cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Asynchronous Electronic Communication-Based Visits on Clinical Outcomes and Health Care Delivery: Systematic Review.

Background: Electronic visits (e-visits) involve asynchronous communication between clinicians and patients through a secure web-based platform, such as a patient portal, to elicit symptoms and determine a diagnosis and treatment plan. E-visits are now reimbursable through Medicare due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of evidence regarding e-visits, such as the impact on clinical outcomes and health care delivery, is unclear. Objective: To address this gap, we examine how e-visits have impacted clinical outcomes and health care quality, access, utilization, and costs. Methods: We conducted a systematic review; MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were searched from January 2000 through October 2020 for peer-reviewed studies that assessed e-visits’ impacts on clinical and health care delivery outcomes. Results: Out of 1859 papers, 19 met the inclusion criteria. E-visit usage was associated with improved or comparable clinical outcomes, especially for chronic disease management (eg, diabetes care, blood pressure management). The impact on quality of care varied across conditions. Quality of care was equivalent or better for chronic conditions, but variable quality was observed in infection management (eg, appropriate antibiotic prescribing). Similarly, the impact on health care utilization varied across conditions (eg, lower utilization for dermatology but mixed impact in primary care). Health care costs were lower for e-visits than those for in-person visits for a wide range of conditions (eg, dermatology and acute visits). No studies examined the impact of e-visits on health care access. It is difficult to draw firm conclusions about effectiveness or impact on care delivery from the studies that were included because many used observational designs. Conclusions: Overall, the evidence suggests e-visits may provide clinical outcomes that are comparable to those provided by in-person care and reduce health care costs for certain health care conditions. At the same time, there is mixed evidence on health care quality, especially regarding infection management (eg, sinusitis, urinary tract infections, conjunctivitis). Further studies are needed to test implementation strategies that might improve delivery (eg, clinical decision support for antibiotic prescribing) and to assess which conditions can be managed via e-visits.
Age and socioeconomic differences in coping with home stressors: A daily diary study of mindfulness and anticipatory coping

Abstract Anticipatory coping involves efforts to reduce the consequences of upcoming, future stressors, but the individual and contextual predictors of anticipatory coping are not well understood. The current study focuses on individual differences in age and income and contextual fluctuations in mindfulness (present-centered thinking) to predict daily fluctuations in anticipatory coping with future home-related stressors. In the Mindfulness and Anticipatory Coping Everyday study, 223 adults (116 aged 60–90, 107 aged 18–36) completed an online questionnaire for nine consecutive days via Qualtrics, providing demographic information on Day 1. For the subsequent 8 days, participants reported mindfulness and anticipatory coping. Multilevel models revealed that within-person increases in daily mindfulness were related to decreases in daily anticipatory coping among younger adults and higher income older adults. This research provides evidence of tension between mindfulness and future-oriented coping and shows how this depends on one's life stage and access to resources.
Testing in Combined Dynamic Environments

The combined dynamic environments of vibration and linear acceleration are common to a large number of spacecraft components and other devices. Testing such devices has normally been a two-step process in which independent vibration and centrifuge tests are performed. There is a concern that the combined effects from these two dynamic environments could cause unexpected operational failures that were not predicted from either analysis or independent testing. This paper describes the design and performance of a testing facility that combines vibration and centrifuge testing in a single operation. The test facility is called the Vibrafuge and utilizes Sandia National Laboratories' (SNL) 29-ft underground centrifuge with an attached electrodynamic shaker. Also addressed are activities underway at SNL on development of combined vibration and acoustic test facility (ATF).
Multiple Imputation of Missing Categorical and Continuous Values via Bayesian Mixture Models With Local Dependence

ABSTRACTWe present a nonparametric Bayesian joint model for multivariate continuous and categorical variables, with the intention of developing a flexible engine for multiple imputation of missing values. The model fuses Dirichlet process mixtures of multinomial distributions for categorical variables with Dirichlet process mixtures of multivariate normal distributions for continuous variables. We incorporate dependence between the continuous and categorical variables by (1) modeling the means of the normal distributions as component-specific functions of the categorical variables and (2) forming distinct mixture components for the categorical and continuous data with probabilities that are linked via a hierarchical model. This structure allows the model to capture complex dependencies between the categorical and continuous data with minimal tuning by the analyst. We apply the model to impute missing values due to item nonresponse in an evaluation of the redesign of the Survey of Income and Program Partic...
Identifying neuroimaging and proteomic biomarkers for MCI and AD via the elastic net

