cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theorizing the relationship between NGOs and the state in medical humanitarian development projects.

Abstract Social scientists have fiercely debated the relationship between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the state in NGO-led development projects. However, this research often carries an implicit, and often explicit, anti-state bias, suggesting that when NGOs collaborate with states, they cease to be a progressive force. This literature thus fails to recognize the state as a complex, heterogeneous, and fragmented entity. In particular, the unique political context within which an NGO operates is likely to influence how it carries out its work. In this article, we ask: how do NGOs work and build relationships with different types of states and – of particular relevance to practitioners – what kinds of relationship building lead to more successful development outcomes on the ground? Drawing on 29 in-depth interviews with members of Partners in Health and Oxfam America conducted between September 2010 and February 2014, we argue that NGOs and their medical humanitarian projects are more likely to succeed when they adjust how they interact with different types of states through processes of interest harmonization and negotiation. We offer a theoretical model for understanding how these processes occur across organizational fields. Specifically, we utilize field overlap theory to illuminate how successful outcomes depend on NGOs' ability to leverage resources – alliances and networks; political, financial, and cultural resources; and frames – across state and non-state fields. By identifying how NGOs can increase the likelihood of project success, our research should be of interest to activists, practitioners, and scholars.
The anomaly and reggeon field theory in QCD

The appearance of the U(1) anomaly in the interactions of reggeized gluons is described. Also discussed is the crucial role the anomaly can play in providing the non-perturbative properties necessary for a transition from gluon and quark reggeon diagrams to hadron reggeons and a reggeon field theory description of the pomeron.
Optimal estimation of the parameters of all-pole transfer functions

An algorithm is proposed for optimal estimation of the parameters of auto-regressive (AR) or all-pole transfer function models from prescribed impulse response data. The transfer function coefficients are estimated by minimizing the l/sub 2/-norm of the exact model fitting error. Existing methods either minimize equation errors or modify the true nonlinear error criterion. In the proposed method, the multidimensional nonlinear error criterion has been decoupled into a purely linear and a nonlinear subproblem. Global optimality properties of the decoupled estimators have been established. For data corrupted with Gaussian distributed noise, the proposed method produces maximum-likelihood estimates (MLE) of the AR-parameters. The inherent mathematical structure in the nonlinear subproblem is exploited in formulating an efficient iterative computational algorithm for its minimization. The proposed algorithm provides a useful computational tool based on an appropriate theoretical foundation for accurate modeling of all-pole systems from prescribed impulse response data. The effectiveness of the algorithm has been demonstrated with several simulation examples. >
Clinical Features and Anaphylaxis in Children With Cold Urticaria

Objective. To characterize the features of cold urticaria in children, with particular focus on systemic reactions, because little pediatric data are avail- able. Methodology. Chart reviews of 30 children <18 years old who were evaluated in the past 3 years at the Chil- dren's Hospital Allergy Program (Boston, MA) and a private allergy practice. Demographic, diagnostic, and therapeutic data were collected. Telephone interviews of patients and/or their parents were performed to obtain follow-up data. Results. Our data showed that the mean and median ages of onset were 7 years. No secondary causes were found. One third of patients had anaphylactic reactions. These reactions could not be predicted based on avail- able variables. Patients with negative cold-stimulation test (ice-cube challenge) at 10 minutes had similar symp- toms and response to antihistamines as those patients with positive ice-cube-challenge test. In addition, our group of patients with cold urticaria had a strikingly high rate of asthma (46.7%) and allergic rhinitis (50%). The rate of family history of atopic diseases was even higher (89.3%). Conclusions. Cold urticaria occurs in children and may be associated with anaphylaxis. In our series, no secondary causes were found. All patients with cold ur- ticaria and their parents should be cautioned regarding the risk of anaphylaxis and provided with an epineph- rine autoinjector. Pediatrics 2004;113:e313-e317. URL: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/113/4/e313; cold urticaria, anaphylaxis, cold-stimulation test.
Sorting, Franchising and Real Estate Brokerage Firms

Real estate markets remain localized and reflect differences by region. With a large number of brokerage firms and a smaller number of franchisors, a testable hypothesis is whether in equilibrium fees and royalties are equal to the additional return to the franchisee. If fees are set uniformly across the country, economic rents may be earned in specific local markets. Some franchisees may earn excess profits from the franchise arrangement. Empirical results for 1,143 United States residential brokerage firms in 2001 show standardized uniform franchising costs cover any added returns to franchises in the Midwest and South. Excess returns are present for franchisees in the Northeast. The probability of being a franchisee increases with size and scale.
Scale invariance vs conformal invariance

