cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Miscodings in Compustat's auditor variable: issues, identification, and correction

Abstract Using an easily implementable methodology for identifying potential data errors, I identify and correct cases where Compustat miscodes its auditor variable. In this paper, I present the methodology and provide SAS code that implements the methodology, enabling researchers to easily identify and correct auditor variable miscodings. Further, I provide a list of corrections for a sample of Compustat firms from 2001 to 2014. Auditor variable miscodings have implications for both audit-specific research as well as general capital markets research. I find that some of the miscodings arise from the fact that, following an auditor change, the previous auditor's report remains in a firm's 10-K, and Compustat occasionally codes the previous auditor as the current auditor. Aside from identifying and correcting miscodings, I also find that a non-zero number of firms change to a new auditor and then, after only one year with the new auditor, switch back to the prior auditor.
Online unit clustering in higher dimensions

We revisit the online Unit Clustering problem in higher dimensions: Given a set of n points in \(\mathbb {R}^d\), that arrive one by one, partition the points into clusters (subsets) of diameter at most one, so as to minimize the number of clusters used. In this paper, we work in \(\mathbb {R}^d\) using the \(L_\infty \) norm. We show that the competitive ratio of any algorithm (deterministic or randomized) for this problem must depend on the dimension d. This resolves an open problem raised by Epstein and van Stee (WAOA 2008). We also give a randomized online algorithm with competitive ratio \(O(d^2)\) for Unit Clustering of integer points (i.e., points in \(\mathbb {Z}^d\), \(d\in \mathbb {N}\), under \(L_{\infty }\) norm). We complement these results with some additional lower bounds for related problems in higher dimensions.
The Co-regulation Data Harvester: automating gene annotation starting from a transcriptome database.

Abstract Identifying co-regulated genes provides a useful approach for defining pathway-specific machinery in an organism. To be efficient, this approach relies on thorough genome annotation, a process much slower than genome sequencing per se . Tetrahymena thermophila , a unicellular eukaryote, has been a useful model organism and has a fully sequenced but sparsely annotated genome. One important resource for studying this organism has been an online transcriptomic database. We have developed an automated approach to gene annotation in the context of transcriptome data in T. thermophila , called the Co-regulation Data Harvester (CDH). Beginning with a gene of interest, the CDH identifies co-regulated genes by accessing the Tetrahymena transcriptome database. It then identifies their closely related genes (orthologs) in other organisms by using reciprocal BLAST searches. Finally, it collates the annotations of those orthologs’ functions, which provides the user with information to help predict the cellular role of the initial query. The CDH, which is freely available, represents a powerful new tool for analyzing cell biological pathways in Tetrahymena . Moreover, to the extent that genes and pathways are conserved between organisms, the inferences obtained via the CDH should be relevant, and can be explored, in many other systems.
Extracting and analyzing semantic relatedness between cities using news articles

ABSTRACTNews articles capture a variety of topics about our society. They reflect not only the socioeconomic activities that happened in our physical world, but also some of the cultures, human interests, and public concerns that exist only in the perceptions of people. Cities are frequently mentioned in news articles, and two or more cities may co-occur in the same article. Such co-occurrence often suggests certain relatedness between the mentioned cities, and the relatedness may be under different topics depending on the contents of the news articles. We consider the relatedness under different topics as semantic relatedness. By reading news articles, one can grasp the general semantic relatedness between cities; yet, given hundreds of thousands of news articles, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to manually read them. This paper proposes a computational framework which can ‘read’ a large number of news articles and extract the semantic relatedness between cities. This framework is bas...
A Generic Approach to Constructing and Proving Verifiable Random Functions.

Verifiable Random Functions (VRFs) as introduced by Micali, Rabin and Vadhan are a special form of Pseudo Random Functions (PRFs) wherein a secret key holder can also prove validity of the function evaluation relative to a statistically binding commitment.
Keynesian economics without the Phillips curve

Abstract We extend Farmer’s 2012b Monetary (FM) model in three ways. First, we derive an analog of the Taylor Principle and we show that it fails in U.S. data. Second, we use the fact that the model displays dynamic indeterminacy to explain the real effects of nominal shocks. Third, we use the fact the model displays steady-state indeterminacy to explain the persistence of unemployment. We show that the FM model outperforms the New-Keynesian model and we argue that its superior performance arises from the fact that the reduced form of the FM model is a VECM as opposed to a VAR. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Fiscal and Monetary Policies.
Cognitive performance and labour market outcomes

