cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Environment and Externality

This innovative book models pollution mitigation as a negative externality whilst also providing desirable and useful solutions, such as establishing the triangular equivalence relationship among the Lindahl equilibrium without transfers, the Nash bargaining solution with the payoffs of the Cournot-Nash equilibrium as the status quo point, and the social optimum under the Lindahl weights. By introducing programming algorithms to validate these relationships numerically, Zili Yang bridges the gap between analytical results and empirical modelling, ultimately solving the Lindahl equilibrium and hybrid Nash equilibria in the influential RICE model. This text demonstrates the complexity and variety of environment externality problems, ranging from mixed externality to correlated externalities to environmental externality under IRS and policy applications. Integrating theory, algorithms and applications in a comprehensive framework, The Environment and Externality will benefit scholars and students working across environmental, resource and climate change economics.
Gaussian Process-based Min-norm Stabilizing Controller for Control-Affine Systems with Uncertain Input Effects and Dynamics

This paper presents a method to design a min-norm Control Lyapunov Function (CLF)-based stabilizing controller for a control-affine system with uncertain dynamics using Gaussian Process (GP) regression. In order to estimate both state and input-dependent model uncertainty, we propose a novel compound kernel that captures the control-affine nature of the problem. Furthermore, by the use of GP Upper Confidence Bound analysis, we provide probabilistic bounds of the regression error, leading to the formulation of a CLF-based stability chance constraint which can be incorporated in a min-norm optimization problem. We show that this resulting optimization problem is convex, and we call it “Gaussian Process-based Control Lyapunov Function Second-Order Cone Program” (GP-CLF-SOCP). The data-collection process and the training of the GP regression model are carried out in an episodic learning fashion. We validate the proposed algorithm and controller in numerical simulations of an inverted pendulum and a kinematic bicycle model, resulting in stable trajectories which are very similar to the ones obtained if we actually knew the true plant dynamics.
Representing Sequence Subsums as Sumsets of Near Equal Sized Sets

For a sequence S of terms from an abelian group G of length |S|, let \(\Sigma _n(S)\) denote the set of all elements that can be represented as the sum of terms in some n-term subsequence of S. When the subsum set is very small, \(|\Sigma _n(S)|\le |S|-n+1\), it is known that the terms of S can be partitioned into n nonempty sets \(A_1,\ldots ,A_n\subseteq G\) such that \(\Sigma _n(S)=A_1+\ldots +A_n\). Moreover, if the upper bound is strict, then \(|A_i\setminus Z|\le 1\) for all i, where \(Z=\bigcap _{i=1}^{n}(A_i+H)\) and \(H=\{g\in G:\; g+\Sigma _n(S)=\Sigma _n(S)\}\) is the stabilizer of \(\Sigma _n(S)\). This allows structural results for sumsets to be used to study the subsum set \(\Sigma _n(S)\) and is one of the two main ways to derive the natural subsum analog of Kneser’s Theorem for sumsets. In this paper, we show that such a partitioning can be achieved with sets \(A_i\) of as near equal a size as possible, so \(\lfloor \frac{|S|}{n}\rfloor \le |A_i|\le \lceil \frac{|S|}{n}\rceil \) for all i, apart from one highly structured counterexample when \(|\Sigma _n(S)|= |S|-n+1\) with \(n=2\). The added information of knowing the sets \(A_i\) are of near equal size can be of use when applying the aforementioned partitioning result, or when applying sumset results to study \(\Sigma _n(S)\) (e.g., [20]). We also give an extension increasing the flexibility of the aforementioned partitioning result and prove some stronger results when \(n\ge \frac{1}{2}|S|\) is very large.
Hippocampal replay reflects specific past experiences rather than a plan for subsequent choice.

Summary Executing memory-guided behavior requires storage of information about experience and later recall of that information to inform choices. Awake hippocampal replay, when hippocampal neural ensembles briefly reactivate a representation related to prior experience, has been proposed to critically contribute to these memory-related processes. However, it remains unclear whether awake replay contributes to memory function by promoting the storage of past experiences, facilitating planning based on evaluation of those experiences, or both. We designed a dynamic spatial task that promotes replay before a memory-based choice and assessed how the content of replay related to past and future behavior. We found that replay content was decoupled from subsequent choice and instead was enriched for representations of previously rewarded locations and places that had not been visited recently, indicating a role in memory storage rather than in directly guiding subsequent behavior.
A Stronger Lower Bound on Parametric Minimum Spanning Trees.

