cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Voice onset time in Spanish-English spontaneous code-switching

Research on the phonetics of code-switching has focused on voice onset time (VOT) and has yielded mixed results regarding cross-language interaction, possibly due to differences in data used (scripted vs. spontaneous speech) and populations examined (L1 vs. L2 dominant, early vs. late bilinguals). Here VOT was measured in a corpus of spontaneous code-switching speech elicited from a homogeneous group of early bilinguals in conversation with and without distraction (completion of jigsaw puzzles). The distraction meant to increase cognitive load, a manipulation that could affect phonetic realization. Both English and Spanish VOT were shorter at code-switching points than in comparable monolingual utterances. English VOT lengthened overall under increased cognitive load (but remained shorter in code-switching as compared to the monolingual context). These results support previous findings of VOT shortening in code-switching for both English and Spanish, and confirm that the effect applies in the natural speech of early bilinguals.
Transport policies and development

This survey reviews the current state of the economic literature, assessing the impact of transport policies on growth, inclusion, and sustainability in a developing country context. The findings are summarized and methodologies are critically assessed, especially those dealing with endogeneity issues in empirical studies. The specific implementation challenges of transport policies in developing countries are discussed.
String method of nonimaging optics from a radiation theory perspective

In this paper we will discuss the one-dimensional Hottel string method as it applies to symmetric, infinite sources (as in the case of constructing ideal solar concentrators) and extend the theory to asymmetric, finite sources and demonstrate that an ideal concentrator can be created in this case. Furthermore, we will discuss the concept of flowlines and explore the yet unknown relationship between strings and flowlines.
Economic Growth and the HIV/AIDS Pandemic: Evidence from the Early 21st Century Copper Boom

Copper mining is among the largest economic activities in Zambia, comprising close to ten percent of GDP. Between 2003 and 2008, the price of copper increased by over 400 percent. In response, copper production in Zambia grew by 70 percent and employment in copper mining increased by nearly 200 percent. This paper examines the effect of this large and sustained economic shock on sexual behavior and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Zambia. I use nationally representative survey data on sexual behavior before and during the copper boom in conjunction with detailed spatial data on the location of survey respondents and copper mines. The results indicate that the copper boom substantially reduced rates of transactional sex and multiple partnerships in the copper mining cities. These effects were partly concentrated among young adults and copper boom induced in-migration to mining areas appears to have contributed to these reductions.
A binomial coefficient identity associated to a conjecture of Beukers.

Using the WZ method, a binomial coefficient identity is proved. This identity is noteworthy since its truth is known to imply a conjecture of Beukers.
Emergency medicine, disease surveillance, and informatics

Traditional handwriting recognition algorithms rely heavily on small lexicons and clean word images. Unfortunately, emergency medical documents do not satisfy either of these conditions. This paper describes a strategy whereby given an image representing a noisy handwritten word from a medical document, and a large lexicon consisting of English, medical and pharmacological words, symbols, abbreviations and acronyms, significantly reduces the size of the lexicon while keeping the unknown desired entry within the lexicon.An approach for segmenting handwritten text is also presented. Stroke analyses are performed and image primitives are extracted for word detection. A heuristics-based approach, involving gap spacing, height transitions, and the average stroke width of the writer is used in detecting word boundaries. Experiments show perfect segmentation of 69%, outperforming the more tested and proven algorithms by as much as 15%.
A Hurewicz-type theorem for asymptotic dimension and applications to geometric group theory

We prove an asymptotic analog of the classical Hurewicz theorem on mappings that lower dimension. This theorem allows us to find sharp upper bound estimates for the asymptotic dimension of groups acting on finite dimensional metric spaces and allows us to prove a useful extension theorem for asymptotic dimension. As applications we find upper bound estimates for the asymptotic dimension of nilpotent and polycyclic groups in terms of their Hirsch length. We are also able to improve the known upper bounds on the asymptotic dimension of fundamental groups of complexes of groups, amalgamated free products and the hyperbolization of metric spaces possessing the Higson property.
Stratospheric influence on surface ozone in the Los Angeles area during late spring and early summer of 2010

[1] The influence of stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT) on surface ozone (O3) concentrations in the greater Los Angeles area during the CalNex and IONS-2010 measurement campaigns has been investigated. Principal component analysis (PCA) of surface O3measurements from 41 sampling stations indicates that ∼13% of the variance in the maximum daily 8-h average (MDA8) O3between May 10 and June 19, 2010 was associated with changes of 2–3 day duration linked to the passage of upper-level troughs. Ozonesondes launched from Joshua Tree National Park and airborne lidar measurements show that these changes coincided with the appearance of stratospheric intrusions in the lower troposphere above southern California. The Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART reproduces most of these intrusions, and supports the conclusion from the PCA that significant transport of stratospheric air to the surface occurred on May 28–30. This intrusion led to a peak 1-h O3 concentration of 88 ppbv at Joshua Tree National Monument near the ozonesonde launch site on May 28, and widespread entrainment of stratospheric air into the boundary layer increased the local background O3 over the entire area to ∼55 ppbv on May 29–30. This background was 10–15 ppbv higher than the baseline O3 in air transported ashore from the Pacific Ocean, and when combined with locally produced O3 led to several exceedances of the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) on the following day.
Interaction, pair formation and force of infection terms in sexually transmitted diseases

