cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethics As Social Science

The author explores overlaps between economics and ethics. A society's moral climate conditions its degree of economic development and prosperity. Policy recommendations necessarily rest on normative as well as positive judgments. Social science contributes to posing and answering questions about the nature and grounding of ethical precepts. Pursuing these questions leads to an "indirect utilitarianism" incorporating insights of David Hume, Ludwig von Mises, Henry Hazlitt, and F. A. Hayek. Criticisms of this approach are answered, including charges that it is collectivistically aggregative, is vacuous, makes a fetish of rules, and encourages immoralities illustrated by "lifeboat cases". Alternatives to it are also appraised, including the natural-rights and "contractarian" approaches that have found favor with prominent economists.
The communication complexity of several problems in matrix computation

Abstract The communication complexity of a function f measures the communication resources required for computing f. In the design of VLSI systems, where savings on the chip area and computation time are desired, this complexity dictates an area × time2 lower bound. We investigate the communication complexity of singularity testing, where the problem is to determine whether a given square matrix M is singular. We show that, for n × n matrices of k-bit integers, the communication complexity of Singularity Testing is Θ(k n2). Our results imply tight bounds for a wide variety of other problems in numerical linear algebra. Among those problems are determining the rank and computing the determinant, as well as the computation of several matrix decompositions. Another important corollary concerns the solvability of systems of linear equations. This problem is to decide whether a linear system A x = b has a solution. When A is an n × n matrix of k-bit integers and b a vector of n k-bit integers, its communication complexity is Θ(k n2).
A novel program for clinical pathology training for residents emphasizing high-impact and attending-level learning opportunities

Clinical pathology (CP) rotations in our residency program consistently received lower evaluations and lower scores on the Resident In-Service Exam (RISE) in comparison to anatomic pathology rotations. In 2010 to 2011, we instituted a new model for CP training, wherein the separate rotations for chemistry, transfusion medicine, molecular diagnostics, microbiology, and coagulation/immunology were combined into a 3-month "Superblock" in an effort to maximize and repeat high-impact learning opportunities in a team-based model. Resident and faculty satisfaction with the new curriculum and RISE scores were assessed in the 3 years before and after implementation of the curriculum. Large majorities of residents and faculty expressed increased satisfaction with the curriculum. Average RISE scores increased 8.3% in CP in the 3 years following introduction of the curriculum compared to the 3 years prior to introduction, while anatomic pathology average scores decreased by 1.5%. The CP Superblock provides a model of CP education which may address some of the difficulties in teaching CP topics and recruiting residents to CP specialization. The pros and cons of its implementation are discussed.
Crowdsourcing Pareto-Optimal Object Finding By Pairwise Comparisons

This is the first study of crowdsourcing Pareto-optimal object finding over partial orders and by pairwise comparisons, which has applications in public opinion collection, group decision making, and information exploration. Departing from prior studies on crowdsourcing skyline and ranking queries, it considers the case where objects do not have explicit attributes and preference relations on objects are strict partial orders. The partial orders are derived by aggregating crowdsourcers' responses to pairwise comparison questions. The goal is to find all Pareto-optimal objects by the fewest possible questions. It employs an iterative question-selection framework. Guided by the principle of eagerly identifying non-Pareto optimal objects, the framework only chooses candidate questions which must satisfy three conditions. This design is both sufficient and efficient, as it is proven to find a short terminal question sequence. The framework is further steered by two ideas---macro-ordering and micro-ordering. By different micro-ordering heuristics, the framework is instantiated into several algorithms with varying power in pruning questions. Experiment results using both real crowdsourcing marketplace and simulations exhibited not only orders of magnitude reductions in questions when compared with a brute-force approach, but also close-to-optimal performance from the most efficient instantiation.
Gas Phase Measurements of Mono-Fluoro-Benzoic Acids and the Dimer of 3-Fluoro-Benzoic Acid

The microwave spectrum of the mono-fluoro-benzoic acids, 2-fluoro-, 3-fluoro-, and 4-fluoro-benzoic acid have been measured in the frequency range of 4-14 GHz using a pulsed beam Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. Measured rotational transition lines were assigned and fit using a rigid rotor Hamiltonian. Assignments were made for 3 conformers of 2-fluorobenzoic acid, 2 conformers of 3-fluorobenzoic acid, and 1 conformer of 4-fluorobenzoic acid. Additionally, the gas phase homodimer of 3-fluorobenzoic acid was detected, and the spectra showed evidence of proton tunneling. Experimental rotational constants are A(0+) = 1151.8(5), B(0+) = 100.3(5), C(0+) = 87.64(3) MHz and A(0−) = 1152.2(5), B(0−) = 100.7(5), C(0−) = 88.85(3) MHz for the two ground vibrational states split by the proton tunneling motion. The tunneling splitting (ΔE) is approximately 560 MHz. This homodimer appears to be the largest carboxylic acid dimer observed with F-T microwave spectroscopy.
Use of flow and laser scanning cytometry to study mechanisms regulating cell cycle and controlling cell death

