cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assimilation of AMSR-E snow water equivalent data in a spatially-lumped snow model

Summary Accurately initializing snow model states in hydrologic prediction models is important for estimating future snowmelt, water supplies, and flooding potential. While ground-based snow observations give the most reliable information about snowpack conditions, they are spatially limited. In the north-central USA, there are no continual observations of hydrologically critical snow variables. Satellites offer the most likely source of spatial snow data, such as the snow water equivalent (SWE), for this region. In this study, we test the impact of assimilating SWE data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer – Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) instrument into the US National Weather Service (NWS) SNOW17 model for seven watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River basin. The SNOW17 is coupled with the NWS Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SACSMA) model, and both simulated SWE and discharge are evaluated. The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) assimilation framework is applied and updating occurs on a daily cycle for water years 2006–2011. Prior to assimilation, AMSR-E data is bias corrected using data from the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC) airborne snow survey program. An average AMSR-E SWE bias of −17.91 mm was found for the study basins. SNOW17 and SAC-SMA model parameters from the North Central River Forecast Center (NCRFC) are used. Compared to a baseline run without assimilation, the SWE assimilation improved discharge for five of the seven study sites, in particular for high discharge magnitudes associated with snow melt runoff. SWE and discharge simulations suggest that the SNOW17 is underestimating SWE and snowmelt rates in the study basins. Deep snow conditions and periods of snowmelt may have introduced error into the assimilation due to difficulty obtaining accurate brightness temperatures under these conditions. Overall results indicate that the AMSR-E data and EnKF are viable and effective solutions for improving simulations of the operational forecast model.
Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling Reactions of Conjunctive Reagents: 2-Borylated Allylic Sulfones

In support of various efforts in our group, we developed methods for the convenient Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of borylated allylic sulfones with various electrophiles in both inter- and the less common intramolecular modes. The procedure facilitates the preparation of a wide variety of sulfones in a straightforward fashion, including six- through eight-membered rings.
Searching for Sterile Neutrinos and CP Violation: The IsoDAR and DAEδALUS Experiments

Abstract The IsoDAR experiment uses a novel isotope decay-at-rest (DAR) source of electron antineutrinos using protons from a 60 MeV cyclotron. Paired with a large neutrino detector (such as KamLAND or WATCHMAN), the experiment can observe hundreds of thousands of inverse beta-decay events and do a decisive test of the current hints for sterile neutrino. DAEδALUS is a phased program leading to a high-sensitivity search for CP violation. The experiment uses a set of high-intensity 800 MeV cyclotrons to produce pion DAR neutrino sources at several locations (1.5km, 8km, and 20km) going to a single ultra-large, underground detector with free protons such as Hyper-K. The DAEδALUS experiment will provide a high-statistics antineutrino data set with no matter effects that can be combined with long-baseline data sets to provide enhanced sensitivity to CP violation and matter effects.
A primal-dual active-set method for distributed model predictive control

Summary We present a novel distributed primal-dual active-set method for model predictive control. The primal-dual active-set method is used for solving model predictive control problems for large-scale systems with quadratic cost, linear dynamics, additive disturbance, and box constraints. The proposed algorithm is compared with dual decomposition and an alternating direction method of multipliers. Theoretical and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach for large-scale systems with communication delays. The application to building control systems is thoroughly investigated. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ZapDroid: Managing Infrequently Used Applications on Smartphones

User surveys have shown that a typical user has over a 100 apps on his/her smartphone [1] , but stops using many of them. We conduct a user study to identify such unused apps, which we call zombies, and show via experiments that zombie apps consume significant resources on a user’s smartphone and access his/her private information. We then design and build ZapDroid , which enables users to detect and silo zombie apps in an effective way to prevent their undesired activities. If and when the user wishes to resume using such an app, ZapDroid restores the app quickly and effectively. Our evaluations show that: (i) ZapDroid saves twice the energy from unwanted zombie app behaviors as compared to apps from the Play Store that kill background unwanted processes, and (ii) it effectively prevents zombie apps from using undesired permissions. In addition, ZapDroid is energy-efficient, consuming $ percent of the battery per day.
Understanding User Behavior Geospatially

Understanding users is an essential task for providing personal Web experience and targeted advertisements. Current commercial or research systems try to understand users from their online behaviors, for example, how they search, read and write on the Web. However, this type of approaches missed a large part of peoplei¯s everyday life, or called i®physicali¯ behaviors. The physical behaviors include how people dine, shop, travel, or other activities happened in the real world. In our opinion, location is one of the most important aspects for peoplei¯s everyday life. With the rapid growth of location sensing devices and Web based GIS tools, it becomes possible to track these physical behaviors from a geospatial view. In this paper, we present our recent work towards understanding users from a geospatial view. Particularly, we studied GPS trajectory transportation mode categorization and co-located query pattern mining problems.
Connectionist Temporal Modeling for Weakly Supervised Action Labeling