Multi-modal neuroimaging and biomarker data provide exciting opportunities to enhance our understanding of phenotypic characteristics associated with complex disorders. This study focuses on integrative analysis of structural MRI data and proteomic data from an RBM panel to examine their predictive power and identify relevant biomarkers in a large MCI/AD cohort. MRI data included volume and thickness measures of 98 regions estimated by FreeSurfer. RBM data included 146 proteomic analytes extracted from plasma and serum. A sparse learning model, elastic net logistic regression, was proposed to classify AD and MCI, and select disease-relevant biomarkers. A linear support vector machine coupled with feature selection was employed for comparison. Combining RBM and MRI data yielded improved prediction rates: HC vs AD (91.9%), HC vs MCI (90.5%) and MCI vs AD (86.5%). Elastic net identified a small set of meaningful imaging and proteomic biomarkers. The elastic net has great power to optimize the sparsity of feature selection while maintaining high predictive power. Its application to multimodal imaging and biomarker data has considerable potential for discovering biomarkers and enhancing mechanistic understanding of AD and MCI.
Static Shape Estimation and Failure Detection in Large Spaceborne Antennas Via Computer Vision

Abstract The application of computer vision to static shape estimation and failure detection in large spaceborne antenna systems is explored with the aid of a physical model at the Ground Antenna Test Facility of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California. First, a mathematical description of various relationships between the viewed antenna components and their images is established. Then, algorithms for estimating the static shapes of the elastic supporting structure of the antenna are presented. The performance of these algorithms is determined experimentally using the JPL antenna model and a camera system with binary grey levels. An assessment of the limitations and practicality of this approach is given. The paper concludes with a discussion of the application of computer vision to detect and diagnose failures and abnormal conditions in spaceborne antenna systems.
EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AND HOUSE VALUES: A TEST OF THE VALUE ADDED APPROACH*

We use house price hedonics to compare the extent that homeowners value traditional measures of school quality or the ''value added'' of schooling. Unlike other studies, we use spatial statistics as an identification strategy. Based on our study of 310 school districts and 77,000 house transactions, we find little support for the value added model. Instead, we find that households consistently value a district's average proficiency test scores and expenditures. The elasticity of house prices with respect to school expenditures is 0.49, and an increase in test scores by one standard deviation, ceteris paribus, raises house prices by 7.1 percent. ''From this year, we will be including in the tables measures of the value added by schools so that more sophisticated data is available,'' -Department for Education and Skills of the United Kingdom (Gledhill, 2002)
Matrix Multiplication on High-Density Multi-GPU Architectures: Theoretical and Experimental Investigations

Matrix multiplication (MM) is one of the core problems in the high performance computing domain and its efficiency impacts performances of almost all matrix problems. The high-density multi-GPU architecture escalates the complexities of such classical problem, though it greatly exceeds the capacities of previous homogeneous multicore architectures. In order to fully exploit the potential of such multi-accelerator architectures for multiplying matrices, we systematically evaluate the performances of two prevailing tile-based MM algorithms, standard and Strassen. We use a high-density multi-GPU server, CS-Storm which can support up to eight NVIDIA GPU cards and we test three generations of GPU cards which are K20Xm, K40m and K80. Our results show that (1) Strassen is often faster than standard method on multicore architecture but it is not beneficial for small enough matrices. (2) Strassen is more efficient than standard algorithm on low-density GPU solutions but it quickly loses its superior on high-density GPU solutions. This is a result of more additions needed in Strassen than in standard algorithm. Experimental results indicate that: though Strassen needs less arithmetic operations than standard algorithm, the heterogeneity of computing resources is a key factor of determining the best-practice algorithm.
Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and the geodynamo

Abstract Ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence contains an intrinsic statistical mechanism called ‘broken ergodicity’ for producing an energetic, large-scale, quasi-stationary coherent structure. Since MHD turbulence occurs in the Earth’s liquid outer core, the implication is that the Earth’s dipole magnetic field may be due to MHD turbulence, per se. The purpose of this work is to examine how ideal MHD results apply to the real (i.e., dissipative) MHD turbulence found in the outer core. Prior theoretical and computational results will be briefly reviewed, after which new results will be presented. The significant effects caused by variations in the time-dependence of the forcing will be discussed. It will be also shown that dissipative MHD turbulence driven with isotropic forcing produces large-scale, coherent structures similar to those appearing in ideal MHD turbulence. A connection between spherical harmonic degree and turbulence wave number will be made, allowing for a qualitative comparison of numerical magnetic energy spectra with the International Geomagnetic Reference Field. In addition, a mechanism for explaining the dominance of the Earth’s axial dipole component over its azimuthal ones will also be described. These results indicate that MHD turbulence, per se, may underlie the geodynamo.
When doing good is bad in gift giving: Mis-predicting appreciation of socially responsible gifts