This article presents major applications of flow and laser scanning cytometry in studies of cell cycle and cell neurobiology. Described are representative examples of multivariate analysis of different attributes of the cell that reveal correlations between cellular DNA content; DNA replication; and expression of cyclins D1-3, E, A, and B1. Also described are major applications of cytometry in studies of apoptosis, specifically in measurement of Bax translocation to mitochondria and nuclear factor kappa B to the nucleus, and in detection of DNA fragmentation.
Cleavage of hindered α-methylbenzylamides, intermediates in the resolution of carboxylic acids

Abstract α-Methylbenzylamides, useful intermediates in the resolution of carboxylic acids, are cleaved with a two step procedure; enolizable amides are not racemized.
Electrodeposition at an Ice‐Coated Electrode

Electrochemical studies at low temperature have been of interest for some years as a means of studying the mechanisms of electrode processes. Initially, such studies were conducted in the liquid phase using low freezing point solvents. Recently, electrochemical studies in frozen electrolytes have been reported. Familiar electrochemical reactions such as redox processes and hydrogen and oxygen evolution have been investigated in frozen electrolytes using standard electrochemical techniques. These studies are generally conducted in conventional three-electrode configurations in which the counter-, reference, and working electrodes are encased in the frozen electrolyte. In this paper the authors report the first use of a working electrode coated with a thin layer of ice as a substrate for the electrodeposition of metal from an electrolyte that remains in the liquid phase.
Oxidation of benzyl alcohols by nitrous and nitric acids in strong sulfuric acid media

We have studied the oxidation of benzyl alcohols by nitrous and nitric acid in sulfuric acid media. The oxidation by nitrous acid is rapid and has an activation energy of 10.6 ± 0.8 kcal mol−1. A Hammett plot of logk2 vs. σ+ is linear with a ρ value of −1.4. The oxidation by nitric acid in sulfuric acid media is autocatalytic. From the kinetic and product analyses, it is concluded that a common oxidant, the nitrosonium ion is involved when either nitrous or nitric acid is used. A mechanism is proposed which involves the abstraction of hydride from the alcohols as the rate determining step. It is demonstrated that the autoxidation of the alcohols is catalyzed by nitrous acid or nitric oxide.
Compliance with physical activity guidelines: prevalence in a population of children and youth.

PURPOSE: To use objective monitoring of physical activity to determine the percentages of children and youth in a population that met physical activity guidelines. METHODS: A total of 375 students in grades 1–12 wore an accelerometer (CSA 7164) for seven consecutive days. Bouts of continuous activity and accumulation of minutes spent in physical activity at various intensities were calculated to determine how many students met three physical activity guidelines. RESULTS: Over 90% of students met Healthy People 2010, Objective 22.6 and nearly 70% met the United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group guideline, both of which recommend daily accumulation of moderate physical activity. Less than 3% met Healthy People 2010, Objective 22.7, which calls for bouts of continuous vigorous physical activity. For the United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group guideline, compliance decreased markedly with age, but gender differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence estimates for compliance with national physical activity guidelines varied markedly for the three guidelines examined. Objective monitoring of physical activity in youth appears to be feasible and may provide more accurate prevalence rates than self-report measures
Large-Eddy Simulation of Supersonic Cavity Flowfields Including Flow Control

Large-eddy simulations of supersonic cavity flowfields are performed using a high-order numerical method. Spatial derivatives are represented by a fourth-order compact approximation that is used in conjunction with a sixth-order nondispersive filter. The scheme employs a time-implicit approximately factored finite difference algorithm, and applies Newton-like subiterations to achieve second-order temporal and fourth-order spatial accuracy. The Smagorinsky dynamic subgrid-scale model is incorporated in the simulations to account for the spatially underresolved stresses. Computations at a freestream Mach number of 1.19 are carried out for a rectangular cavity having a length-to-depth ratio of 5:1. The computational domain is described by 2.06×10 7 grid points and has been partitioned into 254 zones, which were distributed on individual processors of a massively parallel computing platform. Active flow control is applied through pulsed mass injection at a very high frequency, thereby suppressing resonant acoustic oscillatory modes
Scale economies analysis for urban highway networks

Abstract Extending scale economies analysis from an individual highway to an urban highway network leads to an interesting new problem. When demand increases in a network, establishing a new long run equilibrium may require either increasing the capacities of existing links or adding new links (e.g., new roads, interchanges, overpasses). This paper develops a theoretical framework for analyzing economies of scale in this setting and then uses that framework to obtain a psuedo-empirical estimate of returns to scale. The results suggest that mild scale economies exist in urban highway travel.
On taming the warped radion with supersymmetry

In warped models that solve the hierarchy problem, there is generally no dynamical relation between the size of the fifth dimension and the scale of electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB). The establishment of such a relation, without fine-tuning, requires that Casimir contributions to the radion potential not exceed the energy density associated with EWSB. Here, we examine the use of supersymmetry for controlling the Casimir energy density and making quantum contributions calculable. We compute the effects of supersymmetry breaking at the UV and IR boundaries of warped backgrounds, in the presence of brane localized kinetic terms. Various limits of supersymmetry breaking are examined. We find that when supersymmetry is broken on the UV brane, vacuum contributions to the radion potential can be controlled (as likely necessary for EWSB to govern the radion potential) via small soft masses as well as a “double volume suppression.” Our formalism can also provide a setup for radion stabilization by bulk fields, when supersymmetry is broken on both the UV and the IR branes.
Dehydration and ionic conductance quantization in nanopores.