We propose a weakly-supervised framework for action labeling in video, where only the order of occurring actions is required during training time. The key challenge is that the per-frame alignments between the input (video) and label (action) sequences are unknown during training. We address this by introducing the Extended Connectionist Temporal Classification (ECTC) framework to efficiently evaluate all possible alignments via dynamic programming and explicitly enforce their consistency with frame-to-frame visual similarities. This protects the model from distractions of visually inconsistent or degenerated alignments without the need of temporal supervision. We further extend our framework to the semi-supervised case when a few frames are sparsely annotated in a video. With less than 1 % of labeled frames per video, our method is able to outperform existing semi-supervised approaches and achieve comparable performance to that of fully supervised approaches.
Existence, Stability and Dynamics of Harmonically Trapped One-Dimensional Multi-Component Solitary Waves: The Near-Linear Limit

In the present work, we consider a variety of two-component, one-dimensional states in nonlinear Schrodinger equations in the presence of a parabolic trap, inspired by the atomic physics context of Bose-Einstein condensates. The use of Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction methods allows us to identify persistence criteria for the different families of solutions which we classify as (m, n), in accordance with the number of zeros in each component. Upon developing the existence theory, we turn to a stability analysis of the different configurations, using the Krein signature and the Hamiltonian-Krein index as topological tools identifying the number of potentially unstable eigendirections for each branch. A perturbation expansion for the eigenvalue problems associated with nonlinear states found near the linear limit permits us to obtain explicit asymptotic expressions for the eigenvalues. Finally, when the states are found to be unstable, typically by virtue of Hamiltonian Hopf bifurcations, their dynamics is studie...
Toward Improved Understanding of the Physical Meaning of Entropy in Classical Thermodynamics

The year 2015 marked the 150th anniversary of “entropy” as a concept in classical thermodynamics. Despite its central role in the mathematical formulation of the Second Law and most of classical thermodynamics, its physical meaning continues to be elusive and confusing. This is especially true when we seek a reconstruction of the classical thermodynamics of a system from the statistical behavior of its constituent microscopic particles or vice versa. This paper sketches the classical definition by Clausius and offers a modified mathematical definition that is intended to improve its conceptual meaning. In the modified version, the differential of specific entropy appears as a non-dimensional energy term that captures the invigoration or reduction of microscopic motion upon addition or withdrawal of heat from the system. It is also argued that heat transfer is a better model process to illustrate entropy; the canonical heat engines and refrigerators often used to illustrate this concept are not very relevant to new areas of thermodynamics (e.g., thermodynamics of biological systems). It is emphasized that entropy changes, as invoked in the Second Law, are necessarily related to the non-equilibrium interactions of two or more systems that might have initially been in thermal equilibrium but at different temperatures. The overall direction of entropy increase indicates the direction of naturally occurring heat transfer processes in an isolated system that consists of internally interacting (non-isolated) sub systems. We discuss the implication of the proposed modification on statements of the Second Law, interpretation of entropy in statistical thermodynamics, and the Third Law.
Radio evidence for nonthermal particle acceleration on stars of late spectral type

Radio evidence for nonthermal particle acceleration on stars of late spectral type (G, K, and M) is reviewed, including the pre-main-sequence T Tauri stars, the dwarf M flare stars, and the RS CVn binary stars. Both the long-lasting radio emission and the transient radio flares can be attributed to nonthermal electrons accelerated in magnetically confined coronae, radiating by either incoherent gyrosynchrotron radiation or by coherent processes. Related observations of the Sun provide the framework for interpreting the radio emission of late-type stars. We review recent Very Long Base Interferometry (VLBI) observations of single and binary stars, observations of rapid acceleration and dynamic spectra of dwarf M flare stars, and models for long-lasting radio emission from dwarf M flare stars and RS CVn stars. The VLBI data provide evidence for nonthermal particle acceleration in large-scale magnetospheres several times larger than the stellar radius for T Tauri and RS CVn stars. In contrast, rapid radio flares on dwarf M stars require sources much smaller than the visible star in size, and this is consistent with the VLBI data. Dynamic spectra suggest particle acceleration by relativistic electron beams on dwarf M stars. The long-lived radio radiation of dwarf M stars and RS CVn stars requires more-or-less continuous particle acceleration over periods of hours, perhaps by persistent low-amplitude flaring.
Mistaken Inferences from Advertising Conversations: A Modest Research Agenda

I review the changing advertising landscape and suggest that the definition of advertising has inherently changed. Using the current advertising context, I develop research questions that consumer behavior scholars are well poised to address. This research agenda is rooted in real-world observations about advertising and can help us develop new theories about when, how, and why advertising influences and persuades consumers. A recurring theme in this article is that consumers may be misled due to information overload from multiple channels and sources. I use the advertising-as-conversation metaphor to derive hypotheses and test one such hypothesis in an experiment. I end with a summary and discussion of advertising impact measurement.
Discontinuation and Management of Direct-Acting Anticoagulants for Emergency Procedures.

