections associated with the archetypes of the two precipitation variables. Markovian structure, seasonal variability, and interannual trends in archetype occurrence are explored using nonparametric generalized linear models (GLMs). Results show that t...
Hardness amplification of weakly verifiable puzzles

Is it harder to solve many puzzles than it is to solve just one? This question has different answers, depending on how you define puzzles. For the case of inverting one-way functions it was shown by Yao that solving many independent instances simultaneously is indeed harder than solving a single instance (cf. the transformation from weak to strong one-way functions). The known proofs of that result, however, use in an essential way the fact that for one-way functions, verifying candidate solutions to a given puzzle is easy. We extend this result to the case where solutions are efficiently verifiable only by the party that generated the puzzle. We call such puzzles weakly verifiable. That is, for weakly verifiable puzzles we show that if no efficient algorithm can solve a single puzzle with probability more than e, then no efficient algorithm can solve n independent puzzles simultaneously with probability more than en. We also demonstrate that when the puzzles are not even weakly verifiable, solving many puzzles may be no harder than solving a single one. Hardness amplification of weakly verifiable puzzles turns out to be closely related to the reduction of soundness error under parallel repetition in computationally sound arguments. Indeed, the proof of Bellare, Impagliazzo and Naor that parallel repetition reduces soundness error in three-round argument systems implies a result similar to our first result, albeit with considerably worse parameters. Also, our second result is an adaptation of their proof that parallel repetition of four-round systems may not reduce the soundness error.
Chemistry of Low Mass Substellar Objects

“Brown dwarfs” is the collective name for objects more massive than giant planets such as Jupiter but less massive than M dwarf stars. This review gives a brief description of the classification and chemistry of low mass dwarfs. The current spectral classification of stars includes L and T dwarfs that encompass the coolest known stars and substellar objects. The relatively low atmospheric temperatures and high total pressures in substellar dwarfs lead to molecular gas and condensate chemistry. The chemistry of elements such as C, N, O, Ti, V, Fe, Cr, and the alkali elements play a dominant role in shaping the optical and infrared spectra of the “failed” stars. Chemical diagnostics for the sub-classifications are described.
Linear-Time Algorithms for Proportional Apportionment

The apportionment problem deals with the fair distribution of a discrete set of \(k\) indivisible resources (such as legislative seats) to \(n\) entities (such as parties or geographic subdivisions). Highest averages methods are a frequently used class of methods for solving this problem. We present an \(O(n)\)-time algorithm for performing apportionment under a large class of highest averages methods. Our algorithm works for all highest averages methods used in practice.
Does the market value value-added? Evidence from housing prices after a public release of school and teacher value-added

Value-added data are an increasingly common evaluation tool for schools and teachers. Many school districts have adopted these methods and released the results publicly. In this paper, we study the release of value-added data in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Times newspaper to identify how measured value-added is capitalized into housing prices. This analysis is the first in the US school valuation literature to examine property value responses to a value-added information shock, which is of interest as this measure is less correlated with demographics than typical school quality measures. Unique to this setting as well is the release of both school and teacher-level value-added data, which allows us to examine how property values respond to both types of information. Using a difference-indifferences methodology surrounding the release, we find that neither school nor teacher value-added scores are capitalized into home prices. Our results suggest that, despite the contentiousness following these data releases, homeowners do not consider value-added models as currently constructed to be a relevant school quality measure on the margin.
Operads and knot spaces

Let Em denote the space of embeddings of the interval I = [?1,1] in the cube Im with endpoints and tangent vectors at those endpoints fixed on opposite faces of the cube, equipped with a homotopy through immersions to the unknot; see Definition 5.1. By Proposition 5.17, Em is homotopy equivalent to Emb(I,Im) x i?lmm(l, Im). In [28], McClure and Smith define a cosimplicial object O* associated to an operad with multiplication 0, whose homotopy invariant totalization we denote Tot(?#); see Definition 2.17 and Definition 2.5 below. Let /Cm denote the rath Kontsevich operad, introduced in [22], whose entries are compactified configuration spaces and which is weakly equivalent to the little ra-disks operad [37]; see Definition 4.1 and Theorem 4.5.
Photovoltaic power system operation in the Mars environment

Variation of solar insolation (global, direct and diffuse) at the Viking Lander locations is described. The radiation data are based on measured optical depth of the Martian atmosphere derived from images taken of the Sun, through the atmosphere, with a special diode on the Viking cameras and on computations based on multiple wavelength and multiple scattering of the solar radiation. The data are used to estimate photovoltaic system power, area and mass for a surface power system using regenerative fuel cells for storage and night-time operation. >
Hierarchical models for semi-competing risks data with application to quality of end-of-life care for pancreatic cancer.