We prove that, for an undirected graph with n vertices and m edges, each labeled with a linear function of a parameter \(\lambda \), the number of different minimum spanning trees obtained as the parameter varies can be \(\varOmega (m\log n)\).
Oil price pass-through into consumer prices: Evidence from U.S. weekly data

Abstract Using U.S. data from Monday of each week, this paper estimates oil price pass-through into consumer prices (PC) and oil price pass-through into gasoline retail prices (PG) in a continuous way. The results show that PC (PG) is about 0.5% (13%) after a week, 1.5% (37%) after three months, and 4.2% (50%) in the long run. The estimated PC is further decomposed into direct PC (representing oil price effects on consumer prices through gasoline retail prices) versus indirect PC (representing oil price effects on consumer prices through ex-gasoline prices), suggesting that long-run oil price effects on consumer prices are mostly through ex-gasoline consumer prices. Despite having distinct pass-through estimates, about three-fourths of weekly volatility in both gasoline retail and consumer prices are explained by oil price shocks in the long run.
An Instrumental Variable Forest Approach for Detecting Heterogeneous Treatment Effects in Observational Studies

This study addresses the ubiquitous challenge of using big observational data to identify heterogeneous treatment effects. This problem arises in precision medicine, targeted marketing, personalize...
Price impact equilibrium with transaction costs and TWAP trading

We prove the existence of an equilibrium in a model with transaction costs and price impact where two agents are incentivized to trade towards a target. The two types of frictions—price impact and transaction costs—lead the agents to two distinct changes in their optimal investment approach: price impact causes agents to continuously trade in smaller amounts, while transaction costs cause the agents to cease trading before the end of the trading period. As the agents lose wealth because of transaction costs, the exchange makes a profit. We prove the existence of a strictly positive optimal transaction cost from the exchange’s perspective.
The perceived risks of e-cigarettes to others and during pregnancy.

Background Public Health England has concluded that e-cigarettes are much safer than cigarettes for the user and for secondhand exposures, but it has not reached a definitive conclusion regarding pregnancy risks. How people perceive the risks to others is less well understood. Methods This study uses an online UK sample of 1041 adults to examine perceived e-cigarette risks to others and during pregnancy. The survey examines relative risk beliefs of e-cigarettes compared to cigarettes and the percentage reduction in harm provided by e-cigarettes. Results A majority of the sample believes that secondhand exposure to e-cigarette vapors poses less risk than secondhand smoke from cigarettes, but almost two-fifths of the sample equate the secondhand risks from e-cigarettes to those from cigarettes. There is somewhat greater perception of e-cigarette risks during pregnancy compared to beliefs regarding secondhand risks of vaping. About two-fifths of the population believe that e-cigarettes are less risky than cigarettes during pregnancy. Respondents believe that e-cigarettes reduce the harm to others by 39% and the harm to babies by 36%. Conclusion There is a general sense that e-cigarettes pose less risk than cigarettes, but there is a need for further risk communication regarding comparative e-cigarette risks.
Signal processing capacity of the cellular sensory machinery regulates the accuracy of chemotaxis under complex cues.

Summary Chemotaxis is ubiquitous in many biological processes, but it still remains elusive how cells sense and decipher multiple chemical cues. In this study, we postulate a hypothesis that the chemotactic performance of cells under complex cues is regulated by the signal processing capacity of the cellular sensory machinery. The underlying rationale is that cells in vivo should be able to sense and process multiple chemical cues, whose magnitude and compositions are entangled, to determine their migration direction. We experimentally show that the combination of transforming growth factor-β and epidermal growth factor suppresses the chemotactic performance of cancer cells using independent receptors to sense the two cues. Based on this observation, we develop a biophysical framework suggesting that the antagonism is caused by the saturation of the signal processing capacity but not by the mutual repression. Our framework suggests the significance of the signal processing capacity in the cellular sensory machinery.
A Dynamic System Model for Personalized Healthcare Delivery and Managed Individual Health Outcomes

The current healthcare system is facing an unprecedented chronic disease burden. This paper develops a dynamic mathematical simulation model for personalized healthcare delivery and managed individual health outcomes. It utilizes a highly novel hetero-functional graph theory, most easily understood as an ontological convergence of model-based systems engineering and network science, along with Petri nets. The dynamics of the model builds upon a recently developed systems architecture for healthcare delivery, which bears several analogies to the architecture of mass-customized production systems. At its essence, the model consists of two synchronized Petri nets; one for the healthcare delivery system and another for individuals’ health state evolution. The dynamic model links logistical and medical phenomena using a combination of a deterministic Petri net model for the former and a fuzzy Petri net for the latter. The model is demonstrated on two clinical case studies; acute and chronic. Together, the case studies show that the model applies equally to the care of both acute and chronic conditions, transparently describes health outcomes and links them to the evolution of the healthcare delivery system and its associated costs.
NudgeCred: Supporting News Credibility Assessment on Social Media Through Nudges