Abstract We use the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and other sources to examine how cognitive performance near the end of secondary schooling relates to labour market outcomes through age fifty. Our preferred estimates control for individual and family backgrounds, non-cognitive attributes, and survey years. We find that returns to cognitive skills rise with age. Although estimated gains in lifetime incomes are close to those reported earlier, our preferred estimates make multiple offsetting improvements. Returns to cognitive skill are greater for blacks and Hispanics than for non-Hispanic whites, both in relative and absolute terms, with gains in work hours being more important than in hourly wages.
Heaping on Dividends: The Role of Dividend Size and Information Uncertainty

AbstractThe authors examine whether a cognitive bias influences dividend policy. They find that managers use a heaping heuristic when choosing the amount of their firm’s dividend. Heaping is a huma...
Is Catering Rewarded?: Evidence from the Insurance Industry

Ma and Ren (J Risk Insur 79(2):415–430) find that insurers cater to the market’s preference when making decisions on growth. In this paper, we further examine whether the catering behavior is rewarded by higher market valuation in both short term and long term and whether the catering involves greater risk. We find that insurers catering to the stock market’s preference receive a greater abnormal return in the short term, but not in the long term. Insurers that frequently cater are found to have higher volatility, smaller size and lower profitability, which deserves regulatory attention.
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine-Related Risk Perceptions Do Not Predict Sexual Initiation Among Young Women Over 30 Months Following Vaccination

Abstract Purpose We examined longitudinally the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine-related risk perceptions and initiation of sexual activity among adolescent women over 30 months after HPV vaccination. Methods Participants included 91 sexually inexperienced women aged 13–21 years receiving the HPV vaccine who completed at least three of five study visits. At every visit, participants completed surveys assessing HPV vaccine-related risk perceptions (perceived risk of sexually transmitted infections [STIs] other than HPV, perceived need for safer sexual behaviors), and sexual initiation. Outcomes were sexual initiation and age of sexual initiation. Associations between risk perceptions and outcomes were examined using ordered logistic regression models for sexual initiation and interval censored survival analyses for age of sexual initiation. Results Mean age at baseline was 14.9 years (standard deviation [SD] 1.4). Most participants perceived themselves to be at risk of STIs other than HPV (mean scale score = 4.0/10; SD 2.1) and perceived a need for safer sexual behaviors (mean scale score = 1.5/10; SD 1.5). By 30 months, 65 participants (78%) initiated sex. Perceived risk of STIs and perceived need for safer sexual behaviors were not associated with sexual initiation or age of sexual initiation. Older age at baseline was associated with sooner sexual initiation ( p = .02) and older age at sexual initiation ( p Conclusions HPV vaccine-related risk perceptions were not associated with sexual initiation or age of sexual initiation, providing further support that HPV vaccine-related risk perceptions are unlikely to lead to riskier sexual behaviors.
Strong Inapproximability Results on Balanced Rainbow-Colorable Hypergraphs

Consider a K-uniform hypergraph H = (V, E). A coloring c: V → {1, 2, …, k} with k colors is rainbow if every hyperedge e contains at least one vertex from each color, and is called perfectly balanced when each color appears the same number of times. A simple polynomial-time algorithmnds a 2-coloring if H admits a perfectly balanced rainbow k-coloring. For a hypergraph that admits an almost balanced rainbow coloring, we prove that it is NP-hard to find an independent set of size ϵ, for any ϵ > 0. Consequently, we cannot weakly color (avoiding monochromatic hyperedges) it with O(1) colors. With k=2, it implies strong hardness for discrepancy minimization of systems of bounded set-size. One of our main technical tools is based on reverse hypercontractivity. Roughly, it says the noise operator increases q-norm of a function when q < 1, which is enough for some special cases of our results. To prove the full results, we generalize the reverse hypercontractivity to more general operators, which might be of independent interest. Together with the generalized reverse hypercontractivity and recent developments in inapproximability based on invariance principles for correlated spaces, we give a recipe for converting a promising test distribution and a suitable choice of an outer PCP to hardness of nding an independent set in the presence of highly-structured colorings. We use this recipe to prove additional results almost in a black-box manner, including: (1) the rst analytic proof of (K − 1 − ϵ)-hardness of K-Hypergraph Vertex Cover with more structure in completeness, and (2) hardness of (2Q+1)-SAT when the input clause is promised to have an assignment where every clause has at least Q true literals.
The Financial Services Industry and Society: The Role of Incentives/Punishments, Moral Hazard, and Conflicts of Interests in the 2008 Financial Crisis

