cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pursuing a literacy research in precarious times

Multiple literacy practices, such as writing, texting, blogging and journaling, are intertwined in a crisis. Although many studies have been conducted on literacy practices arising from crises such...
Relationships between cognitive factors and gait strategy during exoskeleton-augmented walking:

Individual variation in exoskeleton-augmented gait strategy may arise from differences in cognitive factors, e.g., ability to respond quickly to stimuli or complete tasks under divided attention. G...
Economics and the Global Environment

Economics and the Global Environment is a path-breaking, comprehensive analysis of how economic and environmental systems mesh in the international context. The book investigates if and how environmental resources, such as global climate, genetic diversity, and transboundary pollution can be managed in an international system of sovereign states without a Global Environment Protection Agency. It also considers traditional international economics - theory and policy - and explores how they can be expanded to accommodate environmental values. Until recently, trade theory and trade policy neglected pollution and environmental degradation. This situation has changed dramatically, and the controversial and corrosive issues of trade and the environment are here given careful analysis. These topics are enriched by a concise presentation of the principles of environmental economics, and a thoughtful treatment of sustainable development. The book will appeal to students and practitioners of trade and development, as well as the environmental community.
Resource Constraints and the Criminal Justice System: Evidence from Judicial Vacancies

Ten percent of federal judgeships are currently vacant, yet little is known on the impact of these vacancies on criminal justice outcomes. Using judge deaths and pension eligibility as instruments for vacancies, I find that prosecutors dismiss more cases during vacancies. Prosecuted defendants are more likely to plead guilty and less likely to be incarcerated during vacancies, with defendants who are detained pretrial more likely to be incarcerated. The current rate of vacancies has resulted in 1,000 fewer prison inmates annually compared to a fully-staffed court system, a 1.5 percent decrease.
Policy-Development Monopolies: Adverse Consequences and Institutional Responses

We analyze a model of policy making in which only one actor (e.g., a bureaucratic agency or a well-funded interest group) has the capacity to develop high-quality policy proposals. By virtue of her...
The Tools of Political Dissent: A First Amendment Guide to Gun Registries

On December 23, 2012, a newspaper in upstate New York published a provocative map.1 On it appeared the names and addresses of thousands of gun owners in nearby counties, all precisely pinpointed for the world to browse. The source of this information: publicly available data drawn from the state’s gun registry. Legislators were quick to respond. Within a month, a new law offered gun owners the chance to permanently remove their identities from the registry with a simple call to their county clerk. The map raised interesting questions about broadcasting personal information, but a more fundamental question remains: Are these gun registries even constitutional? The mass “exposure” of gun owners—used as a form of public shaming—is particularly troubling because it would have been impossible without the government’s registration requirement. The map confirmed a fear held by many opponents of registries: compilation of personal information could lead to reprisals, either by the media or through the state itself. This, they claim, implicates their Second Amendment rights. In states that insist on registration, opponents have had to mold constitutional arguments to challenge registries in the courts. One such argument grows from the First Amendment. Gun ownership, like speech, is a tool of political dissent.2 Both guns and speech empower individuals to resist governmental oppression, at least in theory. Yet both become blunt tools if the government imposes registration requirements that numb the right. So, the argument goes, these tools of political dissent must remain
Adenosinergic regulation of binge-like ethanol drinking and associated locomotor effects in male C57BL/6J mice.

We recently observed that the addition of caffeine (a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist) to a 20% ethanol solution significantly altered the intoxication profile of male C57BL/6J (B6) mice induced by voluntary binge-like consumption in the ‘Drinking-in-the-Dark’ (DID) paradigm. In the current study, the roles of A1 and A2A adenosine receptor subtypes, specifically, in binge-like ethanol consumption and associated locomotor effects were explored. Adult male B6 mice (PND 60–70) were allowed to consume 20% ethanol (v/v) or 2% sucrose (w/v) for 6 days via DID. On day 7, mice received a systemic administration (i.p.) of the A1 antagonist DPCPX (1, 3, 6 mg/kg), the A2A antagonist MSX-3 (1, 2, 4 mg/kg), or vehicle immediately prior to fluid access in DID. Antagonism of the A1 receptor via DPCPX was found to dose-dependently decrease binge-like ethanol intake and associated blood ethanol concentrations (p's < 0.05), although no effect was observed on sucrose intake. Antagonism of A2A had no effect on ethanol or sucrose consumption, however, MSX-3 elicited robust locomotor stimulation in mice consuming either solution (p's < 0.05). Together, these findings suggest unique roles for the A1 and A2A adenosine receptor subtypes in binge-like ethanol intake and its associated locomotor effects.
Simple Expressions for the Design of Linear Tapers in Overmoded Corrugated Waveguides