Struggling to curb misinformation, social media platforms are experimenting with design interventions to enhance consumption of credible news on their platforms. Some of these interventions, such as the use of warning messages, are examples of nudges---a choice-preserving technique to steer behavior. Despite their application, we do not know whether nudges could steer people into making conscious news credibility judgments online and if they do, under what constraints. To answer, we combine nudge techniques with heuristic based information processing to design NudgeCred--a browser extension for Twitter. NudgeCred directs users' attention to two design cues: authority of a source and other users' collective opinion on a report by activating three design nudges---Reliable, Questionable, and Unreliable, each denoting particular levels of credibility for news tweets. In a controlled experiment, we found that NudgeCred significantly helped users (n=430) distinguish news tweets' credibility, unrestricted by three behavioral confounds---political ideology, political cynicism, and media skepticism. A five-day field deployment with twelve participants revealed that NudgeCred improved their recognition of news items and attention towards all of our nudges, particularly towards Questionable. Among other considerations, participants proposed that designers should incorporate heuristics that users' would trust. Our work informs nudge-based system design approaches for online media.
Model-Free Learning of Optimal Deterministic Resource Allocations in Wireless Systems via Action-Space Exploration

Wireless systems resource allocation refers to perpetual and challenging nonconvex constrained optimization tasks, which are especially timely in modern communications and networking setups involving multiple users with heterogeneous objectives and imprecise or even unknown models and/or channel statistics. In this paper, we propose a technically grounded and scalable primal-dual deterministic policy gradient method for efficiently learning optimal parameterized resource allocation policies. Our method not only efficiently exploits gradient availability of popular universal policy representations, such as deep neural networks, but is also truly model-free, as it relies on consistent zeroth-order gradient approximations of the associated random network services constructed via low-dimensional perturbations in action space, thus fully bypassing any dependence on critics. Both theory and numerical simulations confirm the efficacy and applicability of the proposed approach, as well as its superiority over the current state of the art in terms of both achieving near-optimal performance and scalability.
Angular momentum, spinors, and twistors

Twistors appear to provide a satisfactory treatment of angular momentum for gravitationally radiating systems. The approach is manifestly Bondi-Metzner-Sachs (BMS) invariant, and there are no supertranslation ambiguities. The resulting definitions of center of mass and spin are appealing: unphysical contributions from bad cuts are canceled off from the center of mass, and the spin appears formally as a displacement of the center of mass into the complex. For transitions between asymptotically Minkowskian regimes (non-radiative regimes with purely electric Bondi shear), when there is no supertranslation offset (equivalently, radation memory) between the regimes the results are in agreement with those deducible from other approaches. However, when there is an offset, the results are different. The twistor-derived change-of-origin formula is closely parallel to the special-relativistic one, with an algebraic cross-product between the energy-momentum and a direction-dependent translation derived from the supertranslation. (No supermomenta appear.) There is also a "longitudinal" contribution to the emitted angular momentum (one sensitive to the total energy-momentum and not just the emitted energy-momentum), and terms which are both linear and cubic in the gravitational radiation (whereas BMS-based definitions give purely quadratic contributions). The first-order terms mean that the supertranslation offsets can contribute to the exchange of angular momentum with gravitational radiation, even in weak-field limits. This is illustrated with a simple almost-special-relativistic model.
Asymptotics of the minimum values of Riesz and logarithmic potentials generated by greedy energy sequences on the unit circle

Abstract In this work we investigate greedy energy sequences on the unit circle for the logarithmic and Riesz potentials. By definition, if ( a n ) n = 0 ∞ is a greedy s-energy sequence on the unit circle, the Riesz potential U N , s ( x ) : = ∑ k = 0 N − 1 | a k − x | − s , s > 0 , generated by the first N points of the sequence attains its minimum value on the circle at the point a N , for every N ≥ 1 . We analyze the asymptotic properties of these extremal values U N , s ( a N ) as N tends to infinity, treating separately the cases 0 s 1 , s = 1 , and s > 1 . We obtain second-order asymptotic formulas for U N , s ( a N ) in the cases 0 s 1 and s = 1 (the corresponding first-order asymptotic formulas are well known). A first-order result for s > 1 is proved, and it is shown that the first-order normalized sequence U N , s ( a N ) / N s is bounded and divergent in this case. We also consider, briefly, greedy energy sequences in which the minimization condition is required starting from the point a p + 1 (instead of the point a 1 as previously stated), for some p ≥ 1 . For this more general class of greedy sequences, we prove a first-order asymptotic result for s 1 .
On the Application of Stable Generalized Finite Element Method for Quasilinear Elliptic Two-Point BVP