Patients taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) who then need an emergency invasive procedure require specialized management strategies. Appropriate patient evaluation includes assessment of the current anticoagulation state, including timing of the last dose. DOACs require particular coagulation assays to measure anticoagulation levels accurately, although standard coagulation screening tests may provide qualitative guidance. Specialty societies have endorsed general recommendations for patient management to promote hemostasis in anticoagulated patients requiring surgery or other invasive procedures. These include general stopping rules (such as ≥24 hours for low-risk procedures and ≥48 hours for high-risk surgery with normal renal function) for elective procedures. Bridging therapy when oral anticoagulant treatment is interrupted has recently been questioned, depending on the clinical scenario. Novel agents for the reversal of DOAC-induced anticoagulation have recently been developed. Idarucizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody fragment that selectively binds dabigatran, was recently approved for clinical use in patients with life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding, and for patients requiring emergency interventions. Idarucizumab can streamline the pre- and periprocedural anticoagulation management of dabigatran-treated patients, as it provides fast, complete, and sustainable reversibility. Andexanet alfa is an inactive, decoy factor Xa (FXa) molecule that binds FXa inhibitors, and ciraparantag is a synthetic molecule designed to bind fractionated and unfractionated heparins, and each of the currently approved DOACs. As clinical development of the additional anti-FXa-specific anticoagulant reversal agents proceeds, the respective role of each in the management of emergency bleeding events and invasive procedures will be better defined, and it is hoped they will make important contributions to patient care.
THE ROLE OF HINGES: NO ROLE AT ALL – AFFIRMS

Hinges were used early in total knee replacement history. The stems were too short, the trochlear groove was absent or inadequate and the mechanism lacked strength. Hinges, therefore, acquired a very bad reputation. As the only stems in early knees were on hinges, I used them when necessary, i.e. a completely missing medial collateral ligament, a flexion gap of more than three centimeters with a normal extension gap and missing bone. I used a Guepar II and my results were good up to 20 years when the plastic wore out and the spindle was damaged. By that time, new spindles were not available and the cases had to be revised. Revision of a cemented bowed stem is a nightmare. One would wish, therefore, to have a design, where the bearings could be detached from the stems and a new bearing inserted. The main problem with hinges nowadays is that they all rotate, or at any rate, all the hinges which I can get, rotate. The commonest indication for a hinge is the multiply revised knee due to missed tibial torsion. A rotating hinge used in a situation like this results in the patient externally rotating the tibia and subluxating or dislocating the patella. They, therefore, cannot use this knee as the leading leg on any activity and they may have instability or falls as a result of the patellar dislocation. It is not difficult to block rotation but, so far as I know, no one has done it. Is there a role for hinge? Very seldom and not with the existing designs.
Detection, Attribution, and Projection of Regional Rainfall Changes on (Multi-) Decadal Time Scales: A Focus on Southeastern South America

AbstractObserved austral summertime (November through April) rainfall in southeastern South America (SESA)—including northern Argentina, Uruguay, southern Brazil, and Paraguay—has exhibited substantial low-frequency variations with a multidecadal moistening trend during the twentieth century and a subsequent decadal drying trend during the current century. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for these variations is essential for predicting long-term rainfall changes. Here with a suite of attribution experiments using a pair of high-resolution global climate models, GFDL CM2.5 and FLOR-FA, the authors investigate the causes of these regional rainfall variations. Both models reproduce the twentieth-century moistening trend, albeit with a weaker magnitude than observed, in response to the radiative forcing associated with increasing greenhouse gases. The increasing greenhouse gases drive tropical expansion; consequently, the subtropical dry branch of Hadley cell moves away from SESA, leading to the rain...
Rethinking the government as innovator: Evidence from Asian firms

Can government ownership of a firm spur innovation? While a robust body of empirical and theoretical work suggests that government ownership suppresses innovation, the increasing global competitiveness of government-owned firms coupled with the transition of these firms’ competitive advantage from low-cost labor-focused to innovation-focused suggests we reconsider the relationship between government ownership and innovation. This paper develops and tests a theory that a minority level of government ownership has a positive influence on firm-level innovation, by substituting for a better-developed financial market and alleviating financial constraints. By combining the incentives and monitoring benefits of private ownership with the more “patient” shareholders of and protection from failure by the state, minority government ownership can provide an environment for firms to pursue otherwise risky innovative projects. The testing of this theory makes use of a large sample of Asian firms, and the results with respect to matched minority government-owned and privately held firms show that minority government ownership increases the likelihood of innovation among financially constrained firms; moreover, it especially increases the likelihood of process innovation (as opposed to product innovation), which is traditionally difficult to finance. The study’s results—which stand to benefit firms and governments worldwide—remain robust to alternative mechanisms and controls, as well as to a variety of sensitivity tests.
Landscape of X chromosome inactivation across human tissues

