cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient computation of a guaranteed lower bound on the robust stability margin for a class of uncertain systems

Sufficient conditions for the robust stability of a class of uncertain systems, with several different assumptions on the structure and nature of the uncertainties, can be derived in a unified manner in the framework of integral quadratic constraints. These sufficient conditions, in turn, can be used to derive lower bounds on the robust stability margin for such systems. The lower bound is typically computed with a bisection scheme, with each iteration requiring the solution of a linear matrix inequality feasibility problem. We show how this bisection can be avoided altogether by reformulating the lower bound computation problem as a single generalized eigenvalue minimization problem, which can be solved very efficiently using standard algorithms. We illustrate this with several important, commonly encountered special cases: diagonal, nonlinear uncertainties; diagonal, memoryless, time-invariant sector-bounded ("Popov") uncertainties; structured dynamic uncertainties; and structured parametric uncertainties. We also present a numerical example that demonstrates the computational savings that can be obtained with our approach.
RACE: Building airspace simulations faster and better with actors

Creating large, distributed, human-in-the-loop airspace simulations does not have to take armies of developers and years of work. Related code bases can be kept manageable even if they include sophisticated interactive visualization. Starting such projects does not have to require huge upfront licensing fees. We showed this by using contemporary internet software technology. Our Runtime for Airspace Concept Evaluation (RACE) framework utilizes the actor programming model and open source components such as Akka and WorldWind to facilitate rapid development and deployment of distributed simulations that run on top of Java virtual machines, integrate well with external systems, and communicate across the internet. RACE itself is open sourced and available from https://github.com/NASARace/race.
Warnaar’s bijection and colored partition identities, II

In our previous paper (J. Comb. Theory Ser. A 120(1):28–38, 2013), we determined a unified combinatorial framework to look at a large number of colored partition identities, and studied the five identities corresponding to the exceptional modular equations of prime degree of the Schroter, Russell, and Ramanujan type. The goal of this paper is to use the master bijection of Sandon and Zanello (J. Comb. Theory Ser. A 120(1):28–38, 2013) to show combinatorially several new and highly nontrivial colored partition identities. We conclude by listing a number of further interesting identities of the same type as conjectures.
Parallelizing Computation of Expected Values in Recombinant Binomial Trees

Recombinant binomial trees are binary trees where each non-leaf node has two child nodes, but adjacent parents share a common child node. Such trees arise in option pricing in finance. For example,...
To boost or not to boost? On the limits of boosted trees for object detection

We aim to study the modeling limitations of the commonly employed boosted decision trees classifier. Inspired by the success of large, data-hungry visual recognition models (e.g. deep convolutional neural networks), this paper focuses on the relationship between modeling capacity of the weak learners, dataset size, and dataset properties. A set of novel experiments on the Caltech Pedestrian Detection benchmark results in the best known performance among non-CNN techniques while operating at fast run-time speed. Furthermore, the performance is on par with deep architectures (9.71% log-average miss rate), while using only HOG+LUV channels as features. The conclusions from this study are shown to generalize over different object detection domains as demonstrated on the FDDB face detection benchmark (93.37% accuracy). Despite the impressive performance, this study reveals the limited modeling capacity of the common boosted trees model, motivating a need for architectural changes in order to compete with multi-level and very deep architectures.
HIP RESURFACING: FOR THE RIGHT PATIENT AND SURGEON

Hip resurfacing, like other orthopaedic procedures, depends for its success upon the confluence of three factors: a well-designed device, implanted using good technique, in a properly selected patient. Cleveland Clinic has had good mid-term results in more than 2,200 patients using the Birmingham device since its FDA approval in 2006. These results are quite similar to other reported series from many centers around the world. All surgery was performed using an anterolateral approach. Males accounted for 72% of the patients, and the average age was 53 years (12‐84). More than 90% of the patients had a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, and femoroacetabular impingement was the predominant pathology. The average component head size in males was 51mm, and in females 45mm. Complications were few, with no dislocations, no femoral loosening, one socket loosening, one head collapse, 2 femoral neck fractures, and 2 deep infections. There were two patients with metallosis, one due to component malposition, and one in a small, dysplastic female. There were no destructive pseudotumors. Overall survivorship at up to 8 years was more than 99%. Survivorship in young males, under age 50 with OA was 100%. New mushroom templates for head size are described. Additional imaging recommendations including a standing lateral of the pelvis, and a CT scan for femoral anteversion may be helpful in patient selection.
The integrated signal processing system ISP