Purpose This paper aims to present an analysis of the role of financial incentives, moral hazard and conflicts of interests leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach The study’s analysis has identified common structural flaws throughout the securitization food chain. These structural flaws include inappropriate incentives, the absence of punishment, moral hazard and conflicts of interest. This research sees the full impact of these structural flaws when considering their co-occurrence throughout the financial system. The authors address systemic defects in the securitization food chain and examine the inter-relationships among homeowners, mortgage originators, investment banks and investors. The authors also address the role of exogenous factors, including the SEC, AIG, the credit rating agencies, Congress, business academia and the business media. Findings The study argues that the lack of criminal prosecutions of key financial executives has been a key factor in creating moral hazard. Eight years after the Great Recession ended in the USA, the financial services industry continues to suffer from a crisis of trust with society. Practical implications An overwhelming majority of Americans, 89 per cent, believe that the federal government does a poor job of regulating the financial services industry (Puzzanghera, 2014). A study argues that the current corporate lobbying framework undermines societal expectations of political equality and consent (Alzola, 2013). The authors believe the Singapore model may be a useful starting point to restructure regulatory agencies so that they are more responsive to societal concerns and less responsive to special interests. Finally, the widespread perception is that the financial services sector, in particular, is ethically challenged (Ferguson, 2012); perhaps there would be some benefit from the implementation of ethical climate monitoring in firms that have been subject to deferred prosecution agreements for serious ethical violations (Arnaud, 2010). Originality/value The authors believe the paper makes a truly original contribution. They provide new insights via their analysis of the role of financial incentives, moral hazard and conflicts of interests leading up to the 2008 financial crisis.
Patient preferences toward an interactive e-consent application for research using electronic health records

Objective The purpose of this study was to assess patient perceptions of using an interactive electronic consent (e-consent) application when deciding whether or not to grant broad consent for research use of their identifiable electronic health record (EHR) information. Materials and methods For this qualitative study, we conducted a series of 42 think-aloud interviews with 32 adults. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results We identified themes related to patient preferences, reservations, and mixed attitudes toward consenting electronically; low- and high-information-seeking behavior; and an emphasis on reassuring information, such as data protections and prohibitions against sharing data with pharmaceutical companies. Participants expressed interest in the types of information contained in their EHRs, safeguards protecting EHR data, and specifics on studies that might use their EHR data. Discussion This study supports the potential value of interactive e-consent applications that allow patients to customize their consent experience. This study also highlights that some people have concerns about e-consent platforms and desire more detailed information about administrative processes and safeguards that protect EHR data used in research. Conclusion This study contributes new insights on how e-consent applications could be designed to ensure that patients' information needs are met when seeking consent for research use of health record information. Also, this study offers a potential electronic approach to meeting the new Common Rule requirement that consent documents contain a "concise and focused" presentation of key information followed by more details.
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition of pancreatic masses

Abstract Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has assumed an increasing role in the management of pancreaticobiliary disease over the past 2 decades but its impact is particularly evident in the management of pancreatic masses. EUS helps improve patients′ outcomes by enhancing tumor detection and staging while providing safe and reliable tissue diagnosis. This review provides an evidence-based approach to the use of EUS for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, its staging, and for the determination of resectability compared to other imaging modalities. We will focus on techniques specific to obtaining tissue from solid pancreatic masses and will review best practices in EUS-guided tissue acquisition.
Cryo-Ultramicrotomy of Complex Molecular Fluids

Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) has become a powerful tool for probing the structures of soft-matter materials at nanometer or sub-nanometer scale. For many complex molecular fluids (CMFs), the limiting factor in such studies is the preparation of a cryo-TEM specimen that represents the native structure. Plunge freezing of electron-transparent thin films has been widely used, but it is often influenced or even dominated by surface effects and mechanical disturbances of the CMF. In this article, we use liquid crystals as model CMF systems and present the general procedures and typical results of cryo-ultramicrotomy of rapidly frozen “bulk” samples.
Impaired set shifting is associated with previous falls in individuals with and without Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Background Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are at increased risk for falls, which lead to substantial morbidity and mortality. Understanding the motor and non-motor impairments associated with falls in PD is critical to informing prevention strategies. In addition to motor symptoms, individuals with PD exhibit non-motor deficits, including impaired set shifting, an aspect of executive function related to cognitive flexibility that can be measured quickly with the Trailmaking Test. Research question To determine whether impaired set shifting is associated with fall history in people with and without PD. Methods We examined associations between set shifting, PD status, and fall history (≥1 falls in the previous 6 months) in data from PD patients (n = 65) with and without freezing of gait (FOG) and community-dwelling neurologically-normal older adults (NON-PD) (n = 73) who had participated in our rehabilitation studies. Results Impaired set shifting was associated with previous falls after controlling for age, sex, overall cognitive function, PD status, FOG, and PD disease duration (OR = 1.29 [1.03–1.60]; P = 0.02). Consistent with literature, PD and FOG were also independently associated with increased fall prevalence (PD OR = 4.15 [95% CI 1.65–10.44], P
A CRISPR-based screen for Hedgehog signaling provides insights into ciliary function and ciliopathies

