cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consistent Variance of the Laplace Type Estimators: Application to DSGE Models

The Laplace-type estimator has become popular in applied macroeconomics, in particular for estimation of dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models. It is often obtained as the mean and variance of a parameter's quasi-posterior distribution, which is defined using a classical estimation objective. We demonstrate that the objective must be properly scaled; otherwise, arbitrarily small confidence intervals can be obtained if calculated directly from the quasi-posterior distribution. We estimate a standard DSGE model and find that scaling up the objective may be useful in estimation with problematic parameter identification. It this case, however, it is important to adjust the quasi-posterior variance to obtain valid confidence intervals.
Prognostic factors in multiple myeloma

The median duration of survival for patients with multiple myeloma ranges from 2.5 to 3 years. However, there is considerable variability from one patient to another. Renal function as determined from blood urea nitrogen or serum creatinine values, hemoglobin value, calcium level and performance status have been recognized as prognostic factors for more than 20 years. A study of 107 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma at the Mayo Clinic showed that plasma cell labeling index (PCLI); levels of thymidine kinase, beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-M), serum albumin, and C-reactive protein; and age were all significant univariate prognostic factors. Only PCLI and beta 2-M levels had independent prognostic significance. Among nine patients younger than 65 years with low PCLI and low beta 2-M levels, eight were alive almost six years after starting chemotherapy. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a significant univariate predictor of survival in myeloma. An elevated lactate dehydrogenase content is associated with a poor prognosis. An elevated soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) level is an independent factor associated with shorter survival. In one study, the addition of sIL-6R to PCLI and beta 2-M to the analysis doubled the proportion of patients identified as high-risk. In this study, the two-year survival was 41% at two years if the PCLI was > or = 2%, beta 2-M was > or = 4.0 micrograms/dl, or sIL-6R was > 300 ng/ml. When none of these three factors were increased, the estimated two-year survival was 83%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Food Safety and Spinach Demand: A Shock Correction Model

This paper generalizes the standard error correction model and applies this more general modeling procedure to an analysis of the spinach e-coli outbreak on consumer demand.
Online SLAM with any-time self-calibration and automatic change detection

A framework for online simultaneous localization, mapping and self-calibration is presented which can detect and handle significant change in the calibration parameters. Estimates are computed in constant-time by factoring the problem and focusing on segments of the trajectory that are most informative for the purposes of calibration. A novel technique is presented to detect the probability that a significant change is present in the calibration parameters. The system is then able to re-calibrate. Maximum likelihood trajectory and map estimates are computed using an asynchronous and adaptive optimization. The system requires no prior information and is able to initialize without any special motions or routines, or in the case where observability over calibration parameters is delayed. The system is experimentally validated to calibrate camera intrinsic parameters for a nonlinear camera model on a monocular dataset featuring a significant zoom event partway through, and achieves high accuracy despite unknown initial calibration parameters. Self-calibration and re-calibration parameters are shown to closely match estimates computed using a calibration target. The accuracy of the system is demonstrated with SLAM results that achieve sub-1% distance-travel error even in the presence of significant re-calibration events.
Type systems for programming languages

Publisher Summary This chapter presents some basic issues in the type-theoretic study of programming language concepts. It presents Church's typed lambda calculus as an illustrative example. The chapter also presents a survey of typing features such as polymorphism, data abstraction, and automatic inference of type information. The main topics discussed in the study of typed lambda calculus are context-sensitive syntax and typing rules, a reduction system modeling program execution, an equational axiom system, and semantic models. Henkin models are used as the primary semantic framework with emphasis on three examples: set-theoretic, recursion-theoretic, and domain-theoretic hierarchies of functions. The chapter presents completeness theorems for arbitrary Henkin models and models without empty types, followed by an introduction to Cartesian closed categories and Kripke-style models. The technique of logical relations is used to prove a semantic completeness theorem and Church–Rosser and strong normalization properties of reduction. Logical relations also encompass basic model-theoretic constructions such as quotients.
INCORPORATING SERVICE LEARNING IN YOUR COURSES: TIPS FROM THE TRENCHES

Service learning is a form of experiential learning that can benefit the student, the campus, and the community. This paper is designed to introduce faculty to service learning, and assist instructors with the nuts and bolts of designing and implementing a successful service learning experience for students.
A graph-based inference method for conditional independence

The graphoid axioms for conditional independence, originally described by Dawid [1979], are fundamental to probabilistic reasoning [Pearl, 1988]. Such axioms provide a mechanism for manipulating conditional independence assertions without resorting to their numerical definition. This paper explores a representation for independence statements using multiple undirected graphs and some simple graphical transformations. The independence statements derivable in this system are equivalent to those obtainable by the graphoid axioms. Therefore, this is a purely graphical proof technique for conditional independence.
Screening for selective small molecule inhibitors of the proteasome using activity-based probes.