The Integrated Signal Processing System (ISP) is a Lisp machine-based workstation which provides a unified environment for signal data processing and the development of signal processing algorithms. ISP is based on a model of signal processing computation in which the fundamental activities are creating and manipulating abstract signal objects. ISP consists of three main subsystems. The signal representation language (SRL) formalizes the semantic foundation of ISP and provides a set of facilities for defining signal classes and creating instances of signal objects. The ISP environment provides a signal stack, signal pictures and signal display layouts which are used to create and view selected signals from the universe defined by SRL. Finally, the user interface consists of a number of interactive mechanisms for manipulating components of the environment.
Security Game with Non-additive Utilities and Multiple Attacker Resources

There has been significant interest in studying security games for modeling the interplay of attacks and defenses on various systems involving critical infrastructure, financial system security, political campaigns, and civil safeguarding. However, existing security game models typically either assume additive utility functions, or that the attacker can attack only one target. Such assumptions lead to tractable analysis, but miss key inherent dependencies that exist among different targets in current complex networks. In this paper, we generalize the classical security game models to allow for non-additive utility functions. We also allow attackers to be able to attack multiple targets. We examine such a general security game from a theoretical perspective and provide a unified view. In particular, we show that each security game is equivalent to a combinatorial optimization problem over a set system e, which consists of defender's pure strategy space. The key technique we use is based on the transformation, projection of a polytope, and the ellipsoid method. This work settles several open questions in security game domain and extends the state-of-the-art of both the polynomial solvable and NP-hard class of the security game.
Digital air/ground communications for air traffic control

The early 1990's communications for air traffic control (ATC) uses analog single channel radios with conventional amplitude modulation (AM) in the very high frequency (VHF) band. To overcome eventual saturation of the current system, a sample "next generation" ATC communications system has been designed to increase capabilities and provide a graceful transition from the current system. The new ATC communication system must address problems with the modulation format and a balance between increased channel capacity and overall cost. The controller/pilot workloads can be reduced in that the information segments allow for either semi-automatic or fully automatic handoff or frequency change. The principal performance factor is the addition of data, fully integrated with voice, while offering an increase in throughput. The architecture is structured to put priority on the uplink voice messages while offering significant information capacity capabilities for external data sources. When digital data and voice communication systems mature in the ATC environment, a natural evolution to more data traffic and less voice will occur. At that time, a simple restructuring of the channel assignments and priorities could offer increased throughput for connection to ground based data sources such as high capacity routers. >
THE UNSTABLE PATELLA: AVOIDANCE, BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS!

Maltracking of the patella associated with TKA is usually the result of several factors coming together in the same patient. Causes of maltracking include residual valgus limb alignment, valgus placement of the femoral component, patella alta, poor prosthetic geometry, internal rotation of the femoral or tibial component, excessive patellar thickness, asymmetric patellar preparation, failure to perform a lateral release when indicated, capsular dehiscence, and dynamic instability. Prior to wound closure after implantation of total knee arthroplasty, patellar tracking should be evaluated to assess the potential need for lateral release. The incidence of lateral release in the past was quite high in some series. Most experienced surgeons will report a lateral release rate less than 5% for varus knees. It is usually higher for valgus knees because they are often associated with patella alta and preoperative subluxation. The classic intraoperative test for patellar tracking has been referred to as the “rule of no thumb” In this test, first suggested by Fred Ewald, the patella is returned to the trochlear groove in extension with the capsule unclosed. The knee is then passively flexed and one assesses whether or not the patella tracks congruently without capsular closure. If it does and the medial facet of the patellar component contacts the medial aspect of the trochlea no lateral release need be considered. If the patella dislocates or tilts, lateral release may be necessary. The test should be repeated with 1 suture closing the capsule at the level of the superior pole. If tracking then becomes congruent without excessive tension on the suture, no release is necessary. If tilting still persists, some surgeons like to assess tracking with the tourniquet deflated so that any binding effect on the quadriceps can be eliminated from the test. A tight PCL can also impart apparent patellar tilt as the femoral component is drawn posteriorly while the tibia (with its tubercle) moves anteriorly.
Propagation of fluctuations in biochemical systems, I: Linear SSC networks

We investigate the propagation of random fluctuations through biochemical networks in which the number of molecules of each species is large enough so that the concentrations are well modeled by differential equations. We study the effect of network topology on the emergent properties of the reaction system by characterizing the behavior of variance as fluctuations propagate down chains and studying the effect of side chains and feedback loops. We also investigate the asymptotic behavior of the system as one reaction becomes fast relative to the others.
VARIATION IN USE OF BLOOD TRANSFUSION IN PRIMARY TOTAL HIP AND KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

