cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emerging investigators series: frontier review: occurrence and speciation of chromium in drinking water distribution systems

Chromium can exist as both trivalent Cr(III) and hexavalent Cr(VI) in typical drinking water conditions, with Cr(VI) being of particular concern due to its high toxicity and new regulatory perspectives. This study critically reviewed the occurrence and speciation of chromium in drinking water distribution systems in the U.S., based on a detailed analysis of the up-to-date EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) database. Data show that the nationwide Cr(VI) levels in drinking water ranged from non-detectable to 97 μg L−1 at the entry point to drinking water distribution systems, and between non-detectable and 67 μg L−1 at the maximal residence time of distribution systems. Geographic distributions show that higher drinking water Cr(VI) concentrations were observed in Southwest U.S. and were closely associated with the dependence on groundwater as a drinking water source. While Cr(VI) and total chromium concentrations showed either an increase or a decrease between the entry point and the maximal residence time of drinking water distribution systems, they suggested complex physicochemical processes that can act as both sources and sinks of chromium in distribution systems, including the oxidation of Cr(III)-containing solids by residual disinfectants and the adsorption of Cr(VI) by corrosion scales. Time-dependent data analysis revealed that a considerable fraction of Cr(III) at the entry point to distribution systems was inadvertently converted to Cr(VI) by the time the drinking water reached the maximal residence time of distribution systems, and this conversion was positively correlated with the presence of residual disinfectants. Data analyses suggest that the reactivity of downstream water distribution should be managed to control chromium in tap water.
The Future of Radiology Consultation.

A more collaborative approach to consultation is one that every radiologist concerned about the future of radiology should be eager to embody.
Light weakly coupled axial forces: models, constraints, and projections

We investigate the landscape of constraints on MeV-GeV scale, hidden U(1) forces with nonzero axial-vector couplings to Standard Model fermions. While the purely vector-coupled dark photon, which may arise from kinetic mixing, is a well-motivated scenario, several MeV-scale anomalies motivate a theory with axial couplings which can be UV-completed consistent with Standard Model gauge invariance. Moreover, existing constraints on dark photons depend on products of various combinations of axial and vector couplings, making it difficult to isolate the effects of axial couplings for particular flavors of SM fermions. We present a representative renormalizable, UV-complete model of a dark photon with adjustable axial and vector couplings, discuss its general features, and show how some UV constraints may be relaxed in a model with nonrenormalizable Yukawa couplings at the expense of fine-tuning. We survey the existing parameter space and the projected reach of planned experiments, briefly commenting on the relevance of the allowed parameter space to low-energy anomalies in π0 and 8Be∗ decay.
Assessing corporate demand for sponsorship: marketing costs in the financial services industry

Despite increased interest in nontraditional marketing activities such as sponsorship, the ability of brand marketers to quantify the return on investment from such approaches is a continued challenge. Given their proprietary nature, investigations of sponsorship costs are particularly sparse. Therefore, this study utilizes a dataset of more than 700 sponsorships undertaken by competitors in the financial services industry to investigate the influence of a variety of factors on costs. Results indicate that costs are not simply reflective of firm size, and costs of title and naming rights sponsorships are significantly higher. Evidence of agency conflicts are found in increased costs for sponsorships of events, organizations, and venues residing within the marketers’ home market. Sponsorships of sport organizations are significantly more costly than those of arts, entertainment, and nonprofit organizations, presenting a challenge for marketers seeking to engage today’s consumer via sport sponsorships in an increasingly competitive environment.
Human Rights, Technology, and Food: Coordinating Access and Innovation for 2050 and Beyond

The purpose of this article is to suggest a path to alleviating the enduring tension between the right to food and intellectual property rights holders, particularly patent holders, of food-related technologies. After examining the role of technology in relieving the increasing demographic pressure for food, this manuscript explores how the dependence on technology for food solutions can cause a collision with barriers of intellectual property rights. The manuscript then examines how the protect, respect, and remedy framework,developed and introduced by U.N. Special Representative John Ruggie, can be used as an important tool to manage the innovation-access dilemma. The framework can stimulate coordination and innovation between interests in food access and the need for food innovation through rights holders. Policy recommendations are also presented to further encourage a reconciliation between food access and intellectual property regimes.
HapTree: A Novel Bayesian Framework for Single Individual Polyplotyping Using NGS Data

Using standard genotype calling tools, it is possible to accurately identify the number of "wild type" and "mutant" alleles A, C, G, or T for each singlenucleotide polymorphism SNP site. In the case of two heterozygous SNP sites however, genotype calling tools cannot determine whether "mutant" alleles from different SNP loci are on the same or different chromosomes. While in many cases the former would be healthy, the latter can cause loss of function; it is therefore important to identify the phase--the copies of a chromosome on which the mutant alleles occur--in addition to the genotype. This need necessitates efficient algorithms to obtain an accurate and comprehensive haplotype reconstruction the phase of heterozygous SNPs in the genome directly from the next-generation sequencing NGS read data. Nearly all previous haplotype reconstruction studies have focused on diploid genomes and are rarely scalable to genomes of higher ploidy; however, computational investigations into polyploid genomes carry great importance, impacting plant, yeast and fish genomics, as well as studies into the evolution of modern-day eukaryotes and epigenetic interactions between copies of genes.
Differentially Private Distributed Convex Optimization via Functional Perturbation