Primary cilia organize Hedgehog signaling and shape embryonic development, and their dysregulation is the unifying cause of ciliopathies. We conducted a functional genomic screen for Hedgehog signaling by engineering antibiotic-based selection of Hedgehog-responsive cells and applying genome-wide CRISPR-mediated gene disruption. The screen can robustly identify factors required for ciliary signaling with few false positives or false negatives. Characterization of hit genes uncovered novel components of several ciliary structures, including a protein complex that contains δ-tubulin and e-tubulin and is required for centriole maintenance. The screen also provides an unbiased tool for classifying ciliopathies and showed that many congenital heart disorders are caused by loss of ciliary signaling. Collectively, our study enables a systematic analysis of ciliary function and of ciliopathies, and also defines a versatile platform for dissecting signaling pathways through CRISPR-based screening.
Map Archive Mining: Visual-Analytical Approaches to Explore Large Historical Map Collections

Historical maps are unique sources of retrospective geographical information. Recently, several map archives containing map series covering large spatial and temporal extents have been systematically scanned and made available to the public. The geographical information contained in such data archives makes it possible to extend geospatial analysis retrospectively beyond the era of digital cartography. However, given the large data volumes of such archives (e.g., more than 200,000 map sheets in the United States Geological Survey topographic map archive) and the low graphical quality of older, manually-produced map sheets, the process to extract geographical information from these map archives needs to be automated to the highest degree possible. To understand the potential challenges (e.g., salient map characteristics and data quality variations) in automating large-scale information extraction tasks for map archives, it is useful to efficiently assess spatio-temporal coverage, approximate map content, and spatial accuracy of georeferenced map sheets at different map scales. Such preliminary analytical steps are often neglected or ignored in the map processing literature but represent critical phases that lay the foundation for any subsequent computational processes including recognition. Exemplified for the United States Geological Survey topographic map and the Sanborn fire insurance map archives, we demonstrate how such preliminary analyses can be systematically conducted using traditional analytical and cartographic techniques, as well as visual-analytical data mining tools originating from machine learning and data science.
Scalable Nonlinear AUC Maximization Methods

The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is a widely used measure for evaluating classification performance on heavily imbalanced data. The kernelized AUC maximization machines have established a superior generalization ability compared to linear AUC machines because of their capability in modeling the complex nonlinear structures underlying most real-world data. However, the high training complexity renders the kernelized AUC machines infeasible for large-scale data. In this paper, we present two nonlinear AUC maximization algorithms that optimize linear classifiers over a finite-dimensional feature space constructed via the k-means Nystrom approximation. Our first algorithm maximizes the AUC metric by optimizing a pairwise squared hinge loss function using the truncated Newton method. However, the second-order batch AUC maximization method becomes expensive to optimize for extremely massive datasets. This motivates us to develop a first-order stochastic AUC maximization algorithm that incorporates a scheduled regularization update and scheduled averaging to accelerate the convergence of the classifier. Experiments on several benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed AUC classifiers are more efficient than kernelized AUC machines while they are able to surpass or at least match the AUC performance of the kernelized AUC machines. We also show experimentally that the proposed stochastic AUC classifier is able to reach the optimal solution, while the other state-of-the-art online and stochastic AUC maximization methods are prone to suboptimal convergence. Code related to this paper is available at: https://sites.google.com/view/majdikhalid/.
Insights into the macroscopic behavior of equity markets: Theory and application

Abstract In this research, we propose a macroscopic model of the equity market based on the physics of fluid dynamics. We develop sensors triggered by certain properties of the macroscopic variables, density and velocity, that can alert regulators to abnormal activity. Fluid flow in physics will be used to measure the irregularities found in the behavior of financial markets. Testing the proposed sensors on the day of a flash crash suggests further investigation in this area.
Embedding MBA Students in Local Incubators and Accelerators

This article presents an innovative method of engaging MBA students in a capstone course by offering a customizable project with businesses that are currently progressing through a regional, indepe...
Imperfect Segmentation Labels: How Much Do They Matter?

Labeled datasets for semantic segmentation are imperfect, especially in medical imaging where borders are often subtle or ill-defined. Little work has been done to analyze the effect that label errors have on the performance of segmentation methodologies. Here we present a large-scale study of model performance in the presence of varying types and degrees of error in training data. We trained U-Net, SegNet, and FCN32 several times for liver segmentation with 10 different modes of ground-truth perturbation. Our results show that for each architecture, performance steadily declines with boundary-localized errors, however, U-Net was significantly more robust to jagged boundary errors than the other architectures. We also found that each architecture was very robust to non-boundary-localized errors, suggesting that boundary-localized errors are fundamentally different and more challenging problem than random label errors in a classification setting.
An Axiomatic View of the Parimutuel Consensus Wagering Mechanism