Background There is growing clinical and policy emphasis on minimizing transfusion use in elective joint arthroplasty, but little is known about the degree to which transfusion rates vary across US hospitals. This study aimed to assess hospital-level variation in use of allogeneic blood transfusion in patients undergoing elective joint arthroplasty, and to characterize the extent to which variability is attributable to differences in patient and hospital characteristics. Methods The study population included 228,316 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at 922 hospitals and 88,081 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) at 606 hospitals from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2011, in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, a 20% stratified sample of US community hospitals. Results The median hospital transfusion rates were 11.0% (interquartile range, 3.5% to 18.5%) in TKA and 15.9% (interquartile range, 5.4% to 26.2%) in THA. After fully adjusting for patient- and hospital-related factors using mixed-effects logistic regression models, the average predicted probability of blood transfusion use in TKA was 6.3%, with 95% of the hospitals having a predicted probability between 0.37% and 55%. For THA, the average predicted probability of blood transfusion use was 9.5%, with 95% of the hospitals having a predicted probability between 0.57% and 66%. Hospital transfusion rates were inversely associated with hospital procedure volume and directly associated with length of stay. Conclusions The use of blood transfusion in elective joint arthroplasty varied widely across US hospitals, largely independent of patient case-mix and hospital characteristics.
Abelianization for hyperkähler quotients

Abstract We study an integration theory in circle equivariant cohomology in order to prove a theorem relating the cohomology ring of a hyperkahler quotient to the cohomology ring of the quotient by a maximal abelian subgroup, analogous to a theorem of Martin for symplectic quotients. We discuss applications of this theorem to quiver varieties, and compute as an example the ordinary and equivariant cohomology rings of a hyperpolygon space.
Stable degenerations of surfaces isogenous to a product of curves

We show that an example of Catanese yields nonrigid surfaces that are diffeomorphic, yet lie on different connected components of the moduli space of stable surfaces.
A multitaper, causal decomposition for stochastic, multivariate time series: Application to high-frequency calcium imaging data

Neural data analysis has increasingly incorporated causal information to study circuit connectivity. Dimensional reduction forms the basis of most analyses of large multivariate time series. Here, we present a new, multitaper-based decomposition for stochastic, multivariate time series that acts on the covariance of the time series at all lags, C (τ), as opposed to standard methods that decompose the time series, X(t), using only information at zero-lag. In both simulated and neural imaging examples, we demonstrate that methods that neglect the full causal structure may be discarding important dynamical information in a time series.
Balanced flux formulations for multidimensional Evans-function computations for viscous shocks

The Evans function is a powerful tool for the stability analysis of viscous shock profiles; zeros of this function carry stability information. In the one-dimensional case, it is typical to compute the Evans function using Goodman's integrated coordinates [G1]; this device facilitates the search for zeros of the Evans function by winding number arguments. Although integrated coordinates are not available in the multidimensional case, we show here that there is a choice of coordinates which gives similar advantages.
Wealth Heterogeneity and the Income Elasticity of Migration

How do income shocks affect international migration flows from poor countries? Income growth not only increases the opportunity cost of migration but also eases liquidity constraints. I develop a method to separate these countervailing individual effects and identify the overall income elasticity of migration. Using new administrative and census data from Indonesia, I find that positive agri- cultural income shocks increase labor emigration flows, particularly in villages with relatively more small landholders. However, in the most developed rural areas, persistent income shocks reduce emigration. Overall, the findings highlight the important role of wealth heterogeneity in shaping migration flows as incomes rise.
Tracing the Cosmological Evolution of Stars and Cold Gas with CMB Spectral Surveys

A full account of galaxy evolution in the context of ΛCDM cosmology requires measurements of the average star-formation rate (SFR) and cold gas abundance across cosmic time. Emission from the CO ladder traces cold gas, and [C II] fine structure emission at 158 μm traces the SFR. Intensity mapping surveys the cumulative surface brightness of emitting lines as a function of redshift, rather than individual galaxies. CMB spectral distortion instruments are sensitive to both the mean and anisotropy of the intensity of redshifted CO and [C II] emission. Large-scale anisotropy is proportional to the product of the mean surface brightness and the line luminosity-weighted bias. The bias provides a connection between galaxy evolution and its cosmological context, and is a unique asset of intensity mapping. Cross-correlation with galaxy redshift surveys allows unambiguous measurements of redshifted line brightness despite residual continuum contamination and interlopers. Measurement of line brightness through cross-correlation also evades cosmic variance and suggests new observation strategies. Galactic foreground emission is ≈10(exp 3) times larger than the expected signals, and this places stringent requirements on instrument calibration and stability. Under a range of assumptions, a linear combination of bands cleans continuum contamination sufficiently that residuals produce a modest penalty over the instrumental noise. For PIXIE, the 2σ sensitivity to CO and [C II] emission scales from »5 ´ 10-2 kJy sr-1 at low redshift to ≈2 kJy sr(exp -1) by reionization.
Charity and public libraries: Does government funding crowd out donations?