Simple analytical formulae are presented for the design of linear tapers with very low mode conversion loss in overmoded corrugated waveguides. For tapers from waveguide radius a 2 to a 1, with a 1<a 2, the optimal length of the taper is 3.198a 1 a 2/λ. Here, λ is the wavelength of radiation. The fractional loss of the HE 11 mode in an optimized taper is $0.0293 (a_{2}-a_{1})^{4}/{a_{1}^{2}}{a_{2}^{2}}$ . These formulae are accurate when a 2≲2a 1. Slightly more complex formulae, accurate for a 2≤4a 1, are also presented in this paper. The loss in an overmoded corrugated linear taper is less than 1 % when a 2≤2.12a 1 and less than 0.1 % when a 2≤1.53a 1. The present analytic results have been benchmarked against a rigorous mode matching code and have been found to be very accurate. The results for linear tapers are compared with the analogous expressions for parabolic tapers. Parabolic tapers may provide lower loss, but linear tapers with moderate values of a 2/a 1 may be attractive because of their simplicity of fabrication.
Patchy solution of a Francis–Byrnes–Isidori partial differential equation

SUMMARY The solution to the nonlinear output regulation problem requires one to solve a first-order partial differential equation, known as the Francis–Byrnes–Isidori equations. In this paper, we propose a method to compute approximate solutions to the Francis–Byrnes–Isidori equations when the zero dynamics of the plant are hyperbolic and the exosystem is two dimensional. With our method, we are able to produce approximations that converge uniformly to the true solution. Our method relies on the periodic nature of two-dimensional analytic center manifolds. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Price of Anarchy when Costs Are Non-separable and Asymmetric

In this paper we characterize the “price of anarchy”, i.e., the inefficiency between user and system optimal solutions, when costs are non-separable, asymmetric and nonlinear, generalizing earlier work that has addressed “the price of anarchy” under separable costs. This generalization models traffic equilibria, competitive multi-period pricing and competitive supply chains. The bounds established in this paper are tight and explicitly account for the degree of asymmetry and nonlinearity of the cost function. We introduce an alternate proof method for providing bounds that uses ideas from semidefinite optimization. Finally, in the context of multi-period pricing our analysis establishes that user and system optimal solutions coincide.
Path optimization in programs and its application to debugging

We present and solve a path optimization problem on programs. Given a set of program nodes, called critical nodes, we find a shortest path through the program's control flow graph that touches the maximum number of these nodes. Control flow graphs over-approximate real program behavior; by adding dataflow analysis to the control flow graph, we narrow down on the program's actual behavior and discard paths deemed infeasible by the dataflow analysis. We derive an efficient algorithm for path optimization based on weighted pushdown systems. We present an application for path optimization by integrating it with the Cooperative Bug Isolation Project CBI, a dynamic debugging system. CBI mines instrumentation feedback data to find suspect program behaviors, called bug predictors, that are strongly associated with program failure. Instantiating critical nodes as the nodes containing bug predictors, we solve for a shortest program path that touches these predictors. This path can be used by a programmer to debug his software. We present some early experience on using this hybrid static/dynamic system for debugging.
Building Security System Based on Grid Computing To Convert and Store Media Files

In the recent years, Grid Computing (GC) has made big steps in development, contributing to solve practical problems which need large store capacity and computing performance. This paper introduces an approach to integrate the security mechanisms, Grid Security Infrastructure (GSI) of the open source Globus Toolkit 4.0.6 (GT4) into an application for storing, format converting and playing online media files, based on the GC.
Worker Payments and Incentives: A Classroom Experiment

This classroom experiment demonstrates the effects of time-based pay and output-based pay on worker behavior and productivity. Students will discover that workers paid a piece rate per unit produced will have incentives to work harder, but will sacrifice quality for increased quantity of output. In addition, workers will self-sort into jobs with different payment systems based on expected productivity and effort. Last, while labor costs per unit at firms offering output-based pay are generally lower than those at other firms, students will understand some of the reasons why this method of payment may not be widely used across occupations and industries.
A Theory of Law and Information: Copyright, Spleens, Blackmail, and Insider Trading