Gifts that support a worthy cause (i.e., ''gifts that give twice''), such as a charitable donation in the recipient's name, have become increasingly popular. Recipients generally enjoy the idea of these gifts, which not only benefit others in need but also make individuals feel good about themselves. But do givers accurately predict appreciation of these types of gifts? Across three studies, we show that gift givers mis-predict appreciation for socially responsible gifts, and that their mis-predictions depend on the nat- ure of their relationship to the recipient. Drawing on research on affective forecasting and perspective taking, we propose and find that givers overestimate how much distant others appreciate socially responsible gifts because they focus more than recipients on the symbolic meaning of the gift. Critically, givers have the most to gain from distant others, in terms of strengthened relationship quality, by making better gift choices.
Can overconfidence explain the consumption hump? A general equilibrium inquiry

The standard neoclassical life-cycle model predicts that individual consumption should either increase, remain constant or fall monotonically depending on whether the market rate of return on savings is greater than, equal to or less than the discount rate. However, empirical evidence suggests that even after controlling for economic growth and family size, household consumption exhibits a robust hump at around age 45–55, with the ratio of peak consumption to consumption when entering the workforce greater than 1.1. This paper extends the “overconfidence” explanation (Caliendo and Huang, J. Macroecon 30(4):1347–1369, 2008) of this macroeconomic puzzle to a calibrated general equilibrium environment. The main finding is that although it is possible to identify parameter values under which overconfidence alone generates life-cycle consumption profiles and macro-indicators consistent with U.S. experience, quite extreme assumptions about both the magnitude and distribution of overconfidence in the population are generally required to obtain them.
Auctions for universal service subsidies

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires that telephone service be available in high-cost areas at rates that are “affordable” and “reasonably comparable” to those charged in low-cost areas. It also requires that carriers serving high-cost areas at below-cost rates be compensated with explicit and sufficient subsidies. This paper analyzes an auction mechanism for the allocation of such subsidies. It shows that in a wide range of circumstances auctions are more efficient than traditional subsidy schemes. It also shows, however, that auction designs aimed at stimulating competition among several subsidized carriers may be particularly vulnerable to collusion.
Multiplier ideals of hyperplane arrangements

In this note we compute multiplier ideals of hyperplane arrangements. This is done using the interpretation of multiplier ideals in terms of spaces of arcs by Ein, Lazarsfeld, and Mustata (2004).
A General Treatment of Orbiting Gyroscope Precession

We review the derivation of the metric for a spinning body of any shape andcomposition using linearized general relativity theory (LGRT), and also obtainthe same metric using a transformation argument. The latter derivation makes itclear that the linearized metric contains only the Eddington α and γ parameters,so no new parameter is involved in frame-dragging or Lense—Thirring effects.We then calculate the precession of an orbiting gyroscope in a general weakgravitational field described by a Newtonian potential (the gravitoelectric field)and a vector potential (the gravitomagnetic field). Next we make a multipoleanalysis of the potentials and the precession equations, giving all of these interms of the spherical harmonics moments of the density distribution. The analysisis not limited to an axially symmetric source, although the Earth, which is themain application, is very nearly axisymmetric. Finally, we analyze the precessionin regard to the Gravity Probe B (GP-B) experiment, and find that the effect ofthe Earth's quadrupole moment (J2) on the geodetic precession is large enoughto be measured by GP-B (a previously known result), but the effect on theLense—Thirring precession is somewhat beyond the expected GP-B accuracy.
Game Theoretic Modeling of Pilot Behavior during Mid-Air Encounters

We show how to combine Bayes nets and game theory to predict the behavior of hybrid systems involving both humans and automated components. We call this novel framework “Semi Network-Form Games”, and illustrate it by predicting aircraft pilot behavior in potential near mid-air collisions. At present, at the beginning of such potential collisions, a collision avoidance system in the aircraft cockpit advises the pilots what to do to avoid the collision. However studies of mid-air encounters have found wide variability in pilot responses to avoidance system advisories. In particular, pilots rarely perfectly execute the recommended maneuvers, despite the fact that the collision avoidance system’s effectiveness relies on their doing so. Rather pilots decide their actions based on all information available to them (advisory, instrument readings, visual observations). We show how to build this aspect into a semi network-form game model of the encounter and then present computational simulations of the resultant model.
The Structure and Performance of the World Market in a Cobb-Douglas Example

In an international trading economy where countries set tariffs strategically, modeled using a Cobb-Douglas example, this paper studies the relationship between the structure and the performance of the world market. Using new results from monotone comparative statics in a Shapley-Shubik market game, replication of such an international trading economy is studied. It is shown that, as the economy is replicated, the equilibrium converges monotonically towards the equilibrium of a competitive equilibrium model of international trade. The distributional implications of replication are also evaluated.
The Efficiency of Political Mechanisms for Siting Nuisance Facilities: Are Opponents More Likely to Participate than Supporters?