This paper analyzes the determinants of donations to public libraries testing the following hypothesis: Is there a crowd out effect from government funding of public libraries? I look at novel data, the Public Library Survey, and use an unbalanced panel of public libraries across the USA from 2000 to 2013. The results suggest a crowd in effect with an inverted U shape in all levels of government. Local government is associated with 4–6 cents increase in donations, state government with 20–23 cents increase, and federal government with 75 cents to 1 dollar and 33 cents.
Controllability to equilibria of the 1-D fokker-planck equation with zero-flux boundary condition

We consider the problem of controlling the spatiotemporal probability distribution of a robotic swarm that evolves according to a reflected diffusion process, using the space- and time-dependent drift vector field parameter as the control variable. In contrast to previous work on control of the Fokker-Planck equation, a zero-flux boundary condition is imposed on the partial differential equation that governs the swarm probability distribution, and only bounded vector fields are considered to be admissible as control parameters. Under these constraints, we show that any initial probability distribution can be transported to a target probability distribution under certain assumptions on the regularity of the target distribution. In particular, we show that if the target distribution is (essentially) bounded, has bounded first-order and second-order partial derivatives, and is bounded from below by a strictly positive constant, then this distribution can be reached exactly using a drift vector field that is bounded in space and time. Our proof is constructive and based on classical linear semigroup theoretic concepts.
Inference in Sparse Graphs with Pairwise Measurements and Side Information

We consider the statistical problem of recovering a hidden "ground truth" binary labeling for the vertices of a graph up to low Hamming error from noisy edge and vertex measurements. We present new algorithms and a sharp finite-sample analysis for this problem on trees and sparse graphs with poor expansion properties such as hypergrids and ring lattices. Our method generalizes and improves over that of Globerson et al. (2015), who introduced the problem for two-dimensional grid lattices. For trees we provide a simple, efficient, algorithm that infers the ground truth with optimal Hamming error has optimal sample complexity and implies recovery results for all connected graphs. Here, the presence of side information is critical to obtain a non-trivial recovery rate. We then show how to adapt this algorithm to tree decompositions of edge-subgraphs of certain graph families such as lattices, resulting in optimal recovery error rates that can be obtained efficiently The thrust of our analysis is to 1) use the tree decomposition along with edge measurements to produce a small class of viable vertex labelings and 2) apply an analysis influenced by statistical learning theory to show that we can infer the ground truth from this class using vertex measurements. We show the power of our method in several examples including hypergrids, ring lattices, and the Newman-Watts model for small world graphs. For two-dimensional grids, our results improve over Globerson et al. (2015) by obtaining optimal recovery in the constant-height regime.
Family-Personalized Dietary Planning with Temporal Dynamics

Poor diet and nutrition in the United States has immense financial and health costs, and development of new tools for diet planning could help families better balance their financial and temporal constraints with the quality of their diet and meals. This paper formulates a novel model for dietary planning that incorporates two types of temporal constraints (i.e., dynamics on the perishability of raw ingredients over time, and constraints on the time required to prepare meals) by explicitly incorporating the relationship between raw ingredients and selected food recipes. Our formulation is a diet planning model with integer-valued decision variables, and so we study the problem of designing approximation algorithms (i.e, algorithms with polynomial-time computation and guarantees on the quality of the computed solution) for our dietary model. We develop a deterministic approximation algorithm that is based on a deterministic variant of randomized rounding, and then evaluate our deterministic approximation algorithm with numerical experiments of dietary planning using a database of about 2000 food recipes and 150 raw ingredients.
The impact of tier 1 reading instruction on reading outcomes for students in Grades 4–12: A meta-analysis

Understanding the efficacy of evidence-based reading practices delivered in the Tier 1 (i.e. general classroom) setting is critical to successful implementation of multi-tiered systems, meeting a diverse range of student learning needs, and providing high quality reading instruction across content areas. This meta-analysis presents evidence on the effects of Tier 1 reading instruction on the reading outcomes of students in Grades 4–12, and a synthesis of effects for students identified as struggling readers. Results from this meta-analysis of 37 publications conducted between 2000 and 2015 reveal significant, positive effects for Tier 1 reading instruction on comprehension and vocabulary outcomes. A synthesis of the results for struggling readers indicates that they maintained or improved reading comprehension over struggling readers receiving typical instruction.
Voting in the limelight

When committees make decisions, voting rules are coupled with one of three disclosure rules: open voting, in which each committee member’s individual vote is revealed; anonymous voting, in which only an anonymized tally is publicized; and secret voting, in which only the outcome is disclosed. I focus on strategic voters who have a preference for strategic ambiguity, and show that the amount of disclosure may have a non-monotonic effect on both the accuracy of the decision and the welfare of the voters. In particular, anonymous voting can yield both lower accuracy and higher welfare than both open and secret voting.
Achieving biosensing at attomolar concentrations of cardiac troponin T in human biofluids by developing a label-free nanoplasmonic analytical assay

Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States (Dariush et al., Circulation, 2015, 131, e29-e322). This highlights the need for early, rapid, and sensitive detection of its occurrence and severity through assaying cardiac biomarkers in human fluids. Herein we report chip-based fabrication of the first label-free, nanoplasmonic biosensor to assay cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in human biofluids (plasma, serum, and urine) with high specificity. The sensing mechanism is based on the adsorption model that measures the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelength shift of anti-cTnT functionalized gold triangular nanoprisms (Au TNPs) induced by a change of their local dielectric environment upon binding of cTnT. We demonstrate that controlled manipulation of the sensing volume and decay length of Au TNPs together with an appropriate surface functionalization and immobilization of anti-cTnT onto TNPs allows us to achieve a limit of detection (LOD) of our cTnT assay at attomolar concentration (∼15 aM) in human plasma. This LOD is at least 50-fold more sensitive than that of other label-free techniques. Furthermore, we demonstrate excellent sensitivity of our sensors in human serum and urine. Importantly, our chip-based fabrication strategy is extremely reproducible. We believe our powerful analytical tool for detection of cTnT directly in human biofluids using this highly reproducible, label-free LSPR sensor will have great potential for early diagnosis of heart attack and thus increase patients' survival rate.
Temporal Analysis of Influence to Predict Users’ Adoption in Online Social Networks

Different measures have been proposed to predict whether individuals will adopt a new behavior in online social networks, given the influence produced by their neighbors. In this paper, we show one can achieve significant improvement over these standard measures, extending them to consider a pair of time constraints. These constraints provide a better proxy for social influence, showing a stronger correlation to the probability of influence as well as the ability to predict influence.
Complementary, Not Competing, Claims of Law and Religion: An Islamic Perspective

Whatever view any of us has about the relationship between law and religion is founded on a certain conception of law in relation to a specific understanding of a particular religion. Whether we accept the possibility of mutual influence, or influence by either normative system on the other, would be premised on our particular expectation of what that influence might be. In other words, our view of this relationship is always based on our knowledge and experience of our own legal and religious normative systems, and not on an abstract conception of law or of religion. This will be the case whether we are supportive or critical of those normative systems. Moreover, some of us may claim or assume that our views of the relationship between law and religion are supported by what we think we know about other legal and religious normative systems.
Structural Investigation of Electrochemically Etched Silicon

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements of four electrochemically etched, porous silicon (PS) samples have been performed over a wide wavevector transfer (Q) range. The intermediate to high Q results can be modeled with a non-particulate, random phase model. Correlation length scales on the order of 1 to 2 nm thought to characterize the PS skeleton have been deduced from the SANS data. The microstructural anisotropy was studied tilting two of the samples with respect to the neutron beam. These samples exhibited an asymmetric scattering pattern at intermediate Q (0.1 ≤ Q ≤ 0.6 nm−1) in this condition. Photoluminescence spectra from all four samples have been recorded as well. A correlation appears to exist between the SANS and photoluminescence measurements. An x-ray diffraction measurement of one sample demonstrates that the PS layer retains the silicon lattice structure. Significant peak broadening is observed that we interpreted as a quasi-particle size effect The PS particle size calculated from the x-ray diffraction measurement is equal to the correlation length obtained in the SANS measurement.
"America First": Prospects for Global Health.

In his inaugural speech, President Trump said, “From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first.” The term has an ugly history, which can be traced to the America First Committee that opposed any US involvement in World War II, with undertones of anti-Semitism. As an expression of nationalistic populism, “America First” is in tension with the global common good. While governments have duties toward their citizens, a nation’s health can be effectively secured only through international cooperation. Trump’s political philosophy—erecting walls (literally and figuratively) and distrusting international law and institutions—rejects core values of shared responsibility and mutual solidarity. In particular, the following 5 policies would make America, and the world, less healthy and secure: Mexico City (Reproductive Health), travel and refugee ban, Global Health Security Agenda, PEPFAR, WHO and the UN System.
Improvement of image resolution beyond classical limit by phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifier

When an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) operated as a phase-sensitive amplifier (PSA) is used for point source imaging, the angular resolution improvement can defeat the classical Rayleigh limit, and approach the de Broglie resolution.
The effect of variations of prior on knowledge tracing

Knowledge tracing is a method which enables approximation of a student’s knowledge state using a Bayesian network for approximation. As the applications of this method increase, it is vital to understand the limits of this approximation. We are interested how well knowledge tracing performs when students’ prior knowledge on the topic is extremely high or low. Our results indicate that the estimates become more erroneous when prior knowledge is extremely high (prior = 0.90).
Computation of the Minimum Stability Degree of Parameter-Dependent Linear Systems by a Branch and Bound Algorithm