In this Article, Professor Boyle undertakes an analysis of the law's treatment of information across four apparently disparate realms: copyright, genetic information, blackmail, and insider trading. He argues that questions of information regulation, commodification, and access are shaped by two neglected processes of interpretive construction. First, such issues are often decided by pigeonholing them into implicitly contradictory stereotypes of "public" or "private" information. These conflicting stereotypes have their roots in basic assumptions about politics, the market, and privacy in a liberal state. Second, Professor Boyle argues that tension between these stereotypes is often apparently resolved by the use of a seductive image: the romantic author whose original, transformative genius justifies private property and fuels public debate. Thus, conventional wisdom, courts, and even economic analysts are more likely to favor granting property rights in information when the controller of this information can convincingly be ascribed the qualities of originality, creativity, and individuality, the defining attributes of romantic authorship. This is possible in the copyright domain and for manipulators, if not sources, of genetic information. Blackmailers and insider traders cannot so readily be fitted into the romantic author mold, and are classified instead as transgressors against, respectively, the "private" and "public" stereotypes of information. The Article concludes by assessing the impact of the implicit stereotypes on the politics of the "information age." Professor Boyle argues that an emphasis upon the ideology of authorship could be as important to an information society as the notions of freedom of contract and wage labor were to an earlier, industrialized society. This ideology of authorship, Professor Boyle contends, with its tendency to devalue the claims of sources and of audience, has the potential for strong detrimental effects on the political and economic structure of the "information age."
ECONOMIC GROWTH, INCOME DISTRIBUTION AND POVERTY IN POLAND DURING TRANSITION

The authors attempt to analyze the linkages between macroeconomic policies and economic growth variables, their movement over time, and their impact on poverty in the case of Poland. Poland, a middle-income country, is of particular interest because its data sources allow for a relatively detailed analysis of such developments, and the macroeconomic environment and the economic growth variables show a relatively sizable degree of variance. In addition, Poland has struggled in the past few years to reduce poverty while still experiencing positive economic growth. The authors show that in Poland, poverty-reducing growth depends heavily on the ability of the economy to generate jobs. During the early years of transition, net job growth was positive, while after the Russian crisis of 1998, productivity gains were accomplished mostly through labor shedding, henceforth, increasing poverty in Poland. In addition, the authors identify how fiscal and social protection policies affect income distribution and poverty in Poland.
Transport simulation of magnetohydrodynamic effects in Tokamaks

Methods for incorporating magnetohydrodynamic equilibria and internal instabilities into Tokamak transport codes are reviewed with emphasis on how the models may be extended to reactor plasmas. Instabilities are characterized from a computational view as being either intermittent or continuous modes. Intermittent disturbances are treated adiabatically whereas saturated instabilities can be handled through enhanced transport coefficients. The m = 1/n = 1 mode serves as an example of how the character of an instability can change as we proceed from low-beta resistive plasmas to high-beta collisionless plasmas. The implications for reactor thermal dynamics of finite-beta-induced transport are discussed in terms of Impurity Studies Experiment-B observations and analysis.
Children's growth and poverty in rural Guatemala

The author investigates the extent and determinants of poor child health and nutrition in rural Guatemala, as reflected in attained height. Exploiting a rich data set on relevant social, economic, ethnic, and geographic characteristics, he estimates the role played by exogeneous individual, household, and community covariates in shaping differentials in children's height. Then he addresses empirical questions ignored in previous anthropometric research, such as the distribution of child stunting across communities and the magnitude of intra-family correlation of height-for-age outcomes, before and after controlling for observed covariates. The author estimates are guided by the economic model of the family and the proximate determinants framework. The author fits multilevel models to hierarchically clustered data to control for family and community heterogeneity. His results confirm findings from previous research, suggesting that poor child growth outcomes in Guatemala are the result of widespread poverty. He finds that height-for-age differentials between children of latino mothers and children of indigenous mothers who do not speak Spanish are larger among children living in communities with better health care facilities. Estimates derived from multilevel models reveal much clustering of child height-for-age outcomes within families and communities. The models account for most of the community-level variation in child growth patterns, but explain only half of the overall intra-family correlation.
Numerical Simulation of Reactive Flow

This new edition takes account of the explosive growth in computer technology and the greatly increased capacity for solving complex reactive-flow problems. It presents algorithms for reactive flow simulations, describes some trade-offs involved in their use, and gives guidance for building and using models of complex reactive flows.
Bridging the gap between compilation and synthesis in the DEFACTO system

The DEFACTO project - a Design Environment For Adaptive Computing TechnOlogy - is a system that maps computations, expressed in high-level languages such as C, directly onto FPGA-based computing platforms. Major challenges are the inherent flexibility of FPGA hardware, capacity and timing constraints of the target FPGA devices, and accompanying speed-area trade-offs. To address these, DEFACTO combines parallelizing compiler technology with behavioral VHDL synthesis tools, obtaining the complementary advantages of the compiler's high-level analyses and transformations and synthesis' binding, allocation and scheduling of low-level hardware resources. To guide the compiler in the search of a good solution, we introduce the notion of balance between the rates at which data is fetched from memory and accessed by the computation, combined with estimation from behavioral synthesis. Since FPGA-based designs offer the potential for optimizing memory-related operations, we have also incorporated the ability to exploit parallel memory accesses and customize memory access protocols into the compiler analysis.
Synthetic aperture radar processing with polar formatted subapertures