There has been tremendous experimental progress in the last decade in identifying the structure and function of biological pores (ion channels) and fabricating synthetic pores. Despite this progress, many questions still remain about the mechanisms and universal features of ionic transport in these systems. In this paper, we examine the use of nanopores to probe ion transport and to construct functional nanoscale devices. Specifically, we focus on the newly predicted phenomenon of quantized ionic conductance in nanopores as a function of the effective pore radius—a prediction that yields a particularly transparent way to probe the contribution of dehydration to ionic transport. We study the role of ionic species in the formation of hydration layers inside and outside of pores. We find that the ion type plays only a minor role in the radial positions of the predicted steps in the ion conductance. However, ions with higher valency form stronger hydration shells, and thus, provide even more pronounced, and therefore, more easily detected, drops in the ionic current. Measuring this phenomenon directly, or from the resulting noise, with synthetic nanopores would provide evidence of the deviation from macroscopic (continuum) dielectric behavior due to microscopic features at the nanoscale and may shed light on the behavior of ions in more complex biological channels.
Existence of chaos in evolution equations

For a general evolution equation with a Silnikov homoclinic orbit, Smale horseshoes are constructed with the tools of [1] and in the same way as in [1]. The linear part of the evolution equation has a finite number of unstable modes. For evolution equations with infinitely many linearly unstable modes, the problem is still open.
Resolution of singularities in two dimensions and the stability of integrals

Abstract For a small disk D centered at the origin in R 2 , a smooth real-valued function S ( x , y ) on D, and a positive epsilon, we consider the measure of the points in D where | S ( x , y ) | ϵ , as well as oscillatory integral analogues. Specifically, we consider the effect of perturbing S ( x , y ) on these quantities. Besides being of intrinsic interest, these questions are important in the analysis of Fourier transforms of surface-supported measures. Complex and higher-dimensional analogues of these questions are also connected to various issues in algebraic and complex geometry. For real-analytic S ( x , y ) , this question has been investigated for example by Karpushkin, using versal deformation theory, and by Phong–Stein–Sturm, who developed a method often referred to as the method of algebraic estimates. In this paper, we show how the use of resolution of singularities algorithms in two dimensions, along with some one-dimensional Van der Corput-type lemmas, provides another method for dealing with such questions. As a result, we prove new estimates and theorems for these and related quantities. Furthermore, since these algorithms apply to all smooth functions, the theorems will hold for all smooth functions as opposed to the earlier real-analytic results.
Correlations between Spectral Properties and Spin-down Rate in Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters and Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars

Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) are X-ray sources with unusual properties distinguishing them from both rotation-powered and most accretion-powered pulsars. Using archival ASCA data over the energy range 0.5-10.0 keV, we have studied the spectra of the persistent emission from these sources and their variation with spin-down rate. Using a single-power-law spectral model, we find that the overall hardness of the spectra increase with increasing spin-down rate, and therefore the spectral and spin-down mechanism are inextricably linked in these objects. In terms of the two-component blackbody plus power law spectral model, this correlation is seen as an increasing hardness of the high-energy component with increasing spin-down rate, with the temperature of the low-energy blackbody component remaining essentially constant. Also, for the two component spectral model, the ratio of the 2-10 keV power-law and bolometric blackbody luminosities gradually increases with the spin-down rate. We discuss these results in terms of the various theoretical models for SGRs and AXPs.
Optimal grouping of basis functions

When using the method of moments to solve scattering problems, a crucial factor is the appropriate choice of basis functions. A judicious choice of the basis functions can lead to a sparse impedance matrix or to a sparse solution vector, both of which will reduce the computational burden. However, pulse basis functions are usually used, both due to their simple description and because there are already many software tools written for this aim. Therefore, some efforts have been invested in transforming a formulation that is the result of using pulse basis functions to one using preferred basis functions. This transform produces grouping of the pulse functions into a new, more appropriate set of basis functions. This paper discusses the search for an optimal grouping, where optimality is measured in terms of the sparseness of the resulting solution vector. Various options are demonstrated and discussed, and numerical examples are given. It is important to note that the optimal grouping suggested herein is expected to be optimal on the average, when tried on many sample problems. Adjusting the optimization to a more specific set of problems and scenarios will lead to even better performances and is a viable option in practical cases.
Acoustic shocks in a variable area duct containing near sonic flows