We consider an axiomatic view of the Parimutuel Consensus Mechanism defined by Eisengerg and Gale[6]. The parimutuel consensus mechanism can be interpreted as a parimutuel market for wagering with a proxy that bets optimally on behalf of the agents, depending on the bets of the other agents. We show that, while the parimutuel consensus mechanism does violate the key property of incentive compatibility, it is incentive compatible in the limit as the number of agents becomes large. Via simulations on real contest data, we show that violations of incentive compatibility are both rare and only minimally beneficial for the participants. This suggests that the parimutuel consensus mechanism is a reasonable mechanism for eliciting information in practice.
Simultaneous record linkage and causal inference with propensity score subclassification

We develop methodology for causal inference in observational studies when using propensity score subclassification on data constructed with probabilistic record linkage techniques. We focus on scenarios where covariates and binary treatment assignments are in one file and outcomes are in another file, and the goal is to estimate an additive treatment effect by merging the files. We assume that the files can be linked using variables common to both files, eg, names or birth dates, but that links are subject to errors, eg, due to reporting errors in the linking variables. We develop methodology for cases where such reporting errors are independent of the other variables on the files. We describe conceptually how linkage errors can affect causal estimates in subclassification contexts. We also present and evaluate several algorithms for deciding which record pairs to use in estimation of causal effects. Using simulation studies, we demonstrate that case selection procedures can result in improved accuracy in estimates of treatment effects from linked data compared to using only cases known to be true links.
A surface-stacking structural model for icosahedral quasicrystals

An original structural model for the description of icosahedral quasicrystals is proposed. This novel theoretical approach is based on a surface-stacking image of icosahedral quasicrystals and is in concert with the step-terrace morphology observed in many experimental investigations of real icosahedral surfaces. According to this model, the infinite icosahedral structure is constructed by stacking two arrangements of quasi-periodic surfaces along each of the 5-fold axis of the icosahedral symmetry. In this stacking order, the spacings between the layered surfaces are governed by Fibonacci sequence. The proposed model operates within the real physical (Euclidean) space and provides a direct three-dimensional visual representation of the icosahedral superstructure, which can be instrumental for conducting different modes of experimentations, analyses, and fabrication strategies; eliminating a major roadblock for researchers especially outside the fields of crystallography and material science. More importantly, understanding the long-range surface-stacking logic of the icosahedral structure will hopefully provide a deeper understanding of the structure of quasicrystals at an atomic scale and help achieve improved control over material compositions and structure.
Staircase-PIR: Universally Robust Private Information Retrieval

We consider the problem of designing private information retrieval (PIR) schemes on data of m files replicated on n servers that can possibly collude. We focus on devising robust PIR schemes that can tolerate stragglers, i.e., slow or unresponsive servers. In many settings, the number of stragglers is not known a priori or may change with time. We define universally robust PIR as schemes that achieve PIR capacity asymptotically in m and simultaneously for any number of stragglers up to a given threshold. We introduce Staircase-PIR schemes and prove that they are universally robust. Towards that end, we establish an equivalence between robust PIR and communication efficient secret sharing.
Rho kinase collaborates with p21-activated kinase to regulate actin polymerization and contraction in airway smooth muscle.

Key points The mechanisms by which Rho kinase (ROCK) regulates airway smooth muscle contraction were determined in tracheal smooth muscle tissues. ROCK may mediate smooth muscle contraction by inhibiting myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) phosphatase. ROCK can also regulate F-actin dynamics during cell migration, and actin polymerization is critical for airway smooth muscle contraction. Our results show that ROCK does not regulate airway smooth muscle contraction by inhibiting myosin RLC phosphatase or by stimulating myosin RLC phosphorylation. We find that ROCK regulates airway smooth muscle contraction by activating the serine-threonine kinase Pak, which mediates the activation of Cdc42 and neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASp). N-WASP transmits signals from Cdc42 to the Arp2/3 complex for the nucleation of actin filaments. These results demonstrate a novel molecular function for ROCK in the regulation of Pak and Cdc42 activation that is critical for the processes of actin polymerization and contractility in airway smooth muscle. Abstract Rho kinase (ROCK), a RhoA GTPase effector, can regulate the contraction of airway and other smooth muscle tissues. In some tissues, ROCK can inhibit myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) phosphatase, which increases the phosphorylation of myosin RLC and promotes smooth muscle contraction. ROCK can also regulate cell motility and migration by affecting F-actin dynamics. Actin polymerization is stimulated by contractile agonists in airway smooth muscle tissues and is required for contractile tension development in addition to myosin RLC phosphorylation. We investigated the mechanisms by which ROCK regulates the contractility of tracheal smooth muscle tissues by expressing a kinase-inactive mutant of ROCK, ROCK-K121G, in the tissues or by treating them with the ROCK inhibitor H-1152P. Our results show no role for ROCK in the regulation of non-muscle or smooth muscle myosin RLC phosphorylation during contractile stimulation in this tissue. We found that ROCK regulates airway smooth muscle contraction by mediating activation of p21-activated kinase (Pak), a serine-threonine kinase, to promote actin polymerization. Pak catalyses paxillin phosphorylation on Ser273 and coupling of the GIT1-βPIX-Pak signalling module to paxillin, which activates the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activity of βPIX towards Cdc42. Cdc42 is required for the activation of neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASp), which transmits signals from Cdc42 to the Arp2/3 complex for the nucleation of actin filaments. Our results demonstrate a novel molecular function for ROCK in the regulation of Pak and Cdc42 activation that is critical for the processes of actin polymerization and contractility in airway smooth muscle.
Particle Gaussian Mixture Filters-II