Abstract The proteasome's role in fundamental biological processes ranging from control of the cell cycle to production of peptides for display to immune cells has been uncovered with the help of small molecule inhibitors. Most of the commonly used inhibitors have been designed and synthesized by organic chemists or by Nature. To continue to develop new inhibitors and reagents for the proteasome, a rapid screening method is required that allows not only assessment of potency but also selectivity of inhibitors for each of the primary catalytic sites in the complex. This chapter outlines methods for the solid‐phase synthesis of diverse peptide vinyl sulfone libraries and a rapid screen for potent and selective inhibitors that makes use of an active site label (Nazif and Bogyo, 2001). This assay can be performed with small quantities of total cellular extracts as a source of enzyme and can be used to rapidly screen virtually any potential inhibitor.
Can information costs affect consumer choice? Nutritional labels in a supermarket experiment

This paper investigates whether information costs under currently regulated nutritional labeling prevent consumers from making healthier food choices. We implement five nutritional shelf label treatments in a market-level experiment. These labels reduce information costs by highlighting and summarizing information available on the Nutritional Facts Panel. Following a difference-in-differences and synthetic control method approach, we analyze weekly store-level scanner data for microwave popcorn purchases from treatment and control stores. Our results suggest that consumer purchases are affected by information costs. Implemented low calorie and no trans fat labels increase sales. In contrast, implemented low fat labels decrease sales, suggesting that consumer response is also influenced by consumers' taste perceptions. A combination of these claims into one label treatment increases information costs and does not affect sales significantly.
Theoretical Models for Application in School Health Education Research

Abstract Theoretical models that may be useful to research studies in school health education are reviewed. Selected, well-defined theories include social learning theory, problem-behavior theory, theory of reasoned action, communications theory, coping theory, social competence, and social and family theories. Also reviewed are multiple theory models including models of health related-behavior, the PRECEDE Framework, social-psychological approaches and the Activated Health Education Model. Two major reviews of teaching models are also discussed. The paper concludes with a brief outline of the general applications of theory to the field of school health education including applications to basic research, development and design of interventions, program evaluation, and program utilization.
Galactocentric Distance with the OGLE and Hipparcos Red Clump Stars

We compare red clump stars with parallaxes known to better than 10% in the Hipparcos catalog and corrected for interstellar extinction with the OGLE red clump stars in Baade's Window, also corrected for interstellar extinction. There are ~600 and ~10,000 such stars in the two data sets, respectively. We find empirically that the average I-band magnitude of red clump stars does not depend on their intrinsic color in the range 0.8 < (V-I)0 < 1.4. The red clump luminosity function is well represented by a Gaussian with the peak at MI0,m = -0.28 and the dispersion σRC ≈ 0.2 mag. This allows a single-step determination of the distance to the Galactic center and gives R0 = 8.4±0.4 kpc. The number of red clump stars is so large that the formal statistical error is only ~1%. The local stars are relatively blue and have a small color dispersion: (V−I) = 1.01 and σ(V−I) = 0.08, while for the bulge stars (V−I)0 = 1.22 and σ(V−I)0=0.14. Presumably, the bulge population has a broader range and a higher average metallicity than the local disk population.
Students’ distributive reasoning with fractions and unknowns

To understand relationships between students’ quantitative reasoning with fractions and their algebraic reasoning, a clinical interview study was conducted with 18 middle and high school students. The study included six students with each of three different multiplicative concepts, which are based on how students create and coordinate composite units (units of units). Students participated in two 45-min semi-structured interviews and completed a written fraction assessment. This paper reports on how 12 students operating with the second and third multiplicative concepts demonstrated distributive reasoning in equal sharing problems and in taking fractions of unknowns. Students operating with the second multiplicative concept who demonstrated distributive reasoning appeared to lack awareness of the results of their reasoning, while students operating with the third multiplicative concept demonstrated this awareness and the construction of more advanced distributive reasoning when they worked with unknowns. Implications for relationships between students’ fractional knowledge and algebraic reasoning are explored.
Real-valued all-dimensions search: low-overhead rapid searching over subsets of attributes