Public opposition often hinders the siting of nuisance and noxious facilities. However, there is often support for the siting plan within the community, especially when the facility will bring economic development or a compensation package funded by the company siting the facility. Why have opponents of these facilities been so effective compared to supporters? This article presents evidence that opponents of siting proposals are much more likely to vote or engage in other collective action, while supporters are more likely to remain passive and not take action to advance their position. The results suggest that political mechanisms for determining host communities for facilities such as town meetings or referenda may not accurately represent the preferences of the community and that opportunities for siting may be missed.
Atmospheric dynamics of the outer planets

The giant planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—are fluid objects. The winds are powered by absorbed sunlight, as on earth, and by internal heat left over from planetary formation. The main constituents of the atmospheres are hydrogen and helium. The clouds are made of ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, and water. All four giant planets are banded, with multiple zonal jet streams. Even Uranus, whose spin axis is tipped by 98° relative to the orbit axis, shows latitudinal banding and zonal jets. Equator-to-pole temperature differences are close to zero. Wind speeds are larger than on earth and do not decrease with distance from the sun. Although the power/area at Neptune is only 1120 that at Jupiter, the winds at Neptune are three times stronger. Stable vortices like the Great Red Spot of Jupiter and similar spots on Neptune come in all size ranges and exhibit a variety of behaviours including merging, orbiting, filament ejection, and oscillating in both shape and position. At least at cloud-top levels, 90% of the long-lived vortices are anticyclonic and sit in anticyclonic shear zones. Features in the cyclonic zones tend to be chaotic, with lifetimes of several days or less. These mesoscale eddies tend to have lightning in them, which suggests that they get their energy from moist convection. The rate of conversion of eddy kinetic energy into kinetic energy of the zonal jets is more than 10% of the power/area radiated by Jupiter. This fraction is more than an order of magnitude larger than on earth. Several lines of evidence now indicate that the winds at cloud-top levels are the surface manifestation of deep-rooted motions that extend into the interior and are presumably driven by internal heat.
Constant fan-in digital neural networks are VLSI-optimal

The paper presents a theoretical proof revealing an intrinsic limitation of digital VLSI technology: its inability to cope with highly connected structures (e.g. neural networks). We are in fact able to prove that efficient digital VLSI implementations (known as VLSI-optimal when minimising the AT 2 complexity measure — A being the area of the chip, and T the delay for propagating the inputs to the outputs) of neural networks are achieved for small-constant fan-in gates. This result builds on quite recent ones dealing with a very close estimate of the area of neural networks when implemented by threshold gates, but it is also valid for classical Boolean gates. Limitations and open questions are presented in the conclusions.
The pension system in Singapore

Singapore is an affluent city state which finances its social security system through a mandatory, publicly managed, defined contribution system based on individual accounts. The main vehicle embodying this is the Central Provident Fund (CPF). There are two other pension systems operating in Singapore: 1) Non-contributory pension scheme for the government employees; and 2) provident fund scheme for the certain categories of armed forces personnel called the Savings and Employees Scheme. The report makes a thorough assessment of the CPF. Then it is followed by a discussion of reform options which could help provide adequate level of retirement protection to the population in a sustainable manner while maintaining Singapore's international competitiveness for attracting requisite investments, and professional and technical manpower.
A spiral artery in the ovary of the rabbit

Abstract A spiral artery within the hilus of the ovary is demonstrated. It is formed by a helix-type of formation from the ovarian artery as it enters the hilus of the ovary and turns sharply cephalad. Further vascularization of the ovary is accomplished by secondary branches arising from the coils of the spiral artery. The speculative implications of this arrangement of the ovarian circulation are discussed in relation to (a) cyclic or periodic ovarian growth; (b) hemodynamic conditions within the uterus; and (c) to the etiology of ovarian pathology.
Qualitatively describing objects using spatial prepositions

The objective in this paper is to present a framework for a system that describes objects in a qualitative fashion. A subset of spatial prepositions is chosen and an appropriate quantification is applied to each of them that capture their inherent qualitative properties. The quantifications use such object attributes as area, centers, and elongation properties. The familiar zeroth, first, and second order moments are used to characterize these attributes. This paper will detail how and why the particular quantifications were chosen. Since spatial prepositions are by their nature rather vague and dependent on context a technique for fuzzifying the definition of the spatial preposition is explained. Finally an example task is chosen to illustrate the appropriateness of the quantification techniques.
On Discrete-Time Feedforward Asymptotic Tracking Controllers