Acoustic shock waves in a variable area duct which contains near sonic flows are considered. The problem is modeled after an aeroengine inlet. Area variation of a duct and high Mach number mean the flow reduces acoustical energy yielding substantial noise reduction. One possible reason for this is acoustic shock. The use of an explicit accurate numerical method which captures shocks is described. Comparison of the results are made with an existing asymptotic theory for Mach numbers close to unity. When shock occurs reduction of sound pressure levels are shown by example.
Stochastic heat equation driven by fractional noise and local time

The aim of this paper is to study the d-dimensional stochastic heat equation with a multiplicative Gaussian noise which is white in space and has the covariance of a fractional Brownian motion with Hurst parameter H ∈ (0,1) in time. Two types of equations are considered. First we consider the equation in the Ito-Skorohod sense, and later in the Stratonovich sense. An explicit chaos expansion for the solution is obtained. On the other hand, the moments of the solution are expressed in terms of the exponential moments of some weighted intersection local time of the Brownian motion.
Bell’s Theorem, Many Worlds and Backwards-Time Physics: Not Just a Matter of Interpretation

The classic “Bell’s Theorem” of Clauser, Holt, Shimony and Horne tells us that we must give up at least one of: (1) objective reality (aka “hidden variables”); (2) locality; or (3) time-forwards macroscopic statistics (aka “causality”). The orthodox Copenhagen version of physics gives up the first. The many-worlds theory of Everett and Wheeler gives up the second. The backwards-time theory of physics (BTP) gives up the third. Contrary to conventional wisdom, empirical evidence strongly favors Everett-Wheeler over orthodox Copenhagen. BTP allows two major variations—a many-worlds version and a neoclassical version based on Partial Differential Equations (PDE), in the spirit of Einstein. Section 2 of this paper discusses the origins of quantum measurement according to BTP, focusing on the issue of how we represent condensed matter objects like polarizers in a model “Bell’s Theorem” experiment. The backwards time telegraph (BTT) is not ruled out in BTP, but is highly speculative for now, as will be discussed.
The pattern matrix method for lower bounds on quantum communication

In a breakthrough result, Razborov (2003) gave optimal lower bounds on the communication complexity of every function f of the form f(x,y)=D(|x AND y|) for some D:{0,1,...,n}->{0,1}, in the bounded-error quantum model with and without prior entanglement. This was proved by the multidimensional discrepancy method. We give an entirely different proof of Razborov's result, using the original, one-dimensional discrepancy method. This refutes the commonly held intuition (Razborov 2003) that the original discrepancy method fails for functions such as DISJOINTNESS. More importantly, our communication lower bounds hold for a much broader class of functions for which no methods were available. Namely, fix an arbitrary function f:{0,1}n/4->{0,1} and let A be the Boolean matrix whose columns are each an application of f to some subset of the variables x1,x2,...,xn. We prove that the communication complexity of A in the bounded-error quantum model with and without prior entanglement is Omega(d), where d is the approximate degree of f. From this result, Razborov's lower bounds follow easily. Our result also establishes a large new class of total Boolean functions whose quantum communication complexity (regardless of prior entanglement) is at best polynomially smaller than their classical complexity. Our proof method is a novel combination of two ingredients. The first is a certain equivalence of approximation and orthogonality in Euclidean n-space, which follows by linear-programming duality. The second is a new construction of suitably structured matrices with low spectral norm, the pattern matrices, which we realize using matrix analysis and the Fourier transform over (Z2)n. The method of this paper has recently inspired important progress in multiparty communication complexity.
Chemical reactivity: Inverse solvent design

Choosing a solvent for a particular reaction is often a matter of personal preference or the result of limited screening. Now, a computational method allows identification of a solvent that will enhance the kinetics of a reaction prior to running a wet experiment.
Solvable Leibniz Algebras with Heisenberg Nilradical

All solvable Lie algebras with Heisenberg nilradical have already been classified. We extend this result to a classification of solvable Leibniz algebras with Heisenberg nilradical. As an example, we show the complete classification of all real or complex Leibniz algebras whose nilradical is the 3-dimensional Heisenberg algebra.
M(ore) on chiral gauge theories from D-branes

Abstract We consider a brane configuration consisting of intersecting Neveu-Schwarz five-branes, Dirichlet four-branes, and an orientifold four-plane in a C 2 / Z 3 orbifold background. We show that the low-energy dynamics is described by a four-dimensional gauge theory with N = 1 supersymmetry and S(N + 4) × SU(N) or SP(2M) × SU(2M) × SU(2M + 4) gauge symmetry. The matter content of this theory is chiral. In particular, the SU group has one matter field in the antisymmetric tensor or symmetric tensor representation and several fields in the fundamental and antifundamental representations. We discuss various consistency checks on these theories. By considering the brane configuration in M-theory we deduce the spectral curves for these theories. Finally, we consider the effects of replacing the orbifold background with a non-singular ALE space (both with and without an orientifold plane) and show that it leaves the spectral curves unchanged.
Chiral Oxazaborolidines as Catalysts for the Enantioselective Addition of Diethylzinc to Aldehydes