This paper is about searching the combinatorial space of contingency tables during the inner loop of a nonlinear statistical optimization. Examples of this operation in various data analytic communities include searching for nonlinear combinations of attributes that contribute significantly to a regression (Statistics), searching for items to include in a decision list (machine learning) and association rule hunting (Data Mining). This paper investigates a new, efficient approach to this class of problems, called RADSEARCH (Real-valued All-Dimensions-tree Search). RADSEARCH finds the global optimum, and this gives us the opportunity to empirically evaluate the question: apart from algorithmic elegance what does this attention to optimality buy us? We compare RADSEARCH with other recent successful search algorithms such as CN2, PRIM, APriori, OPUS and DenseMiner. Finally, we introduce RADREG, a new regression algorithm for learning real-valued outputs based on RADSEARCHing for highorder interactions.
Towards scalable management of privacy obligations in enterprises

Privacy management is important for enterprises that collect, store, access and disclose personal data. Among other things, the management of privacy includes dealing with privacy obligations that dictate duties and expectations an enterprise has to comply with, in terms of data retention, deletion, notice requirements, etc. This is still a green area open to research and innovation: it is about enabling privacy-aware information lifecycle management. This paper provides an overview of the work we have done in this space: definition of an obligation management model and a related framework; implementation of a prototype of an obligation management system integrated both in the context of the PRIME project and with an HP identity management solution. This paper then focuses on an important open issue: how to make our approach scalable, in case large amounts of personal data have to be managed. Thanks to our integration work and the feedback we received, we learnt more about how users and enterprises are likely to deal with privacy obligations. We describe these findings and how to leverage them. Specifically, in the final part of this paper we introduce and discuss the concepts of parametric obligation and “hybrid” obligation management and how this can improve the scalability and flexibility of our system. Our work is in progress. Further research and development is going to be done in the context of the PRIME project and an HP Labs project.
Parking space management via dynamic performance-based pricing

Abstract In congested urban areas, it remains a pressing challenge to reduce unnecessary vehicle circling for parking while at the same time maximize parking space utilization. In observance of new information technologies that have become readily accessible to drivers and parking agencies, we develop a dynamic non-cooperative bi-level model (i.e. Stackelberg leader-follower game) to set parking prices in real-time for effective parking access and space utilization. The model is expected to fit into an integrated parking pricing and management system, where parking reservations and transactions are facilitated by sensing and informatics infrastructures, that ensures the availability of convenient spaces at equilibrium market prices. It is shown with numerical examples that the proposed dynamic parking pricing model has the potential to virtually eliminate vehicle circling for parking, which results in significant reduction in adverse socioeconomic externalities such as traffic congestion and emissions.
Reflections: Michael Watts interviewed by Murat Arsel

Michael Watts is ‘Class of 1963’ Chair in Undergraduate Studies and Chancellor’s Professor of Geography at the University of California, Berkeley. Born and raised in rural southwest England, Watts studied at University College London and completed his PhD in 1979 at the University of Michigan. Bringing long-term ethnographic research in Africa and critical engagement with Marxist political economy to bear on themes such as Third World poverty, food security, the agrarian question, oil-led development and violence, Watts has long been a leading figure in development studies and African studies as well as being instrumental in the development of the field of political ecology. Having published numerous articles in scholarly journals in geography and beyond, he is also the author and editor of several books including Silent Violence (1983), Reworking Modernity: Capitalisms and Symbolic Discontent (1992, with A. Pred), Liberation Ecologies (1996 and 2004, with R. Peet), The Hettner Lectures: Geographies of Violence (2000), Violent Environments (2001, with N. Peluso) and the Curse of the Black Gold (2008, with photographer Ed Kashi). He was director of the African Studies Centre from 2005 to 2008 and of the Institute of International Studies at Berkeley from 1994 to 2004. He has been named a Guggenheim fellow, a fellow at the Stanford Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, and is currently completing a book on oil and insurgency in Nigeria.
The Dynamics of Exports and Productivity at the Plant Level: A Panel Data Error Correction Model (ECM) Approach

This article examines the short-run and long-run dynamics of the export-productivity relationship for Turkish manufacturing industries. We use an error correction model (ECM) estimated using a system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimator to achieve this objective. Our results suggest that permanent productivity shocks generate larger long-run export level responses, as compared to long-run productivity responses from permanent export shocks. This result suggests that industrial policy should be geared toward permanent improvements in plant-productivity in order to have sustainable long-run export and economic growth.
Viewpoint: On the generalizability of lab behaviour to the field

Abstract. We can think of no question more fundamental to experimental economics than understanding whether, and under what circumstances, laboratory results generalize to naturally occurring environments. In this paper, we extend Levitt and List (2006) to the class of games in which financial payoffs and ‘doing the right thing’ are not necessarily in conflict. We argue that behaviour is crucially linked to not only the preferences of people, but also the properties of the situation. By doing so, we are able to provide a road map of the psychological and economic properties of people and situations that might interfere with generalizability of laboratory result from a broad class of games.
Efficient Compensation for Regulatory Takings and Oregon's Measure 37