A feedforward design formulation for asymptotic tracking controllers is presented for linear multivariable systems under discrete-time control. The control scheme is based upon the use of future set points along reference trajectories with known models. One advantage of the control scheme is that it does not require the derivative states of the reference trajectory explicitly during its operation. As a result, apart from numerical noise reduction, the autonomous trajectory generation algorithms need not be tightly coupled to the control algorithm for purpose of real time execution.
IMPLEMENTING TARIFF RATE QUOTAS IN CGE MODELS: AN APPLICATION TO SUGAR TRADE POLICIES IN OECD COUNTRIES

We use Mixed-Complementarity-Problem programming to implement tariff rate quotas (TRQ) in the global CGE LINKAGE model. We apply the approach to tariff rate quotas in sugar markets in OECD countries. We calibrate the model on 2000 policy levels for OECD countries to reflect the full implementation of their World Trade Organization commitments. We look at reforms of TRQ and TRQ-like schemes in the EU, the United States, and Japan, as well as multilateral trade liberalization. We derive the impact of reforms on welfare, bilateral trade flows, and terms of trade. A 33-percent multilateral decrease of ad-valorem tariffs, combined with a 33-percent increase in imports under TRQ-like schemes in the EU, the United States, and Japan, induces a global welfare gain of about 889 million dollars. These three countries' trade policies create substantial trade diversion, which excludes many low-cost producers from trading opportunities. An expansion of their import quotas alone, without multilateral trade liberalization, induces welfare gains but preserves most of the trade diversion patterns. The latter diversion benefits some Least Developed Countries' producers because of granted bilateral TRQ allocations. In the context of greater market access, reductions in tariffs in the EU and the United States, and in border "surcharges" in Japan will have to be dramatic before they can significantly affect trade flows as compared to TRQ expansion. Full multilateral trade liberalization induces global welfare gains of about $3 billion.
Exponents and the Cohomology of Finite Groups

We will provide an example of a p-group G which has elements of order p 3 in some of its integral cohomology groups but which also has the property that p 2 annihilates ¯ H i (G; Z) for all sufficiently highi. This provides a counterexample to a conjecture of A. Adem which stated that if a finite group K has an element of order p n in one of its integral cohomology groups then it has such an element in infinitely many of its cohomology groups.
Toward a Commonsense Answer to the Special Composition Question

The special composition question is the question, ‘When do some things compose something?’ The answers to this question in the literature have largely been at odds with common sense, either by allowing that any two things (no matter how apparently unrelated) compose something, or by denying the existence of most ordinary composite objects. I propose a new ‘series-style’ answer to the special composition question that accords much more closely with common sense, and I defend this answer from van Inwagen's objections. Specifically, I will argue (among other things) that the proposed answer entails the transitivity of parthood, that it is non-circular, and that it casts some light on the ancient puzzle about the Ship of Theseus.
Estimating aggregate join queries over data streams using discrete cosine transform

Data stream processing is required to be an on-line, one-pass, and time and space efficient process. In this paper, we develop a framework for estimating equi-join query size based on the cosine transform. The discrete cosine transform (DCT) is able to provide concise and accurate representations of data distributions. It can also be updated easily in the presence of insertions and deletions. We have performed analyses and experiments to compare the DCT with sketch-based methods. The experimental results show that given the same amount of space, our method yields more accurate estimates than sketch methods most of the time. Experimental results have also confirmed that the cosine series can be updated quickly to cope with the rapid flow of data.
New cyclization reactions in organic syntheses

Recent development in the transition metal-catalyzed cyclization reactions for organic syntheses in the author's laboratories is summarized, which includes (i) novel silyl- carbocyclizations (SiCaCs) and carbonylative carbotricyclizations, (ii) intramolecular silyl- formylations and desymmerization of siloxydiynes by sequential double silylformylation, (iii) efficient total synthesis of (+)-prosopinine, (iv) enantioselective desymmetrization of aminodienes, and (iv) new and efficient routes to 1-azabicyclo(x.y.0)alkane amino acids. All these processes are catalyzed by Rh or Rh-Co complexes, and useful for rapid and efficient construction of a variety of heterocyclic and carbocyclic compounds. Mechanisms of these new carbocyclization and cyclohydrocarbonylation reactions are also discussed. It has been the central focus in modern organic synthesis to develop highly efficient catalytic processes for the syntheses of natural and unnatural compounds of medicinal interest or intermediates useful for functional materials. One of the most attractive approaches to such aims is to apply transition metal-cat- alyzed cyclization reactions for the transformations of simple starting materials into monocyclic, bicyclic, and polycyclic scaffolds that can be further elaborated into specific targets. This account describes new and useful cyclization processes based on silylcarbocyclization (SiCaC), silylformylation, and cyclohydrocarbonylation reactions, which have recently been developed in these laboratories and will find many applications in organic syntheses.
Employability and skill set of newly graduated engineers in India