We study a class of distributed convex constrained optimization problems where a group of agents aim to minimize the sum of individual objective functions while each desires that any information about its objective function is kept private. We prove the impossibility of achieving differential privacy using strategies based on perturbing the inter-agent messages with noise when the underlying noise-free dynamics are asymptotically stable. This justifies our algorithmic solution based on the perturbation of individual functions with Laplace noise. To this end, we establish a general framework for differentially private handling of functional data. We further design post-processing steps that ensure the perturbed functions regain the smoothness and convexity properties of the original functions while preserving the differentially private guarantees of the functional perturbation step. This methodology allows us to use any distributed coordination algorithm to solve the optimization problem on the noisy functions. Finally, we explicitly bound the magnitude of the expected distance between the perturbed and true optimizers which leads to an upper bound on the privacy-accuracy tradeoff curve. Simulations illustrate our results.
Kryo-, Kälte-, Wärmetherapie

Durch lokalen Warmeentzug, der Kalte- oder Kryotherapie, kommt es zu einer raschen Abkuhlung von Haut und Subkutis und zu einer verzogerten Abkuhlung in tiefer liegenden Gewebsschichten. Da Haut und Subkutis schlechte Warmeleiter sind, dauert es etwa 20 min, bis eine Temperatursenkung von 5 °C in einer 2 cm tief liegenden Muskelschicht erreicht ist. Deshalb wird zwischen Kurzzeit-, intermittierender und Langzeitanwendung unterschieden. Um die Korperkerntemperatur zu erhalten, kommt es in der Peripherie initial zur Vasokonstriktion und in der Folge reaktiv zur wiederholten Vasodilatation. Die Schmerzschwelle wird bereits nach kurzer Zeit erhoht. Eine Langzeitanwendung von 20–30 min bewirkt eine Entzundungshemmung im akuten Stadium, eine lokale Stoffwechselreduktion, die Abnahme der Nervenleitgeschwindigkeit und Erregbarkeit von Muskelspindel und Golgi-Sehnenorgan, eine Reduktion des Muskeltonus und eine zunehmende Steifheit des Bindegewebes und der Gelenke. Die lokale Korpererwarmung auf 40–45 °C bewirkt eine Zunahme der Durchblutung, der Dehnbarkeit des Bindegewebes, der Nervenleitgeschwindigkeit, der Permeabilitat von Zellmembranen, eine Muskelentspannung und eine Abnahme der Gelenksteifigkeit. Warmeanwendungen uber die Hautoberflache bewirken hauptsachlich eine Erwarmung von Haut und subkutanem Fettgewebe. Eine direkte Erwarmung tiefer liegender Gewebe wird durch Kurzwellen-, Dezimeter-, Mikrowellen- und Ultraschalltherapie erreicht. Zusammenfassend sind bei lokal schmerzhaften Muskelverspannungen sowohl Warme als auch Warmeentzug zur Behandlung geeignet. Bei akuten Entzundungen, neurogener Spastik, nach Traumen oder Verbrennungen ist Kryotherapie indiziert, zur Besserung der Gelenksteifigkeit und Dehnbarkeit des Bindegewebes Warmetherapie.
Skeletal program enumeration for rigorous compiler testing

A program can be viewed as a syntactic structure P (syntactic skeleton) parameterized by a collection of identifiers V (variable names). This paper introduces the skeletal program enumeration (SPE) problem: Given a syntactic skeleton P and a set of variables V , enumerate a set of programs P exhibiting all possible variable usage patterns within P. It proposes an effective realization of SPE for systematic, rigorous compiler testing by leveraging three important observations: (1) Programs with different variable usage patterns exhibit diverse control- and data-dependence, and help exploit different compiler optimizations; (2) most real compiler bugs were revealed by small tests (i.e., small-sized P) — this “small-scope” observation opens up SPE for practical compiler validation; and (3) SPE is exhaustive w.r.t. a given syntactic skeleton and variable set, offering a level of guarantee absent from all existing compiler testing techniques. The key challenge of SPE is how to eliminate the enormous amount of equivalent programs w.r.t. α-conversion. Our main technical contribution is a novel algorithm for computing the canonical (and smallest) set of all non-α-equivalent programs. To demonstrate its practical utility, we have applied the SPE technique to test C/C++ compilers using syntactic skeletons derived from their own regression test-suites. Our evaluation results are extremely encouraging. In less than six months, our approach has led to 217 confirmed GCC/Clang bug reports, 119 of which have already been fixed, and the majority are long latent despite extensive prior testing efforts. Our SPE algorithm also provides six orders of magnitude reduction. Moreover, in three weeks, our technique has found 29 CompCert crashing bugs and 42 bugs in two Scala optimizing compilers. These results demonstrate our SPE technique’s generality and further illustrate its effectiveness.
Glucose level decline precedes dementia in elderly African Americans with diabetes