Readmission following discharge from an initial hospitalization is a key marker of quality of health care in the United States. For the most part, readmission has been studied among patients with 'acute' health conditions, such as pneumonia and heart failure, with analyses based on a logistic-Normal generalized linear mixed model (Normand et al., 1997). Naive application of this model to the study of readmission among patients with 'advanced' health conditions such as pancreatic cancer, however, is problematic because it ignores death as a competing risk. A more appropriate analysis is to imbed such a study within the semi-competing risks framework. To our knowledge, however, no comprehensive statistical methods have been developed for cluster-correlated semi-competing risks data. To resolve this gap in the literature we propose a novel hierarchical modeling framework for the analysis of cluster-correlated semi-competing risks data that permits parametric or non-parametric specifications for a range of components giving analysts substantial flexibility as they consider their own analyses. Estimation and inference is performed within the Bayesian paradigm since it facilitates the straightforward characterization of (posterior) uncertainty for all model parameters, including hospital-specific random effects. Model comparison and choice is performed via the deviance information criterion and the log-pseudo marginal likelihood statistic, both of which are based on a partially marginalized likelihood. An efficient computational scheme, based on the Metropolis-Hastings-Green algorithm, is developed and had been implemented in the SemiCompRisks R package. A comprehensive simulation study shows that the proposed framework performs very well in a range of data scenarios, and outperforms competitor analysis strategies. The proposed framework is motivated by and illustrated with an on-going study of the risk of readmission among Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Using data on n=5,298 patients at J=112 hospitals in the six New England states between 2000-2009, key scientific questions we consider include the role of patient-level risk factors on the risk of readmission and the extent of variation in risk across hospitals not explained by differences in patient case-mix.
Dollarization and semi-dollarization in Ecuador

Over the 1980s and 1990s, GDP growth had stagnated because of oil export price volatility and natural disasters, the sacrifice of capital formation to heavy external public debt service, and incomplete and uneven structural reform. The exchange rate depreciation that proved continually necessary to sustain the net-export surplus and limit external debt accumulation induced Ecuadorians to dollarize spontaneously. The 1998 shocks affected real economic activity--hence bank loan portfolios, and widened the fiscal and current acccount deficits. The external imbalance led to exchange rate depreciation. Dollar-denominated bank loans whose borrowers lacked dollar income increasingly turned non-performing. At the same time, the depreciation swelled the locla currency value of dollar deposit liabilities. Many depositors, fearing that banks had become unsafe, withdrew, and over 1999 the Central Bank had to provide banks massive liquidity support. By year's end, the resulting monetary issue led to the exchange rate collapse and incipient hyperinflation that forced the move to full dollarization. Ecuador's Central Bank will continue operating, using its foreign exchange holdings to carry out limited liquidity management and lender-of-last-resort activities. Ecuador's public accounts and banking system remain vulnerable to commodity-price and natural shocks. Exchange rate adjustment and monetary expansion are no longer available, however, to manage the external accounts, accommodate the public deficit, or assist failing banks. Further structural reform remains essential to assure fiscal discipline and banking system safety.
Like Me, Buy Me: The Effect of Soft Power on Exports

In this paper I quantify a gain that a country receives when its global influence is considered to be admirable by others. I use a standard gravity model of bilateral exports, a panel of data from 2006 through 2013, and an annual survey conducted for the BBC by GlobeScan which asks people in up to 46 countries about whether each of up to 17 countries were perceived to have “a mainly positive or negative influence in the world.” Holding other things constant, a country’s exports are higher if it is perceived by the importer to be exerting more positive global influence. This effect is statistically and economically significant; a one percent net increase in perceived positive influence raises exports by around .8 percent. Succinctly, countries receive a commercial return on their soft power.
Pharmacokinetics of amiloride after inhalation and oral administration in adolescents and adults with cystic fibrosis