In this review article, we discuss the distinction and possible equivalence between scale invariance and conformal invariance in relativistic quantum field theories. Under some technical assumptions, we can prove that scale invariant quantum field theories in d=2 space–time dimensions necessarily possess the enhanced conformal symmetry. The use of the conformal symmetry is well appreciated in the literature, but the fact that all the scale invariant phenomena in d=2 space–time dimensions enjoy the conformal property relies on the deep structure of the renormalization group. The outstanding question is whether this feature is specific to d=2 space–time dimensions or it holds in higher dimensions, too. As of January 2014, our consensus is that there is no known example of scale invariant but non-conformal field theories in d=4 space–time dimensions under the assumptions of (1) unitarity, (2) Poincare invariance (causality), (3) discrete spectrum in scaling dimensions, (4) existence of scale current and (5) unbroken scale invariance in the vacuum. We have a perturbative proof of the enhancement of conformal invariance from scale invariance based on the higher dimensional analogue of Zamolodchikov’s cc-theorem, but the non-perturbative proof is yet to come. As a reference we have tried to collect as many interesting examples of scale invariance in relativistic quantum field theories as possible in this article. We give a complementary holographic argument based on the energy-condition of the gravitational system and the space–time diffeomorphism in order to support the claim of the symmetry enhancement. We believe that the possible enhancement of conformal invariance from scale invariance reveals the sublime nature of the renormalization group and space–time with holography. This review is based on a lecture note on scale invariance vs conformal invariance, on which the author gave lectures at Taiwan Central University for the 5th Taiwan School on Strings and Fields.
LYAPUNOV TUNING OF THE LEAKY LMS ALGORITHM FOR SINGLE-SOURCE, SINGLE-POINT NOISE CANCELLATION

Abstract Least-mean square (LMS) algorithms, which are commonly used for adaptive feedforward noise cancellation, have performance issues related to insufficient excitation, non-stationary reference inputs, finite-precision arithmetic, quantisation noise and measurement noise. Such factors cause weight drift and potential instability in the conventional LMS algorithm. Here, we analyse the stability and performance of the leaky LMS algorithm, which is widely used to correct weight drift. A Lyapunov tuning method is developed to find an adaptive leakage parameter and adaptive step size that provide optimum performance and retain stability in the presence of measurement noise on the reference input of known variance. The method accounts for non-persistent excitation conditions and non-stationary reference inputs and requires no a priori knowledge of the reference input signal characteristics other than a lower bound on its magnitude or a minimum signal-to-noise ratio. The Lyapunov tuning method is demonstrated for three candidate adaptive leakage and step size parameter combinations, each of which is a function of the instantaneous measured reference input, measurement noise variance, and/or filter length. These candidates illustrate stability vs performance tradeoffs in the leaky LMS algorithm elicited through the Lyapunov tuning method. The performance of each candidate Lyapunov tuned algorithm is evaluated experimentally in a single source, single-point acoustic noise cancellation system.
Modeling and Computing Two-Settlement Oligopolistic Equilibrium in a Congested Electricity Network

A model of two-settlement electricity markets is introduced, which accounts for flow congestion, demand uncertainty, system contingencies, and market power. We formulate the subgame perfect Nash equilibrium for this model as an equilibrium problem with equilibrium constraints (EPEC), in which each firm solves a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC). The model assumes linear demand functions, quadratic generation cost functions, and a lossless DC network, resulting in equilibrium constraints as a parametric linear complementarity problem (LCP). We introduce an iterative procedure for solving this EPEC through repeated application of an MPEC algorithm. This MPEC algorithm is based on solving quadratic programming subproblems and on parametric LCP pivoting. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the MPEC and EPEC algorithms and the tractability of the model for realistic-size power systems.
Chiral auxiliary mediated pictet-spengler reactions: Asymmetric syntheses of (−)-laudanosine, (+)-glaucine and (−)-xylopinine

Abstract Cyclohexyl-based chiral auxiliaries can be used effectively in an asymmetric Pictet-Spengler synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinoline, aporphine and protoberbine alkaloids. Using this strategy, concise asymmetric syntheses of (−)-laudanosine, (+)-glaucine and (+)-xylopinine have been accomplished.
Internal Electric-Field-Lines Distribution in CdZnTe Detectors Measured Using X-Ray Mapping

The ideal operation of CdZnTe devices entails having a uniformly distributed internal electric field. Such uniformity especially is critical for thick long-drift-length detectors, such as large-volume CPG and 3-D multi-pixel devices. Using a high-spatial resolution X-ray mapping technique, we investigated the distribution of the electric field in real devices. Our measurements demonstrate that in thin detectors, 1 cm, with a large aspect ratio (thickness-to-width ratio), we observed two effects: the electric field lines bending away from or towards the side surfaces, which we called, respectively, the focusing field-line distribution and the defocusing field-line distribution. In addition to these large-scale variations, the field-line distributions were locally perturbed by the presence of extended defects and residual strains existing inside the crystals. We present our data clearly demonstrating the non-uniformity of the internal electric field.
The Built Environment and Motor Vehicle Ownership and Use: Evidence from Santiago de Chile:

This paper examines the relationships between the built environment—both ‘neighborhood’ design characteristics and relative location—and motor vehicle ownership and use in a rapidly motorising, developing city context, that of Santiago de Chile. A vehicle choice model suggests that income dominates the household vehicle ownership decision, but also detects a relationship between several built environment characteristics and a household’s likelihood of car ownership. A second model, directly linked to the ownership model to correct for selection bias and endogeneity, suggests a strong relationship with locational characteristics like distance to the central business district and Metro stations. Elasticities of vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT), calculated via the combined models, suggest that income plays the overall largest single role in determining VKT. In combination, however, a range of different design and relative location characteristics also display a relatively strong association with VKT.
Impact of Federal Government Budget Deficits on the Longer Term Real Interest Rate in the U.S.: Evidence Using Annual and Quarterly Data, 1960–2013

Using over a half century of data, this empirical study adopts a simple loanable funds model to investigate the impact of federal budget deficits in the U.S. on the ex post real interest rate yield on ten year U.S. Treasury notes. Three estimates using annual data for three different time periods (1960-2013, 1971-2013, 1980-2013) are provided; in addition, as a de facto modest test of robustness, one additional estimate using quarterly data for the period 1960.1 through 2013.4 is also provided. In each of the four empirical analyses, an autoregressive 2SLS estimate finds that the ex post real interest rate yield on ten year U.S. Treasury notes is an increasing function of the ex post real interest rate yield on Moody’s Baa-rated corporate bonds, the ex post real interest rate yield on three year Treasury notes, and the ex post real interest rate yield on high grade municipal bonds. This exploratory analysis also finds consistent evidence that federal budget deficit (relative to the GDP level) exercised a positive and statistically significant impact on the ex post real interest rate yield on ten year Treasury notes
Secure attribute-based systems

Attributes define, classify, or annotate the datum to which they are assigned. However, traditional attribute architectures and cryptosystems are ill-equipped to provide security in the face of diverse access requirements and environments. In this paper, we introduce a novel secure information management architecture based on emerging attribute-based encryption (ABE) primitives. A policy system that meets the needs of complex policies is defined and illustrated. Based on the needs of those policies, we propose cryptographic optimizations that vastly improve enforcement efficiency. We further explore the use of such policies in two proposed applications: a HIPAA compliant distributed file system and a social network. A performance analysis and characterization of ABE primitives demonstrates the ability to reduce cryptographic costs by as much as 98% over previously proposed constructions. Through this, we demonstrate that our attribute system is an efficient solution for securely managing information in large, loosely-coupled, distributed systems.
Incorporation of neptunium(VI) into a uranyl selenite.

The incorporation of neptunium(VI) into the layered uranyl selenite Cs[(UO2)(HSeO3)(SeO3)] has yielded the highest level of neptunium uptake in a uranyl compound to date with an average of 12(±3)% substitution of NpVI for UVI. Furthermore, this is the first case in nearly 2 decades of dedicated incorporation studies in which the oxidation state of neptunium has been determined spectroscopically in a doped uranyl compound and also the first time in which neptunium incorporation has resulted in a structural transformation.
Properties of Algorithmic Operators

We consider operators working on lattices of interpretations of logic programs. Operators defined by programs are called algorithmic. Some properties of algorithmic operators, such as monotonicity and compactness, are used to define fix-point semantics. But what are necessary and sufficient conditions for such operators? The main result of this paper may be formulated, roughly speaking, as follows: an operator is algorithmic, iff its result on a given interpretation is the sum of its results on finite and restricted parts of this interpretation, i.e., is in essence defined by a certain algebra. This condition, which we called as n,k-truncateness of an operator, may be divided into several simpler conditions dealing with the generalisation of the notion of monotonicity and with the “breadth” n (the maximum number of terms) and the “height” k (the maximum height of terms) of subsystems which form the result of the operator.
Two unicast information flows over linear deterministic networks

We investigate the two unicast flow problem over layered linear deterministic networks with arbitrary number of nodes. When the minimum cut value between each source-destination pair is constrained to be 1, it is obvious that the triangular rate region {(R 1 , R 2 ) ∶ R 1 , R 2 ≥ 0, R 1 + R 2 ≤ 1} can be achieved, and that one cannot achieve beyond the square rate region {(R 1 , R 2 ) ∶ R 1 , R 2 ≥ 0, R 1 ≤ 1, R 2 ≤ 1{. Analogous to the work by Wang and Shroff for wired networks [1], we provide the necessary and sufficient conditions for the capacity region to be the triangular region and the necessary and sufficient conditions for it to be the square region. Moreover, we completely characterize the capacity region and conclude that there are exactly three more possible capacity regions of this class of networks, in contrast to the result in wired networks where only two rate regions are possible. Our achievability scheme is based on linear coding over an extension field with at most four nodes performing special linear coding operations, namely interference neutralization and zero forcing, while all other nodes perform random linear coding.
Learning Dependency-Based Compositional Semantics