Summary In scenario 1, a full-compensation rule leads to efficient regulation but inefficient overinvestment, a result consistent with the previous literature. A no-compensation rule leads to overregulation and corresponding underinvestment as a response. More complicated compensation rules, such as those of Miceli and Segerson (1994, 1996) and Hermalin (1995), would be necessary to achieve efficiency under these conditions. The key element of the scenario is that the property owner chooses investment before the government has the opportunity to assess social cost and regulate land use. Scenario 2 Suppose instead that events occur in the following sequence. At time 1, the government implements a permit requirement, requiring the owner to apply for a permit before developing his property. At time 2, random variable p is realized and the owner submits a permit application, specifying p and I . At time 3, random variable s is realized, and the government chooses whether to allow development. At time 4, any required
Homo economicus Evolves

Economic models can benefit from incorporating insights from psychology, but behavior in the lab might be a poor guide to real-world behavior.
Monopolistic competition, trade, and endogenous spatial fluctuations

Abstract This paper presents a model that exhibits the same richness of results as Krugman’s (1991b, Increasing returns and economic geography, Journal of Political Economy 99, 483–499) core–periphery model and is nonetheless reducible to a system of explicit differential equations. This makes it possible to provide an analytical investigation of the conditions that support the existence of multiple equilibria and endogenous spatial fluctuations driven by self-fulfilling and self-rewarding expectations. In so doing, the paper sheds light on how impediments to trade and factor mobility can affect the relative importance of history (‘initial endowments’) and expectations (‘initial beliefs’) in determining the evolution of the spatial distribution of economic activities.
On Landau’s Eigenvalue Theorem and Information Cut-Sets

A variation of Landau’s eigenvalue theorem describing the phase transition of the eigenvalues of a time-frequency limiting, self adjoint operator is presented. The total number of degrees of freedom of square-integrable, multidimensional, bandlimited functions is defined in terms of Kolmogorov’s $n$ -width and computed in some limiting regimes, where the original theorem cannot be directly applied. Results are used to characterize up to order the total amount of information that can be transported in time and space by multiple-scattered electromagnetic waves, rigorously addressing a question originally posed in the early works of Toraldo di Francia and Gabor. Applications in the context of wireless communication and electromagnetic sensing are discussed.
A logic programming language with Lambda-abstraction, function variables, and simple unification

It has been argued elsewhere that a logic programming language with function variables and λ-abstractions within terms makes a very good meta-programming language, especially when an object language contains notions of bound variables and scope. The λProlog logic programming language and the closely related Elf and Isabelle systems provide meta-programs with both function variables and λ-abstractions by containing implementations of higher-order unification. In this paper, we present a logic programming language, called Lλ, that also contains both function variables and λ-abstractions, but certain restriction are placed on occurrences of function variables. As a result, an implementation of Lλ does not need to implement full higher-order unification. Instead, an extension to first-order unification that respects bound variable names and scopes is all that is required. Such unification problems are shown to be decidable and to possess most general unifiers when unifiers exist. A unification algorithm and logic programming interpreter are described and proved correct. Several examples of using Lλ as a meta-programming language are presented.
Public Land Use Constraints: Lot and House Configuration

The public sector constrains the size and shape of lots and buildings via zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations. Zoning ordinances utilize setback requirements, open space ratios, minimum l...
Relative Entropy and Inductive Inference

We discuss how the method of maximum entropy, MaxEnt, can be extended beyond its original scope, as a rule to assign a probability distribution, to a full‐fledged method for inductive inference. The main concept is the (relative) entropy S[p|q] which is designed as a tool to update from a prior probability distribution q to a posterior probability distribution p when new information in the form of a constraint becomes available. The extended method goes beyond the mere selection of a single posterior p, but also addresses the question of how much less probable other distributions might be. Our approach clarifies how the entropy S[p|q] is used while avoiding the question of its meaning. Ultimately, entropy is a tool for induction which needs no interpretation. Finally, being a tool for generalization from special examples, we ask whether the functional form of the entropy depends on the choice of the examples and we find that it does. The conclusion is that there is no single general theory of inductive inference and that alternative expressions for the entropy are possible.
DEVELOPMENT OF A STOCHASTIC MODEL TO EVALUATE PLANT GROWERS' ENTERPRISE BUDGETS