Abstract For a linear system that contains unspecified gains that lie between given upper and lower bounds, we consider the problem of determining the most destabilizing set of gains, that is, the set of gains that maximizes the maximum real part of the eigenvalues of the system. The branch and bound algorithm we present is in the worst case combinatoric, but often works well
Limitations of Creatinine as a Filtration Marker in Glomerulopathic Patients

To determine the reliability of creatinine as a measure of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), we compared the simultaneous clearance of creatinine to that of three true filtration markers of graded size in 171 patients with various glomerular diseases. Using inulin (radius [rs] = 15 A) as a reference marker, we found that the fractional clearance of 99mTc-DTPA (rs = 4 A) was 1.02 +/- 0.14, while that of a 19 A rs dextran was 0.98 +/- 0.13, with neither value differing from unity. In contrast, the fractional clearance (relative to inulin) of creatinine (rs = 3 A) exceeded unity, averaging 1.64 +/- 0.05 (P less than 0.001), but could be lowered towards unity by acute blockade of tubular creatinine secretion by IV cimetidine. Cross-sectional analysis of all 171 patients revealed fractional creatinine secretion to vary inversely with GFR. This inverse relationship was confirmed also among individual patients with either deteriorating (N = 28) or remitting (N = 26) glomerular disease, who were studied longitudinally. As a result, changes in creatinine relative to inulin clearance were blunted considerably or even imperceptible. We conclude that true filtration markers with rs less than 20 A, including inulin, are unrestricted in glomerular disease, and that creatinine is hypersecreted progressively by remnant renal tubules as the disease worsens. Accordingly, attempts to use creatinine as a marker with which to evaluate or monitor glomerulopathic patients will result in gross and unpredictable overestimates of the GFR.
Hedging Public-Key Encryption in the Real World

Hedged PKE schemes are designed to provide useful security when the per-message randomness fails to be uniform, say, due to faulty implementations or adversarial actions. A simple and elegant theoretical approach to building such schemes works like this: Synthesize fresh random bits by hashing all of the encryption inputs, and use the resulting hash output as randomness for an underlying PKE scheme.
Renal Tubular Acidosis in a Patient with Recurrent Metabolic Alkalosis

A 7-month-old infant with failure to thrive and recurrent episodes of vomiting and metabolic alkalosis was evaluated. Urine pH, serum bicarbonate, and urine PCO2-blood PCO2 studies were consistent with the diagnosis of distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA-type I). Analysis of serum potassium and chloride levels during periods of alkalosis and acidosis revealed that potassium depletion and hypochloremic volume contraction served to maintain the alkalotic state despite the presence of an underlying chronic acidosis. This case represents an unusual presentation for renal tubular acidosis and suggests that, under certain conditions, renal tubular acidosis may predispose to the maintenance of a metabolic alkalosis.
Employer screening costs, recruiting strategies, and labor market outcomes: An equilibrium analysis of on-campus recruiting

Abstract I analyze labor market matching with search and informational frictions, by studying employer recruiting on college campuses. Based on employer and university interviews, I develop a model describing firms’ choice of target campuses. The model predicts that with costly screening, firms concentrate (per student) at selective universities over those where high-quality students are larger in number, but smaller in proportion. Further, recruiting is affected by nearby universities’ selectivity. This prediction has strong support using data from 39 finance and consulting firms and the Baccalaureate and Beyond. For median-selectivity universities, a better regionally-ranked university is twice as likely to attract a consulting firm, and wages are higher by 4%. Halving screening costs, for example through algorithmic screening, structural estimation shows a 27% increase in the proportion of expected hires from universities outside the top selectivity quartile.
Indicative Conditionals and Dynamic Epistemic Logic.

Recent ideas about epistemic modals and indicative conditionals in formal semantics have significant overlap with ideas in modal logic and dynamic epistemic logic. The purpose of this paper is to show how greater interaction between formal semantics and dynamic epistemic logic in this area can be of mutual benefit. In one direction, we show how concepts and tools from modal logic and dynamic epistemic logic can be used to give a simple, complete axiomatization of Yalcin's [16] semantic consequence relation for a language with epistemic modals and indicative conditionals. In the other direction, the formal semantics for indicative conditionals due to Kolodny and MacFarlane [9] gives rise to a new dynamic operator that is very natural from the point of view of dynamic epistemic logic, allowing succinct expression of dependence (as in dependence logic) or supervenience statements. We prove decidability for the logic with epistemic modals and Kolodny and MacFarlane's indicative conditional via a full and faithful computable translation from their logic to the modal logic K45.
Quantum information processing with trapped ions