(4S, 5R)-3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3,2-oxazaborolidine, 1, catalyzes the addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes to furnish secondary alcohols in up to 96% ee. This is the first example of a chiral boron intermediate for this reaction.
Sufficiency Conditions For Inclusion of One Asset Over Another in Investment Portfolios

By extending Tsiang's (1972) analysis to encompass two risky assets, sufficiency conditions for including one asset over another in any investor's investment portfolio are derived. This derivation stems from the fact that any realistic utility function must have indifference curves with slopes less than one. Using this model's framework, it is found that short-term Treasury bills in addition to cash balances cannot be a component of investor's investment portfolios. The results have implications for both the risk-free rate used in portfolio analysis and provide a partial solution to Mehra and Prescott's (1985) equity premium puzzle.
Financial liberalization in developing countries

In the McKinnon and Shaw analysis, financial liberalization is defined to mean the establishment of higher interest rates that equate the demand for, and the supply of, savings. It expresses the views that higher interest rates will lead to increased savings and financial intermediation as well as to improvements in the efficiency of using savings. Balassa summarizes available empirical evidence, indicating that higher real interest rates increase the extent of financial intermediation while increased financial intermediation raises the rate of economic growth in developing countries. Furthermore, evidence is provided on the effects of interest rates on investment efficiency and on economic growth. The paper notes, however, that excessively high interest rates will have unfavorable economic effects. Such a situation can be avoided if the liberalization of the banking system takes place under appropriate conditions. Domestic financial liberalization may eventually be followed by the liberalization of the capital account. But this would have to be preceded by trade liberalization to avoid unnecessary resource shifts. Finally, it is noted that there is a need in most developing countries for improvements in the functioning of the financial sector.
Neural net-based continuous phase modulation receivers

The authors propose feedforward neural networks (NNs) as receivers for partial-response continuous-phase-modulation (CPM) systems. Their approach is to replace the entire receiver structure, excluding timing recovery, with a neural net unit whose inputs are time samples of the incoming baseband signals, and whose outputs are the decoded symbols. Simulation results for coherent and incoherent NN-based receivers are presented, and their performance is compared with that of the optimum maximum-likelihood receiver. The performance of NN-based receivers at large SNR is analyzed. >
HIGH-RESOLUTION X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY OF THE BURSTING PULSAR GRO J1744-28

The bursting pulsar GRO J1744-28 is a Galactic low-mass X-ray binary that distinguishes itself by displaying type-II X-ray bursts: brief, bright flashes of X-ray emission that likely arise from spasmodic accretion. Combined with its coherent 2.1 Hz X-ray pulsations and relatively high estimated magnetic field, it is a particularly interesting source to study the physics of accretion flows around neutron stars. Here we report on Chandra/High Energy Transmission Grating observations obtained near the peak of its bright 2014 accretion outburst. Spectral analysis suggests the presence of a broad iron emission line centered at E l ≃ 6.7 keV. Fits with a disk reflection model yield an inclination angle of i ≃ 52° and an inner disk radius of R_in ≃ 85 GM/c^2, which is much further out than typically found for neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries. Assuming that the disk is truncated at the magnetospheric radius of the neutron star, we estimate a magnetic field strength of B ≃ (2-6) × 10^10 G. Furthermore, we identify an absorption feature near sime 6.85 keV that could correspond to blue-shifted Fe XXV and point to a fast disk wind with an outflow velocity of v_out ≃ (7.5-8.2) × 10^3 km s^–1 (≃0.025c-0.027c). If the covering fraction and filling factor are large, this wind could be energetically important and perhaps account for the fact that the companion star lost significant mass while the magnetic field of the neutron star remained strong.
Obsessed maniacs and clairvoyant oracles: Empirically validated patterns of entrepreneurial behavior

Diverse and complex challenges in new venture formation demand rare and exceptional entrepreneurial acumen, particularly in technology-driven environments where disrupted markets amplify the factors and magnitude of uncertainty and risk. The successful Technology Entrepreneur [term of art for enactors of SKARSE™ (Strategic Knowledge Arbitrage and Serendipity)] is focused yet flexible, demonstrating relentless intensity of purpose while adapting that purpose under changing conditions. The distinguished entrepreneur accurately predicts events and conditions in advance for superior strategic positioning. We find that two terse descriptors-obsessed maniacs and clairvoyant oracles- encapsulate critical attributes conducive to superlative entrepreneurial posture, propensity and performance to anticipate and recognize challenges and convert them into opportunities. In so doing, the entrepreneurs leverage strategic knowledge serendipity factors and practice strategic knowledge arbitrage competences. To investigate our premise, we conduct comprehensive surveys and interviews with 33 founding entrepreneurs, comparatively analyzing their experiences against complementary data sources to develop personal profiles of critical attributes and behavioral characteristics. Employing qualitative analytic techniques, we find the data rich in empirical evidence to support a perspective of entrepreneur as obsessed maniac and clairvoyant oracle, plus many other intrinsic characteristics of personality, motivation, intention, and action that constitute the entrepreneurial actor.
From AGS-SPS and onwards to the LHC