Increased domestic concentration and international competition in the floricultural industry are forcing growers to improve resource management efficiency. Cost management and cost accounting methods are becoming key tools as growers attempt to reduce costs. These tools allow growers to allocate costs for each crop, increasing their greenhouse planning abilities. Growers have a relative high degree of risk due to potential crop and market failure. Individual growers have different tolerance for risk and risk bearing capacity. Growers need a cost accounting system that incorporates production and market risk, a system that allows them to make informed business decisions. The research reported in this paper developed a greenhouse budgeting model that incorporated risk to allow growers to compare production costs for flowers with different genetics and production technologies. This enables greenhouse growers to make production management decisions that incorporate production and market risk. The model gives growers the option of imputing their own production data to evaluate how various yield and price assumptions influence income and expense projections, and ultimately, profit. The model allows growers to compare total production cost and revenue varying grower type, production time, geographical location, operation size, and cost structure. The model evaluates budgets for growers who market to mass-market retail operations or wholesale intermediaries who sell to merchandisers or flower shops distribution channels. The model was demonstrated with sample data to illustrate how incorporating risk analysis into a grower's greenhouse budget model effects resource allocation and production decisions as compare to a budget model that does not incorporate risk. Deterministic and stochastic models were used to demonstrate differences in production decisions under various assumptions. The stochastic model introduced prices and flowering characteristics variability. The @Risk software was used to generate the random number simulation of the stochastic model, and stochastic dominance analysis was used to rank the alternatives. The result for both the deterministic and stochastic models identified the same cultivar as most profitable. However, there were differences in crop profits levels and rankings for subsequent cultivars that could influence growers' production choice decisions. The grower's risk aversion level influenced his/her choice of the most profitable cultivars in the stochastic model. The model summarizes the sources of variability that affect cost and revenue. The model enables the grower to measure effects that change in productivity might have on profit. Growers can identify items in their budget that have a greater effect on profitability, and make adjustments. The model can be used to allocate cost across activities, so the grower would be able to measure the economic impact of an item on the budget.
Creating Entrepreneurs: Making Miracles Happen

This is the Age of the Entrepreneur! (F Kiesner) Developing Entrepreneurs Through Mentorship! (S Tan) Entrepreneurship Educators Need to be Enterprising! (C Collet & B O'Cinneida) The Celtic Tiger Economy, A New Perspective! (T O Keeffe) The Miracle of Changing the Mindset! (J Romaguera) The Entrepreneur's Ethical Survival Kit! (A Gross-Schaeffer) Can a Young Person Really be an Entrepreneur? (B Keywell) Developing Effective Business Plans (C Hofer) What is an Entrepreneur All About? (F Kiesner) What is it You Want Out of Life? (F Kiesner) and other papers.
A Dynamical Simulation Facility for Hybrid Systems

This paper establishes a general framework for describing hybrid dynamical systems which is particularly suitable for numerical simulation. In this context, the data structures used to describe the sets and functions which comprise the dynamical system are crucial since they provide the link between a natural mathematical formulation of a problem and the correct application of standard numerical algorithms. We describe a partial implementation of the design methodology and use this simulation tool for a specific control problem in robotics as an illustration of the utility of the approach for practical applications.
Data Dependence Profiling for Speculative Optimizations

Data dependence analysis is the foundation to many reordering related compiler optimizations and loop parallelization. Traditional data dependence analysis algorithms are developed primarily for Fortran-like subscripted array variables. They are not very effective for pointer-based references in C or C++. With more advanced hardware support for speculative execution, such as the advanced load instructions in Intel’s IA64 architecture, some data dependences with low probability can be speculatively ignored. However, such speculative optimizations must be carefully applied to avoid excessive cost associated with potential mis-speculations. Data dependence profiling is one way to provide probabilistic information on data dependences to guide such speculative optimizations and speculative thread generation. Software-based data dependence profiling requires detailed tracing of memory accesses, therefore, could be very time consuming. In this paper, we examine issues related to data dependence profiling, and propose various techniques to improve the efficiency of data dependence profiling. We use the Open Research Compiler (ORC) [15,16] to test the efficiency of our data profiling techniques. We also study the effectiveness of data dependence profiling on data speculative optimizations on Itanium systems. Our results show that efficient data dependence profiling could improve the performance for data speculative optimizations.
Two-Color Schrodinger Functional with Six-Flavors of Stout-Smeared Wilson Fermions

We study the Schrodinger functional running coupling in the SU (2) gauge theory with six-flavors of massless fermions. The aim is to determine whether the above theory has an infrared fixed point (IRFP). We use the standard Wilson gauge action and the stout-smeared Wilson fermion action. Here we present a determination of the critical mass as a function of the bare coupling and a preliminary study of the phase diagram of this lattice action. We also find preliminary indication that this theory has no IRFP. While this conclusion is not yet definite, we also show that with this approach we will be able to take a proper continuum limit and clearly determine the status of this theory with a reasonable amount of computer time.
Media Impact of Nutrition Information on Food Choice

This study estimated the impact of nutrition information provided by popular media on consumers’ purchases in U.S. grocery stores, taking omega-3 fortified eggs as an example. The media index was constructed from multiple information sources by utilizing computer-coded content analysis. Their probability of purchasing omega-3 eggs between 1998 and 2007 based on household-level scanner data was analyzed by logistic regression models to incorporate elements of information effects. The results showed the significant positive impact of nutritional information from the popular media on consumers’ food choices, thus publishing in popular media can be an effective communication approach to promote consumers’ health.
Agrobacterium Ti plasmids as a tool for genetic engineering in plants.