Abstract Introduction High blood glucose levels may be responsible for the increased risk for dementia in diabetic patients. Methods A secondary data analysis merging electronic medical records (EMRs) with data collected from the Indianapolis–Ibadan Dementia project (IIDP). Of the enrolled 4105 African Americans, 3778 were identified in the EMR. Study endpoints were dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or normal cognition. Repeated serum glucose measurements were used as the outcome variables. Results Diabetic participants who developed incident dementia had a significant decrease in serum glucose levels in the years preceding the diagnosis compared to the participants with normal cognition ( P = .0002). They also had significantly higher glucose levels up to 9 years before the dementia diagnosis ( P = .0367). Discussion High glucose levels followed by a decline occurring years before diagnosis in African American participants with diabetes may represent a powerful presymptomatic metabolic indicator of dementia.
Elite Identity and Political Accountability: A Tale of Ten Islands

Emancipation of slaves in the 1830s transformed the political elites of the British Caribbean plantation islands. New elites were more accountable to the citizenry. We develop a theory in which two factors limit and possibly reverse the effect of this on political outcomes, with legislators: (i) ‘stepping up’ to pass extractive policies; and/or (ii) weakening democratic institutions. The theory is supported by an historical analysis of ten Caribbean plantation islands, based on original archival data on legislator race, occupation and roll-call voting. Eventually, all assemblies that experienced a significant change in composition dissolved themselves and converted to British ‘Crown Rule’.
Designing optimal pulse-shapers for ultra-wideband radios

Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is gaining increasing interest for its potential application to short-range indoor wireless communications. Utilizing ultra-short pulses, UWB baseband transmissions enable rich multipath diversity, and can be demodulated with low complexity receivers. Compliance with the FCC spectral mask, and interference avoidance to, and from, co-existing narrow-band services, calls for judicious design of UWB pulse shapers. This paper introduces pulse shaper designs for UWB radios, which optimally utilize the bandwidth and power allowed by the FCC spectral mask. The resulting baseband UWB systems can be either single-band, or, multi-band. More important, the novel pulse shapers can support dynamic avoidance of narrow-band interference, as well as efficient implementation of fast frequency hopping, without invoking analog carriers.
Hamiltonian truncation study of supersymmetric quantum mechanics: S-matrix and metastable states

We implement the Rayleigh-Ritz method in supersymmetric quantum mechanics with flat directions, and extract the S-matrix and metastable resonances. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated in two strongly coupled systems: an $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 1 toy supermembrane model, and an $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 model with a U(1) gauge multiplet and a charged chiral multiplet.
Optimal scheduling of real-time traffic in wireless networks with delayed feedback

In this paper we consider a wireless network composed of a base station and a number of clients, with the goal of scheduling real-time traffic. Even though this problem has been extensively studied in the literature, the impact of delayed acknowledgment has not been assessed. Delayed feedback is of increasing importance in systems where the round trip delay is much greater than the packet transmission time, and it has a significant effect on the scheduling decisions and network performance. Previous work considered the problem of scheduling real-time traffic with instantaneous feedback and without feedback. In this work, we address the general case of delayed feedback and use Dynamic Programming to characterize the optimal scheduling policy. An optimal algorithm that fulfills any feasible minimum delivery ratio requirements is proposed. Moreover, we develop a low-complexity suboptimal heuristic algorithm which is suitable for platforms with low computational power. Both algorithms are evaluated through simulations.
Effect of Particle Size and Trench Configuration on Deposition From Fine Coal Flyash near Film Cooling Holes

Particulate deposition experiments were performed in a turbine accelerated deposition facility to examine the effects of flyash particle size and trench configuration on deposits near film cooling holes. Deposition on two bare metal Inconel coupons was studied, with hole spacings (s/d) of 3.4 and 4.5. Two sizes of sub-bituminous coal ash particles were used, with mass mean diameter of 4 and 13 μm, respectively. The effect of a cooling trench at the exit of the cooling holes was also examined in this deposition facility. Experiments were performed at different angles of impaction. Particles were accelerated to a combustor exit flow Mach number of 0.25 and heated to 1183 °C before impinging on a target coupon. The particle loading in the 1-h tests was 160 ppmw. Blowing ratios were varied in these experiments from 0 to 4.0. Particle surface temperature maps were measured using two-color pyrometry based on RGB signals from a camera. Deposits generated from finer particles were observed to stick to the surface more tenaciously than larger particles. The capture efficiency measured for the small particles was lower than for the larger particles, especially at low blowing ratios. However, the finer particles exhibited a greater variation in deposition pattern as a function of hole spacing than seen with larger particles. The effect of trench configuration on deposition was examined by performing deposition tests with and without the trench for the same hole spacing and blowing ratio. The effects of trench configuration on capture efficiency, deposition pattern, and surface topography are reported. Deposition experiments at impingement angles from 45° to 15° showed changes in both deposit thickness and temperature. The trench increased cooling effectiveness, but did not change the particulate collection efficiency because the trench acted as a particulate collector.
Global existence and estimates of the solutions to nonlinear integral equations