Skill shortage remains one of the major constraints to continued growth of the Indian economy. This employer survey seeks to address this knowledge-gap by answering three questions: (i) Which skills do employers consider important when hiring new engineering graduates? (ii) How satisfied are employers with the skills of engineering graduates? and (iii) In which important skills are the engineers falling short? The results confirm a widespread dissatisfaction with the current graduates -- 64 percent of employers hiring fresh engineering graduates are only somewhat satisfied with the quality of the new hires or worse. After classifying all skills by factor analysis, the authors find that employers perceive Soft Skills (Core Employability Skills and Communication Skills) to be very important. Skill gaps are particularly severe in the higher-order thinking skills ranked according to Bloom's taxonomy. In contrast, communication in English has the smallest skill gap, but remains one of the most demanded skills by the employers. Although employers across India asks for the same set of soft skills, their skill demands differ for Professional Skills across economic sectors, company sizes, and regions. These findings suggest that engineering education institutions should: (i) seek to improve the skill set of graduates; (ii) recognize the importance of Soft Skills, (iii) refocus the assessments, teaching-learning process, and curricula away from lower-order thinking skills, such as remembering and understanding, toward higher-order skills, such as analyzing and solving engineering problems, as well as creativity; and (iv) interact more with employers to understand the particular demand for skills in that region and sector.
Cello: A Disk Scheduling Framework for Next Generation Operating Systems*

In this paper, we present the Cello disk scheduling framework for meeting the diverse service requirements of applications. Cello employs a two-level disk scheduling architecture, consisting of a class-independent scheduler and a set of class-specific schedulers. The two levels of the framework allocate disk bandwidth at two time-scales: the class-independent scheduler governs the coarse-grain allocation of bandwidth to application classes, while the class-specific schedulers control the fine-grain interleaving of requests. The two levels of the architecture separate application-independent mechanisms from application-specific scheduling policies, and thereby facilitate the co-existence of multiple class-specific schedulers. We demonstrate that Cello is suitable for next generation operating systems since: (i) it aligns the service provided with the application requirements, (ii) it protects application classes from one another, (iii) it is work-conserving and can adapt to changes in work-load, (iv) it minimizes the seek time and rotational latency overhead incurred during access, and (v) it is computationally efficient.
A Dash of Proline Makes Things Sweet

The special ability of proline to catalyze aldol additions via enamine formation and BrA¸nsted acid activation makes proline a versatile catalyst for enantioselective synthesis. In their Perspective, Sorensen and Sammis discuss the results reported by Northrup and MacMillan, in which proline is used to catalyze the first step of a two-step synthesis of glucose, mannose, and allose. This remarkable stereoselective synthesis uses achiral two-carbon building blocks in the shortest syntheses of these hexoses to date.
Prices as Optimal Competitive Sales Mechanisms

We analyze the efficiency properties of price posting in a market where sellers compete for the buyers' business. They key feature of the approach is to investigate price posting as an equilibrium outcome even if sellers can compete with other mechanisms. When buyers are homogeneous, we show equivalence between price posting and a large class of competing mechanisms, including second price auctions. When buyers are heterogeneous, posted prices are able to perfectly screen ex-ante because different buyers endogenously choose to trade at different prices. As a result, search is non-random and buyers sort themselves by choosing different prices. Whether price posting is efficient depends on the matching technology. Prices are efficient and arise in equilibrium when meetings are bilateral, which is the case in competitive search models. When meetings are multilateral, as in directed search models, price posting is not an equilibrium. In that case, the efficient mechanism screens ex post amongst multiple buyers and necessarily involves random search. The conclusion for market design is that the prevalence of price posting over auctions depends crucially on the properties of the meeting technology.
Making life better one large system at a time: challenges for UAI research

The rapid growth and diversity in service offerings and the ensuing complexity of information technology ecosystems present numerous management challenges (both operational and strategic). Instrumentation and measurement technology is, by and large, keeping pace with this development and growth. However, the algorithms, tools, and technology required to transform the data into relevant information for decision making are not. The claim in this paper (and the invited talk) is that the line of research conducted in Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence is very well suited to address the challenges and close this gap. I will support this claim and discuss open problems using recent examples in diagnosis, model discovery, and policy optimization on three real life distributed systems.
Evaluating Decision Making Capacity in Older Individuals: Does the Law Give a Clue?