In this paper, we discuss an application of the generalized finite element method (GFEM) to approximate the solutions of quasilinear elliptic equations with multiple interfaces in one dimensional space. The problem is characterized by spatial discontinuity of the elliptic coefficient that depends on the unknown solution. It is known that unless the partition of the domain matches the discontinuity configuration, accuracy of standard finite element techniques significantly deteriorates and standard refinement of the partition may not suffice. The GFEM is a viable alternative to overcome this predicament. It is based on the construction of certain enrichment functions supplied to the standard finite element space that capture effects of the discontinuity. This approach is called stable (SGFEM) if it maintains an optimal rate of convergence and the conditioning of GFEM is not worse than that of the standard FEM. A convergence analysis is derived and performance of the method is illustrated by several numerical examples. Furthermore, it is known that typical global formulations such as FEMs do not enjoy the numerical local conservation property that is crucial in many conservation law-based applications. To remedy this issue, a Lagrange multiplier technique is adopted to enforce the local conservation. A numerical example is given to demonstrate the performance of proposed technique.
The Effect of Insulating K-Type Files on Accuracy and Reliability as Used in Two Electronic Apex Locators

THE EFFECT OF INSULATING K-TYPE FILES ON ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY AS USED IN TWO ELECTRONIC APEX LOCATORS By Timothy J. Finkler, DDS A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Director: Karan J. Replogle, DDS, MS Department Chair, Department of Endodontics The purpose of this in-vitro study is to compare the accuracy and reliability of a 3 rd and 4 th generation electronic apex locator (EAL) in locating the apical foramen when using insulated and non-insulated K files. Forty extracted human adult single-rooted teeth were coronally sectioned and placed in agar. EAL determined tooth length measurements were compared to actual tooth measurements. Comparisons to the standard measures used correlation and paired t-test. Preliminary comparisons of the groups used ANOVA to compare the means and the Brown-Forsythe test to compare variance. In the final analyses, the measurements were compared using a repeated-measures mixed-model multiway ANOVA that allowed for heterogeneous variance in the subgroups. Findings were that accuracy is not different due to insulation in the Root ZX group (p-value=0.50) but is improved in the Elements Diagnostic Unit group (p-value<.001). Reliability is nominally improved with insulation in both the Root ZX and Elements Diagnostic Unit.
Life Cycle Assessment Software: Selection Can Impact Results

When software is used to facilitate life cycle assessments (LCAs), the implicit assumption is that the results obtained are not a function of the choice of software used. LCAs were done in both SimaPro and GaBi for simplified systems of creation and disposal of 1 kilogram each of four basic materials (aluminum, corrugated board, glass, and polyethylene terephthalate) to determine whether there were significant differences in the results. Data files and impact assessment methodologies (Impact 2002, ReCiPe, and TRACI 2) were ostensibly identical (although there were minor variations in the available ReCiPe version between the programs that were investigated). Differences in reported impacts of greater than 20% for at least one of the four materials were found for 9 of the 15 categories in Impact 2002+, 7 of the 18 categories in ReCiPe, and four of the nine categories in TRACI. In some cases, these differences resulted in changes in the relative rankings of the four materials. The causes of the differences for 14 combinations of materials and impact categories were examined by tracing the results back to the life cycle inventory data and the characterization factors in the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. In all cases examined, a difference in the characterization factors used by the two programs was the cause of the differing results. As a result, when these software programs are used to inform choices, the result can be different conclusions about relative environmental preference that are functions purely of the software implementation of LCIA methods, rather than of the underlying data.
Vision, Rhetoric, and Social Action in the Composition Classroom, Kristie S. Fleckenstein

As rhetoric and composition teacher-researchers, we know how paradoxical and, at times, ambivalent the relationship between our work and social action can be. On one hand, many of us are brought to...
A New 69-Kv Oil Circuit Breaker for High Interrupting Duty [includes discussion]

This paper describes the development of a circuit breaker for the high interrupting duty required on many 69-kv metropolitan systems. Recognition of the peculiar problems of such systems resulted in the development of an oil circuit breaker for an interrupting duty of 3,500 megavolt amperes (mva). The results of complete laboratory tests give proof of mechanical and electrical performance with adequate margin. The breaker is mounted on a unit base enabling it to be shipped completely assembled with all adjustments made at the factory. The breaker has successfully interrupted currents equivalent to 5,000 mva, and these tests indicate that the breaker with a minimum of additional development work will be suitable for interrupting ratings of 5,000 mva when they are required. The standard interrupter recognizes some cable-switching applications at this voltage, interrupting up to 150 amperes of capacitance load without producing serious overvoltage. The standard interrupter may be modified for switching higher capacitance loads up to 240 amperes.
Critical Lessons: What our Schools Should Teach

Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Learning and self-understanding 2. The psychology of war 3. House and home 4. Other people 5. Parenting 6. Animals and nature 7. Advertising and propaganda 8. Making a living 9. Gender 10. Religion 11. Preparing our schools Notes Bibliography.
Intestinal operations in patients with ovarian carcinoma