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) uses the motion of a small real antenna to synthesize a larger aperture, and thereby achieve very fine azimuth resolution. Efficient SAR image formation requires modelling the radar echo and compensating (focusing) the delay and phase for various positions in the target scene. Polar-format processing is one successful algorithm developed to process large scenes at fine resolutions, but is still limited, especially at resolutions near a wavelength. This paper shows how using tiers of subapertures can overcome the limitations of Polar-format processing and increase the focused scene size substantially while using only efficient vector multiplies and fast Fourier transforms. >
A note on the concordance invariants epsilon and upsilon

Ozsvath-Stipsicz-Szabo recently defined a one-parameter family, upsilon of K at t, of concordance invariants associated to the knot Floer complex. We compare their invariant to the {-1, 0, 1}-valued concordance invariant epsilon, which is also associated to the knot Floer complex. In particular, we give an example of a knot K with upsilon uniformly equal to zero but epsilon non-zero.
Searching for Low Surface Brightness Galaxies in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field: Implications for the Star Formation Efficiency in Neutral Gas at z ~ 3

Applying the Kennicutt-Schmidt law to damped Ly? absorption systems (DLAs), we predict that 3% of the sky should be covered with extended objects brighter than ?V ? 28.4 mag arcsec-2, if DLAs at redshift z = [2.5, 3.5] undergo in situ star formation. We test this hypothesis by searching the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (UDF) F606W image for low surface brightness features of angular sizes, ranging between ?DLA = 025 (dDLA = 2 kpc) and 40 (dDLA = 31 kpc). After convolving the F606W image with smoothing kernels of angular diameters ?kern = ?DLA, we find the number of detected objects to decrease rapidly to zero at ?kern > 1''. Our search yields upper limits on the comoving SFR densities that are between factors of 30 and 100 lower than predictions, suggesting a reduction by more than a factor of 10 in star formation efficiency at z ~ 3. The lower star formation efficiencies may be due to the reduced molecular content of the DLA gas. We also find that the cosmological increase with redshift of the critical surface density for the Toomre instability may be sufficient to suppress star formation to the levels implied by the UDF observations. The upper limits on in situ star formation reduce the predicted metallicities at z ~ 3 to be significantly lower than observed, and reduce the heat input in the gas to be substantially lower than the inferred cooling rates. In contrast, the radiative output from compact Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) with R < 27 is sufficient to balance the comoving cooling rate. Thus, many DLAs may host more compact regions of active star formation, which may chemically enrich these DLAs. Such regions are likely to be LBGs.
Assured Information Sharing: Technologies, Challenges and Directions

This paper describes issues, technologies, challenges, and directions for Assured Information Sharing (AIS). AIS is about organizations sharing information but at the same time enforcing policies and procedures so that the data is integrated and mined to extract nuggets. This is the first in a series of papers we are writing on AIS. It provides an overview including architectures, functions and policies for AIS. We assume that the partners of a coalition may be trustworthy, semi-trustworthy or untrustworthy and investigate solutions for AIS to handle the different scenarios.
Emergency nursing: historical, current, and future roles.

Abstract Building upon a historical context, the current and future roles of the clinical emergency nurse are reviewed. For several reasons, emergency nurse availability is expected to be insufficient to meet staffing demands in the near future. Emergency physicians can partner with emergency nurses and hospital administrators to pursue the following strategies for addressing the nursing shortage: (1) improve the workplace environment by improving nurse-to-patient ratios and avoiding the boarding of admitted patients in the emergency department (ED); (2) refocus the emergency nurse job description to patients and their families; (3) promote mutually supportive relationships and comradeship between emergency nurses and physicians; (4) create an environment that allows unique solutions to staff scheduling and accommodates shiftwork; (5) increase nursing wages, and recognize special contributions of emergency nurses with financial reward; (6) identify and promote the personnel of the hospital ED as members of an elite unit; (7) develop preceptorships and internships for nurses new to emergency nursing and invest in clinical specialists or nurse-mentors to assist in "on-the-job" instruction of nurses with previous experience; and (8) invest in nursing education. Taking these steps today will strengthen the ED health care safety net for decades to come.
Approximation algorithms for power-aware scheduling of wireless sensor networks with rate and duty-cycle constraints

We develop algorithms for finding the minimum energy transmission schedule for duty-cycle and rate constrained wireless sensor nodes transmitting over an interference channel. Since traditional optimization methods using Lagrange multipliers do not work well and are computationally expensive given the non-convex constraints, we develop fully polynomial approximation schemes (FPAS) for finding optimal schedules by considering restricted versions of the problem using multiple discrete power levels. We first show a simple dynamic programming solution that optimally solves the restricted problem. For two fixed transmit power levels (0 and P), we then develop a 2-factor approximation for finding the optimal fixed transmission power level per time slot, Popt, that generates the optimal (minimum) energy schedule. This can then be used to develop a (2, 1+e)-FPAS that approximates the optimal power consumption and rate constraints to within factors of 2 and arbitrarily small e>0, respectively. Finally, we develop an algorithm for computing the optimal number of discrete power levels per time slot (O(1/e)), and use this to design a (1, 1+e)-FPAS that consumes less energy than the optimal while violating each rate constraint by at most a 1+e factor.
Temporal Logic for Proof-Carrying Code

