cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associating grasp configurations with hierarchical features in convolutional neural networks

In this work, we provide a solution for posturing the anthropomorphic Robonaut-2 hand and arm for grasping based on visual information. A mapping from visual features extracted from a convolutional neural network (CNN) to grasp points is learned. We demonstrate that a CNN pre-trained for image classification can be applied to a grasping task based on a small set of grasping examples. Our approach takes advantage of the hierarchical nature of the CNN by identifying features that capture the hierarchical support relations between filters in different CNN layers and locating their 3D positions by tracing activations backwards in the CNN. When this backward trace terminates in the RGB-D image, important manipulable structures are thereby localized. These features that reside in different layers of the CNN are then associated with controllers that engage different kinematic subchains in the hand/arm system for grasping. A grasping dataset is collected using demonstrated hand/object relationships for Robonaut-2 to evaluate the proposed approach in terms of the precision of the resulting preshape postures. We demonstrate that this approach outperforms baseline approaches in cluttered scenarios on the grasping dataset and a point cloud based approach on a grasping task using Robonaut-2.
Paclitaxel inhibits the activity and membrane localization of PKCα and PKCβI/II to elicit a decrease in stimulated calcitonin gene-related peptide release from cultured sensory neurons

Peripheral neuropathy is a dose-limiting and debilitating side effect of the chemotherapeutic drug, paclitaxel. Consequently, elucidating the mechanisms by which this drug alters sensory neuronal function is essential for the development of successful therapeutics for peripheral neuropathy. We previously demonstrated that chronic treatment with paclitaxel (3-5days) reduces neuropeptide release stimulated by agonists of TRPV1. Because the activity of TRPV1 channels is modulated by conventional and novel PKC isozymes (c/nPKC), we investigated whether c/nPKC mediate the loss of neuropeptide release following chronic treatment with paclitaxel (300nM; 3 and 5days). Release of the neuropeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), was measured as an index of neuronal sensitivity. Following paclitaxel treatment, cultured dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons were stimulated with a c/nPKC activator, phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), or a TRPV1 agonist, capsaicin, in the absence and presence of selective inhibitors of conventional PKCα and PKCβI/II isozymes (cPKC). Paclitaxel (300nM; 3days and 5days) attenuated both PDBu- and capsaicin-stimulated release in a cPKC-dependent manner. Under basal conditions, there were no changes in the protein expression, phosphorylation or membrane localization of PKC α, βI or βII, however, paclitaxel decreased cPKC activity as indicated by a reduction in the phosphorylation of cPKC substrates. Under stimulatory conditions, paclitaxel attenuated the membrane translocation of phosphorylated PKC α, βI and βII, providing a rationale for the attenuation in PDBu- and capsaicin-stimulated release. Our findings suggest that a decrease in cPKC activity and membrane localization are responsible for the reduction in stimulated peptide release following chronic treatment with paclitaxel in sensory neurons.
Changes in corporate effective tax rates over the past 25 years

Abstract We investigate systematic changes in corporate effective tax rates over the past 25 years and find that effective tax rates have decreased significantly. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the decline in effective tax rates is not concentrated in multinational firms; effective tax rates have declined at approximately the same rate for both multinational and domestic firms. Moreover, within multinational firms, both foreign and domestic effective rates have decreased. Finally, changes in firm characteristics and declining foreign statutory tax rates explain little of the overall decrease in effective rates.
Returns to Education through Access to Higher-Paying Firms: Evidence from US Matched Employer-Employee Data

This paper sheds light on the microfoundations of reduced-form returns to education. Specifically, we ask: are more advanced higher education degrees associated with increased earnings within employers or higher average pay across employers? And to the extent that sorting across firms matters, what parts of the employer pay distribution are higher degrees differentially represented in?
Varying Diameter and Problem Size in Mesh-Connected Computers

On a mesh-connected computer, moving data across the mesh is the most time-consuming operation in many algorithms. This time can be reduced by using a mesh with smaller diameter, i.e., with fewer processing elements. To accomodate inputs of the same size, this requires that the processors have more memory. For image processing and graph theoretic algorithms we analyze the time as a function of the mesh diameter and problem size. We show that for many problems, smaller diameters can yield faster algorithms, and that there is a choice of diameter that is simultaneously best for several of these problems. Further, for these problems and this number of processing elements (or any smaller number), the mesh is an optimal interconnection scheme.
Algorithms for covering multiple barriers