Adequate cognitive and emotional capacity is essential to autonomous decision making by adult medical patients. Society often attaches legal consequences to decisional capacity evaluations. Even when the legal system is not formally involved in the competency evaluation of a particular individual, clinical practice and ethical conduct occur within and are informed by legal parameters. Using relevant statutory, court rule, and judicial opinion examples from a representative jurisdiction within the United States, this article argues that the law seldom provides much meaningful guidance to health care and human services providers to assist them regarding the content of capacity evaluation. The article concludes by asking how society ought to respond to the paucity of helpful guidance provided by the law in the decisional capacity evaluation context.
How Much Do Americans Pay for Fruits and Vegetables

Many Americans do not consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Almost half of Americans think eating more fruits and vegetables would make their diets healthier, so why don't they? One argument is that fruits and vegetables are expensive, especially when purchased fresh. According to an ERS study, a consumer can meet the recommendation of three servings of fruits and four servings of vegetables daily for 64 cents.
An efficient and robust routing protocol for data aggregation

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), which is free from infrastructure, greatly enhances our capability of observing physical world. However, WSN's independent and un-attended usages, which are generally supposed to be advantages, also limit its power supply and life expectancy. As a result, energy efficiency is a critical issue for any WSN implementation. In-network processing (a process of data local convergence and aggregation) which intends to minify data volume locally can greatly reduce the energy consumption of data delivery over long distance to the sink. However, open problems are still remain, such as, how to carry out in-network processing, and how to combine routing scheme to the sink (corresponding to the long distance delivery) with in-network processing. For any WSN application, a pre-assumption is vital that there must be a physical signal field (e.g. a field of sensing signal) that bridge physical event to sensors, otherwise WSN can not work. Moreover, the physical signal field can be used for data local convergence. Our proposed algorithm exploits the gradient direction of the physical signal field. Along the gradient direction of the physical signal field, sensory data at sensors will also converge to local extremes of the physical signal field. In addition, this routing scheme for in-network process requires zero overhead, because the physical signal field exists naturally. The proposed schemes are simple to be implemented, and details of the implementation are discussed. Simulation shows that the schemes are robust, adaptable, and reliable to variation of physical events.
Revenue Equivalence for Arbitrary Type Spaces

The enormous literature on mechanism design assumes that agentstype spaces are either convex or nite. This paper shows how to obtain revenue equivalence and how to solve a mechanism design problem when each agents type space is a measurable subset of the real line. Non-convex type spaces arise endogenously in cases of sequential contracting, even if the prior distribution has convex support, and in cases where the principal has the opportunity to learn something about the agentstypes prior to proposing a contract. Moreover, being able to solve a mechanism design problem with arbitrary type spaces is important if the mechanism designer is interested in designing an optimal information structure.
The Use of Census Data for Hedonic Price Estimates of Open-Space Amenities and Land Use

Hedonic price models for determining marginal implicit prices of open-space amenities and nonresidential land use were estimated using housing data from the census. Alternative model specifications were compared to evaluate the effects of aggregating land-use data by alternative levels of census geography as well as the use of different sample sizes of census blocks. It was determined that land use is best aggregated at the block group level and that entire populations or very large sample sizes of census blocks should be used with hedonic models.
Converse: an interoperable framework for parallel programming

Many different parallel languages and paradigms have been developed, each with its own advantages. To benefit from all of them, it should be possible to link together modules written in different parallel languages in a single application. Since the paradigms sometimes differ in fundamental ways, this is difficult to accomplish. This paper describes a framework, Converse, that supports such multi-lingual interoperability. The framework is meant to be inclusive, and has been verified to support the SPMD programming style, message-driven programming, parallel object-oriented programming, and thread-based paradigms. The framework aims at extracting the essential aspects of the runtime support into a set of core components, so that language-specific code does not have to pay overhead for features that it does not need.
Two-loop resummation for QCD hard scattering

I present results for the resummation of soft and collinear gluon contributions to QCD hard-scattering cross sections at two loops. This requires the calculation of UV and IR divergences through two loops and the construction of soft anomalous dimensions that control resummation at NNLL. Explicit results are provided for processes that involve massless and/or massive quarks, including single top and top pair production.
Towards an understanding of camera fixation

A fixation point is a point in 3-D space that projects to zero optical flow in an image over some period of time while the camera is moving. Quantitative aspects of fixation for a static scene are treated. For the case where the rotation axis of the camera is perpendicular to the instantaneous translation vector, it is shown that there is an infinite number of points that produce zero instantaneous optical flow. These points lie on a circle (called the zero flow circle, or ZFC) and a line. The ZFC changes its location and radius as a function of time, and the intersection of all the ZFCs is a fixation point. Points inside the ZFC produce optical flow that is opposite in sign to those that are outside the ZFC. This fact explains in a more quantitative way phenomena due to fixation. In particular, points in the neighborhood of the fixation point may change the sign of their optical flow as the camera moves. In a set of experiments, it is shown how the concept of the ZFC can be used to explain the optical flow produced by 3-D points near the fixation point. >
Making Fiscal Decentralization Work; Cross-Country Experiences