Compositional question answering begins by mapping questions to logical forms, but training a semantic parser to perform this mapping typically requires the costly annotation of the target logical forms. In this paper, we learn to map questions to answers via latent logical forms, which are induced automatically from question-answer pairs. In tackling this challenging learning problem, we introduce a new semantic representation which highlights a parallel between dependency syntax and efficient evaluation of logical forms. On two standard semantic parsing benchmarks (Geo and Jobs), our system obtains the highest published accuracies, despite requiring no annotated logical forms.
Use of the Percentage of Free Prostate-Specific Antigen to Enhance Differentiation of Prostate Cancer From Benign Prostatic Disease: A Prospective Multicenter Clinical Trial

Context.—The percentage of free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum has been shown to enhance the specificity of PSA testing for prostate cancer detection, but earlier studies provided only preliminary cutoffs for clinical use.Objective.—To develop risk assessment guidelines and a cutoff value for defining abnormal percentage of free PSA in a population of men to whom the test would be applied.Design.—Prospective blinded study using the Tandem PSA and free PSA assays (Hybritech Inc, San Diego, Calif).Setting.—Seven nationwide university medical centers.Participants.—A total of 773 men (379 with prostate cancer, 394 with benign prostatic disease) 50 to 75 years of age with a palpably benign prostate gland, PSA level of 4.0 to 10.0 ng/mL, and histologically confirmed diagnosis.Main Outcome Measures.—A percentage of free PSA cutoff that maintained 95% sensitivity for prostate cancer detection, and probability of cancer for individual patients.Results.—The percentage of free PSA may be used in 2 ways: as a single cutoff (ie, perform a biopsy for all patients at or below a cutoff of 25% free PSA) or as an individual patient risk assessment (ie, base biopsy decisions on each patient's risk of cancer). The 25% free PSA cutoff detected 95% of cancers while avoiding 20% of unnecessary biopsies. The cancers associated with greater than 25% free PSA were more prevalent in older patients, and generally were less threatening in terms of tumor grade and volume. For individual patients, a lower percentage of free PSA was associated with a higher risk of cancer (range, 8%-56%). In the multivariate model used, the percentage of free PSA was an independent predictor of prostate cancer (odds ratio [OR], 3.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5-4.1; P<.001) and contributed significantly more than age (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.92-1.55) or total PSA level (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.92-1.11) in this cohort of subjects with total PSA values between 4.0 and 10.0 ng/mL.Conclusions.—Use of the percentage of free PSA can reduce unnecessary biopsies in patients undergoing evaluation for prostate cancer, with a minimal loss in sensitivity in detecting cancer. A cutoff of 25% or less free PSA is recommended for patients with PSA values between 4.0 and 10.0 ng/mL and a palpably benign gland, regardless of patient age or prostate size. To our knowledge, this study is the largest series to date evaluating the percentage of free PSA in a population representative of patients in whom the test would be used in clinical practice.
A parallel algorithm for computing polygon set operations

We present a parallel algorithm for performing boolean set operations on generalized polygons that have holes in them. The intersection algorithm has a processor complexity of O(m2n2) processors and a time complexity of O(max(2log m, log2n)), where m is the maximum number of vertices in any loop of a polygon, and n is the maximum number of loops per polygon. The union and difference algorithms have a processor complexity of O(m2n2) and time complexity of O(log m) and O(2log m, log n) respectively. The algorithm is based on the EREW PRAM model. The algorithm tries to minimize the intersection point computations by intersecting only a subset of loops of the polygons, taking advantage of the topological structure of the two polygons. We believe this will result in better performance on the average as compared to the worst case. Though all the algorithms presented here are deterministic, randomized algorithms such as sample sort can be used for the sorting subcomponent of the algorithms to obtain fast practical implementations.
The implementation of POSTGRES

The design and implementation decisions made for the three-dimensional data manager POSTGRES are discussed. Attention is restricted to the DBMS backend functions. The POSTGRES data model and query language, the rules system, the storage system, the POSTGRES implementation and the current status and performance are discussed. >
Dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles: New synthetic and characterization methods and catalytic applications

In this article we describe the synthesis, characterization, and applications of dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs). These materials are synthesized using a template approach in which metal ions are extracted into the interior of dendrimers and then subsequently reduced chemically to yield nearly size-monodisperse particles having diameters in the 1–2 nm range. Monometallic, bimetallic (alloy and core@shell), and semiconductor nanoparticles have been prepared by this route. The dendrimer component of these composites serves not only as a template for preparing the nanoparticle replica, but also as a stabilizer for the nanoparticle. In this perspective, we report on progress in the synthesis, characterization, and applications of these materials since our last review in 2005. Significant advances in the synthesis of core@shell DENs, characterization, and applications to homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis (including electrocatalysis) are emphasized.
Aligned graphene nanoribbons and crossbars from unzipped carbon nanotubes