In this paper, we consider the problems for covering multiple intervals on a line. Given a set B of m line segments (called “barriers”) on a horizontal line L and another set S of n horizontal line segments of the same length in the plane, we want to move all segments of S to L so that their union covers all barriers and the maximum movement of all segments of S is minimized. Previously, an \(O(n^3\log n)\)-time algorithm was given for the problem but only for the special case \(m=1\). In this paper, we propose an \(O(n^2\log n\log \log n+nm\log m)\)-time algorithm for any m, which improves the previous work even for \(m=1\). We then consider a line-constrained version of the problem in which the segments of S are all initially on the line L. Previously, an \(O(n\log n)\)-time algorithm was known for the case \(m=1\). We present an algorithm of \(O((n+m)\log (n+ m))\) time for any m. These problems may have applications in mobile sensor barrier coverage in wireless sensor networks.
Uniform Approximation of Extremal Functions in Weighted Bergman Spaces

We discuss approximation of extremal functions by polynomials in the weighted Bergman spaces $$A^p_\alpha $$ where $$-1< \alpha < \min (0,p-2)$$ . We obtain bounds on how close the approximation is to the true extremal function in the $$A^p_\alpha $$ and uniform norms. We also prove several results on the relation between the Bergman modulus of continuity of a function and how quickly its best polynomial approximants converge to it.
An iterative forward analysis technique to determine the equation of state of dynamically compressed materials

We developed an iterative forward analysis (IFA) technique with the ability to use hydrocode simulations as a fitting function for analysis of dynamic compression experiments. The IFA method optimizes over parameterized quantities in the hydrocode simulations, breaking the degeneracy of contributions to the measured material response. Velocity profiles from synthetic data generated using a hydrocode simulation are analyzed as a first-order validation of the technique. We also analyze multiple magnetically driven ramp compression experiments on copper and compare with more conventional techniques. Excellent agreement is obtained in both cases.
Online Auctions and Multichannel Retailing

The Internet enables sellers to offer products through multiple channels simultaneously. In particular, many sellers utilize online auctions in parallel to an offline channel in which they offer the item for a fixed price. Using search theory, we develop an analytical model for studying sellers' pricing decisions and auction outcomes in the context of such multichannel retailing. Our analytical model provides a framework for studying how characteristics of the demand in an offline retail sales channel impact the seller's optimal reserve price in the auction channel, the probability that an auction ends in a sale, the probability that an item is sold through the auction channel, and the auction expected sale price. We then utilize data from eBay Motors auctions and examine empirically how the quality of a sellers' retail location impacts the seller's auctions outcomes. The results of our empirical analysis match the predictions of the analytical model. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2732 . This paper was accepted by Chris Forman, information systems.
Exact Algorithms for Duplication-Transfer-Loss Reconciliation with Non-Binary Gene Trees

Duplication-Transfer-Loss (DTL) reconciliation is a powerful method for studying gene family evolution in the presence of horizontal gene transfer. DTL reconciliation seeks to reconcile gene trees with species trees by postulating speciation, duplication, transfer, and loss events. Efficient algorithms exist for finding optimal DTL reconciliations when the gene tree is binary. In practice, however, gene trees are often non-binary due to uncertainty in the gene tree topologies, and DTL reconciliation with non-binary gene trees is known to be NP-hard. In this paper, we present the first exact algorithms for DTL reconciliation with non-binary gene trees. Specifically, we (i) show that the DTL reconciliation problem for non-binary gene trees is fixed-parameter tractable in the maximum degree of the gene tree, (ii) present an exponential-time, but in-practice efficient, algorithm to track and enumerate all optimal binary resolutions of a non-binary input gene tree, and (iii) apply our algorithms to a large empirical data set of over 4,700 gene trees from 100 species to study the impact of gene tree uncertainty on DTL-reconciliation and to demonstrate the applicability and utility of our algorithms. The new techniques and algorithms introduced in this paper will help biologists avoid incorrect evolutionary inferences caused by gene tree uncertainty.
Artists, engineers, and aspects of economic growth in a creative region

Abstract We study aspects of economic growth in a region that is creative a la Richard Florida. Members of the creative class possess creative capital and they fall into one of two possible groups---they are either artists or engineers. We describe the optimal income redistribution rule that maximizes the creative class's average steady state income. Because this average income is increasing in the physical capital per creative class member ratio, the rule requires a regional authority to redistribute income away from (towards) the group that saves a lower (higher) fraction of its income. This is a negative finding in the sense that the rule's implementation will tend to favor the group that already saves more. Even so, the finding is consistent with the observation made by some researchers that there is a connection between income inequality and regions in which the creative class performs a large part of all economic activities.
6 – Detecting periodicities

Chapter 6, Detecting Periodicities, is about spectral analysis, the procedures used to represent data as a superposition of harmonically varying components and to detect periodicities. The key concept is the Fourier series, a type of linear model in which the data are represented by a mixture of sinusoidally varying components. The chapter aims to make the student completely comfortable with the discrete Fourier transform (DFT), the key algorithm used in studying periodicities. Theoretical analysis and a practical discussion of MatLab's DFT function are closely interwoven.
Radial Basis Function and Wavelet Neural Networks for Feathering the Solar Arrays