The technology of cloning poses issues and presents possibilities that were almost unimaginable only a few years ago. With the aid of restriction endonucleases and ligase, the biochemist can literally be a genetic architect. If a means can be devised for detecting its presence, a desired gene can be cloned in Escherichia coli, and plasmid DNA can be isolated that contains the gene in high concentration and purity. The gene can then be excised from the E. coli vector plasmid and inserted into other vectors for introduction into a eukaryotic cell. Monkey kidney tissue culture cells, for example, have been shown to produce mouse globulin after introduction of the mouse globulin gene attached to SV40 viral DNA (Hamer and Leder, 1979). In the view of some critics (Goodfield, 1977? Packard, 1977) experiments of this sort pose ethical question and raise the specter of manipulation of the human gene pool. However, the application of recombinant DNA technology to agricultural crop improvement has not been subjected to such criticism. Man has been manipulating the genomes of crop plants for centuries by more traditional methods. Crop improvement by direct manipulation of DNA appears to be a socially acceptable extension of plant breeding efforts. Thus the obstacles that beset the plant genetic engineer are chiefly technical rather than social ones.
Directed search and job rotation

Abstract We consider the impact of job rotation in a directed search model in which firm sizes are endogenously determined and match quality is initially unknown. A large firm benefits from the opportunity to rotate workers so as to partially overcome the loss of mismatch. As a result, in the unique symmetric equilibrium, large firms have higher labor productivity and lower separation rates. In contrast to the standard directed search model with multi-vacancy firms, this model can generate a positive correlation between firm size and wage without introducing any ex ante productivity differences or imposing any non-concave production function assumptions.
An Evaluation of Alternative Disk Scheduling Techniques in Support of Variable Bit Rate Continuous Media

A number of recent studies have investigated scheduling techniques in support of variable bit rate (VBR) video. When compared with constant bit rate (CBR) video, VBR has a lower storage and bandwidth requirement while providing the same quality of images. However, a VBR video clip might exhibit a significant variance in the bit rate required to support its continuous display. The previous studies have proposed techniques to support the display of a VBR clip from two different perspectives: disk storage subsystem and the network. In this study, we propose a taxonomy of VBR disk scheduling techniques that includes those proposed for the network. The results demonstrate that a new class of disk scheduling techniques, termed Atomic — VR 2 VITAL, is superior. Algorithms used to represent this class were adopted from the networking literature.
Sequential thresholds: context sensitive default extensions

Default logic encounters some conceptual difficulties in representing common sense reasoning tasks. We argue that we should not try to formulate modular default rules that are presumed to work in all or most circumstances. We need to take into account the importance of the context which is continuously evolving during the reasoning process. Sequential thresholding is a quantitative counterpart of default logic which makes explicit the role context plays in the construction of a non-monotonic extension. We present a semantic characterization of generic nonmonotonic reasoning, as well as the instantiations pertaining to default logic and sequential thresholding. This provides a link between the two mechanisms as well as a way to integrate the two that can be beneficial to both.
Durability Prediction of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode Material under Thermomechanical and Fuel Gas Contaminant Effects

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operate under harsh environments, which cause the deterioration of anode material properties and service life. In addition to electrochemical performance, the structural integrity of the SOFC anode is essential for successful long-term operation. The SOFC anode is subjected to stresses at high temperature, thermal/redox cycles, and fuel gas contaminant effects during long-term operation. These mechanisms can alter the anode microstructure and affect its electrochemical and structural properties. In this research, anode material degradation mechanisms are briefly reviewed and an anode material durability model is developed and implemented in finite-element analysis. The model takes into account thermomechanical and fuel gas contaminant degradation mechanisms for predicting the long-term structural integrity of the SOFC anode. The proposed model is validated experimentally using a NexTech Probostatt SOFC button cell test apparatus integrated with a Sagnac optical setup for simultaneously measuring electrochemical performance and in situ anode surface deformation.
Fiscal multipliers in Japan