A central question in the study of the dynamics of sexually-transmitted diseases — one emphasized by the AIDS epidemic — is that of mixing. In this note we formulate a generalization of the Blythe and Castillo-Chavez social/sexual framework for human interactions through the incorporation of age-structure, and derive an explicit expression for the general solution to this formulation. An age-structured epidemic model for a single sexually-active homosexual population, stratified by risk and age, with arbitrary risk and age-dependent mixing and variable infectivity is formulated. In the special case of proportionate mixing in age and risk, an explicit expression for the basic reproductive number is given.
Corruption, Equality, and Campaign Finance Reform

Why should we want to reform the way political campaigns are financed? Two reasons are customarily given. One objective of reform is to reduce corruption, understood as the implicit exchange of campaign contributions for legislators' votes or other government action. The other objective is to promote equality: people who are willing and able to spend more money, it is said, should not have more influence over who is elected to office. The Supreme Court's view of these two objectives can be summarized quickly: Corruption is a permissible target of reform legislation; inequality is not. That summary is not quite right, because some of the Court's decisions allow measures that seem to be directed at inequality.' But Buckley v. Valeo,2 famously or notoriously, said-and the Court has repeated many times3-that "the concept that government may restrict the speech of some elements of our society in order to enhance the relative voice of others is wholly foreign to the First Amendment."4 By contrast, "preventing corruption or the appearance of corruption are the only legitimate and compelling government interests thus far identified for restricting campaign finances."5 This was one of the principal bases for Buckley's determination to permit restrictions on campaign contributions, which might be corrupting, but not on independent campaign expenditures.6 Buckley, of course, has been widely criticized. But many commentators agree with Buckley that the concern of campaign finance reform
A Proposed Software Test Service for Special Functions

This is a proposal to develop a software test service at the National Institute of Standards and Technology for use in testing the accuracy, or numerical precision, of mathematical software for special functions. The service would use the World Wide Web to receive test requests and return test results. The tests would be run on a network of workstations at the Institute. It is hoped that such a service will be of practical utility to anyone who uses special functions in physics or other applications, and that it will stimulate the interest of applied mathematicians who are interested in the computation of special functions as well as computer scientists who are interested in innovative uses of the Internet. The author solicits comments on any aspect of the proposed service.
Properties of intermingled carbon/PEEK 3-D woven composites

The presence of voids is one of the major problems associated with resin infiltration techniques when using 3-D woven preforms. Efforts to reduce the voids invariably result in the creation of microcracks. In this paper, the use of PEEK fibers intermingled with carbon fibers into a multi-layer preform is discussed. Influence of processing parameters, such as temperature, pressure, and consolidation time, on the composite properties is presented. One of the issues emphasized is the effect of pressure on buckling of the Z-reinforcement fibers and the bending behavior.
A Government Decision Model for Invasive Species: Choosing the Most Efficient Government Program for the Management of Livestock Diseases

The impact of invasive species has grown substantially in recent years as evident by the trends in government expenditures in response to outbreaks. In this paper, authors analyze advantages and disadvantages of current government compensation measures for invasive species. The conceptual models are built to describe the relationship between producers’ utility and the effect of adoption of different measures under different observability condition. As a case study, a survey is designed to analyze producer behavior in mitigating AI & END outbreaks.
ECG findings in competitive rowers: normative data and the prevalence of abnormalities using contemporary screening recommendations.

Background/aim The international governing body for competitive rowing recently mandated the inclusion of 12-lead ECG during preparticipation screening. We therefore sought to describe normative ECG characteristics and to examine the prevalence of abnormal ECG findings as defined by contemporary athlete ECG interpretation criteria among competitive rowers. Methods Competitive rowers (n=330, 56% male) underwent standard 12-lead ECG at the time of collegiate preparticipation screening. ECGs were analysed quantitatively to develop a sport-specific normative database and then for the presence of abnormalities in accordance with the 2010 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommendations and 2013 ‘Seattle Criteria.’ Results 94% of rowers had one or more training-related ECG patterns including sinus bradycardia (51%), sinus arrhythmia (55%), and incomplete right bundle branch block (42%). Males were more likely than females to have isolated voltage criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) (51% vs 8%, p Conclusions Training-related ECG patterns with several gender-based differences are common among competitive rowers. The diagnostic accuracy and down-stream clinical implications of ECG-inclusive preparticipation screening among rowers will be dictated by the choice and future refinement of ECG interpretation criteria.
Diffusion and Superposition Distances for Signals Supported on Networks