Study objective To compare the pharmacokinetics and systemic exposure of nebulized and oral amiloride in adolescents and adults with mild to moderate cystic fibrosis (CF). Design Open-label, randomized, two-way crossover, single-dose pharmacokinetic study. Setting University hospital clinical research unit. Patients Nine adolescents and 10 adults with mild to moderate CF (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec > or = 50% predicted, Brasfield score > or = 15). Interventions Patients received amiloride solution orally (10 mg of amiloride 1-mg/ml solution) and by inhalation [4.5 ml amiloride of 1-mg/ml solution in 12% saline (approximately 3.8 mmol/L) by DeVilbiss 646 nebulizer] during two study phases separated by a 7- to 28-day washout period. Serial blood and urine samples were collected for 48 and 72 hours, respectively. Measurements and main results After oral dosing, the mean +/- SD maximum peak concentration (Cmax) was 20.6 +/- 10.0 ng/ml at 3.2 +/- 1.2 hours in adults and 21.7 +/- 4.88 at 2.9 +/- 0.6 hours in the adolescents. Mean area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from time zero to infinity hours was 275 +/- 115 and 254 +/- 60 ng.hr/ml in the adult and adolescent groups; half-life was 16.0 +/- 0.7 and 13.4 +/- 1.4 hours, respectively. After nebulization, 14 of 19 subjects exhibited two concentration peaks (Cmax1 and Cmax2) with mean values of 1.57 +/- 1.67 ng/ml at 0.5 +/- 0.2 hours and 1.37 +/- 1.21 ng/ml at 4.0 +/- 1.0 hours for adults, and 1.49 +/- 0.99 ng/ml at 0.5 +/- 0.1 hours and 1.52 +/- 0.81 ng/ml at 3.3 +/- 0.5 hours for adolescents. Estimated mean +/- SD dose nebulized was 1.91 +/- 0.66 and 2.28 +/- 0.30 mg in the adult and adolescent groups, respectively. Mean +/- SD AUC from time zero to the last measurable plasma amiloride concentration after inhalation was 14.4 +/- 17.6 and 15.4 +/- 10.1 ng.hr/ml in the adults and adolescents. No significant adverse events occurred during the study. Pharmacokinetic parameters were not statistically different between the adolescent and adult groups by route of administration. However significant differences in peak amiloride concentration, AUC, and urinary amiloride excretion were evident when comparing oral versus inhalation administration within each group. Conclusions Mean amiloride plasma concentration peaks and AUC after inhalation were significantly lower than after oral dosing. In addition, the second amiloride plasma concentration peak may be due to oral ingestion of the nebulized amiloride, whereas the earlier Cmax1 after inhalation may be due to pulmonary absorption of amiloride. These results suggest that single-dose amiloride inhalation in patients with mild to moderate CF results in minimal systemic exposure compared with oral dosing, and that drug disposition is similar in adolescents and adults with CF.
An Optimization Study of Manufacturing Variation Effects on Diesel Injector Design with Emphasis on Emissions

This paper investigates the effects of manufacturing variations in fuel injectors on the engine performance with emphasis on emissions. The variations are taken into consideration within a Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO) framework. A reduced version of Multi-Zone Diesel engine Simulation (MZDS), MZDS-lite, is used to enable the optimization study. The numerical noise of MZDS-lite prohibits the use of gradient-based optimization methods. Therefore, surrogate models are developed to filter out the noise and to reduce computational cost. Three multi-objective optimization problems are formulated, solved and compared: deterministic optimization using MZDS-lite, deterministic optimization using surrogate models and RBDO using surrogate models. The obtained results confirm that manufacturing variation effects must be taken into account in the early product development stages.
Aid dependence and the quality of governance : a cross-country empirical analysis

Good governance -- in the form of institutions that establish predictable, impartial, and consistently enforced rules for investors -- is crucial for the sustained and rapid growth of per capita incomes in poor countries. Aid dependence can undermine institutional quality by weakening accountability, encouraging rent seeking and corruption, fomenting conflict over control of aid funds, siphoning off scarce talent from the bureaucracy, and alleviating pressures to reform inefficient policies and institutions. The author's analyses of cross-country data provide evidence that higher aid levels erode the quality of governance, as measured by indexes of bureaucratic quality, corruption, and the rule of law. This negative relationship strengthens when instruments for aid are used to correct for potential reverse causality. It is robust to changes in the sample and to several alternative forms of estimation. Recent studies have concluded that aid's impact on economic growth and infant mortality is conditional on policy and institutional gaps. The author's results indicate that the size of the institutional gap itself increases with aid levels.
Synthesis and characterization of pyridinyldisiloxanes and their bis-N-oxides