Aligned graphene nanoribbon (GNR) arrays have been made by unzipping of aligned single-walled and few-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays. Nanotube unzipping was achieved by a polymer-protected Ar plasma etching method, and the resulting nanoribbon array can be transferred onto any chosen substrate. Atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging and Raman mapping on the same CNTs before and after unzipping confirmed that ˜80% of CNTs were opened up to form single layer sub-10 nm GNRs. Electrical devices made from the GNRs (after annealing in H2 at high temperature) showed on/off current (I on/I off) ratios up to 103 at room temperature, suggesting the semiconducting nature of the narrow GNRs. Novel GNR-GNR and GNR-CNT crossbars were fabricated by transferring GNR arrays across GNR and CNT arrays, respectively. The production of such ordered graphene nanoribbon architectures may allow for large scale integration of GNRs into nanoelectronics or optoelectronics.
Inflation and inequality

Cross-country evidence on inflation and income inequality suggests that they are positively related. This article explores the hypothesis that this correlation is the outcome of a distributional conflict underlying the determination of government policies. A political economy model is presented in which equilibrium inflation is positively related to the degree of inequality in income due to the relative vulnerability to inflation of low income households.
Chandra observation of the unidentified tev gamma-ray source hess J1303-631 in the galactic plane

The imaging atmospheric Cerenkov array HESS recently discovered an extended source in the 0.4-10 TeV energy range, HESS J1303-631. We obtained a 5 ks observation with the ACIS-I array on the Chandra X-Ray Observatory that does not reveal an obvious compact or diffuse X-ray counterpart. Archival ROSAT images are also blank in this region. Although there are several radio pulsars within the field of HESS J1303-631, none is detected in X-rays to a flux limit of <5 × 10-14 ergs cm-2 s-1, and none is a likely counterpart on energetic grounds. Over the entire 17' × 17' ACIS-I field, we place an upper limit of <5.4 × 10-12 ergs cm-2 s-1 on the excess diffuse flux in the 2-10 keV band. One hard point source with flux ≈4 × 10-14 ergs cm-2 s-1 lies within 05 of the centroid of the TeV emission. These exploratory observations suggest that deeper pointings with Chandra and XMM-Newton are needed before we can learn more about the nature of HESS J1303-631. Its similarity to the unidentified source TeV J2032+4130 indicates the probable existence of a new class of high-energy source in the Galactic plane that originates from young, massive stars or their supernova remnants.
Dynamical nonlinearity in the atmospheric response to Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies

[1] Large ensembles (100 members) of atmospheric general circulation model experiments are forced throughout the Northern Hemisphere cold season by four different sea surface temperature (SST) fields: the observed climatology, the so-called SST tripole pattern, and its tropical and its extratropical subcomponents. Late winter responses to these anomalies are of modest amplitude, in comparison with the amplitudes of climatological stationary waves, but are, because of the large ensemble, significant. Despite their modest amplitudes, the responses display additive nonlinearity, in that the sum of the separate responses to the component anomalies differs significantly from the response to the tripole. Neither the heating field nor the basin averaged zonal winds display this nonlinearity. It is most evident in a sub-basin scale wave train, and most significant in its impact on the amplitude of the geopotential response. These results indicate that even for modest forcing, responses to patterns of SST anomalies cannot necessarily be understood as the sums of responses to constituent anomalies.
Why Do Countries and Industries with Large Seasonal Cycles Also Have Large Business Cycles

We show that there is a strong, positive correlation across countries and industries between the standard deviation of the seasonal component and the standard deviation of the nonseasonal component of aggregate variables. After documenting this stylized fact, we discuss possible explanations and develop a model that generates our empirical finding. The main feature of the model is that firms endogenously choose their degree of technological flexibility as a function of the amounts of seasonal and nonseasonal variation in demand. Although this model is intended to be illustrative, we find evidence supporting one of its key empirical implications.
THE BEHAVIOR OF SOME SOLUTION ACCELERATION TECHNIQUES IN CFD

SUMMARY Several solution acceleration techniques, used to obtain steady-state CFD solutions as quickly as possible, are applied to an upwind Euler scheme to evaluate their effectiveness. Generalized minimal residual (GMRES), multigrid (MG), and ADI are compared to a four-stage Runge-Kutta scheme using several grids. The use of different acceleration schemes combinations of produces a complementary effect: the convergence becomes relatively independent of both size and quality of the grid.
Tuning strain in flexible graphene nanoelectromechanical resonators

The structural flexibility of low dimensional nanomaterials offers unique opportunities for studying the impact of strain on their physical properties and for developing innovative devices utilizing strain engineering. A key towards such goals is a device platform which allows the independent tuning and reliable calibration of the strain. Here, we report the fabrication and characterization of graphene nanoelectromechanical resonators (GNEMRs) on flexible substrates. Combining substrate bending and electrostatic gating, we achieve the independent tuning of the strain and sagging in graphene and explore the nonlinear dynamics over a wide parameter space. Analytical and numerical studies of a continuum mechanics model, including the competing higher order nonlinear terms, reveal a comprehensive nonlinear dynamics phase diagram, which quantitatively explains the complex behaviors of GNEMRs.
Folk Theorem with Communication