We introduce the diffusion and superposition distances as two metrics to compare signals supported in the nodes of a network. Both metrics consider the given vectors as initial temperature distributions and diffuse heat through the edges of the graph. The similarity between the given vectors is determined by the similarity of the respective diffusion profiles. The superposition distance computes the instantaneous difference between the diffused signals and integrates the difference over time. The diffusion distance determines a distance between the integrals of the diffused signals. We prove that both distances define valid metrics and that they are stable to perturbations in the underlying network. We utilize numerical experiments to illustrate their utility in classifying signals in a synthetic network as well as in classifying ovarian cancer histologies using gene mutation profiles of different patients. We also utilize diffusion as part of a label propagation method in semi-supervised learning to classify handwritten digits.
Mechanical Property Characterization of Intraply Hybrid Composites

An investigation of the mechanical properties of intraply hybrids made from graphite fiber/epoxy matrix hybridized with secondary S-glass or Kevlar 49 fiber composites is presented. The specimen stress-strain behavior was determined, showing that mechanical properties of intraply hybrid composites can be measured with available methods such as the ten-degree off-axis test for intralaminar shear, and conventional tests for tensile, flexure, and Izod impact properties. The results also showed that combinations of high modulus graphite/S-glass/epoxy matrix composites exist which yield intraply hybrid laminates with the best 'balanced' properties, and that the translation efficiency of mechanical properties from the constituent composites to intraply hybrids may be assessed with a simple equation.
Kullback Leibler Information

The Kullback–Leibler information number, I(P‖Q), determined for two probability measures defined on the same measurable space often serves as a type of “distance” between the two measures. Projections (I-projections) defined in terms of minimizing the Kullback–Leibler information number over appropriate sets of probability measures are often useful for finding desirable estimators. Kullback–Leibler information numbers also play a useful role in hypothesis testing problems. Keywords: I-projections; Radon–Nikodym; entropy distance; discrimination information; likelihood ratio; Fisher information; Kullback information; large sample theory
A Re-examination of Factors Affecting United States Softwood Lumber Imports from Canada

This paper examines the effects of the lumber price, the housing starts, and the bilateral exchange rate on U.S. softwood lumber imports from Canada in a cointegration framework. To that end, the Phillips-Hansen fully-modified cointegration (FM-OLS) procedure is applied to monthly data for the period from January 1994 through June 2009. Results show that there exists the long-run equilibrium relationship between the U.S. lumber imports from Canada and the selected macroeconomic and market variables. We also find that the U.S. lumber price and housing starts are more important than the bilateral exchange rate in influencing U.S.-Canada softwood lumber trade.
A mission-impact-based approach to INFOSEC alarm correlation

We describe a mission-impact-based approach to the analysis of security alerts produced by spatially distributed heterogeneous information security (INFOSEC) devices, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, authentication services, and antivirus software. The intent of this work is to deliver an automated capability to reduce the time and cost of managing multiple INFOSEC devices through a strategy of topology analysis, alert prioritization, and common attribute-based alert aggregation. Our efforts to date have led to the development of a prototype system called the EMERALD Mission Impact Intrusion Report Correlation System, or M-Correlator. M-Correlator is intended to provide analysts (at all experience levels) a powerful capability to automatically fuse together and isolate those INFOSEC alerts that represent the greatest threat to the health and security of their networks.
Education : past, present and future global challenges

Progress in educational development in the world since 1900 has been slow and uneven between countries. Providing basic education for all children in developing countries has been and remains an unmet challenge of governments and international organizations alike. This is in sharp contrast to recent findings in the economics literature on the catalytic role of human capital for economic growth and social development in general. Using a newly constructed matched data set on education and national accounts in the 1950 to 2010 period, this paper estimates the loss of income and equity associated with not having a faster rate of human capital accumulation, using alternative methodologies and specific country examples. Such loss is projected backward (1900-1950) and forward (2010-2050) using plausible assumptions regarding what countries could have done in the past or may do in the future to accelerate human capital formation. The findings suggest that the welfare loss in terms of per capita income conservatively ranges from about 7 to 10 percent. Improved educational attainment is also shown to have an effect in reducing income inequality.
Efficiently verifiable conditions for deadlock-freedom of large concurrent programs