I review the history of the efforts using heavy ion collisions to make new forms of matter. I discuss both the development of the theoretical ideas about such new forms of matter, and as well the past, present and planned experimental efforts. I also highlight the development of this activity in both India and China.
Large scale geometry of certain solvable groups

In this paper we provide the final steps in the proof of quasi-isometric rigidity of a class of non-nilpotent polycyclic groups. To this end, we prove a rigidity theorem on the boundaries of certain negatively curved homogeneous spaces and combine it with work of Eskin–Fisher–Whyte and Peng on the structure of quasiisometries of certain solvable Lie groups.
Robust inference on average treatment effects with possibly more covariates than observations

Abstract This paper concerns robust inference on average treatment effects following model selection. Under selection on observables, we construct confidence intervals using a doubly-robust estimator that are robust to model selection errors and prove their uniform validity over a large class of models that allows for multivalued treatments with heterogeneous effects and selection amongst (possibly) more covariates than observations. The semiparametric efficiency bound is attained under appropriate conditions. Precise conditions are given for any model selector to yield these results, and we specifically propose the group lasso, which is apt for treatment effects, and derive new results for high-dimensional, sparse multinomial logistic regression. Both a simulation study and revisiting the National Supported Work demonstration show our estimator performs well in finite samples.
Processing and Characterization of Thin Films of the Two‐Layer Superconducting Phase in the Bi─Sr─Ca─Cu─O System: Evidence for Solid Solution

Thin films in the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system have been synthesized from liquid ethylhexanoate precursors by spin pyrolysis. An extensive solid-solution range was found for the two-Cu-layer phase through the study of c-axis- oriented, single-phase thin films fabricated on single- crystal, (100)-oriented, MgO substrates. All two-layer compositions were excess in Bi and deficient in Sr + Ca relative to the ideal 2212 composition and showed an overall cation deficiency. The solidus temperature and c lattice parameter were found to vary systematically with composition. Sharp superconductive transitions were obtained in the case of a number of different compositions with T{sub c} varying between 72 and 84 K. Evidence for significant compositional heterogeneities within single-phase two-layer thin films was found and the implications for superconductivity are discussed. Compositions within the solid-solution range gave single-phase, c-axis-oriented films over a wide temperature range extending from 730{degrees}C to an upper, solidus (or peritectic) temperature (780{degrees} to 840{degrees}C) which is dependent on the initial starting composition. A model has been developed that describes the formation of the two-layer phase from a fugitive liquid.
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 fragment size estimates: How big was the parent body?

The impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter in July, 1994 was the largest, most energetic impact event on a planet ever witnessed. Because it broke up during a close encounter with Jupiter in 1992, it was bright enough to be discovered more than a year prior to impact, allowing the scientific community an unprecedented opportunity to assess the effects such an event would have. Many excellent observations were made from Earth-based telescopes, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and the Galileo spacecraft en route to Jupiter. In this paper, these observations are used in conjunction with computational simulations performed with the CTH shock-physics hydrocode to determine the sizes of the fifteen fragments that made discernible impact features on the planet. To do this, CTH was equipped with a radiative ablation model and a postprocessing radiative ray-trace capability that enabled light-flux predictions (often called the impact flash) for the viewing geometries of Galileo and ground-based observers. The five events recorded by Galileo were calibrated to give fragment size estimates. Compared against ground-based and HST observations, these estimates were extended using a least-squares analysis to assess the impacts of the remaining ten fragments. Some of the largest impacts (L, G, and K) were greater that 1 km in diameter, but the density of the fragments was low, about 0.25 g/cm(exp 3). The volume of the combined fifteen fragments would make a sphere 1.8 km in diameter. Assuming a prebreakup density of 0.5 g/cm(exp 3), the parent body of Shoemaker-Levy 9 had a probable diameter of 1.4 km. The total kinetic energy of all the impacts was equivalent to the explosive yield of 300 Gigatons of TNT.
Span: an energy-efficient coordination algorithm for topology maintenance in ad hoc wireless networks

This paper presents Span, a power saving technique for multi-hop ad hoc wireless networks that reduces energy consumption without significantly diminishing the capacity or connectivity of the network. Span builds on the observation that when a region of a sharedchannel wireless network has a sufficient density of nodes, only a small number of them need be on at any time to forward traffic for active connections. Span is a distributed, randomized algorithm where nodes make local decisions on whether to sleep, or to join a forwarding backbone as a coordinator. Each node bases its decision on an estimate of how many of its neighbors will benefit from it being awake, and the amount of energy available to it. We give a randomized algorithm where coordinators rotate with time, demonstrating how localized node decisions lead to a connected, capacity-preserving global topology. Improvement in system lifetime due to Span increases as the ratio of idle-to-sleep energy consumption increases. Our simulations show that with a practical energy model, system lifetime of an 802.11 network in power saving mode with Span is a factor of two better than without. Additionally, Span also improves communication latency and capacity.
EVALUATING THE RETURNS TO VARIABLE RATE NITROGEN APPLICATION