Proof-carrying code (PCC) is a framework for ensuring that untrusted programs are safe to install and execute. When using PCC, untrusted programs are required to contain a proof that allows the program text to be checked efficiently for safe behavior. In this paper, we lay the foundation for a potential engineering improvement to PCC. Specifically, we present a practical approach to using temporal logic to specify security policies in such a way that a PCC system can enforce them.
Experimenting with Measurement Error: Techniques with Applications to the Caltech Cohort Study

Measurement error is ubiquitous in experimental work. It leads to imperfect statistical controls, attenuated estimated effects of elicited behaviors, and biased correlations between characteristics. We develop statistical techniques for handling experimental measurement error. These techniques are applied to data from the Caltech Cohort Study, which conducts repeated incentivized surveys of the Caltech student body. We replicate three classic experiments, demonstrating that results change substantially when measurement error is accounted for. Collectively, these results show that failing to properly account for measurement error may cause a field-wide bias leading scholars to identify “new” phenomena.
Privatization and public enterprises

This paper considers whether privatization is an appropriate response to the problems associated with large public enterprise sectors in industrial and developing countries. It is argued that privatization is likely to be the source of some gains in efficiency, as privatized enterprises are less susceptible to political interference, management incentives are improved, and government financial backing is withdrawn. However, more significant gains can be expected from measures that result in public or privatized enterprises being subjected to competitive pressures, and attempts to improve upon incentive and control mechanisms currently used to influence public enterprise performance. From the fiscal point of view, only if there are associated improvements in efficiency can privatization be of benefit to the budget.
Partially Hydrolyzed Soy Protein Shows Enhanced Transport of Amino Acids Compared to Nonhydrolyzed Protein across an Intestinal Epithelial Cell Monolayer

Consumption of protein hydrolysates has been proposed to stimulate muscle anabolism more than intact (nonhydrolyzed) proteins via accelerated delivery of amino acids for muscle protein synthesis (MPS). We evaluated whether the rate of amino acid uptake and transport across intestinal cells was enhanced for soy protein hydrolysates versus nonhydrolyzed soy protein. Intact and partially hydrolyzed proteins were subject to simulated gut digestion and applied to the apical surface of Caco-2 monolayers. Basolateral media was harvested after 3 h and quantitatively analyzed for free amino acids using ion-exchange chromatography and comparison to an included reference standard. Basolateral concentrations of all amino acids were higher (mean 32%) for hydrolyzed versus nonhydrolyzed protein with the greatest differences in histidine, lysine, and valine. Scale-up production of the soy protein hydrolysate did not diminish its enhanced absorption properties. These data support the hypothesis that hydrolyzed soy protein may provide dietary amino acids that are more rapidly transported across the intestinal epithelium versus intact soy protein. This would be important under conditions where rapid and increased levels of amino acids are needed such as in the stimulation of MPS.
OPTIMA: A New Score Function for the Detection of Remote Homologs

A new method to derive a score function to detect remote relationships between protein sequences has been developed. The new score function, OPTIMA, was obtained after maximization of a function of merit representing a measure of success in recognizing homologs of the newly sequenced protein among thousands of non-homolog sequences in the databases. We find that the new score function obtained in such a manner performs better than standard score functions for the identification of distant homologies.
Chapter 9 – Queueing Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews queueing processes. A queueing theory is the mathematical study of waiting lines or queues. A queueing system consists of customers arriving at random times to some facility where they receive service of some kind and depart; the term customer is used generically. Queueing systems are classified according to the input process, the service distribution, and the queue discipline. The most common queue discipline is first come, first served where customers are served in the same order in which they arrive. Queueing models aid the design process by predicting system performance. Also, a standard short-hand is used in much of the queueing literature for identifying simple queueing models. The simplest and most extensively studied queueing models are those having a Poisson arrival process and exponentially distributed service times. Variations on the simple queueing models can be seen. Often queueing networks, comprised of groups of service stations, with the departures of some stations forming the arrivals of others, arise computer and information processing systems, manufacturing job shops, service industries such as hospitals and airport terminals, and in many other contexts; these complex systems can be analyzed component by component as departures from a queue with Poisson arrivals and exponentially distributed service times, in statistical equilibrium, also form a Poisson process. As corollary to the above, general open networks may also be analyzed.
Massive Black Hole Mergers: Can we see what LISA will hear?