Abstract This paper proves a new folk theorem for repeated games with private monitoring and communication, extending the idea of delayed communication in Compte [O. Compte, Communication in repeated games with imperfect private monitoring, Econometrica 66 (1998) 597–626] to the case where private signals are correlated. The sufficient condition for the folk theorem is generically satisfied with more than two players, even when other well-known conditions are not. The folk theorem also applies to some two-players repeated games.
Entropy-Scaling Search of Massive Biological Data

Many data sets exhibit well-defined structure that can be exploited to design faster search tools, but it is not always clear when such acceleration is possible. Here we introduce a framework for similarity search based on characterizing a data set's entropy and fractal dimension. We prove that searching scales in time with metric entropy (number of covering hyperspheres), if the fractal dimension of the data set is low, and scales in space with the sum of metric entropy and information-theoretic entropy (randomness of the data). Using these ideas, we present accelerated versions of standard tools, with no loss in specificity and little loss in sensitivity, for use in three domains-high-throughput drug screening (Ammolite, 150x speedup), metagenomics (MICA, 3.5x speedup of DIAMOND (3700x BLASTX)), and protein structure search (esFragBag, 10x speedup of FragBag). Our framework can be used to achieve 'compressive omics,' and the general theory can be readily applied to data science problems outside of biology. Source code: http://gems.csail.mit.edu.
Discovering an Active Subspace in a Single-Diode Solar Cell Model

Predictions from science and engineering models depend on the values of the model’s input parameters. As the number of parameters increases, algorithmic parameter studies like optimization or uncertainty quantification require many more model evaluations. One way to combat this curse of dimensionality is to seek an alternative parameterization with fewer variables that produces comparable predictions. The active subspace is a low-dimensional linear subspace of the space of model inputs that captures the variability in the model’s predictions. We describe a method for checking if a model admits an exploitable active subspace, and we apply this method to a single-diode solar cell model. We find that the maximum power of the solar cell has a dominant one-dimensional active subspace in its space of five input parameters.
The TREC spoken document retrieval track: a success story

This paper describes work within the NIST Text REtrieval Conference (TREC) over the last three years in designing and implementing evaluations of Spoken Document Retrieval (SDR) technology within a broadcast news domain. SDR involves the search and retrieval of excerpts from spoken audio recordings using a combination of automatic speech recognition and information retrieval technologies. The TREC SDR Track has provided an infrastructure for the development and evaluation of SDR technology and a common forum for the exchange of knowledge between the speech recognition and information retrieval research communities. The SDR Track can be declared a success in that it has provided objective, demonstrable proof that this technology can be successfully applied to realistic audio collections using a combination of existing technologies and that it can be objectively evaluated. The design and implementation of each of the SDR evaluations are presented and the results are summarized. Plans for the 2000 TREC SDR Track are presented and thoughts about how the track might evolve are discussed.
Neutrons in science and technology

In the four decades since the first controlled nuclear chain reaction made them available in abundance, neutrons have had a revolutionary impact on much of science and technology. Best known, perhaps, are the neutron's roles in energy production and nuclear medicine. However, this particle has made, and is making, enormous contributions in dozens of other areas of science and technology.
Resolving the conflict between generality and plausibility in verified computation

The area of proof-based verified computation (outsourced computation built atop probabilistically checkable proofs and cryptographic machinery) has lately seen renewed interest. Although recent work has made great strides in reducing the overhead of naive applications of the theory, these schemes still cannot be considered practical. A core issue is that the work for the server is immense, in general; it is practical only for hand-compiled computations that can be expressed in special forms.This paper addresses that problem. Provided one is willing to batch verification, we develop a protocol that achieves the efficiency of the best manually constructed protocols in the literature yet applies to most computations. We show that Quadratic Arithmetic Programs, a new formalism for representing computations efficiently, can yield a particularly efficient PCP that integrates easily into the core protocols, resulting in a server whose work is roughly linear in the running time of the computation. We implement this protocol in the context of a system, called Zaatar, that includes a compiler and a GPU implementation. Zaatar is almost usable for real problems---without special-purpose tailoring. We argue that many (but not all) of the next research questions in verified computation are questions in secure systems.
Phase transition in a static granular system

We find that a column of glass beads exhibits a well-defined transition between two phases that differ in their resistance to shear. Pulses of fluidization are used to prepare static sedimented states with well-defined particle volume fractions in the range 0.57–0.63. The resistance to shear is determined by slowly inserting a rod into the column of beads. Force measurements and bed height measurements both indicate that the transition occurs at = 0.60 for a range of speeds of the rod.
Local Universality of Zeroes of Random Polynomials