Forty-two patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma underwent intestinal operations at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the City of Hope National Medical Center during the course of the disease. The patients were divided into three groups for purposes of this analysis. The first group had intestinal surgery during their initial laparotomy. Patients in the second group underwent intestinal operation at the time of re-exploration for recurrent disease but had no preoperative signs or symptoms of intestinal tract dysfunction, while those in the third group underwent re-exploration for symptomatic intestinal involvement by tumor. Operative complications, postoperative morbidity, and effect of the resection on disease outcome are analyzed for each group in an attempt to define the indications for intestinal resection or bypass in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
A bibliography of modern Persian literature in english translation

(1986). A bibliography of modern Persian literature in english translation. Iranian Studies: Vol. 19, No. 3-4, pp. 327-346.
Building Bridges: Integrating the Library into General Education Reform

General education has been a source of controversy within and outside the academy for several decades. In recent years, a number of Oregon universities, including Oregon Tech, have undergone or are undertaking general education review. This paper explores the role of the library in general education review. At Oregon Tech, librarians have been included in the general education review process and have leveraged this position to advocate for information literacy education on campus. In addition to sharing the successes and challenges faced by Oregon Tech librarians, this article investigates some of the opportunities that a general education review process provides for incorporating information literacy across disciplines through formal integration into the university curriculum. Background In order to demonstrate their relevance on campus, academic libraries must work closely to align library services with institutional and faculty goals (Pritchard, 1996; Chiste, Glover, & Westwood, 2000). Information literacy is integral to both the academic library mission and the university charge to educate lifelong learners. While traditional one-shot instruction sessions continue to dominate information literacy instruction at institutions around the country (Artman, Fisicaro-Palowski, & Monge, 2010; Mery, Newby, & Peng, 2012) and in the Pacific Northwest (Phelps, Senior, & Diller, 2011), both library and instructional faculty are beginning to see the limitations of this model and are seeking ways to Kelly PeTerson-Fairchild aja BeTTencourT-mccarThy
An aggressive admission control scheme for multimedia servers

The authors have proposed two types of admission control algorithms for multimedia storage servers: future-max (FM) and interval estimation (IE). The FM algorithm uses the maximum bandwidth requirement of the the future to estimate the bandwidth requirement. The IE algorithm defines a class of admission control schemes that uses a combination of maximum and average bandwidth within each interval to estimate the bandwidth requirement of the interval. The performance evaluations done through simulations show that the server utilization and the quality of service are improved by using the FM and IE algorithms.
Phenotypic and gene expression modification with normal brain aging in GFAP‐positive astrocytes and neural stem cells

Astrocytes secrete growth factors that are both neuroprotective and supportive for the local environment. Identified by glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression, astrocytes exhibit heterogeneity in morphology and in expression of phenotypic markers and growth factors throughout different adult brain regions. In adult neurogenic niches, astrocytes secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) within the neurogenic niche, and are also a source of special GFAP-positive multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs). Normal aging is accompanied by a decline in CNS function and reduced neurogenesis. We asked if a decreased availability of astrocyte-derived factors may contribute to the age-related decline in neurogenesis. Determining alterations of astrocytic activity in the aging brain is crucial for understanding CNS homeostasis in aging and for assessing appropriate therapeutic targets for an aging population. We found region-specific alterations in gene expression of GFAP, VEGF and FGF-2 and their receptors in the aged brain corresponding to changes in astrocytic reactivity, supporting astrocytic heterogeneity and demonstrating a differential aging effect. We found that GFAP-positive NSCs uniquely coexpress both VEGF and its key mitotic receptor Flk-1 in both young and aged hippocampus, indicating a possible autocrine/paracrine signaling mechanism. VEGF expression is lost once NSCs commit to a neuronal fate, but Flk-1-mediated sensitivity to VEGF signaling is maintained. We propose that age-related astrocytic changes result in reduced VEGF and FGF-2 signaling, which in turn limits neural stem cell and progenitor cell maintenance and contributes to decreased neurogenesis.
How a music scene functioned as a tool for urban redevelopment: A case study of Omaha’s Slowdown project

Abstract Music scenes are increasingly included in the discourse of how art and culture function as tools for economic development, but they are rarely discussed in terms of being catalysts for urban redevelopment. This gap in the literature is important to address as music-based urban redevelopment projects gain traction in the United States. One recent example is the “Slowdown” project in Omaha, Nebraska. This paper will offer insight into how a successful music scene can function as a catalyst for urban redevelopment by examining the $10.2 million dollar mixed-use Slowdown project and its connection to Omaha’s music scene. Laissez-faire public policy, low cost-of-living, and inexpensive technological tools all played roles in the development of a local music scene capable of reaching international significance and fostering a project the magnitude of Slowdown.
Mosher ester analysis for the determination of absolute configuration of stereogenic (chiral) carbinol carbons