Experiments directed towards the development of a quantum computer based on trapped atomic ions are described briefly. We discuss the implementation of single-qubit operations and gates between qubits. A geometric phase gate between two ion qubits is described. Limitations of the trapped-ion method such as those caused by Stark shifts and spontaneous emission are addressed. Finally, we describe a strategy to realize a large-scale device.
Designing a Synchronization-reducing Clustering Method on Manycores: Some Issues and Improvements

The k-means clustering method is one of the most widely used techniques in big data analytics. In this paper, we explore the ideas of software blocking, asynchronous local optimizations, and heuristics of simulated annealing to improve the performance of k-means clustering. Like most of the machine learning methods, the performance of k-means clustering relies on two main factors: the computing speed (per iteration), and the convergence rate. A straightforward realization of the software-blocking synchronization-reducing clustering algorithm, however, sees sporadic slower convergence rate than the standard k-means algorithm. To tackle the issues, we design an annealing-enhanced algorithm, which introduces the heuristics of stop conditions and annealing steps to provide as good or better performance than the standard k-means algorithm. This new enhanced k-means clustering algorithm is able to offer the same clustering quality as the standard k-means. Experiments with real-world datasets show that the new parallel implementation is faster than the open source HPC library of Parallel K-Means Data Clustering (e.g., 19% faster on relatively large datasets with 32 CPU cores, and 11% faster on a large dataset with 1,024 CPU cores). Moreover, the extent to which the program performance improves is largely determined by the actual convergence rate of applying the algorithm to different datasets.
In Vivo Dentate Nucleus Gamma-aminobutyric Acid Concentration in Essential Tremor vs. Controls

Despite its high prevalence, essential tremor (ET) is among the most poorly understood neurological diseases. The presence and extent of Purkinje cell (PC) loss in ET is the subject of controversy. PCs are a major storehouse of central nervous system gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), releasing GABA at the level of the dentate nucleus. It is therefore conceivable that cerebellar dentate nucleus GABA concentration could be an in vivo marker of PC number. We used in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to quantify GABA concentrations in two cerebellar volumes of interest, left and right, which included the dentate nucleus, comparing 45 ET cases to 35 age-matched controls. 1H MRS was performed using a 3.0-T Siemens Tim Trio scanner. The MEGA-PRESS J-editing sequence was used for GABA detection in two cerebellar volumes of interest (left and right) that included the dentate nucleus. The two groups did not differ with respect to our primary outcome of GABA concentration (given in institutional units). For the right dentate nucleus, [GABA] in ET cases = 2.01 ± 0.45 and [GABA] in controls = 1.86 ± 0.53, p = 0.17. For the left dentate nucleus, [GABA] in ET cases = 1.68 ± 0.49 and [GABA] controls = 1.80 ± 0.53, p = 0.33. The controls had similar dentate nucleus [GABA] in the right vs. left dentate nucleus (p = 0.52); however, in ET cases, the value on the right was considerably higher than that on the left (p = 0.001). We did not detect a reduction in dentate nucleus GABA concentration in ET cases vs. controls. One interpretation of the finding is that it does not support the existence of PC loss in ET; however, an alternative interpretation is the observed pattern could be due to the effects of terminal sprouting in ET (i.e., collateral sprouting from surviving PCs making up for the loss of GABA-ergic terminals from PC degeneration). Further research is needed.
Cleaning the Ganges in Varanasi to Attract Tourists

Despite the salience of Mr. Narendra Modi's campaign from both environmental and touristic standpoints, the extant literature contains no theoretical studies of the clean-up of the Ganges and its connection to tourism. Hence, we use a simple model and provide the first stochastic analysis of the Ganges clean-up process and the attraction of tourists to Varanasi.
A theory of pricing private data

When the analysis of individuals' personal information has value to an institution, but it compromises privacy, should individuals be compensated? We describe the foundations of a market in which those seeking access to data must pay for it and individuals are compensated for the loss of privacy they may suffer.
Human IGF-I Propeptide a promotes articular chondrocyte biosynthesis and employs glycosylation-dependent heparin binding