It is proved that a class of nonlinear integral equations of the Volterra-Hammerstein type has a global solution, that is, solutions defined for all \(t\ge 0\), and estimates of these solutions as \(t\to \infty\) are obtained. The argument uses a nonlinear differential inequality which was proved by the author and has broad applications.
2D metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) for energy storage

The family of 2D transition metal carbides, carbonitrides and nitrides (collectively referred to as MXenes) has expanded rapidly since the discovery of Ti3C2 in 2011. The materials reported so far always have surface terminations, such as hydroxyl, oxygen or fluorine, which impart hydrophilicity to their surfaces. About 20 different MXenes have been synthesized, and the structures and properties of dozens more have been theoretically predicted. The availability of solid solutions, the control of surface terminations and a recent discovery of multi-transition-metal layered MXenes offer the potential for synthesis of many new structures. The versatile chemistry of MXenes allows the tuning of properties for applications including energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, reinforcement for composites, water purification, gas- and biosensors, lubrication, and photo-, electro- and chemical catalysis. Attractive electronic, optical, plasmonic and thermoelectric properties have also been shown. In this Review, we present the synthesis, structure and properties of MXenes, as well as their energy storage and related applications, and an outlook for future research. More than twenty 2D carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides of transition metals (MXenes) have been synthesized and studied, and dozens more predicted to exist. Highly electrically conductive MXenes show promise in electrical energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, electrocatalysis, plasmonics and other applications.
Accounting Conservatism and the Cost of Capital: An International Analysis

This paper examines the role of conditional accounting conservatism in mitigating the cost of equity and debt capital in an international setting. The findings are that firms domiciled in countries with more conservative financial reporting systems have lower cost of equity and debt capital. The paper further explores the cross-sectional variation of the above relationships, finding that the negative association between conditional conservatism and the cost of equity and debt capital is more pronounced in countries with stronger legal enforcement, suggesting a complementary role between conservatism and legal institutions in capital markets. In addition, the paper finds that conservatism only reduces the cost of debt in countries where accounting-based covenants are widely used, consistent with the argument that conditional conservatism improves the efficiency of debt contracts via accelerating covenant violations.
Black-box testing of Grey-box behavior

Object- oriented frameworks are designed to provide functionality common to a variety of applications. Developers use these frameworks in building their own specialized applications, often without having the source code of the original framework. Unfortunately, the interactions between the framework components and the new application code can lead to behaviors that could not be predicted even if valid black-box specifications were provided for the framework components. What is needed are grey-box specifications that include information about sequences of method calls made by the original framework code. Our focus is on how to test frameworks against such specifications, which requires the ability to monitor such method calls made by the framework during testing. The problem is that without the source code of the framework, we cannot resort to code instrumentation to track these calls. We develop an approach that allows us to do this, and demonstrate it on a simple case study.
Classroom Discussions as Distortions: Examining Discriminatory Teacher Practices

Ms. Mendez, English Department chair in a large urban high school, has noticed a persistent pattern in the practices of her colleagues. These practices tend to be racially insensitive and emphasize...
Design of Geometric Molecular Bonds

An example of a specific molecular bond is the affinity of the DNA base A for T, but not for C, G, or another A. This contrasts nonspecific bonds, such as the affinity of any positive charge for any negative charge (like-unlike), or of nonpolar material for itself when in aqueous solution (like-like). Recent experimental breakthroughs in DNA nanotechnology demonstrate that a particular nonspecific like-like bond (“blunt-end DNA stacking” that occurs between the ends of any pair of DNA double-helices) can be used to create specific “macrobonds” by careful geometric arrangement of many nonspecific blunt ends, motivating the need for sets of macrobonds that are orthogonal : two macrobonds not intended to bind have relatively low binding strength, even when misaligned. To address this need, we introduce geometric orthogonal codes that abstractly model the engineered DNA macrobonds as 2-D binary codewords. While motivated by completely different applications, geometric orthogonal codes share similar features to the optical orthogonal codes studied by Chung et al. The main technical difference is the importance of 2-D geometry in defining codeword orthogonality.
An inverse problem with data on the part of the boundary

Abstract Let u t = ∇ 2 u − q ( x ) u ≔ Lu in D × [0, ∞), where D ⊂ R 3 is a bounded domain with a smooth connected boundary S , and q ( x ) ∈ L 2 ( S ) is a real-valued function with compact support in D . Assume that u ( x , 0) = 0, u = 0 on S 1 ⊂ S , u = a ( s , t ) on S 2 = S ⧹ S 1 , where a ( s , t ) = 0 for t > T , a ( s , t ) ≢ 0, a ∈ C 1 ([0, T ]; H 3/2 ( S 2 )) is arbitrary. Given the extra data u N ∣ S 2 = b ( s , t ) , for each a ∈ C 1 ([0, T ]; H 3/2 ( S 2 )), where N is the outer normal to S , one can find q ( x ) uniquely. A similar result is obtained for the heat equation u t = L u ≔ ∇ · ( a ∇ u ) . These results are based on new versions of Property C.
On sampling from massive graph streams