In this paper, we estimate government purchase multipliers for Japan, following the approach used previously for a panel of OECD countries (Auerbach and Gorodnichenko, 2013). This approach allows multipliers to vary smoothly according to the state of the economy and uses real-time forecast data to purge policy innovations of their predictable components. For a sample period extending from 1960 to 2012, estimates for Japan are quite consistent with those previously estimated for the OECD as well as those estimated using a slightly different methodology for the United States (Auerbach and Gorodnichenko, 2012). However, estimates based only on more recent observations are less stable and provide weaker support for the effectiveness of government purchases at stimulating economic activity, particularly in recession, although cyclical patterns in Japan make the dating of recessions a challenge.
Debiasing on a roll: changing gambling behavior through experiential learning

This paper tests experiential learning as a debiasing tool against gambling and lottery behavior in South Africa. The study implemented a simple, interactive dice game that simulates worsening winning odds of rolling sixes as more dice are added to the game. The analysis exploits two levels of exogenous variation, first from random assignment into the debiasing game, and second from the number of rolls it takes to obtain the sixes. Treated individuals who needed above-median number of rolls to obtain simultaneous sixes are significantly less likely than the control group to gamble or play the lottery in the following year. The converse is true for individuals who needed below-median number of rolls, suggesting a perverse treatment effect among this group. The analysis also finds suggestive evidence that the debiasing affected the sensitivity to varying winning odds. Changes in entertainment utility or risk preferences cannot explain these findings, rather the results are consistent with changes in risk beliefs.
Mining Heterogeneous Information Networks by Exploring the Power of Links

Knowledge is power but for interrelated data, knowledge is often hidden in massive links in heterogeneous information networks. We explore the power of links at mining heterogeneous information networks with several interesting tasks, including link-based object distinction, veracity analysis, multidimensional online analytical processing of heterogeneous information networks, and rank-based clustering. Some recent results of our research that explore the crucial information hidden in links will be introduced, including (1) Distinct for object distinction analysis, (2) TruthFinder for veracity analysis, (3) Infonet-OLAP for online analytical processing of information networks, and (4) RankClus for integrated ranking-based clustering. We also discuss some of our on-going studies in this direction.
Chapter 10 - Case Studies

Chapter 10 presents five case studies showing how other UX researchers and practitioners have used metrics in their work. These case studies highlight the amazing breadth of products and UX metrics. Erin Bradner from Autodesk looks at how the Net Promoter Score can be used to build this model of user satisfaction and quantify the value of a good user experience. The second case study by Mary Theofanos, Yee-Yin Choong, and Brian Stanton from the National Institute of Standards and Technology focuses on how to use various UX metrics to evaluate a system that provides real-time feedback to fingerprint users at U.S. ports of entry. Tanya Payne, Grant Baldwin, and Tony Haverd from OpenText show how to use Single Ease Question and task completion rate as part of an iterative design process for an enterprise software product designed to create, edit, and manage websites. Viki Stirling and Caroline Jarrett from Open University integrate larger scale quantitative techniques with what has been learned from small-scale, qualitative techniques to improve a university prospectus. Amanda Davis, Elizabeth Rosenzweig, and Fiona Tranquada from the Design and Usability Center at Bentley University tested the feasibility of integrating biometric measures with qualitative user feedback when comparing a digital textbook with a printed textbook.
Degree bounds in quantum Schubert calculus

Fulton and Woodward have recently identified the smallest degree of q that appears in the expansion of the product of two Schubert classes in the (small) quantum cohomology ring of a Grassmannian. We present a combinatorial proof of this result, and provide an alternative characterization of this smallest degree in terms of the rim hook formula for the quantum product.
Vacancy-Mediated Processes in the Oxidation of CO on PdO(101).

ConspectusMetal oxide films can form on late transition-metal catalysts under sufficiently oxygen-rich conditions, and typically cause significant changes in the catalytic performance of these materials. Several investigations using sensitive in situ surface characterization techniques reveal that the CO oxidation activity of Pd and other late transition-metal catalysts increases abruptly under conditions at which metal oxide structures begin to develop. Findings such as these provide strong motivation for developing atomic-scale descriptions of oxidation catalysis over oxide films of the late transition-metals. Surface oxygen vacancies can play a central role in mediating oxidation catalysis promoted by metal oxides. In general, adsorbed reactants abstract oxygen atoms from the lattice of the oxide surface, thereby creating oxygen vacancies, while gaseous O2 replenishes the reactive surface oxygen atoms and eliminates oxygen vacancies. Oxygen vacancies also represent a distinct type of surface site on wh...
Feature and Region Selection for Visual Learning