In our previous work, we proposed a particle Gaussian mixture (PGM-I) filter for nonlinear estimation. The PGM-I filter uses the transition kernel of the state Markov chain to sample from the propagated prior. It constructs a Gaussian mixture representation of the propagated prior density by clustering the samples. The measurement data is incorporated by updating individual mixture modes using the Kalman measurement update. However, the Kalman measurement update is inexact when the measurement function is nonlinear and leads to the restrictive assumption that the number of modes remain fixed during the measurement update. In this paper, we introduce an alternate PGM-II filter that employs parallelized Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling to perform the measurement update. The PGM-II filter update is asymptotically exact and does not enforce any assumptions on the number of Gaussian modes. The PGM-II filter is employed in the estimation of two test case systems. The results indicate that the PGM-II filter is suitable for handling nonlinear/non-Gaussian measurement update.
No-Arbitrage Semi-Martingale Restrictions for Continuous-Time Volatility Models subject to Leverage Effects, Jumps and i.i.d. Noise: Theory and Testable Distributional Implications

We develop a sequential procedure to test the adequacy of jump-diffusion models for return distributions. We rely on intraday data and nonparametric volatility measures, along with a new jump detection technique and appropriate conditional moment tests, for assessing the import of jumps and leverage effects. A novel robust-to-jumps approach is utilized to alleviate microstructure frictions for realized volatility estimation. Size and power of the procedure are explored through Monte Carlo methods. Our empirical findings support the jump-diffusive representation for S&P500 futures returns but reveal it is critical to account for leverage effects and jumps to maintain the underlying semi-martingale assumption.
Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Overall Survival for Gleason 8 Versus Gleason 9-10 Prostate Cancer.

Abstract Background While the addition of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is known to improve overall survival (OS) in Gleason 8–10 (Grade Group 4–5) prostate cancer (PCa), it has been hypothesized that Gleason 9–10 disease, which is less differentiated than Gleason 8 disease, may be less sensitive to ADT. Objective To examine the association between ADT and OS for Gleason 8 versus Gleason 9–10 PCa. Design, setting, and participants A retrospective cohort study of 20 139 men from the National Cancer Database with localized or locally advanced, Gleason 8–10 PCa who received EBRT. Data were collected from 2004 to 2012. Intervention ADT. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the association between ADT and OS. Results and limitations Overall, 9509 (78%) of the 12 160 men with Gleason 8 disease and 6908 (87%) of the 7979 men with Gleason 9–10 disease received ADT. On multivariable analysis, ADT was associated with a significant improvement in OS for Gleason 8 patients (adjusted hazard ratio 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.70–0.87, p Conclusions In contrast to the significant survival advantage of ADT for Gleason 8 disease, our results suggest that Gleason 9–10 disease derives less survival benefit from ADT and that a higher Gleason score predicts lesser benefit. Consideration should be given to treatment intensification for Gleason 9–10 patients through enrollment in clinical trials or potentially adding novel antiandrogens or docetaxel, which have shown efficacy in both castration-resistant and castration-sensitive settings. Patient summary In this study, we examined the effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for Gleason 8 (Grade Group 4) versus Gleason 9–10 (Grade Group 5) prostate cancer. We found that Gleason 9–10 disease may derive a smaller survival benefit from ADT than Gleason 8 disease.
Countering Selfish Mining in Blockchains

Selfish mining is a well known vulnerability in blockchains exploited by miners to steal block rewards. In this paper, we explore a new form of selfish mining attack that guarantees high rewards with low cost. We show the feasibility of this attack facilitated by recent developments in blockchain technology opening new attack avenues. By outlining the limitations of existing countermeasures, we highlight a need for new defense strategies to counter this attack, and leverage key system parameters in blockchain applications to propose an algorithm that enforces fair mining. We use the expected transaction confirmation height and block publishing height to detect selfish mining behavior and develop a network-wide defense mechanism to disincentivize selfish miners. Our design involves a simple modifications to transactions’ data structure in order to obtain a “truth state” used to catch the selfish miners and prevent honest miners from losing block rewards.
Agent-Based Modeling Reveals Possible Mechanisms for Observed Aggregation Cell Behaviors.