In this paper, we establish some local universality results concerning the correlation functions of the zeroes of random polynomials with independent coefficients. More precisely, consider two random polynomials $f =\sum_{i=1}^n c_i \xi_i z^i$ and $\tilde f =\sum_{i=1}^n c_i \tilde \xi_i z^i$, where the $\xi_i$ and $\tilde \xi_i$ are iid random variables that match moments to second order, the coefficients $c_i$ are deterministic, and the degree parameter $n$ is large. Our results show, under some light conditions on the coefficients $c_i$ and the tails of $\xi_i, \tilde \xi_i$, that the correlation functions of the zeroes of $f$ and $\tilde f$ are approximately the same. As an application, we give some answers to the classical question `"How many zeroes of a random polynomials are real?" for several classes of random polynomial models. Our analysis relies on a general replacement principle, motivated by some recent work in random matrix theory. This principle enables one to compare the correlation functions of two random functions $f$ and $\tilde f$ if their log magnitudes $\log |f|, \log|\tilde f|$ are close in distribution, and if some non-concentration bounds are obeyed.
Systolic and mean arterial pressures during manual and mechanical CPR in humans

The standard manual method of performing chest compression during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was compared with a pneumatic compression device for the ability to generate systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in the same person. Fifteen patients, all in the late stages of the resuscitative effort, were studied. In 14, manual chest compression resulted in SAPs which were either higher than (13 cases) or equivalent to (1 case) those generated by the mechanical technique. In 13 of the 15 cases, mechanical compression resulted in MAPs which were either higher than (11 cases) or equivalent to (2 cases) MAPs generated by the manual method. Mechanical chest compression is superior to manual chest compression in generating higher MAPs. Direct measurement of arterial pressure and the use of mechanical chest compression results in a more informed and a less frenetic environment during CPR.
Learning to Identify Educational Materials

In this article, we explore the task of automatically identifying educational materials by classifying documents with respect to their educational value. Through experiments carried out on a dataset of manually annotated documents, we show that the generally accepted notion of a learning object's “educational value” is indeed a property that can be reliably assigned through automatic classification. Moreover, an analysis of cross-topic and cross-domain portability shows that the automatic classifier can be ported to other topics and domains, with minimal performance loss.
Production Chain Disruptions: Inventory, Preparedness, and Insurance

Firms use inventory and interruption insurance to manage disruption risk in their production chains. They also take preparedness actions to reduce the expected length of disruptions. We analytically explore these three measures in a two-stage production chain. We find that inventory and preparedness differ in their responses to insurance and to production-chain cost and risk characteristics. We prove that, for any fixed level of preparedness, insurance reduces both the total inventory and the downstream inventory but it can increase the upstream inventory. The total inventory, the upstream inventory, and the production-chain profit all increase (decrease) as cost (risk) shifts downstream in the production chain. Downstream inventory moves in the opposite direction. If the firm adopts the preparedness measure but not inventory, we prove that insurance has no impact on the relative levels of upstream/downstream preparedness. Relative preparedness is also unaffected by the distribution of processing cost in the production chain. However, when the firm can adopt both operational measures – inventory and preparedness – the relative preparedness is affected by insurance and by the distribution of processing cost across the production chain. We numerically observe that the production chain profit increases
Bethe-ADMM for tree decomposition based parallel MAP inference

We consider the problem of maximum a posteriori (MAP) inference in discrete graphical models. We present a parallel MAP inference algorithm called Bethe-ADMM based on two ideas: tree-decomposition of the graph and the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). However, unlike the standard ADMM, we use an inexact ADMM augmented with a Bethe-divergence based proximal function, which makes each subproblem in ADMM easy to solve in parallel using the sum-product algorithm. We rigorously prove global convergence of Bethe-ADMM. The proposed algorithm is extensively evaluated on both synthetic and real datasets to illustrate its effectiveness. Further, the parallel Bethe-ADMM is shown to scale almost linearly with increasing number of cores.
1001 Acquisition viewpoints: efficient and versatile view-dependent modeling of real-world scenes

Modeling is a severe bottleneck for computer graphics applications. Manual modeling is time consuming and fails to capture the complexity of real-world scenes. Automated modeling based on acquiring color and depth data is a promising alternative. However, the usual approach of densely sampling the scene from a few viewpoints suffers from long acquisition times, high data redundancy, and lack of robustness, leading to incomplete models. We propose automated modeling based on sampling the scene sparsely from a dense set of viewpoints. We show that the sparse data quickly accumulates to generate models with good scene coverage. The sparse depth is acquired efficiently and robustly, which enables an interactive, operator-in-the-loop acquisition pipeline. We describe a modeling system that implements this approach. The system acquires scenes with complex geometry and complex reflective properties from thousands of viewpoints in minutes. The resulting models are compact and support photorealistic rendering at interactive rates.
Structural and Crystal Chemical Properties of Alkali Rare-Earth Double Phosphates.