Potential benefits of variable rate nitrogen application are illustrated and information needs identified. Lower costs of precision farming services, higher crop prices, and greater divergence in yield response potentials across management zones reduce the spatial variability required for profitable variable rate application. Information needs include identification and measurement of management zones within a field and estimation of management zone yield response functions, crop and input prices, and the cost of precision farming services.
Database Models and Managerial Intuition: 50% Model + 50% Manager

We focus on ways of combining simple database models with managerial intuition. We present a model and method for isolating managerial intuition. For five different business forecasting situations, our results indicate that a combination of model and manager always outperforms either of these decision inputs in isolation, an average R2 increase of 0.09 16% above the best single decision input in cross-validated model analyses. We assess the validity of an equal weighting heuristic, 50% model + 50% manager, and then discuss why our results might differ from previous research on expert judgment.
Light Scattering by a Phase Conjugator in the Four-wave Mixing Configuration

Abstract Reflection of travelling and evanescent plane waves by a four-wave mixing phase-conjugator is studied in detail. No restrictions are imposed on the nonlinear interaction strength, the angle of incidence or the frequency mismatch between the pump-beams and the incoming waves. We only assume that the incident field is weak compared to the pump fields, which justifies a classical field description of the pumps. The wave-vectors, amplitudes and phases for the various waves are evaluated, without the slowly-varying amplitude approximation. Familiar phase-matching resonances for certain values of the interaction length are recovered, and in addition strong resonances are found if the angle of incidence is finite and the incident light is not in perfect resonance with the pumps. The latter resonances appear at the transitions from a travelling to an evanescent wave. The significance of finite angles of incidence and evanescent waves for spectroscopic applications is pointed out.
Infrared Spectra of Dialanes in Solid Hydrogen

Laser-ablated Al atoms react with H2 during co-deposition at 3.5 K to produce AlH and smaller amounts of AlH2 and AlH3. Ultraviolet irradiations markedly increase the yields of AlH2 and particularly AlH3, which is characterized as the hypervalent (H2)AlH3 complex in solid hydrogen. Simultaneous annealing to 5−6 K with concurrent photolysis allows a 4-fold increase in Al2H6 absorption intensities. New absorptions are assigned to the Al2H5 radical with the dibridged structure. A neon overcoat extends the annealing range for solid hydrogen and facilitates the observation of trialane Al3H9. The AlH4- and AlH3-[AlD4-, AlD3-, and AlD2-] anions and Al+(H2)n[Al+(D2)n] cations are observed in solid hydrogen [deuterium] and in solid neon. Dialane is prepared in solid neon with dilute Al and H2 on λ > 240 nm irradiation and not on annealing, which suggests activation energy for the alane dimerization reaction.
Metagenomic approaches to natural products from free-living and symbiotic organisms.

Bacterial cultivation has been a mainstay of natural products discovery for the past 80 years. However, the majority of bacteria are recalcitrant to culture, providing an untapped source for new natural products. Metagenomic analysis provides an alternative method to directly access the uncultivated genome for natural products research and for the discovery of novel, bioactive substances. Applications of metagenomics to diverse habitats, such as soils and the interior of animals, are described.
NTIS update: A critical review of services

Abstract The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) is the central clearinghouse for scientific, technical, and engineering information generated under Federal sponsorship, and has long been prominent in micropublishing. This article develops a profile of current products and services, matched against the original mission and against user expectations. The author faults NTIS for excessive commercialism at the expense of quality service, and recommends removing the agency from the Department of Commerce and restating its mission.
Anisotropic Umbilic points and Hopf's theorem for surfaces with constant anisotropic mean curvature

We show that for elliptic parametric functionals whose Wulff shape is smooth and has strictly positive curvature, any surface with constant anisotropic mean curvature which is a topological sphere is a rescaling of the Wulff shape.
Periodic Flux Variability of Stars due to the Reflex Doppler Effect Induced by Planetary Companions

Upcoming space-based photometric satellites offer the possibility of detecting continuum flux variability at the micromagnitude (μmag) level. We show that the Doppler flux variability induced by the reflex motion of stars due to planetary companions has an amplitude of (3 - α)K/c, where K is the reflex radial velocity amplitude and α ≈ is the logarithmic slope of the source spectral flux in the observed frequency band. For many of the known close-in planetary systems with periods P 0.2 yr, the periodic Doppler variability, (μmag), is significant relative to the variability caused by reflected light from the planetary companion. For companions with P 0.2 yr, the Doppler signal is larger than the reflected light signal. We show that the future photometric satellites should reach the sensitivity to detect this Doppler variability. In particular, the Kepler satellite should have the photon noise sensitivity to detect at a signal-to-noise ratio 5 all planets with minimum mass Mp sin i 5MJ and P 0.1 yr around the ~104 main-sequence stars with spectral types A-K and apparent magnitude V < 12 in its field of view.
SPaRe: selective partial replication for concurrent fault detection in FSMs