Abstract Myxococcus xanthus is a soil bacterium that serves as a model system for biological self-organization. Cells form distinct, dynamic patterns depending on environmental conditions. An agent-based model was used to understand how M. xanthus cells aggregate into multicellular mounds in response to starvation. In this model, each cell is modeled as an agent represented by a point particle and characterized by its position and moving direction. At low agent density, the model recapitulates the dynamic patterns observed by experiments and a previous biophysical model. To study aggregation at high cell density, we extended the model based on the recent experimental observation that cells exhibit biased movement toward aggregates. We tested two possible mechanisms for this biased movement and demonstrate that a chemotaxis model with adaptation can reproduce the observed experimental results leading to the formation of stable aggregates. Furthermore, our model reproduces the experimentally observed patterns of cell alignment around aggregates.
Drug-drug interactions in an era of multiple anticoagulants: a focus on clinically relevant drug interactions

Oral anticoagulants are commonly prescribed but high risk to cause adverse events. Skilled drug interaction management is essential to ensure safe and effective use of these therapies. Clinically relevant interactions with warfarin include drugs that modify cytochrome 2C9, 3A4, or both. Drugs that modify p-glycoprotein may interact with all direct oral anticoagulants, and modifiers of cytochrome 3A4 may interact with rivaroxaban and apixaban. Antiplatelet agents, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and serotonergic agents, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, can increase risk of bleeding when combined with any oral anticoagulant, and concomitant use should be routinely assessed. New data on anticoagulant drug interactions are available almost daily, and therefore, it is vital that clinicians regularly search interaction databases and the literature for updated management strategies. Skilled drug interaction management will improve outcomes and prevent adverse events in patients taking oral anticoagulants.
“Are you accepting new patients?” A pilot field experiment on telephone‐based gatekeeping and Black patients’ access to pediatric care

Study objectives To determine whether name and accent cues that the caller is Black shape physician offices' responses to telephone-based requests for well-child visits. Method and data In this pilot study, we employed a quasi-experimental audit design and examined a stratified national sample of pediatric and family practice offices. Our final data include information from 205 audits (410 completed phone calls). Qualitative data were blind-coded into binary variables. Our case-control comparisons using McNemar's tests focused on acceptance of patients, withholding information, shaping conversations, and misattributions. Findings Compared to the control group, "Black" auditors were less likely to be told an office was accepting new patients and were more likely to experience both withholding behaviors and misattributions about public insurance. The strength of associations varied according to whether the cue was based on name or accent. Additionally, the likelihood and ways office personnel communicated that they were not accepting patients varied by region. Conclusions Linguistic profiling over the telephone is an aspect of structural racism that should be further studied and perhaps integrated into efforts to promote equitable access to care. Future research should look reactions to both name and accent, taking practice characteristics and regional differences into consideration.
The Impact of Size and Specialization on the Financial Performance of Agricultural Cooperatives

Abstract Agricultural cooperatives in the United States are increasing in size while decreasing in number due to consolidation. This study examines the impact of size and specialization on the mean and variance of financial performance of agricultural cooperatives using a system of equations (3SLS) approach. Return on equity is a measure of financial performance and the variance of return on equity is a measure of risk. Risk had a positive impact on the mean financial performance of the cooperatives. The impact of risk is estimated to vary based on the diversity of products handled by the cooperatives as most cooperatives received the majority of incomes from grain and farm-input sales. In addition, profitability, the debt to asset ratio, and size had positive impacts on mean financial performance. Size had a positive impact on financial performance indicating that larger agricultural cooperatives benefit from economies of scale. Diversified cooperatives, particularly small-sized cooperatives, tended to have less variability in financial performance over the 2005-2014 period.
A Bandit Approach to Maximum Inner Product Search.

There has been substantial research on sub-linear time approximate algorithms for Maximum Inner Product Search (MIPS). To achieve fast query time, state-of-the-art techniques require significant preprocessing, which can be a burden when the number of subsequent queries is not sufficiently large to amortize the cost. Furthermore, existing methods do not have the ability to directly control the suboptimality of their approximate results with theoretical guarantees. In this paper, we propose the first approximate algorithm for MIPS that does not require any preprocessing, and allows users to control and bound the suboptimality of the results. We cast MIPS as a Best Arm Identification problem, and introduce a new bandit setting that can fully exploit the special structure of MIPS. Our approach outperforms state-of-the-art methods on both synthetic and real-world datasets.
Balanced Linear Contextual Bandits