Abstract 2- ( A ) and 3-dimethylchlorosilylpyridine ( B ) were synthesized by reaction of the corresponding lithiopyridines with dimethyldichlorosilane at −76°C. The products were hydrolyzed in aqueous ammonia at room temperature to give the respective disiloxanes ( C and D ) which are stable, colorless distillable liquids. The dimers were characterized by IR, 1 H NMR and MS. The principal by-products of the syntheses were the bis -substituted derivatives. Additionally, the bis- N -oxide of D was prepared by reaction with m -chloroperoxybenzoic acid and characterized by IR, 1 H NMR and MS.
Implementation of the BDT Model with Different Volatility Estimators: Applications to Eurodollar Futures Options

Different volatility estimators have different effects on the pricing of interest rate-sensitive options by the single-factor Black, Derman, and Toy model. The estimators used here include the moving average, such as constantly weighted and exponentially weighted moving average, and time series models, such as generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) and integrated GARCH (IGARCH), for estimating the volatility of short rates. Empirical results, based on 4,228 estimated prices, indicate that valuation of Eurodollar futures options is sensitive to the volatility model used. The time series models provide a more accurate representation of the underlying time-varying volatility structure than the moving average models.
The Production of Neutrons and Protons by the Cosmic Radiation at 14,125 Feet

The production of neutrons and protons in various substances by the cosmic radiation was investigated with proportional counters at the Mt. Evans Laboratory (barometer 46 cm). Neutrons were studied with counters filled with B${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$ and cadmium absorbers. The neutron counter was surrounded by water, so that nearly all the neutrons should be slow, and also so that the neutrons measured should nearly all have been produced in the water, very few of those produced elsewhere reaching the counter. Protons were observed in counters filled with C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$. The size distribution of ionizing events was determined. Coincidences between neutron counts and shower counts were observed, suggesting a connection between the neutrons and the soft component. Estimates are given of the rates of production in various substances, these being of the order of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ per gram per second on Mt. Evans.
Temporal separation of catalytic activities allows anti-Markovnikov reductive functionalization of terminal alkynes

There is currently great interest in the development of multistep catalytic processes in which one or several catalysts act sequentially to rapidly build complex molecular structures. Many enzymes--often the inspiration for new synthetic transformations--are capable of processing a single substrate through a chain of discrete, mechanistically distinct catalytic steps. Here, we describe an approach to emulate the efficiency of these natural reaction cascades within a synthetic catalyst by the temporal separation of catalytic activities. In this approach, a single catalyst exhibits multiple catalytic activities sequentially, allowing for the efficient processing of a substrate through a cascade pathway. Application of this design strategy has led to the development of a method to effect the anti-Markovnikov (linear-selective) reductive functionalization of terminal alkynes. The strategy of temporal separation may facilitate the development of other efficient synthetic reaction cascades.
Observing Sunspots at Home

Abstract What drives short-run booms and busts in the housing market? In this paper, I suggest that speculation could cause cyclical movements around the fundamental long-run price. Such speculation arises from the existence of stationary sunspots. However, sunspots are not ubiquitous and can often be mitigated by appropriate government policies. I thus derive a tax policy which eliminates sunspots as follows: if housing and other consumption are Auspitz–Lieben complements (substitutes), then there should be a net tax (subsidy) to housing. Finally, I show how sunspots could have affected Japanese housing prices in 1986–1992 when a different tax policy was followed.
Medical students retain pain assessment and management skills long after an experiential curriculum: a controlled study.

Abstract We implemented a pain assessment and management (PAM) curriculum for second year medical students and evaluated long-term skills retention compared to the prior year’s class which did not receive the curriculum. The curriculum included pain pathophysiology, assessment and treatment instruction plus feedback on PAM practice with standardized patients. Both cohorts underwent a required end-of-third-year clinical skills examination. Intervention and control group performance on three pain cases (acute, chronic and terminal) was compared. The PAM curriculum was implemented 1.5 years before the intervention cohort participated in the clinical skills exam. More intervention students (134/159, 84.3% response rate) obtained basic (87.2% vs. 76.0%, p = .028) and comprehensive (75.2% vs. 60.9%, p = .051) descriptions of acute pain than control students (n = 129/174, 74.1% response rate). Intervention students demonstrated superior skills for terminal pain, including: more often asking about impact on functioning (40.7% vs. 25.8%, p = .027), advising change of medication (97.3% vs. 38.7%, p
The mediating role of anxiety in self-reported somatic complaints of depressed adolescents