We present two polynomial-time algorithms for automatic verification of deadlock-freedom of large finite-state concurrent programs. We consider shared-memory concurrent programs in which a process can nondeterministically choose amongst several (enabled) actions at any step. As shown in [23], deadlock-freedom analysis is NP-hard even for concurrent programs of restricted form (no nondeterministic choice). Therefore, research in this area concentrates either on the search for efficiently checkable sufficient conditions for deadlock-freedom, or on improving the complexity of the check in some special cases. In this paper, we present two efficiently checkable sufficient conditions for deadlock freedom.Our algorithms apply to programs which are expressed in a particular syntactic form, in which variables are shared between pairs of processes. The first algorithm improves the complexity of the deadlock check of Attie and Emerson [4] to polynomial in all parameters, as opposed to the exponential complexity of [4]. The second algorithm involves a conceptually new construction of a “global wait-for graph” for all processes. Its running time is also polynomial in all its parameters, and it is more discriminating than the first algorithm. We illustrate our algorithms by applying them to several examples of concurrent programs that implement resource allocation and priority queues. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that describes polynomially checkable conditions for assuring deadlock freedom of large concurrent programs.
Rural vulnerability in Serbia

In the presence of risk and uncertainty, measures such as poverty rates are inadequate to analyze the well-being of poor households. The poor are not only concerned about the current low levels of their income or consumption, but also the likelihood of experiencing stressful declines in these levels in the future. Risks to livelihood are particularly important in rural areas where there is generally high dependence on agriculture and the environment. In this study, the author analyzes the nature, extent, and causes of rural vulnerability in Serbia using panel national household data from the 2002 and 2003 Serbia Living Standard Surveys. He measures rural vulnerability as a function of nonstochastic determinants of poverty as well as exposure to risk. While low levels of consumption (poverty) explain about 70 percent of vulnerability, the author identifies risk and uncertainty as crucial dimensions of rural life in accounting for the remaining 30 percent of household vulnerability. Households and regions with a greater share of their livelihood depending on agricultural activities are more at risk of vulnerability than those with a significantly higher share of their income coming from nonagricultural sources. Dependence on agricultural income is directly associated with higher aggregate risk, underscoring the agricultural sector's lopsided exposure to covariate shocks in general, and the negative impact of the 2003 drought in particular. Rural vulnerability to poverty and risk is also strongly associated with asset ownership and access to markets to mobilize them in time of need.
Ocular inoculation of monkeys with simian varicella virus: clinical and histopathologic observations.

PURPOSE: To explore the possibility that inoculation of the eyes of African green monkeys with simian varicella virus (SVV) induces the symptoms of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO), as seen in humans, and to develop a realistic and reproducible animal model of herpes zoster ophthalmicus for experimental studies. METHODS: In the first experiment, the right eyes of three African green monkeys were inoculated by intrastromal and subconjunctival injections with a suspension of SVV-infected Vero cells. In the second experiment, three additional monkeys were pretreated with intramuscular injections of methylprednisolone (41 mg/kg) for 7 days before ocular inoculation with SVV and for 3 weeks at 14 mg/kg after virus inoculation. The eyes were examined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Histologic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic studies were performed. RESULTS: In the first experiment, all three animals developed high titers of anti-SVV antibodies (IgG). Diffuse stromal opacity, with keratitic precipitates, stromal edema, and mild vascularization of the cornea, appeared 12 to 14 days after inoculation. The onset of ocular disease was correlated with the rise in serum antibody levels. There was no clinical evidence of a systemic viral infection resulting from the corneal inoculations in these monkeys. In the second experiment, all three animals treated with methylprednisolone developed severe ocular pathology within 1 week of inoculation. The clinical appearance of the diseased eyes strongly indicated that local viral infection had occurred. Dendritiform keratitis, corneal erosion, and stromal necrosis with vascularization of the cornea was seen in all the eyes. The disease resolved within 4 to 5 weeks of inoculation, leaving opaque, vascularized corneas. Histologic studies showed that inflammatory cells and viral antigens were widespread throughout the diseased corneas. A high titer of anti-SVV antibody (IgG) was detected in the immunosuppressed monkeys, but no evidence of systemic viral infection was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The authors propose that inoculation of the eyes of methylprednisolone-treated African green monkeys with simian varicella virus provides an appropriate animal model for studies of the virology and immunopathology of ocular varicella virus infection.
Asymmetric synthesis with chiral hydroxylamines. Synthesis of optically pure 4-substituted azetidinones

Abstract The reaction between β-substituted acrylate esters and α-methylbenzyl hydroxyl amine affords diastereoisomeric 5-isoxazolidinones, convenient precursors of simple optically pure 2-azetidinones.
Nonlinear Effects in Easement Valuation

Rules of thumb have been developed to assist appraisers in dealing with the uncertainties that abound when easement values must be estimated. An economic analysis of one popular rule-of-thumb techn...
Active Coordination in Ad Hoc Networks