X chromosome inactivation (XCI) silences transcription from one of the two X chromosomes in female mammalian cells to balance expression dosage between XX females and XY males. XCI is, however, incomplete in humans: up to one-third of X-chromosomal genes are expressed from both the active and inactive X chromosomes (Xa and Xi, respectively) in female cells, with the degree of 'escape' from inactivation varying between genes and individuals. The extent to which XCI is shared between cells and tissues remains poorly characterized, as does the degree to which incomplete XCI manifests as detectable sex differences in gene expression and phenotypic traits. Here we describe a systematic survey of XCI, integrating over 5,500 transcriptomes from 449 individuals spanning 29 tissues from GTEx (v6p release) and 940 single-cell transcriptomes, combined with genomic sequence data. We show that XCI at 683 X-chromosomal genes is generally uniform across human tissues, but identify examples of heterogeneity between tissues, individuals and cells. We show that incomplete XCI affects at least 23% of X-chromosomal genes, identify seven genes that escape XCI with support from multiple lines of evidence and demonstrate that escape from XCI results in sex biases in gene expression, establishing incomplete XCI as a mechanism that is likely to introduce phenotypic diversity. Overall, this updated catalogue of XCI across human tissues helps to increase our understanding of the extent and impact of the incompleteness in the maintenance of XCI.
Codes for distributed storage from 3-regular graphs

Abstract This paper considers distributed storage systems (DSSs) from a graph theoretic perspective. A DSS is constructed by means of the path decomposition of a 3 -regular graph into P 4 paths. The paths represent the disks of the DSS and the edges of the graph act as the blocks of storage. We deduce the properties of the DSS from a related graph and show their optimality.
Do the LCAPM Predictions Hold? Replication and Extension Evidence

The Liquidity-adjusted Capital Asset Pricing Model (LCAPM) includes two specific testable predictions: (1) the coefficient on expected liquidity cost equals average turnover and (2) the coefficient on market beta equals the coefficient on net liquidity risk beta. By contrast, generalized liquidity-adjusted asset pricing models allow liquidity characteristics and/or liquidity risk factors without such parameter restrictions. We empirically test these alternative theories. In doing so, we expand the range of evidence in multiple ways. First, we extend forward and backwards in time to cover 80 years. Second, we analyze NASDAQ-listed stocks as well as NYSE/AMEX-listed stocks. Third, we analyze four alternative liquidity measures: (1) the Corwin and Schultz proxy, (2) closing percent quoted spread, (3) the Amihud proxy, and (4) zeros. Fourth, we analyze the impact of adding Fama and French/Carhart risk factors to the model. Our main finding is that both of these specific predictions of LCAPM are robustly rejected. This outcome supports generalized liquidity-adjusted asset pricing. Finally, we ask can the original LCAPM results be replicated? We qualitatively replicate most tables, but obtain mixed results for two tables. We make publicly available our SAS code and the resulting data files for both our new empirical tests and our replication.
A Model of Institutional Complementarities in Ancient China

In ancient China, the county system and feudalism were the possible government organizational forms. Government officials might be selected through recommendations and examinations. The centralization of authority in the hands of emperors was achieved through a group of institutions such as the county system, the Imperial Examination System, and the division of authority among government officials. This paper provides a systematic interpretation of the interrelationship among this group of institutions and studies institutional complementarities in a model. It is shown that an increase in the degree of increasing returns in the military sector will increase the ruler’s incentive to adopt the county system. Institutional complementarities between the adoption of the Imperial Examination System and the division of authority among officials under the county system are established. A decrease in the level of coordination costs of elite increases the ruler’s incentive to choose a higher degree of the division of authority.
WSN for Machine Area Network applications

This paper presents the use of wireless sensor network (WSN) technologies in a newly growing application space in industrial Internet or industry 4.0. This application space focuses on factory automation and field process management that we call Machine Area Network (MAN) applications. We describe key requirements, major technical challenges and how hardware and software can be combined to address these requirements in MAN. A mechanism that allows machine-to-machine (M2M) direct data sharing using a time-synchronous network that utilizes a time-stamping approach is also presented. The paper also discusses scalability of the network and how it crosses the boundaries of media specific characteristics that enables flexible network setup. TI silicon-based Intelligent Industrial Internet sensor node platform is briefly discussed to tackle above technical challenges in MAN industrial applications.
Surface-based morphometric analysis of hippocampal subfields in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease

The hippocampus is widely studied with neuroimaging techniques given its importance in learning and memory and its potential as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Its complex folding anatomy often presents analytical challenges. In particular, the critical subfield information is typically not addressed by the existing hippocampal shape studies. To bridge this gap, we present a computational framework for surface-based morphometric analysis of hippocampal subfields. The major strengths of this framework are as follows: (a) it performs detailed hippocampal shape analysis, (b) it embraces, rather than ignores, the important hippocampal subfield information, and (c) it analyzes regular magnetic resonance imaging scans and is applicable to large scale studies. We demonstrate its effectiveness by applying it to the identification of regional hippocampal subfield atrophy patterns associated with mild cognitive impairment and AD.
Emergent gravity from Eguchi-Kawai reduction

Holographic theories with a local gravitational dual have a number of striking features. Here I argue that many of these features are controlled by the Eguchi-Kawai mechanism, which is proposed to be a hallmark of such holographic theories. Higher-spin holographic duality is presented as a failure of the Eguchi-Kawai mechanism, and its restoration illustrates the deformation of higher-spin theory into a proper string theory with a local gravitational limit. AdS/CFT is used to provide a calculable extension of the Eguchi-Kawai mechanism to field theories on curved manifolds and thereby introduce “topological volume independence.” Finally, I discuss implications for a general understanding of the extensivity of the Bekenstein-Hawking-Wald entropy.
Shopper-Facing Retail Technology: A Retailer Adoption Decision Framework Incorporating Shopper Attitudes and Privacy Concerns

Abstract Continual innovation and new technology are critical in helping retailers’ create a sustainable competitive advantage. In particular, shopper-facing technology plays an important role in increasing revenues and decreasing costs. In this article, we briefly discuss some of the salient retail technologies over the recent past as well as technologies that are only beginning to gain traction. Additionally, we present a shopper-centric decision calculus that retailers can use when considering a new shopper-facing technology. We argue that new technologies provide value by either increasing revenue through (a) attracting new shoppers, (b) increasing share of volume from existing shoppers, or (c) extracting greater consumer surplus, or decreasing costs through offloading labor to shoppers. Importantly, our framework incorporates shoppers by considering their perceptions of the new technology and their resulting behavioral reactions. Specifically, we argue that shoppers update their perceptions of fairness, value, satisfaction, trust, commitment, and attitudinal loyalty and evaluate the potential intrusiveness of the technology on their personal privacy. These perceptions then mediate the effect of the technology on shopper behavioral reactions such as retail patronage intentions and WOM communication. We present preliminary support for our framework by examining consumers’ perceptions of several new retail technologies, as well as their behavioral intentions. The findings support our thesis that shopper perceptions of the retailer are affected by new shopper-facing technologies and that these reactions mediate behavioral intentions, which in turn drives the ROI of the new technology.
All-optical switching via four-wave mixing Bragg scattering in a silicon platform

We employ the process of non-degenerate four-wave mixing Bragg scattering to demonstrate all-optical control in a silicon platform. In our configuration, a strong, non-information-carrying pump is mixed with a weak control pump and an input signal in a silicon-on-insulator waveguide. Through the optical nonlinearity of this highly confining waveguide, the weak pump controls the wavelength conversion process from the signal to an idler, leading to a controlled depletion of the signal. The strong pump, on the other hand, plays the role of a constant bias. In this work, we show experimentally that it is possible to implement this low-power switching technique as a first step towards universal optical logic gates, and test the performance with random binary data. Even at very low powers, where the signal and control pump levels are almost equal, the eye-diagrams remain open, indicating a successful operation of the logic gates.
The joint role of the bonding mechanisms and the reduction in market segmentation in valuation of firms cross-listed as Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs)

Abstract Using a sample of GDRs cross-listed in London, we revisit the debate regarding the validity of the market segmentation and the bonding hypotheses for a cross-listing phenomenon. Unlike prior studies that relied on emerging/developed market partitioning of countries, we use equity trading costs to determine the degree of market segmentation, which is a more direct and less noisy measure of this construct. Additionally, there is little correlation between this metric and the level of home-country investor protection for examined GDRs, therefore providing stronger settings to distinguish between the segmentation and bonding explanations. We find that legal bonding mechanisms and reduction in segmentation have a positive impact on changes in firm value upon cross-listing, when examined as standalone frameworks. Next, we report that these two frameworks have a joint, complementary impact on changes in firm value upon cross-listing, based on the country-level Rule of Law metric. Conversely, we find that the positive association between the capital raising activity and changes in firm value upon cross-listing is less significant for countries from the most segmented markets. Finally, we find that analysts following [accuracy] is an effective reputational bonding mechanism for firms from the most [least] segmented markets primarily after cross-listing. This study sheds light on the complexity of the interplay between major valuation theories and different types of bonding mechanisms in the case of cross-listing.
Electron irradiation effects in silicon at liquid helium temperatures using AC hopping conductivity