This protocol details the most commonly used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based method for deducing the configuration of otherwise unknown stereogenic, secondary carbinol (alcohol) centers (R1R2CHOH (or the analogous amines where OH is replaced by NH2)). This 'Mosher ester analysis' relies on the fact that the protons in diastereomeric alpha-methoxy-alpha-trifluoromethylphenylacetic acid (MTPA) esters (i.e., those derived from conjugation of the carbinol under interrogation with MTPA) display different arrays of chemical shifts (deltas) in their 1H NMR spectra. The protocol consists of the following: (i) preparation of each of the diastereomeric S- and R-MTPA esters and (ii) comparative (Delta delta(SR)) analysis of the 1H NMR spectral data of these two esters. By analyzing the sign of the difference in chemical shifts for a number of analogous pairs of protons (the set of Delta delta(SR) values) in the diastereomeric esters (or amides), the absolute configuration of the original carbinol (or amino) stereocenter can be reliably deduced. A typical Mosher ester analysis requires approximately 4-6 h of active effort over a 1- to 2-d period.
A global optimization method, αBB, for process design

A global optimization algorithm, αBB, for twice-differentiable NLPs is presented. It operates within a branch-and-bound framework and requires the construction of a convex lower bounding problem. A technique to generate such a valid convex underestimator for arbitrary twice-differentiable functions is described. The αBB has been applied to a variety of problems and a summary of the results obtained is provided.
Sufficient conditions for Nash implementation

Given an objective for a group of three or more agents that satisfies monotonicity and no veto power, Maskin (1977) proposes a two-step procedure for constructing a game that implements the objective in Nash equilibrium. The first step specifies the strategy set of the game and three properties of the game rule that are together sufficient to insure Nash implementation of the objective. The second step is the explicit construction of a game that has these properties. An example is presented here that shows that the constructed game of the second step need not have one of the three properties of the first step, and it does in fact not Nash implement the objective in the example. The problem is attributable to restricted preferences. A solution proposed here is to appropriately expand the domain of definition of the objective. This insures that the constructed game has the properties of the game in Maskin’s first step, and it therefore Nash implements the original objective.
Relationships between two systems of factor analysis

Considering only population values, it is shown that the complete set of factors of a correlation matrix with units in the diagonal cells may be transformed into the factors derived by factoring these correlations with communalities in the diagonal cells. When the correlations are regarded as observed values, the common factors derived as a transformation of the complete set of factors of the correlation matrix with units in the diagonal cells satisfy Lawley's requirement for a maximum likelihood solution and are a first approximation to Rao's canonical factors.
The Brookhaven Double Vee Magnetic Spectrometer

Abstract A technical description of the Brookhaven Double Vee Magnetic Spectrometer is presented. The performance of this spectrometer in the study of high energy interactions is discussed.
Disparities in Breast Cancer Treatment and Survival for Women with Disabilities

In this study of 100 311 women younger than 65 years of age with stage I to stage IIIA breast cancer, women with disabilities had lower rates of breast-conserving surgery and higher all-cause and b...
The contribution of snow condition trends to future ground climate

Global climate models predict that terrestrial northern high-latitude snow conditions will change substantially over the twenty-first century. Results from a Community Climate System Model simulation of twentieth and twenty-first (SRES A1B scenario) century climate show increased winter snowfall (+10–40%), altered maximum snow depth (−5 ± 6 cm), and a shortened snow-season (−14 ± 7 days in spring, +20 ± 9 days in autumn). By conducting a series of prescribed snow experiments with the Community Land Model, we isolate how trends in snowfall, snow depth, and snow-season length affect soil temperature trends. Increasing snowfall, by countering the snowpack-shallowing influence of warmer winters and shorter snow seasons, is effectively a soil warming agent, accounting for 10–30% of total soil warming at 1 m depth and ~16% of the simulated twenty-first century decline in near-surface permafrost extent. A shortening snow season enhances soil warming due to increased solar absorption whereas a shallowing snowpack mitigates soil warming due to weaker winter insulation from cold atmospheric air. Snowpack deepening has comparatively less impact due to saturation of snow insulative capacity at deeper snow depths. Snow depth and snow-season length trends tend to be positively related, but their effects on soil temperature are opposing. Consequently, on the century timescale the net change in snow state can either amplify or mitigate soil warming. Snow state changes explain less than 25% of total soil temperature change by 2100. However, for the latter half of twentieth century, snow state variations account for as much as 50–100% of total soil temperature variations.
Nanoflow solvent gradient delivery from a microfabricated device for protein identifications by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Microfabrication technology offers the opportunity to construct microfluidic modules which are designed to perform specific, dedicated functions. Here we report the construction of a microfabricated device for the generation and delivery by electroosmotic pumping of solvent gradients at nanoliter per minute flow rates. The device consists of three solvent reservoirs and channels which were etched in glass. Solvent gradients and solvent flows were generated by computer controlled differential electroosmotic pumping of aqueous and organic phase, respectively, from the solvent reservoirs. The device was integrated into an analytical system consisting of the solvent gradient delivery module, a reverse phase micro-column and an electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometer (MS). The system was used for the analysis at high sensitivity of peptides and peptide mixtures generated by proteolytic digestion of proteins. We have measured an absolute limit of detection as low as 1 fmol and a concentration limit o...
Applications of electrical noise