Abstract The current baseline solution for minimizing the potential of dynamic loads being Imparted onto the solar arrays of the Space Station during proximity maneuvera by the Space Shuttle is to lock the position of the solar arrays throughout the approach/departure of the Space Shuttle However, If the apriors locked position does not optimally feather the solar arrays throughout the Shuttle's approach/departure, excessive dynamic loads could result, producing a structural failure in the solar arrays. A more robust solution would Involve feathering the Position of the solar arrays throughout proximity maneuvers by the Space Shuttle. The robust solution will be implemented using a neural network acting as an open loop predictor/controller. Radial basis function and wavelet neural networks will be designed and evaluated based on their resultant performance, and the strong similarities between these two networks will be highlighted.
Home blood pressure as a predictor of future blood pressure stability in borderline hypertension: The Tecumseh study

We evaluated time-related blood pressure trends in the Tecumseh study participants, none of whom received antihypertensive treatment. At baseline the blood pressures were measured in the field clinic and by self measurement at home (twice daily for 7 days). After a mean of 3.2 +/- 0.42 years, the clinic and home pressure readings were repeated. Nine hundred forty-six subjects had clinic and home blood pressure readings at baseline. Of these 735 (380 men, 355 women; average age, 32 years) also completed the second examination. Blood pressure, morphometric data, and biochemical measures at the first examination were used as predictors of future clinic blood pressures. Five hundred ninety-six subjects were normotensive on both examinations (81%). Of 79 subjects (10.7%) with clinic hypertension (> 140 mg Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg diastolic) at baseline, 38 remained hypertensive ("sustained hypertension") and 41 became normotensive ("transient hypertension") after 3 years. Another 60 normotensives at baseline (10.4%) became hypertensive on second examination ("de novo hypertensives"; incidence; 8.1%). The home blood pressure readings on both examinations were reproducible. The three hypertensive groups had elevated home blood pressure, were overweight, had dyslipidemia, and higher insulin values. Only the home blood pressure proved predictive of subsequent blood pressure trends. A home blood pressure of 128 and 83 mm Hg or higher detected "sustained" hypertension with a 48% sensitivity and 93% specificity. Readings of 120 and 80 mm Hg or lower predicted future normotension with a 45% sensitivity and a 91% specificity. We conclude that self determination of the blood pressure at home is useful in the management of borderline hypertension. An algorithm for the management of these patients is proposed.
Relaxation and Optimal Control of Nonlinear Distributed Parameter Systems

Abstract In this paper we examine optimal control problems governed by nonlinear evolution equations. First we establish the existence of optimal controls under a convexity hypothesis on an appropriate orientor field. Then we drop the convexity hypothesis. Now in order to guarantee the existence of optimal solutions we need to pass to a larger system known as the "relaxed system". We introduce that system, show that it has optimal solutions and compare it with original one. Finally using the Dubovitsky-Milyutin formalism we obtain necessary optimality conditions (maximum principle) and we prove a new "bang-bang" theorem.
Comparison of Specific Red-Cell Adherence and Immunoperoxidase Staining Techniques for ABO(H) Blood-Group Cell-Surface Antigens on Superficial Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder

The presence or absence of blood-group antigens have been used to predict the clinical course of patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Antigen loss has been associated with neoplastic change. The red-cell adherence test has been the most widely accepted method of antigen determination, but this technique has inherent weaknesses. Recently, the immunoperoxidase assay has been used to detect antigens on tumor cells. We compared 30 patients using the red-cell adherence and immunoperoxidase methods on adjacent micro to me cut sections. The red-cell adherence and immunoperoxidase methods performed similarly (86 %) when assessing antigen presence or absence. However, the immunoperoxidase method was clearly superior in: 1) specificity for antigens on tumor cells and normal internal controls; 2) localization of antigen; 3) demonstration of cellular morphology; 4) increased objectivity of analysis; 5) ease of reproducibility; and 6) cost effectiveness.
Molecular and Clinical Advances in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

L'hyperplasie congenitale des surrenales correspond a un groupe d'erreurs congenitales autosoniques recessives de la steroidogenese surrenalienne avec deficit de l'un des enzymes necessaires a la synthese du cortisol. Revue des progres recents dans ce domain, avec les donnees genetiques et les possibilites actuelles de diagnostic et traitement antenatals
Etiology and Pathogenesis of the Prune Belly Syndrome