Abstract Changes in ac hopping conductivity with electron irradiation have been measured in n-type silicon, p-type silicon, and high purity silicon. Irradiations were carried out at both 4.8 and 1.6 degrees kelvin, with measurements made at reference temperatures of 4.2 and 1.3 degrees kelvin, respectively. In the p-type crystals, the changes in ac hopping conductivity depended strongly on the concentration of chemical acceptors, indicating a concentration dependence on impurities of the defect production rate. The production rates at 1.6°K were generally very similar to those for a 4.8°K irradiation. No significant thermal annealing stages below room temperature were observed in any of the crystals. A small amount of ‘reverse annealing’, i.e. an increase in ac hopping conductivity was observed below 30°K. No radiation annealing effects due to a beam of either 300 MeV or.350 MeV electrons were observed, either at 4.5°K or at 1.45°K.
High-yield D T neutron generator

Abstract A high-yield D–T neutron generator has been developed for neutron interrogation in homeland security applications such as cargo screening. The generator has been designed as a sealed tube with a performance goal of producing 5 × 1011 n/s over a long lifetime. The key generator components developed are a radio-frequency (RF) driven ion source and a beam-loaded neutron production target that can handle a beam power of 10 kW. The ion source can provide a 100 mA D+/T+ beam current with a high fraction of atomic species and can be pulsed up to frequencies of several kilohertz for pulsed neutron generator operation. Testing in D–D operation has been started.
Certification of production-representative/production software-intensive systems for dedicated test and evaluation

Fundamental questions that arise in the certification of readiness for dedicated test and evaluation of software-intensive systems are addressed. They concern what comprises production-representative or production software, what are the software impacts on dedicated system operational test readiness, how software impacts should be considered in the certification process, and what are the retest/recertification requirements associated with software changes/modifications. A paradigm is proposed that answers these questions and outlines guidelines for implementing a solution to these issues. The paradigm is based on existing test and evaluation events and uses a combination of defense and commercial standards and definitions to propose criteria for software certification and retest or regression test. >
Single-paper meta-analysis: Benefits for study summary, theory testing, and replicability.

A typical behavioral research paper features multiple studies of a common phenomenon that are analyzed solely in isolation. Because the studies are of a common phenomenon, this practice is inefficient and foregoes important benefits that be obtained only by analyzing them jointly in a single paper meta-analysis (SPM). To facilitate SPM, we introduce metaanalytic methodology that is user-friendly, widely applicable, and specially tailored to the SPM of the set of studies that appear in a typical behavioral research paper. Our SPM methodology provides important benefits for study summary, theory-testing, and replicability that we illustrate via three case studies that include papers recently published in the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Marketing Research. We advocate that authors of typical behavioral research papers use it to supplement the single-study analyses that independently discuss the multiple studies in the body of their papers as well as the "qualitative meta-analysis" that verbally synthesizes the studies in the general discussion of their papers. When used as such, this requires only a minor modification of current practice. We provide an easy-to-use website that implements our SPM methodology.
Informed equity ownership and bank loan contracting

We take local institutional equity ownership as a proxy for informed and likely exogenous ownership and study the monitoring effect of informed equity ownership on creditors. For bank loan contracting, we show that local long-term institutional ownership (LLTIO) is associated with (1) a lower spread, (2) less stringent collateral requirement, and (3) less covenant intensity when shareholder-creditor conflicts of interest are unlikely and substituting monitoring devices are not in place. Our results are robust to endogeneity tests and suggest that presence of LLTIO implies long-term commitment to monitoring, which alleviates costly information asymmetry and leads to more favorable loan terms.
Structure of the Ebola Virus Envelope Protein MPER/TM Domain and its Interaction with the Fusion Loop Explains their Fusion Activity