The omnipresent noise in electronic circuits and devices is generally considered undesirable. This paper describes some of the applications to which it has been put. Short descriptions of a wide variety of applications are given together with references for further details. The applications fall in four categories: applications in which noise is used as a broad-band random signal; measurements in which the random noise is used as a test signal; measurements in which noise is used as a probe into microscopic phenomena; and the applications where noise is a conceptual or theoretical tool. Many examples of applications in each of these categories are given. Some of the applications included are only of historical interest now, and a few are, as yet, only proposals.
Measurement of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility in a representative soluble polymer with acetylenic linkages

Abstract The third-order Raman and nonresonant electronic susceptibilities of a soluble conjugated rigid-rod polymer, poly(2,5-di-n-dodecyloxy-p-phenyleneethynylene), have been measured by the interferometric four wave mixing method of Levenson and Bloembergen. The magnitude of the second-order electronic hyperpolarizability is large and the real part is negative. The negative hyperpolarizability is attributed to the dominance of coherence pathways involving the ground state. The size of the Raman hyperpolarizability is consistent with suggestions that the Raman cross-section can represent the size of the hyperpolarizability.
Ashley's Case: The Ethics of Arresting the Growth of Children with Serious Disability

This article analyzes the justifications and ethics of attenuating the growth of children with serious disability. It considers the case of Ashley, a child with profound developmental and cognitive disabilities whose growth was attenuated through high-dose estrogen treatment and surgery. The goals of Ashley's parents and physicians were to keep her small, thereby making it easier for her parents to care for her at home. Perspectives supporting and opposing growth attenuation are presented. It is suggested that community resources and supports, rather than medical strategies, are necessary to address the social challenges of community living.
Pasture taxes and agricultural intensification in southern Mali

Abstract This study integrates biophysical simulation data with a farm household model of intertemporal optimization, to investigate changing crop–livestock management practices in the Sudano–Guinean zone of Mali. Over a 15-yr time horizon we find that free grazing on the commons remains more attractive to the representative household than adopting more labor- and capital-intensive confinement systems, but that a relatively low level of pasture tax (around US$3 per livestock unit per year) would be sufficient to induce intensification. Because confinement raises output, the net cost of the tax to the household is only about US$1 per unit per year. Imposing pasture taxes to induce intensification could raise community welfare, if the value of commons resources liberated by reduced grazing pressure exceeds that level.
Addition of dextrose 3.5% to intrathecal sufentanil for labour analgesia reduces pruritus

Purpose: To determine whether the addition of a low concentration (3.5%) of dextrose would minimize pruritus while maintaining the quality of analgesia.
Once daily versus twice daily enoxaparin for acute pulmonary embolism in cancer patients

BackgroundVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition in which a thrombus occludes the vasculature. The incidence of VTE in cancer patients is three times higher than that of the general population. Enoxaparin 1 mg/kg subcutaneously (SC) twice daily and enoxaparin 1.5 mg/kg SC once daily are both FDA-approved dosing regimens for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE). The objectives of this study were to assess outcomes of cancer patients treated with once or twice daily enoxaparin for acute PE. Primary outcomes included recurrent or worsening PE and secondary outcomes included mortality or signs of clinically overt, major bleeding.MethodsThis study was a retrospective chart review of adult cancer patients treated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2011 to 2013 who received either 1 mg/kg twice daily or 1.5 mg/kg once daily enoxaparin for acute PE upon discharge.ResultsAmong 48 patients in each the twice daily and once daily group, six recurrent PEs occurred. The incidence of recu...
Functional Characterization of a Na+-dependent Aspartate Transporter from Pyrococcus horikoshii

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) are crucial in maintaining extracellular levels of glutamate, the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter, below toxic levels. The recent three-dimensional crystal structure of GltPh, an archaeal homolog of the EAATs, provides elegant structural details of this family of proteins, yet we know little about the mechanism of the bacterial transporter. Conflicting reports in the literature have described GltPh as an aspartate transporter driven by Na+ or a glutamate transporter driven by either Na+ or H+. Here we use purified protein reconstituted into liposomes to thoroughly characterize the ion and substrate dependence of the GltPh transport. We confirm that GltPh is a Na+-dependent transporter that is highly selective for aspartate over other amino acids, and we show that transport is coupled to at least two Na+ ions. In contrast to the EAATs, transport via GltPh is independent of H+ and K+. We propose a kinetic model of transport in which at least two Na+ ions are coupled to the cotransport of each aspartate molecule by GltPh, and where an ion- and substrate-free transporter reorients to complete the transport cycle.
A 5.5Mpixel 100 frames/sec wide dynamic range low noise CMOS image sensor for scientific applications