The increasing ubiquity of communicating mobile devices and vastly different mobile application needs have led to middleware models for ad hoc networks that simplify application programming. One such system, EgoSpaces, addresses the needs of individual applications, allowing them to define what data is included in their operating context using declarative specifications constraining properties of data, agents that own data, hosts where agents are running, and attributes of the network. In the resulting model, application agents interact with a dynamic environment through a set of views, or custom defined projections of the set of data present in the ad hoc network. This paper builds on EgoSpaces by allowing agents to assign behaviors to views. Behaviors consist of actions automatically performed in response to specified changes in a view. Behaviors discussed in this paper encompass reactive programming, transparent data migration, automatic data duplication, and event capture. Formal semantic definitions and programming examples are given for each behavior.
Quality of life indexes for national policy: Review and agenda for research

A number of governments and public policy institutes have developed ldquoQuality of Life Indexesrdquo – statistics that attempt to measure the quality of life for entire states or regions. We develop 14 criteria for determining the validity and usefulness of such QOL indexes to public policy. We then review 22 of the most-used QOL indexes from around the world. We conclude that many of the indexes are successful in that they are reliable, have established time series measures, and can be disaggregated to study subpopulations. However, many fall short in four areas: (1) indexes vary greatly in their coverage and definitions of domains of QOL, (2) none of the indexes distinguish among the concepts of input, throughput, and output that are used by public policy analysts, (3) they fail to show how QOL outputs are sensitive to public policy inputs, and (4) none have examined convergent validity against each other. We conclude that many of these indexes are potentially very useful for public policy and recommend research to further improve them.
Stable adiabatic times for Markov chains

In this paper we continue our work on adiabatic time of time-inhomogeneous Markov chains first introduced. Our study is an analog to the well-known quantum adiabatic (QA) theorem which characterizes the QA time for the evolution of a quantum system as a result of applying of a series of Hamilton operators, each is a linear combination of two given initial and final Hamilton operators, i.e. . Informally, the QA time of a quantum system specifies the speed at which the Hamiltonian operators changes so that the ground state of the system at any time s will always remain -close to that induced by the Hamilton operator at time s. Analogously, we derive a sufficient condition for the stable adiabatic time of a time-inhomogeneous Markov evolution specified by applying a series of transition probability matrices, each is a linear combination of two given irreducible and aperiodic transition probability matrices, i.e. . In particular we show that the stable adiabatic time where denotes the maximum mixing time over...
Dangerously Seeking Linear Carbon

It has been problematic to produce linear carbon molecules because key reactants are highly unstable and can explode. A solid state polymerization reaction avoids this problem and allows synthesis of these elusive products.
Environmentally friendly organic synthesis using bismuth(III) compounds.

With increasing environmental concerns, the need for environmentally friendly organic synthesis has gained increased importance. In this regard, bismuth(III) compounds are especially attractive as “green” reagents and catalysts for organic synthesis. Bismuth(III) compounds are remarkably nontoxic, relatively air and moisture stable, and easy to handle. The contributions from our laboratory in the last 5 years in the field of applications of bismuth(III) compounds as catalysts are presented.
Heavy ion inertial fusion

Inertial fusion has not yet been as well explored as magnetic fusion but can offer certain advantages as an alternative source of electric energy for the future. Present experiments use high-power beams from lasers and light-ion diodes to compress the deuterium-tritium (D-T) pellets but these will probably be unsuitable for a power plant. A more promising method is to use intense heavy-ion beams from accelerator systems similar to those used for nuclear and high-energy physics; the present paper addresses itself to this alternative. As will be demonstrated the very high beam power needed poses new design questions, from the ion-source through the accelerating system, the beam transport system, to the final focus. These problems will require extensive study, both theoretically and experimentally, over the next several years before an optimum design for an inertial fusion driver can be arrived at.
Fixpoints and search in PVS

The Knaster–Tarski theorem asserts the existence of least and greatest fixpoints for any monotonic function on a complete lattice. More strongly, it asserts the existence of a complete lattice of such fixpoints. This fundamental theorem has a fairly straightforward proof. We use a mechanically checked proof of the Knaster–Tarski theorem to illustrate several features of the Prototype Verification System (PVS). We specialize the theorem to the power set lattice, and apply the latter to the verification of a general forward search algorithm and a generalization of Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm. We use these examples to argue that the verification of even simple, widely used algorithms can depend on a fair amount of background theory, human insight, and sophisticated mechanical support.
Symplectic homology of some Brieskorn manifolds