The congenital triad of abdominal muscle deficiency, severe urinary tract abnormality, and cryptorchidism forms a rare but well-defined clinical condition popularly known as the "prune belly syndrome" (PBS) [1–10]. The term "prune belly" is descriptive of the characteristic wizened, dried-plum appearance in the newborn and young infant (Fig. 1). The peculiar and, in "classical" cases, pathognomonic aspect of the thin, transparent, redundant abdominal skin, which is loose rather than stretched, nestling to the wobbly intestines at birth, becomes less marked with advancing age. With age, the wrinkles flatten out as the subcutaneous fat and intraabdominal content increase, expanding further the flaring and floppy flanks and the paunch. In addition to the therapeutic challenge presented by the PBS, its etiology and pathogenesis have been controversial. Earlier studies suggested a mesenchymal developmental arrest during the 6th to 7th week of gestation leading to coordinated defects of dependent structures [11, 12]. Recently, an old hypothesis has been resurrected and extended [13–15]. It explains the morphologic characteristics of the PBS as sequelae of an intrauterine distension of the abdomen, usually by enlargement of the bladder due to an obstruction of the proximal urethra [16–19]. Operative removal of the obstructing tissue such as an urethral valve would under these circumstances be a logical measure in the affected newborn or infant. Our personal experience with 14 patients with PBS and a critical analysis of the literature do not support the hypothesis of a secondary pathogenetic sequence arising from a primary obstructive uropathy. PBS and the "urethral obstruction malformation complex" [14] are different conditions, which can be separated by clinical, radiographic, endoscopic, and histologic evaluation. This distinction determines the choice of the most effective form of therapy.
Vesicoureteral Reflux and Urinary Tract Infections in Renal Transplant Recipients

• Fifty-six children who received kidney transplants were evaluated for postoperative vesicoureteral reflux and frequency of urinary tract infection. Two methods of ureteral Implantation were compared: a nonantireflux extravesicular ureteroneocystostomy and an antireflux intravesicular ureteroneocystostomy. Reflux was found In 79% of children who had the nonantireflux procedure vs 19% of children who had the antireflux procedure. This disparity was present regardless of sex and age. Infections occurred at a rate of one per 11 patient-months after the nonantireflux procedure vs one per 40 patient-months after the antireflux procedure. Regardless of surgical technique, the incidence of Infection was higher in children with reflux. The potentially harmful effect of infection with reflux warrants concern. Because of the need to maximize allograft function for a longer time period, an antireflux procedure is recommended in all pediatric kidney transplants. ( AJDC 1987;141:982-984)
Prediagnostic Serum Hormones and the Risk of Prostate Cancer

Serum samples were obtained from 6860 men during their study examination from 1971 to 1975. After a surveillance period of about 14 years, 98 incident cases of prostate cancer were identified. Their stored sera and that of 98 matched controls from the study population were tested for the following: testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estrone, estradiol, and sex hormone globulin. There was a suggestion that serum dihydrotestosterone levels were lower and the testosterone/dihydrotestosterone ratios were higher in the prostate cancer cases compared with their controls. However, none of these associations or that of the other hormones was strongly significant. Further work is needed to clarify the relationship between sex hormones and prostate cancer risk.
Technical Consideration in Management of Renovascular Hypertension in an Infant With Double Renal Arteries

Abstract Renovascular hypertension is a curable disease that has recently been recognized with increasing frequency. A renal scan in a 1-month-old hypertensive white male showed diminished function of the right kidney, and his peripheral vein renin was elevated. Multiple antihypertensive medications failed to control his hypertension, and right kidney function deteriorated. An arteriogram showed two stenotic renal arteries supplying the right kidney. The smaller inferior artery supplied 35% of the kidney. Selective vein renin levels were greater than 15,000 ng/dL on the right side. Technical considerations in the repair of this lesion included (1) midline transabdominal incision to expose the abdominal aorta and the inferior vena cava; (2) dissection of inferior vena cava (IVC) with division of selected lumbar veins; (3) full mobilization of right kidney and transsection of both renal arteries and the renal vein; (4) perfusion of kidney via each renal artery with cold Sach's solution after resection of arterial stenoses; (5) end-to-side microvascular anastomosis of the smaller (2 mm) renal artery to the main renal artery at the hilum with 10-0 nylon over in situ perfusion cannula; (6) renal artery passed under the IVC to the aorta; and (7) right kidney autotransplanted to a new site on the abdominal aorta with an end-to-side (5.0 mm) renal artery to the aorta and an end-to-side renal vein to IVC anastomosis. Following revascularization, perfusion was excellent and the blood pressure returned to normal. At 6 months follow-up, selective renal vein renins were normal and an arteriogram showed no stenosis. Meticulous dissection, cold perfusion, microvascular anastomosis, and autotransplantation salvaged this kidney and resolved the hypertension.
Immunohistochemical Demonstration of Multiple Neurohormonal Polypeptides in a Case of Pure Testicular Carcinoid

A primary pure testicular carcinoid from a 48-year-old man was examined with antisera raised against various neurohormonal polypeptides. Histochemically, both argyrophil and argentaffin reactions were positive. The immunohistochemical finding of immunoreactive cells for 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) (serotonin), substance P, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) demonstrated the multihormonal nature of this tumor.
Double Trouble: The Problem of Construal in Semantic Annotation of Adpositions