Contextual bandit algorithms are sensitive to the estimation method of the outcome model as well as the exploration method used, particularly in the presence of rich heterogeneity or complex outcome models, which can lead to difficult estimation problems along the path of learning. We develop algorithms for contextual bandits with linear payoffs that integrate balancing methods from the causal inference literature in their estimation to make it less prone to problems of estimation bias. We provide the first regret bound analyses for linear contextual bandits with balancing and show that our algorithms match the state of the art theoretical guarantees. We demonstrate the strong practical advantage of balanced contextual bandits on a large number of supervised learning datasets and on a synthetic example that simulates model misspecification and prejudice in the initial training data.
Latitudinal trends in modern fluvial erosional efficiency along the Andes

Abstract Latitude is a dominant control on climate, influencing both temperature and precipitation, leading to potential gradients in erosional efficiency. Previous work focused on the latitudinal control of glacial erosion on topography; however, the expected latitudinal trend in erosional efficiency in the absence of glacial processes is unknown. We parameterize a suite of numerical models using uniform rock-uplift and climate from the Andes to explore how latitudinal patterns of rainfall could influence the efficiency of fluvial bedrock erosion. We use the CHILD landscape evolution model parameterized with storm duration, intensity and frequency statistics from NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data along the Andes over 31 years to predict latitudinal trends in topography subject only to fluvial and hillslope erosion. Modeled elevations, as a metric for erosional efficiency, vary 2–30 fold depending on the erosional and hydrological model parameterization. Modeled elevation trends generated using stochastic storm generation vary significantly from those generated using mean annual precipitation (MAP). The variation suggests MAP may not capture the true erosional efficiency of the modern climate in some locations, but may in others, explaining the discrepancy of conclusions in previous studies. Erosional efficiency is greatest in the tropics (5–15°S) where high intensity and frequent storms occur and mid-latitudes (30–35°S) where less frequent but intense storms occur. Erosional efficiency is lowest in the subtropics (20 to 25°S) where low intensity and infrequent storms occur and upper-mid-latitudes (45–50°S) where low intensity and somewhat frequent storms occur. Erosional efficiency varies across the width of the orogen because of across-orogen effects. The results provide further evidence supporting climate's control on erosion processes and topography, highlighting the importance of stochastic storm distributions and suggesting that latitudinal controls on rainfall can explain some observed trends in topography. The modern latitudinal trend in topography is frequently used as an argument for a glacial buzzsaw; however, our results suggest more information on the pre-glacial distribution of topography is needed to justify such an argument since latitude dependent rainfall regimes may generate similar topographic trends.
Registration for Image-Based Transcriptomics: Parametric Signal Features and Multivariate Information Measures

Image-based transcriptomics involves determining spatial patterns in gene expression across cells and tissues. Image registration is a necessary component of data analysis pipelines that study gene expression levels across different cells and intracellular structures. We consider images from multiplexed single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smFISH) and multiplexed in situ sequencing (ISS) datasets from the Human Cell Atlas project and demonstrate a novel approach to groupwise image registration using a parametric representation of images based on finite rate of innovation sampling, together with practical optimization of empirical multivariate information measures.
Cyclic resultants

We characterize polynomials having the same set of nonzero cyclic resultants. Generically, for a polynomial f of degree d, there are exactly 2^d^-^1 distinct degree d polynomials with the same set of cyclic resultants as f. However, in the generic monic case, degree d polynomials are uniquely determined by their cyclic resultants. Moreover, two reciprocal (''palindromic'') polynomials giving rise to the same set of nonzero cyclic resultants are equal. In the process, we also prove a unique factorization result in semigroup algebras involving products of binomials. Finally, we discuss how our results yield algorithms for explicit reconstruction of polynomials from their cyclic resultants.
The Role of Store Brand Spillover in a Retailer’s Category Management Strategy

Problem definition: We study a retailer’s category management strategy and interactions with its supply chain partners in a setting in which increasing the store brand (SB) market share in a focal ...
Erectile dysfunction in the cardiac patient.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem in men over 40–50 years of age. Risk factors include: diabetes, lipid abnormalities, smoking, hypertension, obesity, and lack of physical activity. Oral phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors appear effective and safe in most cardiac patients.
Gender Inequality in Product Markets: When and How Status Beliefs Transfer to Products

This paper extends literature showing that gender status beliefs differentially shape the evaluations of men and women to show that these gender status beliefs transfer to the evaluations of produc...
Bliss, Chester Ittner†

Born in 1899 in Springfield, OH; died in 1979. Bliss is best known for work on probit (probability integral transformation) analysis, much of it in collaboration with R.A. Fisher, and also for playing a major role in founding the International Biometric Society. Keywords: probit analysis; probability integral transformation; International Biometric Society; Fisher