Visual learning problems, such as object classification and action recognition, are typically approached using extensions of the popular bag-of-words (BoWs) model. Despite its great success, it is unclear what visual features the BoW model is learning. Which regions in the image or video are used to discriminate among classes? Which are the most discriminative visual words? Answering these questions is fundamental for understanding existing BoW models and inspiring better models for visual recognition. To answer these questions, this paper presents a method for feature selection and region selection in the visual BoW model. This allows for an intermediate visualization of the features and regions that are important for visual learning. The main idea is to assign latent weights to the features or regions, and jointly optimize these latent variables with the parameters of a classifier (e.g., support vector machine). There are four main benefits of our approach: 1) our approach accommodates non-linear additive kernels, such as the popular $\chi ^{2}$ and intersection kernel; 2) our approach is able to handle both regions in images and spatio-temporal regions in videos in a unified way; 3) the feature selection problem is convex, and both problems can be solved using a scalable reduced gradient method; and 4) we point out strong connections with multiple kernel learning and multiple instance learning approaches. Experimental results in the PASCAL VOC 2007, MSR Action Dataset II and YouTube illustrate the benefits of our approach.
Ion Beam Analysis and Modification of Thin-Film, High-Temperature Superconductors

The application of ion beams to ceramic processing, as the rest of these proceedings has shown, is a very powerful technique. In particular, ion beams have been shown to be very effective in producing novel material properties through their rather violent interactions with the component atoms of the ceramics. However, in all these cases ions are used to process and produce changes in ceramics, changes that must be monitored by other techniques. This paper shows that, in addition to modifying materials, ion beams can be used in a more gentle but very powerful way to explore what happens to a ceramic thin film as a result of processing. The following discussions are concerned exclusively with a new and exciting class of ceramic: the high-temperature superconductor (HTS). We will discuss the application of various ion beam backscattering techniques as well as examine the use of ion implantation in the processing of these materials.
Comparative Intensity and Density Mapping of NGC 40

Two dimensional spectro-imaging of the planetary nebula NGC 40 was done to create spatially resolved intensity and electron density images. The CCD images, taken in Hβ [S II] λ6717, and [S II] λλ6717, 6731, were calibrated, then correlated using previously published spectroscopic and photometric data of NGC 40 as a flux standard.
On the properties of materials for designing filters at optical frequencies

Frequency selective surfaces/volumes (FSS/Vs), periodic structures with frequency selective properties, have widely been used for millimeter and microwave applications. In recent years there has been an interest in using these structures at optical wavelengths. One of the applications is a thermo photovoltaic filter used to convert thermal energy into electricity. Numerical simulations of such filters are very limited in the literature. At optical frequencies, the usual material properties and perfect electric conductor (PEC) assumption is not applicable. Moreover, the conventional methods, such as using resistive sheets or lossy dielectrics to simulate metallic losses, are not accurate. The goal of this paper is to provide a new approach for modeling metallic losses more accurately at optical frequencies.
Handbook of Internet and multimedia: systems and applications

Handbook of Internet and multimedia Systems and applications , Handbook of Internet and multimedia Systems and applications , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی
Microwave Spectroscopy of Q1D and Q2D Organic Conductors

This chapter reviews recent experimental studies of a novel open-orbit magnetic resonance phenomenon. The technique involves measurement of angle-dependent microwave magneto-conductivity and is, thus, closely related to the cyclotron resonance and angle-dependent magnetoresistance techniques. Data for three contrasting materials are presented: (TMTSF)2ClO4, alpha-(BEDT-TTF)2KHg(SCN)4 and kappa-(BEDT-TTF)2I3. These studies reveal important insights into the Fermiology of these novel materials, as well as providing access to important electronic parameters such as the in-plane Fermi velocity and quasiparticle scattering rate. It is argued that all three compounds exhibit coherent three-dimensional band transport at liquid helium temperatures, and that their low-energy magnetoelectrodynamic properties appear to be well explained on the basis of a conventional semiclassical Boltzmann approach. It is also suggested that this technique could be used to probe quasiparticles in nodal superconductors.
Creating jobs in South Asia's conflict zones

This paper describes the key challenges to job creation in conflict-affected environments in South Asia. It uses household survey data since the early 2000s for Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to document the characteristics of labor markets in conflict-affected areas, exploiting the spatial and time variation in armed conflict within countries. The analysis finds that, across countries, labor markets look very different in conflict-affected areas when compared with non-conflict or low-conflict areas. Employment rates are higher in large part because women participate more in the labor market, but work tends to be more vulnerable, with more self-employment and unpaid family work. The authors show that these differences often pre-date the conflict but are also exacerbated by it. They also examine the constraints on the private sector activity in such areas, using firm surveys when possible. Finally, the paper reviews the existing literature and the policy experiences of several countries to draw some policy implications for job creation efforts in the conflict-affected areas of South Asia. It particularly highlights the role of the private sector and community initiatives, in conjunction with public policies, to improve the environment for successful job creation.