We consider the semantics of prepositions, revisiting a broad-coverage annotation scheme used for annotating all 4,250 preposition tokens in a 55,000 word corpus of English. Attempts to apply the scheme to adpositions and case markers in other languages, as well as some problematic cases in English, have led us to reconsider the assumption that an adposition’s lexical contribution is equivalent to the role/relation that it mediates. Our proposal is to embrace the potential for construal in adposition use, expressing such phenomena directly at the token level to manage complexity and avoid sense proliferation. We suggest a framework to represent both the scene role and the adposition’s lexical function so they can be annotated at scale—supporting automatic, statistical processing of domain-general language—and discuss how this representation would allow for a simpler inventory of labels.
Electromagnetic Design of a Magnetically-Coupled Spatial Power Combiner

The design of a two-dimensional spatial beam-combining network employing a parallel-plate superconducting waveguide filled with a monocrystalline silicon dielectric substrate is presented. This component uses arrays of magnetically coupled antenna elements to achieve high coupling efficiency and full sampling of the intensity distribution while avoiding diffractive losses in the multimode waveguide region. These attributes enable the structure’s use in realizing compact far-infrared spectrometers for astrophysical and instrumentation applications. If unterminated, reflections within a finite-sized spatial beam combiner can potentially lead to spurious couplings between elements. A planar meta-material electromagnetic absorber is implemented to control this response within the device. This broadband termination absorbs greater than 0.99 of the power over the 1.7:1 operational band at angles ranging from normal to near-parallel incidence. The design approach, simulations and applications of the spatial power combiner and meta-material termination structure are presented.
Influence of pore pressure change on coseismic volumetric strain

Abstract Coseismic strain is fundamentally important for understanding crustal response to changes of stress after earthquakes. The elastic dislocation model has been widely applied to interpreting observed shear deformation caused by earthquakes. The application of the same theory to interpreting volumetric strain, however, has met with difficulty, especially in the far field of earthquakes. Predicted volumetric strain with dislocation model often differs substantially, and sometimes of opposite signs, from observed coseismic volumetric strains. The disagreement suggests that some processes unaccounted for by the dislocation model may occur during earthquakes. Several hypotheses have been suggested, but none have been tested quantitatively. In this paper we first examine published data to highlight the difference between the measured and calculated static coseismic volumetric strains; we then use these data to provide quantitative test of the model that the disagreement may be explained by the change of pore pressure in the shallow crust. The test allows us to conclude that coseismic change of pore pressure may be an important mechanism for coseismic crustal strain and, in the far field, may even be the dominant mechanism. Thus in the interpretation of observed coseismic crustal strain, one needs to account not only for the elastic strain due to fault rupture but also for the strain due to coseismic change of pore pressure.
Quasi maximum likelihood estimation of dynamic panel data models

ABSTRACTThis article establishes the almost sure convergence and asymptotic normality of levels and differenced quasi maximum likelihood (QML) estimators of dynamic panel data models. The QML estimators are robust with respect to initial conditions, conditional and time-series heteroskedasticity, and misspecification of the log-likelihood. The article also provides an ECME algorithm for calculating levels QML estimates. Finally, it compares the finite-sample performance of levels and differenced QML estimators, the differenced generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator, and the system GMM estimator. The QML estimators usually have smaller— typically substantially smaller—bias and root mean squared errors than the panel data GMM estimators.
The Risk of Fraud in Family Firms: Assessments of External Auditors

There is a dearth of business ethics research on family firms, despite the importance of such firms to the US economy (Vazquez in J Bus Ethics, 2016. doi: 10.1007/s10551-016-3171-1 ). We answer Vazquez’s (2016) call to examine the intersection of family-firm research and business ethics, by investigating whether external auditors assess higher risk of fraud in family firms. We test the contradictory predictions of two dominant theoretical perspectives in family-firm research—entrenchment theory and alignment theory. We conduct an experiment with highly experienced external audit professionals, who assess the risk of fraud and make client acceptance decisions for family firms versus non-family firms with different strength of corporate governance: strong versus weak audit committees (ACs). We find that auditors assess the risk of fraud as higher for family firms than for non-family firms, consistent with the predictions of entrenchment theory. Auditors are also less likely to make client acceptance recommendations for family firms. The strength of the AC moderates the family-firm effect, whereby auditors assess family firms with weak ACs to have the highest fraud risk and to be the least desirable audit clients. Our findings suggest that auditors perceive more severe agency conflicts to be present in family firms than in non-family firms, consistent with entrenchment theory, according to which family members may behave opportunistically to extract rents and potentially expropriate the firm’s resources at the expense of minority shareholders.
Impacts of no-tillage management on nitrate loss from corn, soybean and wheat cultivation: A meta-analysis.