This paper consists of two parts. In the first part, we use symplectic homology to distinguish the contact structures on the Brieskorn manifolds $$\varSigma (2\ell ,2,2,2)$$ , which contact homology cannot distinguish. This answers a question from Kwon and van Koert (Brieskorn manifolds in contact topology, preprint, 2013. arXiv:1310.0343 ). In the second part, we prove the existence of infinitely many exotic but homotopically trivial exotic contact structures on $$S^7$$ , distinguished by the mean Euler characteristic of $$S^1$$ -equivariant symplectic homology. Apart from various connected sum constructions, these contact structures can be taken from the Brieskorn manifolds $$\varSigma (78k+1,13,6,3,3)$$ . We end with some considerations about extending this result to higher dimensions.
FGF23 is elevated in multiple myeloma and increases heparanase expression by tumor cells

Multiply myeloma (MM) grows in and destroys bone, where osteocytes secrete FGF23, a hormone which affects phosphate homeostasis and aging. We report that multiple myeloma (MM) cells express receptors for and respond to FGF23. FGF23 increased mRNA for EGR1 and its target heparanase, a pro-osteolytic factor in MM. FGF23 signals through a complex of klotho and a classical FGF receptor (FGFR); both were expressed by MM cell lines and patient samples. Bone marrow plasma cells from 42 MM patients stained positively for klotho, while plasma cells from 8 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and 6 controls were negative. Intact, active FGF23 was increased 2.9X in sera of MM patients compared to controls. FGF23 was not expressed by human MM cells, but co-culture with mouse bone increased its mRNA. The FGFR inhibitor NVP-BGJ398 blocked the heparanase response to FGF23. NVP-BGJ398 did not inhibit 8226 growth in vitro but significantly suppressed growth in bone and induction of the osteoclast regulator RANK ligand, while decreasing heparanase mRNA. The bone microenvironment provides resistance to some anti-tumor drugs but increased the activity of NVP-BGJ398 against 8226 cells. The FGF23/klotho/heparanase signaling axis may offer targets for treatment of MM in bone.
From Financial Repression to External Distress: The Case of Venezuela

AbstractRecent work suggests a connection between domestic debt and external default. We examine potential linkages for Venezuela, where the evidence reveals a nexus among domestic debt, financial repression, and external vulnerability. The financial repression tax (as a share of GDP) is similar to OECD economies, in spite of higher debt ratios in the latter. The financial repression “tax rate” is higher in years of exchange controls and legislated interest rate ceilings. We document a link between domestic disequilibrium and a weakening of the net foreign asset position via private capital flight. We suggest these findings are not unique to Venezuela.
A partition relation using strongly compact cardinals

If κ is strongly compact and A > κ and A is regular (or alternatively cf(A) > κ), then (2 <λ ) + → (λ + ζ) 2 θ holds for ζ, θ < κ.
Three dimensional field analysis for the AGS combined function magnets

In order to study the particle trajectories in the fringe field of the AGS ring during the single bunch multiple extraction (or fast extraction) from the the AGS to the muon g-2 experiment and to the RHIC, the magnetic field of the AGS combined function magnets were calculated by using the TOSCA program. The results are compared with the field maps of the previous measurements. The particle tracking is achieved by using the TOSCA program postprocessor. >
The Cell Nucleus

ABSTRACT The ultimate book on the nucleus would require about a million pages just to present the complete base sequence of DNA in a single human nucleus, alphabetically. The three volumes of The Cell Nucleus, of course, make no pretense of offering that kind of information, but they provide a wide range of up-to-date information on the structure and function of the nucleus.Behind the deceptively bland, lightmicroscopic image of the cell nucleus lies the complexity necessary to selectively transcribe portions of the million pages of information; to transmit the transcribed messages to the protein synthesizing mechanism in the cytoplasm; and, on occasion, to replicate the entire store of information errorlessly. The devices employed to perform these nuclear functions are under analysis, with an impressive array of techniques detailed in these volumes. Three of the more spectacular recent approaches can be mentioned here. Gurdon tells the story of the utilization of
Lessons Learned from the Long Duration Exposure Facility

Abstract : The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was launched by the space shuttle in April 1984 and recovered in January 1990. There were 57 experiments containing over 10,000 specimens to test the effects of the space environment on materials, components, and systems. Originally planned for one year, the exposure actually lasted almost six years. While many LDEF investigations are continuing, results to date have given valuable information on long-term performance in orbit. Results from the LDEF investigators and the Special Investigation Groups are briefly summarized along with potential benefits from LDEF for future missions.... Space environmental effects, Materials, Long duration, Exposure facility
Choosing colors for geometric graphs via color space embeddings

Graph drawing research traditionally focuses on producing geometric embeddings of graphs satisfying various aesthetic constraints. After the geometric embedding is specified, there is an additional step that is often overlooked or ignored: assigning display colors to the graph's vertices. We study the additional aesthetic criterion of assigning distinct colors to vertices of a geometric graph so that the colors assigned to adjacent vertices are as different from one another as possible. We formulate this as a problem involving perceptual metrics in color space and we develop algorithms for solving this problem by embedding the graph in color space. We also present an application of this work to a distributed load-balancing visualization problem.
Vertex operators for twisted quantum affine algebras