We propose Graph Priority Sampling (gps), a new paradigm for order-based reservoir sampling from massive graph streams. gps provides a general way to weight edge sampling according to auxiliary and/or size variables so as to accomplish various estimation goals of graph properties. In the context of subgraph counting, we show how edge sampling weights can be chosen so as to minimize the estimation variance of counts of specified sets of subgraphs. In distinction with many prior graph sampling schemes, gps separates the functions of edge sampling and subgraph estimation. We propose two estimation frameworks: (1) Post-Stream estimation, to allow gps to construct a reference sample of edges to support retrospective graph queries, and (2) In-Stream estimation, to allow gps to obtain lower variance estimates by incrementally updating the subgraph count estimates during stream processing. Unbiasedness of subgraph estimators is established through a new Martingale formulation of graph stream order sampling, in which subgraph estimators, written as a product of constituent edge estimators, are unbiased, even when computed at different points in the stream. The separation of estimation and sampling enables significant resource savings relative to previous work. We illustrate our framework with applications to triangle and wedge counting. We perform a large-scale experimental study on real-world graphs from various domains and types. gps achieves high accuracy with
Distributed mapping with privacy and communication constraints: Lightweight algorithms and object-based models:

We consider the following problem: a team of robots is deployed in an unknown environment and it has to collaboratively build a map of the area without a reliable infrastructure for communication. ...
Spurious anomalies in dimensional renormalization

A set of procedures is given for avoiding the spurious anomalies that are generated when the ’t Hooft-Veltman definition ofγ 5 is used in conjunction with renormalization by minimal subtraction. These procedures are derived from the standard procedure, which requires in addition various finite renormalizations to remove spurious violations of chiral symmetry. They apply to open fermion lines, including flavor changing currents, to closed fermion loops, including those which contain true anomalous currents, and to anomalous loops connected to open fermion lines, to all orders in QCD.
FIRST EIGENVALUES OF GEOMETRIC OPERATORS UNDER THE RICCI FLOW

In this paper, we prove that the first eigenvalues of -A+cfl (c > A) are nondecreasing under the Ricci flow. We also prove the monotonicity under the normalized Ricci flow for the cases c = 1/4 and r < 0.
A comparison of norm maps

We present a spectrum-level version of the norm map in equivariant homotopy theory based on the algebraic construction in the 1997 paper by Greenlees and May. We show that this new norm map is the same as the construction in the 2009 paper by Hill, Hopkins and Ravenel. Our comparison of the two norm maps gives a conceptual understanding of the choices inherent in the definition of the multiplicative norm map. This paper serves to contextualize and explain the construction of the norm maps in equivariant stable homotopy theory. The norm map should be thought of as a sort of multiplicative induction functor that takes H–equivariant spectra to G–equivariant spectra, where H is a finite index subgroup of a compact Lie group G. We compare the definition of the norm map used in the recent solution to the Kervaire invariant one problem [3] to the norm map implicit in earlier work of Greenlees and May [2]. Greenlees and May define an algebraic norm map on homotopy groups, whereas Hill, Hopkins and Ravenel have a spectrum-level construction that agrees with the Greenlees–May construction on the algebraic level. We give a spectrum-level version of the Greenlees–May construction and compare the two constructions at the spectrum level. Our comparison gives a new conceptual understanding of the choices inherent in the definition of the multiplicative norm map. First, note that we will use orthogonal spectra and push all of the choice of universe issues into choice of model structure. It follows from [7, Theorem V.1.7] that we can thus get away with thinking of G–spectra as simply G–objects in the category of spectra. In turn, we will think of these as covariant functors from the one-object category G into the category S of spectra. Let G be a compact Lie group and H < G be a subgroup such that [G : H] = n. Let BG/HG be the translation groupoid of G acting on G/H. That is, BG/HG has objects x ∈ G/H and morphisms x g −→ gx for all g ∈ G. If we think of H as a one-object category, we have an inclusion of groupoids ι : H ↪→ BG/HG given by sending the object ∗H of H to the identity coset. Since BG/HG is connected and the endomorphisms of eH ∈ G/H are just H, this is an equivalence of categories. Received by the editors January 27, 2012 and, in revised form, April 30, 2012. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 55P91, 55P42; Secondary 18D30. The first author thanks MSRI for hosting the Hot Topics: Kervaire Invariant workshop of October 2010, which inspired this research. The second author was supported by an NSF graduate research fellowship and by an NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. c ©2014 American Mathematical Society 1413 Licensed to Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. Prepared on Fri Apr 18 19:09:46 EDT 2014 for download from IP 198.129.65.19. License or copyright restrictions may apply to redistribution; see http://www.ams.org/journal-terms-of-use 1414 ANNA MARIE BOHMANN Definition 1. The Hill–Hopkins–Ravenel norm map is the following composite:
The Atlas That has Not Shrugged: Why Russia's Oligarchs are an Unlikely Force for Change