Abstract Background Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a key regulator of chondrogenesis, but its therapeutic application to articular cartilage damage is limited by rapid elimination from the repair site. The human IGF-I gene gives rise to three IGF-I propeptides (proIGF-IA, proIGF-IB and proIGF-IC) that are cleaved to create mature IGF-I. In this study, we elucidate the processing of IGF-I precursors by articular chondrocytes, and test the hypotheses that proIGF-I isoforms bind to heparin and regulate articular chondrocyte biosynthesis. Methods Human IGF-I propeptides and mutants were overexpressed in bovine articular chondrocytes. IGF-I products were characterized by ELISA, western blot and FPLC using a heparin column. The biosynthetic activity of IGF-I products on articular chondrocytes was assayed for DNA and glycosaminoglycan that the cells produced. Results Secreted IGF-I propeptides stimulated articular chondrocyte biosynthetic activity to the same degree as mature IGF-I. Of the three IGF-I propeptides, only one, proIGF-IA, strongly bound to heparin. Interestingly, heparin binding of proIGF-IA depended on N-glycosylation at Asn92 in the EA peptide. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that N-glycosylation determines the binding of a heparin-binding protein to heparin. Conclusion The biosynthetic and heparin binding abilities of proIGF-IA, coupled with its generation of IGF-I, suggest that proIGF-IA may have therapeutic value for articular cartilage repair. General significance These data identify human pro-insulin-like growth factor IA as a bifunctional protein. Its combined ability to bind heparin and augment chondrocyte biosynthesis makes it a promising therapeutic agent for cartilage damage due to trauma and osteoarthritis.
A polyhedral approach to online bipartite matching

We study the i.i.d. online bipartite matching problem, a dynamic version of the classical model where one side of the bipartition is fixed and known in advance, while nodes from the other side appear one at a time as i.i.d. realizations of a uniform distribution, and must immediately be matched or discarded. We consider various relaxations of the polyhedral set of achievable matching probabilities, introduce valid inequalities, and discuss when they are facet-defining. We also show how several of these relaxations correspond to ranking policies and their time-dependent generalizations. We finally present a computational study of these relaxations and policies to determine their empirical performance.
Self-Representation, Access to Justice, and the Quality of Counsel: A Comment on Rabeea Assy’s Injustice in Person: The Right of Self-Representation

Rabeea Assy’s Injustice in Person: The Right of Self-Representation (Oxford University Press) offers a powerful argument against the right of self-representation in civil cases. Selfrepresentation is usually ineffective for the self-represented litigant, sometimes verging on suicidal, and it is inefficient for the courts, which have to deal with litigants who don’t know procedure, violate rules, and waste time with pointless and sometimes incoherent arguments. Furthermore, pro se litigants not only waste the court’s time, they waste their adversaries’ time and money, and impose opportunity costs on other litigants by clogging up the courts – so an unlimited right of self-representation may inflict collateral damage beyond wasting judges’ time and trying their patience. It is simply a mistake to think that self-representation is a partial solution to the problem of access to justice. This commentary raises several concerns about his argument, focusing in particular on the dilemma facing litigants who realize too late that their counsel is incompetent, or who for whatever reason find it impossible to hire competent counsel in high-stakes matters. Based on these concerns, I suggest several categories of non-simple cases where his proposed mandatoryrepresentation rule should create exceptions: those where self-representation is the client’s only chance; those where the need to hire counsel changes an economically rational case into a loser; those where the client is actually indigent; prisoner petitions; and cases where counsel, possibly for valid paternalistic reasons, won’t provide clients with the voice to which they have a right.
A QUINHYDRONE-COLLODION ELECTRODE OF SPECIAL APPLICABILITY IN EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY

All the accepted methods of determining the hydrogen ion activity of biological fluids require extensive alteration and manipulation of the fluid itself. If the hydrogen electrode is used, the solution must be saturated with hydrogen; if an oxidation-reduction system is set up, as with quinhydrone, the solution must be saturated with the substance comprising the system. The only exception to this is the glass electrode, which for several reasons is unsuited to routine work.There appeared to be a real need for an electrode which would be precise in potential values, reasonably rapid in its responses, simple to prepare and, above all, capable of functioning without alteration of the solution being examined. Such an electrode obviously could not be a gas electrode; and of the possible oxidation-reduction systems, the utilization of quinhydrone appeared the most feasible since this system has been well studied.In principle, the device which we have called the quinhydrone-collodion electrode consists of a very...
Estimation of clinical trial success rates and related parameters

Previous estimates of drug development success rates rely on relatively small samples from databases curated by the pharmaceutical industry and are subject to potential selection biases. Using a sample of 406 038 entries of clinical trial data for over 21 143 compounds from January 1, 2000 to October 31, 2015, we estimate aggregate clinical trial success rates and durations. We also compute disaggregated estimates across several trial features including disease type, clinical phase, industry or academic sponsor, biomarker presence, lead indication status, and time. In several cases, our results differ significantly in detail from widely cited statistics. For example, oncology has a 3.4% success rate in our sample vs. 5.1% in prior studies. However, after declining to 1.7% in 2012, this rate has improved to 2.5% and 8.3% in 2014 and 2015, respectively. In addition, trials that use biomarkers in patient-selection have higher overall success probabilities than trials without biomarkers.