We construct explicitly the q-vertex operators (intertwining operators) for the level one modules V (�i) of the classical quantum affine algebras of twisted types using interacting bosons, where i = 0,1 for A (2)n−1, i = 0 for D (3) , i = 0, n for D (2)+1, and i = n for A (2)n . A perfect crystal graph for D (3) 4 is constructed as a by-product.
Chaotic behavior in nonlinear polarization dynamics

We analyze the problem of two counterpropagating optical laser beams in a slightly nonlinear medium from the point of view of Hamiltonian systems; the one-beam subproblem is also investigated as a special case. We are interested in these systems as integrable dynamical systems which undergo chaotic behavior under various types of perturbations. The phase space for the two-beam problem is ℂ2 × ℂ2 when we restrict to the regime of traveling-wave solutions. We use the method of reduction for Hamiltonian systems invariant under one-parameter symmetry groups to demonstrate that the phase space reduces to the two-sphere S 2 and is therefore completely integrable. The phase portraits of the system are classified and we also determine the bifurcations that modify these portraits; some new degenerate bifurcations are presented in this context. Finally, we introduce various physically relevant perturbations and use the Melnikov method to prove that horseshoe chaos and Arnold diffusion occur as consequences of these perturbations.
The Cauchy Problem on Spacetimes That Are Not Globally Hyperbolic

The initial value problem is well defined on a class of spacetimes broader than the globally hyperbolic geometries for which existence and uniqueness theorems are traditionally proved. Simple examples are the timenonorientable spacetimes whose orientable double cover is globally hyperbolic. These spacetimes have generalized Cauchy surfaces on which smooth initial data sets yield unique solutions. A more difficult problem is to characterize the class of spacetimes with closed timelike curves that admit a well-posed initial value problem. Examples of spacetimes with closed timelike curves are given for which smooth initial data at past null infinity has been recently shown to yield solutions. These solutions appear to be unique, and uniqueness has been proved in particular cases. Other examples, however, show that confining closed timelike curves to compact regions is not sufficient to guarantee uniqueness. An approach to the characterization problem is suggested by the behavior of congruences of null rays. Interacting fields have not yet been studied, but particle models suggest that uniqueness (and possibly existence) is likely to be lost as the strength of the interaction increases.
Low-mass cluster galaxies: A cornerstone of galaxy evolution

Low-Mass cluster galaxies are the most common galaxy type in the universe and are important objects for understanding galaxy formation, luminosity functions, dark matter and the formation of large scale structure. In this short summary I describe the properties and likely origins of low-mass cluster galaxies and what they reveal about broader cosmological issues.
Quantitative Stratification and the Regularity of Mean Curvature Flow

Let $${\mathcal{M}}$$ be a Brakke flow of n-dimensional surfaces in $${\mathbb{R}^N}$$ . The singular set $${\mathcal{S} \subset \mathcal{M}}$$ has a stratification $${\mathcal{S}^0 \subset \mathcal{S}^1 \subset \cdots \mathcal{S}}$$ , where $${X \in \mathcal{S}^j}$$ if no tangent flow at X has more than j symmetries. Here, we define quantitative singular strata $${\mathcal{S}^j_{\eta, r}}$$ satisfying $${\cup_{\eta>0} \cap_{0<r} \mathcal{S}^j_{\eta, r} = \mathcal{S}^j}$$ . Sharpening the known parabolic Hausdorff dimension bound $${{\rm dim} \mathcal{S}^j \leq j}$$ , we prove the effective Minkowski estimates that the volume of r-tubular neighborhoods of $${\mathcal{S}^j_{\eta, r}}$$ satisfies $${{\rm Vol} (T_r(\mathcal{S}^j_{\eta, r}) \cap B_1) \leq Cr^{N + 2 - j-\varepsilon}}$$ . Our primary application of this is to higher regularity of Brakke flows starting at k-convex smooth compact embedded hypersurfaces. To this end, we prove that for the flow of k-convex hypersurfaces, any backwards selfsimilar limit flow with at least k symmetries is in fact a static multiplicity one plane. Then, denoting by $${\mathcal{B}_r \subset \mathcal{M}}$$ the set of points with regularity scale less than r, we prove that $${{\rm Vol}(T_r(\mathcal{B}_r)) \leq C r^{n+4-k-\varepsilon}}$$ . This gives L p -estimates for the second fundamental form for any p < n + 1 − k. In fact, the estimates are much stronger and give L p -estimates for the reciprocal of the regularity scale. These estimates are sharp. The key technique that we develop and apply is a parabolic version of the quantitative stratification method introduced in Cheeger and Naber (Invent. Math., (2)191 2013), 321–339) and Cheeger and Naber (Comm. Pure. Appl. Math, arXiv:1107.3097v1, 2013).
Diffusion length variation in 0.5 and 3 MeV proton irradiated heteroepitaxial indium phosphide solar cells