There is demand among Russia's oligarchs for systemic change, but not for the rule of law proper. Instead, it is the de facto accountability of political elites and improved relations with the West that the Russian oligarchs want from the Kremlin. However, the oligarchs currently lack the capacity to effect change. Their insufficient leverage vis-a-vis Putin is rooted in their competition for rents, which prevents them from confronting the Kremlin as a united force. In addition to analyzing the lack of systemic pressure for change from the oligarchs, this essay considers the prospects of individual oligarchs who have nevertheless pushed openly for liberalization or tried to effect incremental change. It also draws on comparisons with other countries to chart the political behavior of Russia's business elites in the future.
A Numerical Approach to Virasoro Blocks and the Information Paradox

We chart the breakdown of semiclassical gravity by analyzing the Virasoro conformal blocks to high numerical precision, focusing on the heavy-light limit correspond-ing to a light probe propagating in a BTZ black hole background. In the Lorentzian regime, we find empirically that the initial exponential time-dependence of the blocks transitions to a universal $$ t-\frac{3}{2} $$ power-law decay. For the vacuum block the transition occurs at $$ t\approx \frac{\uppi c}{6{h}_L} $$ , confirming analytic predictions. In the Euclidean regime, due to Stokes phenomena the naive semiclassical approximation fails completely in a finite region enclosing the ‘forbidden singularities’. We emphasize that limitations on the reconstruction of a local bulk should ultimately stem from distinctions between semiclassical and exact correlators.
Universality for the Toda Algorithm to Compute the Largest Eigenvalue of a Random Matrix

We prove universality for the fluctuations of the halting time for the Toda algorithm to compute the largest eigenvalue of real symmetric and complex Hermitian matrices. The proof relies on recent results on the statistics of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of random matrices (such as delocalization, rigidity and edge universality) in a crucial way.
SMC Progressively Aligns Chromosomal Arms in Caulobacter crescentus but Is Antagonized by Convergent Transcription

Summary The structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) complex plays an important role in chromosome organization and segregation in most living organisms. In Caulobacter crescentus , SMC is required to align the left and the right arms of the chromosome that run in parallel down the long axis of the cell. However, the mechanism of SMC-mediated alignment of chromosomal arms remains elusive. Here, using genome-wide methods and microscopy of single cells, we show that Caulobacter SMC is recruited to the centromeric parS site and that SMC-mediated arm alignment depends on the chromosome-partitioning protein ParB. We provide evidence that SMC likely tethers the parS- proximal regions of the chromosomal arms together, promoting arm alignment. Furthermore, we show that highly transcribed genes near parS that are oriented against SMC translocation disrupt arm alignment, suggesting that head-on transcription interferes with SMC translocation. Our results demonstrate a tight interdependence of bacterial chromosome organization and global patterns of transcription.
Solvability of the Stokes Immersed Boundary Problem in Two Dimensions

We study coupled motion of a 1-D closed elastic string immersed in a 2-D Stokes flow, known as the Stokes immersed boundary problem in two dimensions. Using the fundamental solution of the Stokes equation and the Lagrangian coordinate of the string, we write the problem into a contour dynamic formulation, which is a nonlinear non-local equation solely keeping track of evolution of the string configuration. We prove existence and uniqueness of local-in-time solution starting from an arbitrary initial configuration that is an $H^{5/2}$-function in the Lagrangian coordinate satisfying the so-called well-stretched assumption. We also prove that when the initial string configuration is sufficiently close to an equilibrium, which is an evenly parameterized circular configuration, then global-in-time solution uniquely exists and it will converge to an equilibrium configuration exponentially as $t\rightarrow +\infty$. The technique in this paper may also apply to the Stokes immersed boundary problem in three dimensions.
The global health law trilogy: towards a safer, healthier, and fairer world.

Summary Global health advocates often turn to medicine and science for solutions to enduring health risks, but law is also a powerful tool. No state acting alone can ward off health threats that span borders, requiring international solutions. A trilogy of global health law—the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, International Health Regulations (2005), and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework—strives for a safer, healthier, and fairer world. Yet, these international agreements are not well understood, and contain gaps in scope and enforceability. Moreover, major health concerns remain largely unregulated at the international level, such as non-communicable diseases, mental health, and injuries. Here, we offer reforms for this global health law trilogy.
How to Measure and Draw Causal Inferences with Patent Scope

This paper presents an easy-to-use measure of patent scope that is grounded both in patent law and in the practices of patent attorneys. We validate our measure by showing both that patent attorney...
Ultrasonic Imaging Using Optoelectronic Transmitters