Coalescing massive black hole binaries are formed when galaxies merge. The final stages of this coalescence produce strong gravitational wave signals that can be detected by the space-borne LISA. When the black holes merge in the presence of gas and magnetic fields, various types of electromagnetic signals may also be produced. Modeling such electromagnetic counterparts requires evolving the behavior of both gas and fields in the strong-field regions around the black holes. We have taken a first step towards this problem by mapping the flow of pressureless matter in the dynamic, 3-D general relativistic spacetime around the merging black holes. We report on the results of these initial simulations and discuss their likely importance for future hydrodynamical simulations.
High Velocity Clouds in the Galaxy

Early observers measuring 21 cm HI profiles away from the Galactic plane found not only the emission near zero velocity expected from gas in the immediate vicinity of the Sun, but also occasional emission at velocities reaching several hundred km s-1. It seemed unlikely that these spectral lines could come from gas in normal galactic rotation (they are sometimes found at |b| > 45°), and so began the puzzle of “high-velocity clouds” (HVCs). The early result that all HVCs had negative velocity implying that they were infalling was soon shown to be incorrect with the discovery of many positive velocity clouds in the southern hemisphere. Attempts to determine the distance to HVCs by searching for them in absorption against stars yielded only lower limits, typically > 1 kpc. By 1984 several large-scale surveys had established that a significant fraction of the sky was covered with high velocity HI (e.g., Oort, 1966; Giovanelli, 1980). A recent major review is by Wakker (1991a; see also van Woerden, 1993). For this brief presentation to a specialized audience, I will concentrate on issues that may be relevant to the topic of stellar populations.
Short-Range Spin Glasses: Results and Speculations

This paper is divided into two parts. The first part concerns several standard scenarios for how short-range spin glasses might behave at low temperature. Earlier theorems of the authors are reviewed, and some new results presented, including a proof that, in a thermodynamic system exhibiting infinitely many pure states and with the property (such as in replica-symmetrybreaking scenarios) that mixtures of these states manifest themselves in large finite volumes, there must be an uncountable infinity of states. In the second part of the paper, we offer some conjectures and speculations on possible unusual scenarios for the low-temperature phase of finite-range spin glasses in various dimensions. We include a discussion of the possibility of a phase transition without broken spin-flip symmetry, and provide an argument suggesting that in low dimensions such a possibility may occur. The argument is based on a new proof of Fortuin-Kasteleyn random cluster percolation at nonzero temperatures in dimensions as low as two. A second speculation considers the possibility, in analogy to certain phenomena in Anderson localization theory, of a much stronger type of chaotic temperature dependence than has previously been discussed: one in which the actual state space structure, and not just the correlations, vary chaotically with temperature.
Applying the kriging method to predicting irradiance variability at a potential PV power plant

Abstract One-second irradiance data from forty-five sensors spaced over a one-mile square section of land were analyzed to characterize the short-term (1-s to 1-min) variability of the solar resource in Northern Arizona. The geostatistical interpolation model known as kriging was applied to our data set to better understand the method's strengths and weaknesses in accurately predicting the variations in the irradiance over this relatively small section of land. Of particular interest was to investigate the ability of the kriging method to show the variation in solar irradiance over the section of land as compared to that measured by the sensors. When using data from all the sensors as input to the prediction method, kriging performed very well compared to the sensors. However, because it is unlikely to have a large number of sensors to characterize the variability at a prospective solar site, it was also of interest to investigate how many sensors are required as input to the kriging technique in order to generate a reliable prediction. Solar data from four characteristic periods (related to the four seasons) were analyzed, and different sensor configurations, consisting of subsets of the actual sensor array, were employed using the method to demonstrate the number of sensors required to correctly characterize the short-term irradiance variability at the site. Using four measurement stations as input to the kriging method was shown to reasonably represent the variability in the 1-s to 1-min timescales.
Pushbroom stereo for high-speed navigation in cluttered environments

We present a novel stereo vision algorithm that is capable of obstacle detection on a mobile ARM processor at 120 frames per second. Our system performs a subset of standard block-matching stereo processing, searching only for obstacles at a single depth. By using an onboard IMU and state-estimator, we can recover the position of obstacles at all other depths, building and updating a local depth-map at framerate. Here, we describe both the algorithm and our implementation on a high-speed, small UAV, flying at over 20 MPH (9 m/s) close to obstacles. The system requires no external sensing or computation and is, to the best of our knowledge, the first high-framerate stereo detection system running onboard a small UAV.
Two-photon interference with thermal light

We report an experiment that extends the concept of two-photon probability amplitude to the general case of independent photons. The experiment also shows interesting practical applications regarding high resolution interference patterns with thermal sources.
Swelling and structure of vanadium-base alloys irradiated in the dynamic helium charging experiment