Although no-till (NT) has been promoted as an alternative land management practice to conventional tillage (CT), its impact on water quality, especially nitrate (NO3 −) loss remain controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare NO3 − concentration and load in NT and CT systems via two major transport pathways: runoff and leaching. Rainfall variability, aridity, soil texture, tillage duration, crop species, and fertilizer type were used as co-varying factors. In comparison to CT, NT resulted in an overall increase of runoff NO3 − concentration, but similar runoff NO3 − load. In contrast, leachate NO3 − load was greater under NT than under CT, although leachate NO3 − concentration was similar under both tillage practices, indicating that the effect of NT on NO3 − load was largely determined by changes in water flux. Some deviations from these overall trends, however, were recorded with different co-varying variables. In comparison to CT, NT, for example, generated lower leachate NO3 − concentration and similar (instead of elevated) NO3 − leachate load from soybean fields (no N fertilizer applied). These results suggest NT needs to be complemented with other practices (e.g., cover crops, reduced N rate, split N application) in order to improve soil N retention and water quality benefits.
Implementing BP-Obfuscation Using Graph-Induced Encoding

We implemented (a simplified version of) the branching-program obfuscator due to Gentry et al. (GGH15), which is itself a variation of the first obfuscation candidate by Garg et al. (GGHRSW13). To keep within the realm of feasibility, we had to give up on some aspects of the construction, specifically the "multiplicative bundling" factors that protect against mixed-input attacks. Hence our implementation can only support read-once branching programs. To be able to handle anything more than just toy problems, we developed a host of algorithmic and code-level optimizations. These include new variants of discrete Gaussian sampler and lattice trapdoor sampler, efficient matrix-manipulation routines, and many tradeoffs. We expect that these optimizations will find other uses in lattice-based cryptography beyond just obfuscation. Our implementation is the first obfuscation attempt using the GGH15 graded encoding scheme, offering performance advantages over other graded encoding methods when obfuscating finite-state machines with many states. In out most demanding setting, we were able to obfuscate programs with input length of 20 nibbles (80 bits) and over 100 states, which seems out of reach for prior implementations. Although further optimizations are surely possible, we do not expect any implementation of current schemes to be able to handle much larger parameters.
Banking on the Boom, Tripped by the Bust: Banks and the World War I Agricultural Price Shock

Bank lending booms and asset price booms are often intertwined. Although a fundamental shock might trigger an asset boom, aggressive lending can push asset prices higher, leading to more lending, and so on. Such a dynamic seems to have characterized the agricultural land boom surrounding World War I. This paper examines i) how banks responded to the asset price boom and how they were affected by the bust; ii) how various banking regulations and policies influenced those effects; and iii) how bank lending contributed to rising farm land values in the boom, and how bank closures contributed to falling prices in the bust. We find that rising crop prices encouraged bank entry and balance sheet expansion in agriculture counties. State deposit insurance systems amplified the impact of rising crop prices on the size and risk of bank portfolios, while higher minimum capital requirements dampened the effects. Further, increases in county farm land values and mortgage debt were correlated with the number of local banks ex ante and increases in bank loans during the boom. When farm land prices collapsed, banks that had responded most aggressively to the asset boom had a higher probability of closing, while counties with more bank closures experienced larger declines in land prices than can be explained by falling crop prices alone.
Effect of Prestress on Bridge–Vehicle Interactions

Prestress applied on bridges affects the dynamic interaction between bridges and vehicles traveling over them. In this paper, the prestressed bridge is modeled as a beam subjected to eccentric prestress force at the two ends, and a half-vehicle model with 4 degrees of freedom is used to represent the vehicle passing the bridge. A new bridge–vehicle interaction model considering the effect of prestress with eccentricity is developed through the principle of virtual work. The correctness and accuracy of the model are validated with literature results. Based on the developed model, numerical simulations have been conducted using the Newmark’s β method to study the effects of vehicle speed, eccentricity and amplitude of the prestress, and presence of multiple vehicles. It is shown that prestress has an important effect on the maximum vertical acceleration of vehicles, which may provide a good index for detecting the change of prestress. It is also interesting to find that the later-entering vehicle on the prestressed bridge will largely reduce the maximum vertical acceleration of the vehicle ahead of it.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Is rising income inequality far from inevitable during structural transformation? A proposal for an augmented inequality dynamics

Abstract. This paper examines whether rising income inequality is the stylised fact for the process of structural transformation by revisiting classical accounts on the transformation-inequality nexus, with a particular focus on Kuznets’s and Rostow’s theories of development and Rawls’s difference principle. In addition, a complex interaction between structural transformation and income inequality is analysed by exploring the multi-dimensions of inequality dynamics to link Kuznets-Rostow-Rawls. This critical review allows us to conclude that rising income inequality is far from inevitable by introducing a proposal for what it calls ‘augmented inequality dynamics’ which attempts to systematize circulating societal processes through social, economic, political and moral dimensions. This explains how income inequality is used to incentivise or restrain the process of various societal interactions by itself going up and down repeatedly in the context of structural transformation. Keywords. Economic inequality, Structural transformation, Kuznets curve, Rostow's stages of economic growth, Rawls's difference principle. JEL. D63, L15, O10.
Heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimators for spatial autoregressive models

ABSTRACTIn the presence of heteroskedasticity, conventional test statistics based on the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimator lead to incorrect inference results for the linear regression model. ...
Hyperstage Graphite: Electrochemical Synthesis and Spontaneous Reactive Exfoliation.