This study examined the mediating role of anxiety in the self-reports of somatic complaints in 96 depressed adolescent inpatients. Sixty-four subjects with major depressive episodes and comorbid anxiety disorders (MDE-A) determined from the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Revised (DICA-R) reported significantly more somatic complaints than 32 adolescents having major depressive episodes without comorbid anxiety (MDE). An analysis of covariance demonstrated that, with anxiety symptoms controlled, MDE and MDE-A groups did not differ significantly in somatic complaints. A hierarchical multiple-regression analysis revealed that, with demographic and anxiety symptoms controlled, depressive symptoms did not contribute to the explanation or prediction of somatic complaints. The results suggest that anxious, but not depressive symptoms, are independently associated with somatic complaints. The results are discussed in light of new affective models of psychopathology.
Multi-dimensional input techniques and articulated figure positioning by multiple constraints

A six degree-of-freedom input device presents some novel possibilities for manipulating and positioning three-dimensional objects. Some experiments in using such a device in conjunction with a real-time display are described. A particular problem which arises in positioning an articulated figure is the solution of three-dimensional kinematics subject to multiple joint position goals. A method using such an input device to interactively determine positions and a constraint satisfaction algorithm which simultaneously achieves those constraints is described. Examples which show the power and efficiency of this method for key-frame animation positioning are demonstrated.
Multimode Decomposition in Compressible Boundary Layers

Two-dimensional spatially growing perturbations in a two-dimensional compressible boundary layer are considered within the scope of linearized Navier-Stokes equations. Because a spatially growing solution can be expanded into a biorthogonal eigenfunction system, the latter can be utilized for decomposition of flow fields derived from computational studies when pressure, temperature, and all velocity components, together with their derivatives, are available. The method can be used also in a case where partial data are available when a priori information leads to consideration of a finite number of modes. Nomenclature (, , ) x y t A = vector-function of 9 components j A = j-th component of vector A D = d dy 2/ 3 e = ratio of the bulk viscosity to the dynamic viscosity , ij ij
Signal detection of rotational processes and frequency demodulation

A signal detection problem for continuous rotational processes is formulated by using H. P. McKean's trick of “injection≓. Both the sensor and the signal dynamics are described by bilinear 3 × 3-matrix Ito differential equations, where noise can be viewed as entering multiplicatively. The injection is shown to be bijective. This facilitates the derivation of a likelihood ratio formula in terms of updated observation. The least-squares estimation required in the formula can be solved analogously. These results are then applied to signal detection from frequency-modulated carriers. In particular, the likelihood ratio for a frequency-shift-keyed binary communication problem is evaluated.
Isomorphism between the Peres and Penrose Proofs of the BKS Theorem in Three Dimensions

It is shown that the 33 complex rays in three dimensions used by Penrose to prove the Bell-Kochen-Specker theorem have the same orthogonality relations as the 33 real rays of Peres, and therefore provide an isomorphic proof of the theorem. It is further shown that the Peres and Penrose rays are just two members of a continuous three-parameter family of unitarily inequivalent rays that prove the theorem.
Spatiotemporal evolution of focused single-cycle electromagnetic pulses

We analyze exact solutions of Maxwell's equations that are capable of describing focused single-cycle electromagnetic pulses. These finite energy solutions are a subset of Ziolkowski's ``modified power spectrum'' pulse solutions [Phys. Rev A 39, 2005 (1989)]. They display substantial temporal reshaping, time reversal, and polarity reversals as they pass through the focus. The temporal profiles at the focus and in the far field are related by a Hilbert transform in time. These results are explained in terms of the Gouy phase shift of focused beams. We also show that these pulse solutions are natural spatiotemporal modes of an open resonator and propose methods for their practical realization.
High voltage transmission electron microscopy of superconducting metal-impregnated porous glass

Abstract High voltage transmission electron microscopy has been used to delineate the morphology of lead in impregnated porous glass. The appearance of the lead confirms the granular model for superconducting metal-impregnated porous glass. |fr|La microscopie electronique transmission a haute tension a ete utilisee pour decrire la morphologie du plomb en verre poreux impregne. L'apparence du plomb confirme le modele granulaire pour le verre poreux impregne de metal supraconductear.