We propose a non-intrusive methodology for concurrent fault detection in FSMs. The proposed method is similar to duplication, wherein a replica of the circuit acts as a predictor that immediately detects potential faults by comparison to the original FSM. However, instead of duplicating the FSM, the proposed method selects a few prediction functions which only partially replicate it. Selection is guided by the objective of minimizing the incurred hardware overhead without compromising the ability to detect all faults, yet possibly introducing fault detection latency. Furthermore, in contrast to concurrent error detection approaches which presume the ability to re-synthesize the FSM and exploit parity-based state encoding, the proposed method does not interfere with the encoding and implementation of the original FSM. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method achieves significant hardware overhead reduction over duplication, while detecting more than 99% of all permanent faults with very low average fault detection latency.
An experimental comparison of collective choice procedures for excludable public goods

This paper compares three collective choice procedures for the provision of excludable public goods under incomplete information. One, serial cost sharing (SCS), is budget balanced, individually rational, anonymous and strategy proof. The other two are “hybrid” procedures: voluntary cost sharing with proportional rebates (PCS) and with no rebates (NR). PCS satisfies all these properties except strategy proofness, and NR satisfies all the properties except for strategy proofness and budget balance. However, PCS and NR do not exclude any potential users, and they do not require equal cost shares, thereby overcoming the two main sources of inefficiency with SCS. We characterize the Bayesian Nash equilibria (BNE) of the hybrid mechanisms and conduct laboratory experiments to compare the performance of the three mechanisms. We find that PCS produces significantly more efficient allocations than either SCS or NR.
Dual confinement of grand unified monopoles

Abstract A simple formal computation, and a variation on an old thought experiment, both indicate that QCD with light quarks may confine fundamental color magnetic charges, giving an explicit as well as elegant resolution to the “global color” paradox, strengthening Vachaspati's SU(5) electric–magnetic duality, opening new lines of inquiry for monopoles in cosmology, and suggesting a class of geometrically large QCD excitations – loops of Z(3) color magnetic flux entwined with light-quark current. The proposal may be directly testable in lattice gauge theory or supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory. Recent results in deeply inelastic electron scattering, and future experiments both there and in high-energy collisions of nuclei, could give evidence on the existence of Z(3) loops. If confirmed, they would represent a consistent realization of the bold concept underlying the Slansky–Goldman–Shaw “glow” model – phenomena besides standard meson–baryon physics manifest at long distance scales – but without that model's isolable fractional electric charges.
Hydrodynamic Limit of Brownian Particles Interacting with Short- and Long-Range Forces

We investigate the time evolution of a model system of interacting particles moving in a d-dimensional torus. The microscopic dynamics is first order in time with velocities set equal to the negative gradient of a potential energy term Ψ plus independent Brownian motions: Ψ is the sum of pair potentials, V(r)+γ d J(γr); the second term has the form of a Kac potential with inverse range γ. Using diffusive hydrodynamic scaling (spatial scale γ −1, temporal scale γ −2) we obtain, in the limit γ↓0, a diffusive-type integrodifferential equation describing the time evolution of the macroscopic density profile.
Incomplete Adoption of a Superior Innovation

We consider a model in which an innovating monopolist of a technologically superior intermediate input must sell this product to final output producers. Prior research shows that, with complete information, the monopolist’s optimal strategy will lead to complete adoption of this technologically superior innovation. In this article we show that, when the price of some competitively supplied input used in the final product market is endogenous and is altered by adoption of the innovation, then the optimal pricing strategy of the monopolist may lead to incomplete innovation. Thus, the standard result of complete adoption of the superior technology is partly attributable to the partial equilibrium nature of prior models.
THE EFFECT OF JUMPS AND DISCRETE SAMPLING ON VOLATILITY AND VARIANCE SWAPS

We investigate the effect of discrete sampling and asset price jumps on fair variance and volatility swap strikes. Fair discrete volatility strikes and fair discrete variance strikes are derived in different models of the underlying evolution of the asset price: the Black-Scholes model, the Heston stochastic volatility model, the Merton jump-diffusion model and the Bates and Scott stochastic volatility and jump model. We determine fair discrete and continuous variance strikes analytically and fair discrete and continuous volatility strikes using simulation and variance reduction techniques and numerical integration techniques in all models. Numerical results show that the well-known convexity correction formula may not provide a good approximation of fair volatility strikes in models with jumps in the underlying asset. For realistic contract specifications and model parameters, we find that the effect of discrete sampling is typically small while the effect of jumps can be significant.