Abstract When appropriately activated, alkali rare-earth double phosphates of the form: M3RE(PO4)2 (where M denotes an alkali metal and RE represents either a rare-earth element or Y or Sc) are of interest for use as inorganic scintillators for radiation detection at relatively long optical emission wavelengths. These compounds exhibit layered crystal structures whose symmetry properties depend on the relative sizes of the rare earth and alkali-metal cations. Single-crystal X-ray and powder neutron diffraction methods were used here to refine the structures of the series of rare-earth double phosphate compounds: K3RE(PO4)2 with RE = Lu, Yb, Er, Ho, Dy, Gd, Nd, Ce, plus Y and Sc – as well as the compounds: A3Lu(PO4)2, with A = Rb, and Cs. The double phosphate K3Lu(PO4)2 was reported and structurally refined previously, and it exhibited two lower-temperature phases. The compound K3Yb(PO4)2 reported here also exhibits a new second phase that occurs at T = 120 °C with a transformation to hexagonal P-3 space group symmetry and a Yb-ion coordination number reduction from seven to six. This latter result was confirmed using EXAFS. Comprehensive structural data and structural systematics are reported here for a number of alkali rare-earth double phosphates. Additionally, single-crystal growth methods for the preparation of large single crystals of these compounds are described, and the thermal expansion properties of the present series of alkali rare-earth double phosphates, as determined by both X-ray and neutron diffraction methods, are presented. These data represent a structural and thermal characteristics basis for continuing research on the use of alkali rare-earth double phosphates as scintillators for radiation detection – as well as for future studies of the fundamental phase properties of these compounds at elevated pressures.
Chemoinformatic analysis of a supertargeted combinatorial library of styryl molecules

Styryl dyes are fluorescent, lipophilic cations that have been used as specific labeling probes of mitochondria in living cells. For specific applications such as epifluorescence microscopy or flow cytometry, it is often desirable to synthesize fluorescent derivatives with optimized excitation, emission, and localization properties. Here, we present a chemoinformatic strategy suitable for multiparameter analysis of a combinatorial library of styryl molecules supertargeted to mitochondria. The strategy is based on a simple additive model relating the spectral and subcellular localization characteristics of styryl compounds to the two chemical building blocks that are used to synthesize the molecules. Using a cross-validation approach, the additive model predicts with a high degree of confidence the subcellular localization and spectral properties of the styryl product, from numerical scores that are independently associated with the individual building blocks of the molecule. The fit of the data indicates that more complex, nonadditive interactions between the two building blocks play a minor role in determining the molecule's optical or biological properties. Moreover, the observed additive relationship allows mechanistic inferences to be made regarding the structure-property relationship observed for this particular class of molecules. It points to testable, mechanistic hypotheses about how chemical structure, fluorescence, and localization properties are related.
Cycle spaces of infinite dimensional flag domains

Let G be a complex simple direct limit group, specifically $$SL(\infty ;\mathbb {C})$$ , $$SO(\infty ;\mathbb {C})$$ or $$Sp(\infty ;\mathbb {C})$$ . Let $$\mathcal {F}$$ be a (generalized) flag in $$\mathbb {C}^\infty $$ . If G is $$SO(\infty ;\mathbb {C})$$ or $$Sp(\infty ;\mathbb {C})$$ we suppose further that $$\mathcal {F}$$ is isotropic. Let $$\mathcal {Z}$$ denote the corresponding flag manifold; thus $$\mathcal {Z}= G/Q$$ where Q is a parabolic subgroup of G. In a recent paper (Penkov and Wolf in Real group orbits on flag ind-varieties of $$SL_{\infty } ({\mathbb {C}})$$ , to appear in Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics) we studied real forms $$G_0$$ of G and properties of their orbits on $$\mathcal {Z}$$ . Here we concentrate on open $$G_0$$ -orbits $$D \subset \mathcal {Z}$$ . When $$G_0$$ is of hermitian type we work out the complete $$G_0$$ -orbit structure of flag manifolds dual to the bounded symmetric domain for $$G_0$$ . Then we develop the structure of the corresponding cycle spaces $$\mathcal {M}_D$$ . Finally we study the real and quaternionic analogs of these theories. All this extends results from the finite-dimensional cases on the structure of hermitian symmetric spaces and cycle spaces (in chronological order: Wolf in Bull Am Math Soc 75:1121–1237, 1969; Wolf et al. in Ann Math 105:397–448, 1977; Wolf in Ann Math 136:541–555, 1992; Wolf in Compact subvarieties in flag domains, 1994; Wolf and Zierau in Math Ann 316:529–545, 2000; Huckleberry et al. in Journal fur die reine und angewandte Mathematik 2001:171–208, 2001; Huckleberry and Wolf in Cycle spaces of real forms of $$SL_n(C)$$ , Springer, New York, pp 111–133, 2002; Wolf and Zierau in J Lie Theory 13:189–191, 2003; Huckleberry and Wolf in Ann Scuola Norm Sup Pisa Cl Sci (5) 9:573-580, 2010).
Interacting topological phases and quantum anomalies

We give a brief overview on interacting symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases. In particular, we will focus on various cases where the classification of non-interacting fermionic systems breaks down in the presence of interactions. The examples include topological (and trivial) superconductors in one, two and three spatial dimensions, protected by various symmetries such as time-reversal, spin parity, and reflection symmetries. Common to these examples is the ‘collapse’ of the non-interacting classification, where an integer classification (‘’) at non-interacting level reduces to or in the presence of interactions. We make use of these examples to illustrate various approaches to interacting SPT phases.