Covalent modification of the π-electron basal planes of graphene enables the formation of new materials with enhanced functionality. An electrochemical method is reported for the formation of what is referred to as a Hyperstage-1 graphite intercalation compound (GIC), which has a very large interlayer spacing d001 > 15.3 A and contains disordered interstitial molecules/ions. This material is highly activated and undergoes spontaneous exfoliation when reacted with diazonium ions to produce soluble graphenes with high functionalization densities of one pendant aromatic ring for every 12 graphene carbons. Critical to achieving high functionalization density is the Hyperstage-1 GIC state, a weakening of the van der Waals coupling between adjacent graphene layers, and the ability of reactants to diffuse into the disordered intercalate phase between the layers. Graphene functionalization with 3,5-dinitrophenyl groups provides for exceptional dispersibility (0.24 mg mL-1 ) in N,N-dimethylformamide and for conjugation with amines.
The gotsman-linial conjecture is false

In 1991, Craig Gotsman and Nathan Linial conjectured that for all n and d, the average sensitivity of a degree-d polynomial threshold function on n variables is maximized by the degree-d symmetric polynomial which computes the parity function on the d layers of the hypercube with Hamming weight closest to n/2. We refute the conjecture for almost all d and for almost all n, and we confirm the conjecture in many of the remaining cases.
Treaty Exit in the United States: Insights from the United Kingdom or South Africa?

Courts in the United Kingdom and South Africa have recently issued important rulings that have constrained the executive's authority to withdraw from treaties in those countries. This essay considers whether these rulings might offer insights for treaty exit issues in the United States. We first provide an overview of U.S. law and practice regarding the termination of international agreements. We next summarize the U.K. and South African decisions, which required parliamentary approval for pulling out of treaties establishing the European Union and the International Criminal Court (ICC), respectively. Finally, we consider the relevance of these rulings for treaty withdrawals in the United States. We conclude that they are unlikely to offer much guidance, both because of differences in the three countries' constitutions and because the reasoning of the U.K. and South African courts do not engage with the central arguments made in the United States concerning the President's unilateral authority to withdraw from treaties.
Clinical Ultrasound Is Safe and Highly Specific for Acute Appendicitis in Moderate to High Pre-test Probability Patients.

Author(s): Corson-Knowles, Daniel; Russell, Frances M. | Abstract: Introduction: Clinical ultrasound (CUS) is highly specific for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis but is operator-dependent. The goal of this study was to determine if a heterogeneous group of emergency physicians (EP) could diagnose acute appendicitis on CUS in patients with a moderate to high pre-test probability. Methods: This was a prospective, observational study of a convenience sample of adult and pediatric patients with suspected appendicitis. Sonographers received a structured, 20-minute CUS training on appendicitis prior to patient enrollment. The presence of a dilated (g6 mm diameter), non-compressible, blind-ending tubular structure was considered a positive study. Non-visualization or indeterminate studies were considered negative. We collected pre-test probability of acute appendicitis based on a 10-point visual analog scale (moderate to high was defined as g3), and confidence in CUS interpretation. The primary objective was measured by comparing CUS findings to surgical pathology and one week follow-up. Results: We enrolled 105 patients; 76 had moderate to high pre-test probability. Of these, 24 were children. The rate of appendicitis was 36.8% in those with moderate to high pre-test probability. CUS were recorded by 33 different EPs. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios of EP-performed CUS in patients with moderate to high pre-test probability were 42.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] [25-62.5%]), 97.9% (95% CI [87.5-99.8%]), 20.7 (95% CI [2.8-149.9]) and 0.58 (95% CI [0.42-0.8]), respectively. The 16 false negative scans were all interpreted as indeterminate. There was one false positive CUS diagnosis; however, the sonographer reported low confidence of 2/10. Conclusion: A heterogeneous group of EP sonographers can safely identify acute appendicitis with high specificity in patients with moderate to high pre-test probability. This data adds support for surgical consultation without further imaging beyond CUS in the appropriate clinical setting.
Rights and Rebellion: The Faculty Role, Revisited

By the time he sat down to reflect on the question in a scholarly way, Dr. Marshall Jones had already grappled with “the role of the faculty in student rebellion” in directly practical and personal terms. As faculty advisor to the University of Florida’s Student Group for Equal Rights in the early 1960s, he had protested, picketed, defied unjust laws, and been arrested more than once. Ultimately, his political commitments cost him his job.
A Universal Coding Scheme for Remote Generation of Continuous Random Variables