Conventional ultrasound scanners utilize electronic transmitters and receivers at the scanner with a separate coaxial cable connected to each transducer element in the handle. The number of transducer elements determines the size and weight of the transducer cable assembly that connects the imaging array to the scanner. 2-D arrays that allow new imaging modalities to be introduced significantly increase the channel count making the transducer cable assembly more difficult to handle. Therefore, reducing the size and increasing the flexibility of the transducer cable assembly is a concem. Fiber optics can be used to transmit signals optically and has distinct advantages over standard coaxial cable to increase flexibility and decrease the weight of the transducer cable for large channel numbers. The use of fiber optics to connect the array and the scanner entails the use of optoelectronics such as detectors and laser diodes to send and receive signals. In transmit, optoelectronics would have to be designed to produce high-voltage wide-bandwidth pulses across the transducer element. In this paper, we describe a 48 channel ultrasound system having 16 optoelectronic transmitters and 32 conventional electronic receivers. We investigated both silicon avalanche photodiodes (APD's) and GaAs lateral photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS's) for producing the transmit pulses. A Siemens SI-1200 scanner and a 2.25 MHz linear array were used to compare the optoelectronic system to a conventional electronic transmit system. Transmit signal results and images in tissue mimicking phantoms of cysts and tumors are provided for comparison.
HTLV-I and -II. New Risks for Recipients of Blood Transfusions?

In the June 13 issue ofThe Journal, M. Robert-Guroff et al1reported antibody prevalences of 9% for human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type I, 18% for HTLV-II, and 41% for HTLV-III in drug abusers in New York. Of concern is the known association of HTLV-I and adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), raising the possibility that this report of serological findings may be the forewarning of serious clinical events yet to come. Although HTLV-I is endemic in some areas of Japan, the Caribbean, and Africa, both HTLV-I infection and ATL are rare in the United States.2,3In Kyushu, an endemic area in Japan, a recent study revealed that 100% of 18 patients with ATL had HTLV-I antibodies, compared with 16% HTLV-I seropositivity in 604 apparently healthy adults.2Other studies of healthy populations in Japan indicate that high rates of HTLV-I infection are restricted geographically, with prevalences ranging from
Abnormal Hematological Indices Associated with Metastatic Choriocarcinoma in a Young Man

A 21 year old caucasian male, who was admitted to the medicine service for respiratory problems and hematemesis was ultimately diagnosed as having metastatic choriocarcinoma. Plasma samples were analyzed for prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), platelets, and clot activation time for fibrinogen (FIB), and coagulation factors II, V, VII, VIII, X and XII. Abnormal clotting parameters included thrombocytopenia, PT, APTT, FIB, factors II, V, VII, and X. The coagulation abnormalities indicate the patient was in a state of consumption coagulopathy possibly induced by hepatic metastasis of the primary tumor.
Human Tumor Cell Destruction by Distilled Water: An in Vitro Evaluation

A distilled water lavage is sometimes used during tumor surgery in an effort to kill tumor cells spilled into a cavity or wound. To test the efficacy of this technique, a model study utilized nine different human tumor cell lines, subjected in vitro to hypotonic exposure for 1 to 10 minutes. Only the carcinoid, multiple myeloma, leiomyosarcoma cell lines, and normal lymphocytes were destroyed by the treatment. Although breast, ovarian, gastric, bladder, and melanoma cell lines were damaged to varying degrees, viable cells persisted in all cases. These data suggest that hypotonic shock is not an effective method to kill human tumor cells.
Computational geometric system identification for the attitude dynamics on SO(3)

A computational approach for system identification for the attitude dynamics of a rigid body is proposed. The estimation and system identification for the rigid body are particularly challenging as they evolve on the compact nonlinear manifold, referred to as the special orthogonal group. The current methods based on local parameterizations or quaternions suffer from the inherent singularities or ambiguities associated with them. The proposed method addresses these issues by formulating the system identification problem as an optimization problem on the special orthogonal group. It is solved by a geometric numerical integrator that yield numerical trajectories that are consistent with the geometric structures of Hamiltonian systems on a Lie group. As a result, the proposed method is particularly useful to handle large initial estimation errors that may cause substantial discrepancies between the target attitude trajectories and the initial estimate of them. These are illustrated by numerical examples.
Litigation risk, financial distress, and the use of subsidiaries

Abstract Using a unique hand-collected dataset on corporate subsidiaries and lawsuits, we examine the relationship between litigation risk and subsidiary usage by large U.S. corporations. We find that firms, in general, tend to have a large number of subsidiaries when exposed to high litigation risk. We find that this tendency is strong in firms with relatively low financial position, while it is less pronounced in firms with relatively high financial position. High severity litigation risk matters more than low severity litigation risk. The results are consistent with the predictions of theoretical models and suggest an efficient link between litigation risk and subsidiary usage.
Incidence and Types of Pediatric Nystagmus.