Combined effects of dynamically charged He and neutron damage on density change, void distribution, and microstructural evolution of V-4Cr-4Ti have been determined after irradiation to 18-31 dpa at 425-600{degrees}C in the Dynamic Helium Charging Experiment (DHCE). For specimens irradiated to {approx}18 dpa at 600{degrees}C with an estimated He/dpa ratio of 3-9 appm He/dpa (a range similar to the fusion-relevant ratio of {approx}5 appm He/dpa), only a few microvoids were observed at the interface of the grain matrix and some Ti(O,N,C) precipitates. No microvoids were observed either in the grain matrix or near grain boundaries. It seems that most of the dynamically produced He atoms are trapped in the grain matrix without significant void nucleation or growth. In this group of DHCE specimens, density changes were similar to those of non-DHCE (negligible He generation) specimens for a comparable fluence and irradiation temperature. Significant numbers of microvoids in the grain matrix and on localized grain boundaries were present only in specimens irradiated to {approx}31 dpa at 425{degrees}C in high-tritium capsules, in which an excessive amount of helium was generated (estimated He/dpa ratio of 10-35 appm). Discontinuous regions of void segregation on grain boundaries were observed, and void number-density was significantly lower thanmore » in other alloys irradiated in tritium-trick experiments. Density changes of the specimens were significantly higher than those from non-DHCE irradiations. Microstructural evolution in V-4Cr-4Ti was similar for DHCE and non-DHCE irradiations, except for void number-density and distribution. As in non-DHCE specimens, irradiation-induced precipitation of ultrafine Ti{sub 5}Si{sub 3} was observed for irradiation at 600{degrees}C but not at 425{degrees}C.« less
Openness and Foreign Direct Investment: The Role of Free Trade Agreements in Latin America

This paper sheds lights the on the performance of Latin American governments in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) through trade policies, specifically by signing free trade agreements with other countries. The relationship between FDI and trade for Latin America has previously been analyzed. In these studies, the relationship between the degree of “openness” (imports plus exports divided by the domestic product) and FDI has not been conclusive. At the same time, the effect of specific trade policies on FDI flows has not been extensively studied. Some state policies on trade could produce a significant impact in attracting FDI. Specifically, through the implementation of several free trade agreements, several Latin American countries have been able to attract greater flows of foreign direct investment. The implementation of these free trade agreements was part of a more general plan of economic reforms that Latin American countries launched since the mid-1980s. The goals of these reforms were to adjust their economies and improve their competitiveness by liberalizing trade, privatizing, and deregulating their markets. Those countries that signed more free trade agreements – or signed them with the largest economies in the world –increased their effectiveness in attracting FDI. I test the impact of this policy on the behavior of FDI flows through a panel data model for seventeen Latin American countries and for the period ranging from 1985 to 2003.
RAF: an activation framework for refining similarity queries using learning techniques

In numerous applications that deal with similarity search, a user may not have an exact specification of his information need and/or may not be able to formulate a query that exactly captures his notion of similarity. A promising approach to mitigate this problem is to enable the user to submit a rough approximation of the desired query and use relevance feedback on retrieved objects to refine the query. In this paper, we explore such a refinement strategy for a general class of structured similarity queries. Our approach casts the refinement problem as that of learning concepts using the tuples on which the user provides feedback as a labeled training set. Under this setup, similarity query refinement consists of two learning tasks: learning the structure of the query and learning the relative importance of query components. The paper develops machine learning approaches suitable for the two learning tasks. The primary contribution of the paper is the Refinement Activation Framework (RAF) that decides when each learner is invoked. Experimental analysis over many real life datasets shows that our strategy significantly outperforms existing approaches in terms of retrieval quality.
A Fast Algorithm for Uniform Semi-Unification

We present a fast algorithm for uniform semi-unification based on adapting the Huet unification closure method for standard unification. It solves the following decision problem in O(n2α(n)2), where n is the size of the two terms, and α is the functional inverse of Ackermann's function: Given two terms s and t, do there exist two substitutions σ and ρ such that ρ(σ(s)) = σ(t)? In the affirmative case, a solution σ can be constructed within the same time bound. However, if a principal solution (analogous to an mgu) is required, some modifications to the algorithm must be made, and the upper bound increases to O(n2log2(nα(n))α(n)2).
CONDITIONALLY HETEROSKEDASTIC FACTOR MODELS WITH SKEWNESS AND LEVERAGE EFFECTS