Ebolavirus (EBOV), an enveloped filamentous RNA virus causing severe hemorrhagic fever, enters cells by macropinocytosis and releases its genetic material into the cytoplasm after membrane fusion in a late endosomal compartment. Membrane fusion is governed by the EBOV surface envelope glycoprotein (GP), which consists of subunits GP1 and GP2. GP1 binds to cellular receptors including Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) protein and GP2 is responsible for membrane fusion at low pH. GP1 undergoes multiple steps of proteolytic cleavage and binds to NPC1 at endosomal pH. GP2 is rearranged in a fashion that exposes the hydrophobic fusion loop (FL) of GP2, which is then inserted into the cellular target membrane, ultimately forming a six-helix bundle structure and resulting in the formation of the fusion pore. Although major portions of the GP2 structure that have been solved in pre- and post-fusion states and the current model places the transmembrane (TM) and FL domains of GP2 in close proximity to each other at critical steps of membrane fusion, their structures in membrane environments and especially interactions between TM and FL have not yet been characterized. Here we present the structure of the membrane proximal external region (MPER) connected to the TM domain, i.e. the missing parts of the EBOV GP2 structure. The structure, solved by solution NMR and EPR spectroscopy in membrane-mimetic environments, consists of a helix-turn-helix architecture that is independent of pH. Moreover, the MPER region, not TM region, is shown to interact in the membrane interface with the previously determined structure of the EBOV FL through several critical aromatic residues. Mutation of aromatic and neighboring residues in both binding partners decreases fusion and viral entry highlighting the functional importance of the MPER/TM - FL interaction in EBOV entry and fusion.
Partial meniscectomy provides no benefit for symptomatic degenerative medial meniscus posterior root tears.

Medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) are recognized as a source of pain and dysfunction, but treatment options remain a challenge. The purpose of the study was to determine (1) the efficacy of partial meniscectomy to treat MMPRTs compared to a matched group of non-operatively treated MMPRTs, and (2) risk factors for worse clinical and radiographic outcome. This retrospective comparative study was performed to include patients with complete, isolated MMPRTs with documented clinical symptoms and were treated with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (PMM) and a minimum 2-year follow-up. These patients were then matched by age, gender, and BMI to patients with the same diagnosis who were treated non-operatively. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were compared between the two groups. Analysis was performed to determine risk factors for worse clinical and radiographic outcome in the PMM group alone. Overall, 52 patients were included in the study. Twenty-six patients (9M:17F) with a mean age of 55 ± 9 and a mean BMI of 32.8 ± 5.3 were treated with PMM and followed for 5.5 ± 2.0 years (range 2.3–9.3 years). In the PMM group, final median Tegner score was 3, mean IKDC score was 67.8 ± 20, and more patients had grade II or higher arthritis at final follow-up than baseline (91.3 vs. 36%, p < 0.01). Overall, 14 of the 26 patients (54%) treated operatively progressed to total knee arthroplasty at a mean of 54.3 months. There was no significant difference in final Tegner scores, IKDC, K-L grades, progression to arthroplasty, or overall failure rate between the PMM group and non-operative group. Following PMM, female patients had lower final IKDC scores (44.0 ± 2.8 vs. 74.6 ± 16.7, p = 0.02) compared to males, as well as a higher rate of arthroplasty (70.6 vs. 20.0%, p = 0.009). Higher BMI correlated with lower IKDC scores (r = −0.91, p = 0.01) and meniscal extrusion was associated with higher rate of arthritis at final follow-up (p = 0.02). Partial meniscectomy for a complete MMPRT provides no benefit in halting arthritic progression. Patients who undergo PMM for MMPRTs still progress to significant arthritis, poor clinical outcomes and a high arthroplasty rate (54%) at over 5-year follow-up. Female gender, increased BMI, and meniscus extrusion were associated with worse outcome. Level III.
Convex Banding of the Covariance Matrix

AbstractWe introduce a new sparse estimator of the covariance matrix for high-dimensional models in which the variables have a known ordering. Our estimator, which is the solution to a convex optimization problem, is equivalently expressed as an estimator that tapers the sample covariance matrix by a Toeplitz, sparsely banded, data-adaptive matrix. As a result of this adaptivity, the convex banding estimator enjoys theoretical optimality properties not attained by previous banding or tapered estimators. In particular, our convex banding estimator is minimax rate adaptive in Frobenius and operator norms, up to log factors, over commonly studied classes of covariance matrices, and over more general classes. Furthermore, it correctly recovers the bandwidth when the true covariance is exactly banded. Our convex formulation admits a simple and efficient algorithm. Empirical studies demonstrate its practical effectiveness and illustrate that our exactly banded estimator works well even when the true covariance ...
On the Turaev genus of torus knots

The Turaev genus and dealternating number of a link are two invariants that measure how far away a link is from alternating. We determine the Turaev genus of a torus knot with five or fewer strands either exactly or up to an error of at most one. We also determine the dealternating number of a torus knot with five or fewer strands up to an error of at most two. We also give bounds on the Turaev genus and dealternating number of torus links with five or fewer strands and on some infinite families of torus links on six strands.
Representations of analytic functions as infinite products and their application to numerical computations