The authors report on the effect of 0.5 and 3.0 MeV proton irradiation on the base diffusion length of InP cells grown on GaAs substrates with In/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As graded intermediate layers (C. J. Keavney et al., 1991). The cell efficiency changes due 0.5 and 3 MeV proton irradiations have been explained by the variation of the base diffusion length. The 0.5 MeV protons influence the cell performance more strongly than the 3 MeV protons. Computer simulations were used to determine the variation of the base diffusion length with proton fluence for both the energies. The diffusion length damage coefficient (K/sub L/) has been calculated and is constant with fluence. The damage coefficient for 0.5 MeV protons is an order of magnitude higher than for 3 MeV protons. The effect of carrier removal has been considered in the calculations. >
An economic analysis of user-privacy options in ad-supported services

We analyze the value to e-commerce website operators of offering privacy options to users, e.g., of allowing users to opt out of ad targeting. In particular, we assume that site operators have some control over the cost that a privacy option imposes on users and ask when it is to their advantage to make such costs low. We consider both the case of a single site and the case of multiple sites that compete both for users who value privacy highly and for users who value it less. One of our main results in the case of a single site is that, under normally distributed utilities, if a privacy-sensitive user is worth at least $\sqrt{2} - 1$ times as much to advertisers as a privacy-insensitive user, the site operator should strive to make the cost of a privacy option as low as possible. In the case of multiple sites, we show how a Prisoner's-Dilemma situation can arise: In the equilibrium in which both sites are obliged to offer a privacy option at minimal cost, both sites obtain lower revenue than they would if they colluded and neither offered a privacy option.
Genetic adaptive observers

A genetic algorithm (GA) uses the principles of evolution, natural selection, and genetics to offer a method for parallel search of complex spaces. In this paper we show how to utilize GA's to perform online adaptive state estimation for nonlinear systems. In particular, we show how to construct a genetic adaptive observer (GAO) where a GA evolves the gains in a state observer in real time so that the state estimation error is driven to zero. A simple example is used to illustrate the operation and performance of the GAO and research directions are identified.
Hard and Soft Physics at RHIC with implications for LHC

Measurements of $\pi^0$, identified charged hadrons, direct-single-$\gamma$, direct single-$e^{\pm}$ and jets are expected to be important probes of the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP) at LHC as they are at RHIC. Recent results from RHIC will be presented, with implications, possibly grave, for LHC. Issues of soft-physics, such as $E_T$ distributions, will be discussed with questions as to: whether the soft multipicity or sum-transverse energy ($E_T$), may be the only quantity at LHC to exhibit number of collision scaling? or whether the anisotropic flow ($v_2$) will exceed the hydrodynamic limit?
Stable immersions in orbifolds

We prove that in any hyperbolic orbifold with one boundary component, the product of any hyperbolic fundamental group element with a sufficiently large multiple of the boundary is represented by a geodesic loop that virtually bounds an immersed surface. In the case that the orbifold is a disk, there are some conditions. Our results generalize work of Calegari‐Louwsma and resolve a conjecture of Calegari. 20F65, 57M07; 57R42, 57R18
Identifying reasoning patterns in games

We present an algorithm that identifies the reasoning patterns of agents in a game, by iteratively examining the graph structure of its Multi-Agent Influence Diagram (MAID) representation. If the decision of an agent participates in no reasoning patterns, then we can effectively ignore that decision for the purpose of calculating a Nash equilibrium for the game. In some cases, this can lead to exponential time savings in the process of equilibrium calculation. Moreover, our algorithm can be used to enumerate the reasoning patterns in a game, which can be useful for constructing more effective computerized agents interacting with humans.
The Effect of Minimum Wages on Employment: A Factor Model Approach

This paper resolves issues in the minimum wage-employment debate by using factor model econometric methods to address concerns related to unobserved heterogeneity. Recent work has shown that the negative effects of minimum wages on employment found using traditional methods are sensitive to the inclusion of controls for regional heterogeneity and selection of states that experience minimum wage hikes, leaving the two sides of the debate in disagreement about the appropriate approach. Factor model methods are an ideal solution for this disagreement, as they allow for the presence of multiple unobserved common factors, which can be correlated with the regressors. These methods provide a more exible way of addressing concerns related to unobserved heterogeneity and are robust to critiques from either side of the debate. The factor model estimators produce minimum wage-employment elasticities that are much smaller than the traditional OLS results and are not statistically different from zero. These results hold for many specications and two datasets that have been used in the minimum wage-employment literature. A simulation shows that unobserved common factors can explain the different estimates seen across methodologies in the literature.