Alice selects an arbitrary pdf $f$ and uses a stochastic encoder to generate a prefix-free codeword $M$ , which is sent to Bob so that he can generate a single instance of the random variable $X\sim f$ . We describe a universal coding scheme for this setup which works for any $f$ , and establish an upper bound on its expected codeword length when the pdf $f$ is bounded, orthogonally concave (which includes quasiconcave pdf), and has a finite first absolute moment. A dyadic decomposition scheme is used to express the pdf as a mixture of uniform pdfs over hypercubes. Alice randomly selects a hypercube according to its weight, encodes its position and size into $M$ , and sends it to Bob who generates $X$ uniformly over the hypercube. Compared to previous results on channel simulation, our coding scheme applies to any continuous distribution and does not require two-way communication or shared randomness. Applying our coding scheme to classical simulation of quantum entanglement, we obtain a tighter bound on the average codeword length than previously known.
Economic Analysis of Proposed PCAOB Standards: Finding a Path Forward

SYNOPSIS The pace of standard-setting by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) has been glacial, which increases the risk that U.S. auditing standards are not keeping up with the global audit environment. Legislation enacted in 2012 that created the need to conduct economic analysis of proposed PCAOB standards added important considerations. If appropriately integrated into the process, these considerations can improve PCAOB standard-setting. We describe the PCAOB's current approach to economic analysis and offer recommendations to improve the coherence, usefulness, and relevance of the evidence sought to justify the need for standard-setting. Our recommendations involve a tailored approach that (1) differentiates among types of PCAOB standards based on considering their overarching purpose and target audience; (2) recognizes appropriate theories that are unique to each type of standard—whether economic or other theories; and (3) develops audit-centric core principles focused on audit qual...
Efficiency, legitimacy and impacts of targeting methods : evidence from an experiment in Niger

The methods to select safety net beneficiaries are the subject of frequent policy debates. This paper presents the results from a randomized experiment analyzing how efficiency, legitimacy, and short-term program effectiveness vary across widely used targeting methods. The experiment was embedded in the roll-out of a national cash transfer program in Niger. Eligible villages were randomly assigned to have beneficiary households selected through community-based targeting, a proxy-means test, or a formula designed to identify the food-insecure. Proxy-means testing is found to outperform other methods in identifying households with lower consumption per capita. The methods perform similarly against other welfare benchmarks. Legitimacy is high across all methods, but local populations have a slight preference for formula-based approaches. Manipulation and information imperfections are found to affect community-based targeting, although triangulation across multiple selection committees mitigates the related risks. Finally, short-term program impacts on food security are largest among households selected by proxy-means testing. Overall, the differences in performance across targeting methods are small relative to the overall level of exclusion stemming from limited funding for social programs.
Initial Biochemical and Functional Evaluation of Murine Calprotectin Reveals Ca(II)-Dependence and Its Ability to Chelate Multiple Nutrient Transition Metal Ions.

Calprotectin (CP) is an abundant host-defense protein that contributes to the metal-withholding innate immune response by sequestering nutrient metal ions from microbial pathogens in the extracellular space. Over the past decade, murine models of infectious disease have advanced understanding of the physiological functions of CP and its ability to compete with microbes for essential metal nutrients. Despite this extensive work, murine CP (mCP) has not been biochemically evaluated, and structural and biophysical understanding of CP is currently limited to the human orthologue. We present the reconstitution, purification, and characterization of mCP as well as the cysteine-null variant mCP-Ser. Apo mCP is a mS100A8/mS100A9 heterodimer, and Ca(II) binding causes two heterodimers to self-associate and form a heterotetramer. Initial metal-depletion studies demonstrate that mCP depletes multiple first-row transition metal ions, including Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn, from complex microbial growth medium, indicating t...
Stacked Revenue and Technical Benefits of a Grid-Connected Energy Storage System

This paper proposes a comprehensive evaluation of stacked revenue generated from grid-connected energy storage systems (ESSs). The stacked revenue from an ESS cannot be calculated by merely aggregating the benefits from various applications (e.g., energy arbitrage, frequency regulation, and outage mitigation) as the ESS may not be available for all types of applications during the same time intervals. This is because a quantity committed to one market may not be committed to another. In this paper, different types of applications for grid-connected ESSs are identified, and a model incorporating component reliability, power system operation constraints, and storage system operation constraints is developed to evaluate the composite revenue generated from these applications. In this model, the types of applications of ESSs are prioritized according to their intended contributions and system operating conditions. Sequential Monte Carlo simulation is used for evaluating the reliability improvement and a quadratically constrained linear programing model is built for estimating the maximum revenue from arbitrage and regulation markets. The proposed method is demonstrated on the IEEE reliability test system using historical PJM price data.