In this paper we describe a 5.5Mpixel 100 frames/sec wide-dynamic-range low-noise CMOS image sensor (CIS) designed for scientific applications. The sensor has 6.5μm pitch 5T pixels with pinned photodiodes and integrated microlenses. The 5T pixel architecture enables low noise rolling and global shutter operation. The measured peak quantum efficiency of the sensor is greater than 55% at 550nm, the Nyquist MTF is greater than 0.4 at 550nm, and the linear full well capacity is greater than 35ke-. The measured rolling and global shutter readout noise are 1.28e- RMS and 2.54e- RMS respectively at 30 f/s and 20°C. The pinned photodiode dark current is less than 3.8pA/cm2 at 20°C. The sensor achieves an intra-scene linear dynamic range in rolling shutter operation of greater than 86dB (20000:1) at room temperature. In global shutter readout the shutter efficiency is greater than 1000:1 with 500nm illumination.
Affine Jordan cells, logarithmic correlators, and hamiltonian reduction

Abstract We study a particular type of logarithmic extension of SL ( 2 , R ) Wess–Zumino–Witten models. It is based on the introduction of affine Jordan cells constructed as multiplets of quasi-primary fields organized in indecomposable representations of the Lie algebra sl ( 2 ) . We solve the simultaneously imposed set of conformal and SL ( 2 , R ) Ward identities for two- and three-point chiral blocks. These correlators will in general involve logarithmic terms and may be represented compactly by considering spins with nilpotent parts. The chiral blocks are found to exhibit hierarchical structures revealed by computing derivatives with respect to the spins. We modify the Knizhnik–Zamolodchikov equations to cover affine Jordan cells and show that our chiral blocks satisfy these equations. It is also demonstrated that a simple and well-established prescription for Hamiltonian reduction at the level of ordinary correlators extends straightforwardly to the logarithmic correlators as the latter then reduce to the known results for two- and three-point conformal blocks in logarithmic conformal field theory.
Turkeys Grown in Confinement and on Range

Abstract MANY experiments have been conducted comparing results of turkeys grown in confinement and on restricted or free range. While providing houses or sheds for rearing in confinement adds materially to the cost of equipment, the reduction in labor, losses from storms, stampede, predatory animals, and disease tend to offset, over a period of years, the added cost. The relatively inexpensive pole-type house has become popular, since it can be used for the dual purpose of shelter for the breeding flock and rearing quarters for young turkeys. This system requires additional brooding facilities to accommodate the young stock until six or eight weeks of age or until after the breeding season terminates. In this way the housing facilities are in use almost the year round. Some of the questions that concern growers relate to the feasibility of confinement rearing as affected by mortality, rate of growth, feed efficiency, and the quality …
Fatigue damage-fracture mechanics interaction in cortical bone

Fatigue loading causes accumulation of damage that may lead to the initiation of a macrocrack and result in a catastrophic failure of bone. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of fatigue damage on crack growth parameters in bovine cortical bone. Nineteen rectangular beam specimens (4 × 4 × 48 mm) were machined from bovine tibiae. The long axis of the beams was aligned with the long axis of bones. Using a four-point bending fatigue setup, ten specimens were fatigue-damaged to different levels as indicated by stiffness loss. A through-thickness notch was machined at the center of each damaged and undamaged beam. The notched specimens were then monotonically loaded beyond failure using a three-point bending protocol. Critical stress intensity factor, KI, and work to critical load, WQ, were significantly lower in the damaged group than in the undamaged group (p < 0.03). When the undamaged specimens were assigned a percent stiffness loss of zero and pooled with the damaged group, significant negative correlations of percent stiffness loss with KI (R = 0.58, p < 0.01), WQ (R = 0.54, p < 0.02), maximum load, Pmax (R = 0.59, p < 0.008), deflection at maximum load, Δmax (R = 0.48, p < 0.04), structural stiffness, Smax (R = 0.53, p < 0.02), Wmax (R = 0.55, p < 0.02), and load at 1.4 mm deflection (a value beyond failure but without complete fracture), P1.4 (R = 0.47, p < 0.05), were found. Post hoc analysis revealed that the average load-deflection curve from the damaged group was transformable into that from the undamaged group through a special shift on the load-deflection plane. Fatigue damage reduces bone stiffness and resistance to crack initiation, maximum load-carrying capacity, and deflection before and after failure in cortical bone. The data suggest there is a single rule that governs the overall effect of fatigue damage on the fracture behavior of cortical bone.