Let D be an open disk of radius ≤1 in \(\mathbb{C}\), and let (ϵn) be a sequence of ±1. We prove that for every analytic function \(f: D \to \mathbb{C}\) without zeros in D, there exists a unique sequence (αn) of complex numbers such that \(f(z) = f(0)\prod_{n=1}^{\infty} (1+\epsilon_{n}z^{n})^{\alpha_{n}}\) for every z∈D. From this representation we obtain a numerical method for calculating products of the form ∏p primef(1/p) provided f(0)=1 and f′(0)=0; our method generalizes a well-known method of Pieter Moree. We illustrate this method on a constant of Ramanujan \(\pi^{-1/2}\prod _{p~\text{prime}} \sqrt{p^{2}-p}\ln(p/(p-1))\). From the properties of the exponents αn, we obtain a proof of the following congruences, which have been the subject of several recent publications motivated by some questions of Arnold: for every n×n integral matrix A, every prime number p, and every positive integer k we have \(\operatorname{tr} A^{p^{k}} \equiv\operatorname{tr} A^{p^{k-1}} { \hbox {\rm { (mod\ $p^{k}$) }}}\).
Factors Associated With High-Volume Providers of Stereotactic Radiation Therapy for Medicare Beneficiaries in 2012

e17578 Background: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS are highly effective methods of radiation delivery that have gained increasing attention for multipl...
THE NUMBER OF SUPERNOVAE FROM PRIMORDIAL STARS IN THE UNIVERSE

Recent simulations of the formation of the first luminous objects in the universe predict isolated very massive stars to form in dark matter halos with virial temperatures large enough to allow significant amounts of molecular hydrogen to form. We construct a semi-analytic model based on the PressSchechter formalism and calibrate the minimum halos mass that may form a primordial star with the results from extensive adaptive mesh refinement simulations. The model also includes star formation in objects with virial temperatures in excess of ten thousand Kelvin. The free parameters are tuned to match the optical depth measurements by the WMAP satellite. The models explicitly includes the negative feedback of the destruction of molecular hydrogenby a soft UV background which is computed self-consistently. We predict high redshift supernova rates as one of the most promising tools to test the current scenario of primordial star formation. The supernova rate from primordial stars peaks at redshifts ∼ 20. Using an analytic model for the luminosities of pair-instability supernovae we predict observable magnitudes and discuss possible observational strategies. Such supernovae would release enough metals corresponding to a uniform enrichment to a few hundred thousands of solar metalicity. If some of these stars produce gamma ray bursts our rates will be directly applicable to understanding the anticipated results from the SWIFT satellite. This study highlights the great potential for the James Webb space telescope in probing cosmic structure at redshifts greater than 20. Subject headings: cosmology: theory – early universe – supernovae: general
Refinements of Lagrange’s Four-Square Theorem

A well-known theorem of Lagrange asserts that every nonnegative integer n can be written in the form a2 + b2 + c2 + d2, where . We characterize the values assumed by a + b + c + d as we range over ...
3D Imaging Millimeter Wave Circular Synthetic Aperture Radar

In this paper, a new millimeter wave 3D imaging radar is proposed. The user just needs to move the radar along a circular track, and high resolution 3D imaging can be generated. The proposed radar uses the movement of itself to synthesize a large aperture in both the azimuth and elevation directions. It can utilize inverse Radon transform to resolve 3D imaging. To improve the sensing result, the compressed sensing approach is further investigated. The simulation and experimental result further illustrated the design. Because a single transceiver circuit is needed, a light, affordable and high resolution 3D mmWave imaging radar is illustrated in the paper.
SEINA: A stealthy and effective internal attack in Hadoop systems

Big data processing frameworks such as Hadoop [1] are now widely adopted, however the security issues in large scale systems have not been well studied yet. Unlike prior work on data privacy and protection, this paper investigates a potential attack from a compromised internal node against the overall system performance. We develop an effective attack launched from the compromised node that can significantly degrade the data processing performance of the cluster without being detected and blacklisted for job execution, also present a mitigation scheme that protects a Hadoop system from such attack. The results of experiments show that this attack greatly slows down the job executions in the native Hadoop system even with some basic defense mechanisms, however, our mitigation schem can keep the whole cluster running efficiently under such attack.
Inertial fusion energy development: what is needed and what will be learned at the National Ignition Facility

Successful development of inertial fusion energy (IFE) requires that many technical issues be resolved. Separability of drivers, targets, chambers and other IFE power plant subsystems allows resolution of many of these issues in off-line facilities and programs. Periodically, major integrated facilities give a snapshot of the rate of progress toward the ultimate solutions. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) and Laser Megajoule (LMJ) are just such integrating facilities. This paper reviews the status of IFE development and projects what will be learned from the NIF and LMJ.
A Barotropic Model of Eddy Saturation

AbstractEddy saturation refers to a regime in which the total volume transport of an oceanic current is insensitive to the wind stress strength. Baroclinicity is currently believed to be the key to...