Conditional heteroskedasticity, skewness and leverage effects are well known features of financial returns. The literature on factor models has often made assumptions that preclude the three effects to occur simultaneously. In this paper I propose a conditionally heteroskedastic factor model that takes into account the presence of both the conditional skewness and leverage effects. This model is specified in terms of conditional moment restrictions and unconditional moment conditions are proposed allowing inference by the generalized method of moments (GMM). The model is also shown to be closed under temporal aggregation. An application to daily excess returns on sectorial indices from the U.K. stock market provides a strong evidence for dynamic conditional skewness and leverage with a sharp efficiency gain resulting from accounting for both effects. The estimated volatility persistence from the proposed model is lower than that estimated from models that rule out such effects. I also find that the longer the returns’ horizon, the fewer conditionally heteroskedastic factors may be required for suitable modeling and the less strong is the evidence for dynamic leverage. Some of these results are in line with the main findings of Harvey and Siddique (1999) and Jondeau and Rockinger (2003), namely that accounting for conditional skewness impacts the persistence in the conditional variance of the return process.
Throughput analysis for wireless networks with full-duplex radios

This paper investigates the throughput for wireless network with full-duplex radios using stochastic geometry. Full-duplex (FD) radios can exchange data simultaneously with each other. On the other hand, the downside of FD transmission is that it will inevitably cause extra interference to the network compared to half-duplex (HD) transmission. In this paper, we focus on a wireless network of nodes with both HD and FD capabilities and derive and optimize the throughput in such a network. Our analytical result shows that if the network is adapting an ALOHA protocol, the maximal throughput is always achieved by scheduling all concurrently transmitting nodes to work in FD mode instead of a mixed FD/HD mode or HD mode regardless of the network configurations. Moreover, the throughput gain of using FD transmission over HD transmission is analytically lower and upper bounded.
The Global Growth of Mutual Funds

With few exceptions, mainly in Asia, mutual funds grew explosively in most countries around the world during the 1990s. Equity funds predominated in Anglo-American countries while bond funds predominated in most of Continental Europe, and in middle-income countries. Capital market development (reflecting investor confidence in market integrity, liquidity, and efficiency) and financial system orientation were the main determinants of mutual fund growth. Restrictions on competing products acted as a catalyst for the development of money market and (short-term) bond funds.
A Strategy-Proof and Non-monetary Admission Control Mechanism for Wireless Access Networks

We study admission control mechanisms for wireless access networks where (i) each user has a minimum service requirement, (ii) the capacity of the access network is limited, and (iii) the access point is not allowed to use monetary mechanisms to guarantee that users do not lie when disclosing their minimum service requirements. To guarantee truthfulness, we use auction theory to design a mechanism where users compete to be admitted into the network. We propose admission control mechanisms under which the access point intelligently allocates resources based on the announced minimum service requirements to ensure that users have no incentive to lie and the capacity constraint is fulfilled. We also prove the properties that any feasible mechanism should have.
Project Characteristics, Incentives, and Team Production

We develop a model to show how agency conflicts, free-rider effects, and monitoring costs interact to affect optimal team size and workers’ incentive contracts. Team size increases with project risk, decreases with profitability, and decreases with monitoring costs as a proportion of output. Our predictions are consistent with empirical evidence that firm-specific risk has increased over time, average corporate earnings have declined, and firms’ organizational structures have also flattened. The predicted effects of monitoring costs on team size are supported by evidence that improvements in information technology likely to lower monitoring costs lead to larger teams. Further, firms with relatively more intangible assets, where monitoring costs are likely to be higher, are smaller. Optimal incentive intensities decrease with risk and increase with profitability. The endogenous determination of team size accentuates the positive effects of a decline in risk and an increase in profitability on incentives.
Revisando la Nación panameña en las primeras novelas de Ramón F. Jurado.

Contemporary Panamanian writer Ramon F. Jurado confronts the Nation in his works, representing it with sufficient subtlety so as to make its protagonism seem implicit, although nationalistic discourse surfaces easily in the text. In doing this, he does not deviate from current literary tendencies in Panama. The author?s defining trait is the juxtaposition of concepts inherent to the Nation with the characteristics that define the detective novel.
Recursive training of 2D-3D convolutional networks for neuronal boundary detection

Efforts to automate the reconstruction of neural circuits from 3D electron microscopic (EM) brain images are critical for the field of connectomics. An important computation for reconstruction is the detection of neuronal boundaries. Images acquired by serial section EM, a leading 3D EM technique, are highly anisotropic, with inferior quality along the third dimension. For such images, the 2D max-pooling convolutional network has set the standard for performance at boundary detection. Here we achieve a substantial gain in accuracy through three innovations. Following the trend towards deeper networks for object recognition, we use a much deeper network than previously employed for boundary detection. Second, we incorporate 3D as well as 2D filters, to enable computations that use 3D context. Finally, we adopt a recursively trained architecture in which a first network generates a preliminary boundary map that is provided as input along with the original image to a second network that generates a final boundary map. Back-propagation training is accelerated by ZNN, a new implementation of 3D convolutional networks that uses multicore CPU parallelism for speed. Our hybrid 2D-3D architecture could be more generally applicable to other types of anisotropic 3D images, including video, and our recursive framework for any image labeling problem.