Purpose To report the incidence, prevalent subtypes, and clinical characteristics of pediatric nystagmus diagnosed over a 30-year period. Design Retrospective, population-based study. Methods Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, we reviewed the medical records of all children ( Results Seventy-one children were diagnosed during the 30-year period, yielding an annual incidence of 6.72 per 100,000 younger than 19 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.15–8.28) Infantile nystagmus, onset by 6 months, comprised 62 (87.3%) of the study patients, corresponding to a birth prevalence of 1 in 821. The median age at diagnosis for the cohort was 12.7 months (range, 0 days to 18.6 years) and 42 subjects (59.2%) were male. The main types of nystagmus, in declining order, were nystagmus associated with retinal/optic nerve disease in 23 (32.4%), idiopathic or congenital motor nystagmus in 22 (31.0%), manifest latent nystagmus or latent nystagmus in 17 (24.0%), and 2 (2.8%) each associated with Chiari malformation, medication use, tumor of the central nervous system, and no diagnosis. Developmental delay was diagnosed in 31 (43.6%), strabismus in 25 (35.2%), and amblyopia in 10 (14.1%). Eighty percent had 20/40 (or equivalent) or better vision at presentation in at least 1 eye. Conclusions This study provides population-based data on incidence and clinical characteristics of childhood nystagmus in North America. Idiopathic and nystagmus associated with retinal/optic nerve disease were the most common presentations, with most patients having good vision. Developmental delay, strabismus, and amblyopia were common in this cohort.
Architecture for Directed Transport of Superparamagnetic Microbeads in a Magnetic Domain Wall Routing Network

Directed transport of biological species across the surface of a substrate is essential for realizing lab-on-chip technologies. Approaches that utilize localized magnetic fields to manipulate magnetic particles carrying biological entities are attractive owing to their sensitivity, selectivity, and minimally disruptive impact on biomaterials. Magnetic domain walls in magnetic tracks produce strong localized fields and can be used to capture, transport, and detect individual superparamagnetic microbeads. The dynamics of magnetic microbead transport by domain walls has been well studied. However, demonstration of more complex functions such as selective motion and sorting using continuously driven domain walls in contiguous magnetic tracks is lacking. Here, a junction architecture is introduced that allows for branching networks in which superparamagnetic microbeads can be routed along dynamically-selected paths by a combination of rotating in-plane field for translation, and a pulsed out-of-plane field for path selection. Moreover, experiments and modeling show that the select-field amplitude is bead-size dependent, which allows for digital sorting of multiple bead populations using automated field sequences. This work provides a simple means to implement complex routing networks and selective transport functionalities in chip-based devices using magnetic domain wall conduits.
Impeding Transcription of Expanded Microsatellite Repeats by Deactivated Cas9

Transcription of expanded microsatellite repeats is associated with multiple human diseases, including myotonic dystrophy, Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, and C9orf72-ALS/FTD. Reducing production of RNA and proteins arising from these expanded loci holds therapeutic benefit. Here, we tested the hypothesis that deactivated Cas9 enzyme impedes transcription across expanded microsatellites. We observed a repeat length-, PAM-, and strand-dependent reduction of repeat-containing RNAs upon targeting dCas9 directly to repeat sequences; targeting the non-template strand was more effective. Aberrant splicing patterns were rescued in DM1 cells, and production of RAN peptides characteristic of DM1, DM2, and C9orf72-ALS/FTD cells was drastically decreased. Systemic delivery of dCas9/gRNA by adeno-associated virus led to reductions in pathological RNA foci, rescue of chloride channel 1 protein expression, and decreased myotonia. These observations suggest that transcription of microsatellite repeat-containing RNAs is more sensitive to perturbation than transcription of other RNAs, indicating potentially viable strategies for therapeutic intervention.
In Memoriam: Robert B Millman MD

The fields of Addiction Medicine and Addiction Psychiatry lost a pioneer, innovator, and luminary with the death of Robert B Millman, MD on August 14, 2017.
To Wait or Not to Wait: The Theory and Practice of Ticket Queues

Ticket queues are prevalent in service industries. They enhance customer satisfaction by eliminating physical lines but may compromise efficiency. Existing studies offer mixed results on the cause ...
ROBUST AND EFFICIENT FITTING OF SEVERITY MODELS AND THE METHOD OF WINSORIZED MOMENTS

Continuous parametric distributions are useful tools for modeling and pricing insurance risks, measuring income inequality in economics, investigating reliability of engineering systems, and in many other areas of application. In this paper, we propose and develop a new method for estimation of their parameters—the method of Winsorized moments (MWM)—which is conceptually similar to the method of trimmed moments (MTM) and thus is robust and computationally efficient. Both approaches yield explicit formulas of parameter estimators for log-location-scale families and their variants, which are commonly used to model claim severity. Large-sample properties of the new estimators are provided and corroborated through simulations. Their performance is also compared to that of MTM and the maximum likelihood estimators (MLE). In addition, the effect of model choice and parameter estimation method on risk pricing is illustrated using actual data that represent hurricane damages in the United States from 1925 to 1995. In particular, the estimated pure premiums for an insurance layer are computed when the lognormal and log-logistic models are fitted to the data using the MWM, MTM and MLE methods.
ActVirtual: Making Public Activism Accessible

Technology-mediated public activism has grown popular in recent years with the high uptake of social media. Facebook and Twitter have become venues for activists to participate in online activism, or organize offline activism events. However, due to accessibility barriers in physical environments and accessibility issues in social media, people with disabilities continue to face challenges when they engage with such social movements. We interviewed 22 disabled activists about how they used technology to mediate civic engagement and barriers they faced. We present preliminary findings from these interviews and describe a potential solution named ActVirtual, a mobile platform for accessible activism. Our future work will include implementing and testing ActVirtual with users to make online and offline activism more accessible.