The question of what makes fiscal decentralization work is faced by many policymakers around the world. This book draws on both the relevant literature and policy and technical advice provided by the IMF to a wide range of member countries, and discusses the key factors that help make decentralization sustainable, efficient, and equitable from a macroeconomic perspective. It focuses on institutional reforms (in the revenue and expenditure assignments to different levels of government, the design of intergovernmental transfers, and public financial management systems) that are suited to different countries circumstances, and their appropriate sequencing.
Using Electrons on Liquid Helium for Quantum Computing

We describe a quantum computer based on electrons supported by a helium film and localized laterally by small electrodes just under the helium surface. Each qubit is made of combinations of the ground and first excited state of an electron trapped in the image potential well at the surface. Mechanisms for preparing the initial state of the qubit, operations with the qubits, and a proposed readout are described. This system is, in principle, capable of 105 operations in a decoherence time.
Detection and Impact of Industrial Subsidies: The Case of World Shipbuilding

This paper provides a model-based empirical strategy to, (i) detect the presence and gauge the magnitude of government subsidies and (ii) quantify their impact on production reallocation across countries, industry prices, costs and consumer surplus. I construct and estimate an industry model that allows for dynamic agents in both demand and supply and apply my strategy to world shipbuilding, a classic target of industrial policy. I …nd strong evidence consistent with China having intervened and reducing shipyard costs by 15-20%, corresponding to 5 billion US dollars between 2006 and 2012. The subsidies led to substantial reallocation of ship production across the world, with Japan, in particular, losing signi…cant market share. They also misaligned costs and production, while leading to minor surplus gains for shippers.
The ubiquitin hydrolase, USP22 contributes to 3’-end processing of JAK-STAT inducible genes

5’-capping, splicing and 3’-cleavage/polyadenylation of a nascent RNA transcript are all coupled to transcription. Transcription is regulated by the post-translational modification of histones at the chromatin template. How histone modifications affect cotranscriptional RNA processing, however, is not well understood. By studying how the chromatin template contributes to the dynamic gene expression induced downstream of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, we have uncovered relationships between specific histone modifications and RNA processing. Here we report that H2B monoubiquitination (ubH2B) is required for the effective 3’-end processing of the JAK-STAT inducible transcript, IRF1. RNAi-mediated depletion of the ubiquitin hydrolase, USP22 increases ubH2B levels and decreases transcriptional elongation at IRF1. Unexpectedly, 3’-end cleavage and polyadenylation of IRF1 is diminished, leading to a 2-to-3-fold increase in unprocessed IRF1 transcripts. The polyadenylation factor, CPSF73 is not effectively recruited and serine 2 phosphorylation (Ser2P) of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II is disrupted. Two other JAK-STAT inducible transcripts are similarly affected, while two constitutively expressed transcripts are not. A working model, wherein a cycle of H2B ubiquitination/deubiquitination specifies Ser2P to regulate elongation and 3’-end processing of JAK-STAT inducible mRNAs is proposed. These results further elaborate USP22 function and its role as a putative cancer stem cell marker.
Magsat data availability

It is pointed out that a new era in near-earth magnetic field measurements began with NASA's launch of Magsat in October 1979 into a twilight, sun-synchronous orbit with 96.76 deg inclination, 561-km apogee, and 352-km perigee. A cesium vapor and a fluxgate magnetometer were employed to measure the magnetic field. A measurement of the spacecraft attitude to 20 arcseconds was required to achieve 6 nT (nanotesla) accuracy in the component measurements. This was accomplished with the aid of two star cameras on board the spacecraft and a sun sensor attached to the vector magnetometer. Magsat remained in orbit until June 11, 1980. Magsat has conducted the first truly global geomagnetic survey since the studies performed by the Polar Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (POGO) satellites. A global vector survey was provided of the main geopotential field and lower altitude measurements of crustal anomalies were conducted. Details concerning the availability of these data are discussed.
Few Nucleon Problems in Astrophysics

Publisher Summary Few-nucleon reactions are involved in astrophysical processes. There are the circumstances under which any conceivable reaction can take place. This chapter focuses on three different situations in which few-nucleon reactions are important: (1) the central regions of main sequence stars like the sun; (2) stellar atmospheres and the interstellar medium; and (3) the extremely hot, dense regions that occur in a process like the big bang fireball. The nearest and the most important of all stellar objects is the sun. The sun staves off gravitational collapse by converting hydrogen to helium in its core. The most probable sequence of nuclear reactions that accomplishes this result is called the proton–proton chain. The first reaction in the chain is the slowest because it involves the positron decay of an unbound state of two protons. Thus, the overall rate of the solar energy generation process is determined by this reaction. The chapter also discusses varied roles played by few-nucleon reactions in astrophysical situations.