cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accessibility and the Ring of Unreliability

This study measures the variability of job accessibility via automobile for the Minneapolis – St. Paul, Minnesota region. The accessibility analysis uses cumulative opportunity measures. The travel times on the network are tested at 10th, 50th, and 90th percentile speed drawn from an annual average for each link from GPS speed data for 2011. It is shown that accessibility varies widely with travel speed. Some parts of the region (a ring around the core) have more volatility in access to jobs (and are thus less reliable) than others.
Intrinsic flat convergence of covering spaces

We examine the limits of covering spaces and the covering spectra of oriented Riemannian manifolds, \(M_j\), which converge to a nonzero integral current space, \(M_\infty \), in the intrinsic flat sense. We provide examples demonstrating that the covering spaces and covering spectra need not converge in this setting. In fact. we provide a sequence of simply connected \(M_j\) diffeomorphic to \({\mathbb {S}}^4\) that converge in the intrinsic flat sense to a torus \({\mathbb {S}}^1\times {\mathbb {S}}^3\). Nevertheless, we prove that if the \(\delta \)-covers, \({\tilde{M}}_j^\delta \), have finite order N, then a subsequence of the \({\tilde{M}}_j^\delta \) converge in the intrinsic flat sense to a metric space, \(M^\delta _\infty \), which is the disjoint union of covering spaces of \(M_\infty \).
Effect of Price Risk on Migration: Evidence from Ethiopian Rural Households

This paper examines the relationship between household risk preferences towards agricultural commodity prices and out-migration from rural households using the Ethiopian Rural Households Survey (ERHS). Based on panel regression results with district fixed effects, household willingness-to-pay to stabilize the prices of seven major agricultural commodities has a significant and positive impact on out-migration in Ethiopian rural households. The paper also finds that higher volatility of coffee and maize prices have a significant relationship with out-migration of net sellers selling coffee and maize.
Function-Hiding Inner Product Encryption

We extend the reach of functional encryption schemes that are provably secure under simple assumptions against unbounded collusion to include function-hiding inner product schemes. Our scheme is a private key functional encryption scheme, where ciphertexts correspond to vectors $$\vec {x}$$, secret keys correspond to vectors $$\vec {y}$$, and a decryptor learns $$\langle \vec {x}, \vec {y} \rangle $$. Our scheme employs asymmetric bilinear maps and relies only on the SXDH assumption to satisfy a natural indistinguishability-based security notion where arbitrarily many key and ciphertext vectors can be simultaneously changed as long as the key-ciphertext dot product relationships are all preserved.
Topology Aggregation for e-Science Networks

We propose several algorithms for topology aggregation (TA) to summarize large-scale networks that are becoming prevalent in e-Science. These TA techniques are shown to be significantly better for path requests in e-Science that may consist of simultaneous reservation of multiple paths and/or simultaneous reservation for multiple requests. Our extensive simulation demonstrates the benefits of our algorithms both in terms of accuracy and performance.
Rapid building detection using machine learning

This work describes algorithms for performing discrete object detection, specifically in the case of buildings, where usually only low quality RGB-only geospatial reflective imagery is available. We utilize new candidate search and feature extraction techniques to reduce the problem to a machine learning (ML) classification task. Here we can harness the complex patterns of contrast features contained in training data to establish a model of buildings. We avoid costly sliding windows to generate candidates; instead we innovatively stitch together well known image processing techniques to produce candidates for building detection that cover 80–85 % of buildings. Reducing the number of possible candidates is important due to the scale of the problem. Each candidate is subjected to classification which, although linear, costs time and prohibits large scale evaluation. We propose a candidate alignment algorithm to boost classification performance to 80–90 % precision with a linear time algorithm and show it has negligible cost. Also, we propose a new concept called a Permutable Haar Mesh (PHM) which we use to form and traverse a search space to recover candidate buildings which were lost in the initial preprocessing phase. All code and datasets from this paper are made available online (http://kdl.cs.umb.edu/w/datasets/ and https://github.com/caitlinkuhlman/ObjectDetectionCLUtility).
Identity Mappings in Deep Residual Networks

Deep residual networks have emerged as a family of extremely deep architectures showing compelling accuracy and nice convergence behaviors. In this paper, we analyze the propagation formulations behind the residual building blocks, which suggest that the forward and backward signals can be directly propagated from one block to any other block, when using identity mappings as the skip connections and after-addition activation. A series of ablation experiments support the importance of these identity mappings. This motivates us to propose a new residual unit, which makes training easier and improves generalization. We report improved results using a 1001-layer ResNet on CIFAR-10 (4.62 % error) and CIFAR-100, and a 200-layer ResNet on ImageNet. Code is available at: https://github.com/KaimingHe/resnet-1k-layers.
Neural Connections Foster Social Connections: A Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Study of Social Networks

Although we know the transition from childhood to adulthood is marked by important social and neural development, little is known about how social network size might affect neurocognitive development or vice versa. Neuroimaging research has identified several brain regions, such as the amygdala, as key to this affiliative behavior. However, white matter connectivity among these regions, and its behavioral correlates, remain unclear. Here we tested two hypotheses: that an amygdalocentric structural white matter network governs social affiliative behavior and that this network changes during adolescence and young adulthood. We measured social network size behaviorally, and white matter microstructure using probabilistic diffusion tensor imaging in a sample of neurologically normal adolescents and young adults. Our results suggest amygdala white matter microstructure is key to understanding individual differences in social network size, with connectivity to other social brain regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex and anterior temporal lobe predicting much variation. In addition, participant age correlated with both network size and white matter variation in this network. These findings suggest the transition to adulthood may constitute a critical period for the optimization of structural brain networks underlying affiliative behavior.
Benzylic Phosphates as Electrophiles in the Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Benzylation of Azlactones

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric benzylation has been demonstrated with azlactones as prochiral nucleophiles in the presence of chiral bisphosphine ligands. Benzylic electrophiles are utilized under two sets of reaction conditions to construct a new tetrasubstituted stereocenter. Electron density of the phenyl ring dictates the reaction conditions, including the leaving group. The reported methodology represents a novel asymmetric carbon–carbon bond formation in an amino acid precursor.
A New Extrusion Plastometer

An instrument has been designed to determine whether a given batch of synthetic rubber tread stock can be forced through a plate die to form a satisfactory tire tread. The instrument takes the form of an extrusion plastometer which uses special dies. The factory tubing properties of a batch can be predicted from the appearance of the sample extruded through this die and from the extrusion rate.
Spectrally bright and broad fiber-based heralded single-photon source

We present an experimental characterization of a heralded single-photon source based on spontaneous four-wave mixing in a single-mode microstructure fiber. We measure the second-order correlation function ${g}^{(2)}(0)$ to be far below the classical, Poissonian limit of 1 over a broad spectral range. With single-spatial-mode output, such a spectrally bright and broad fiber-based heralded single-photon source is suitable for a variety of quantum-information applications.
Cultural Diversity and the Interwar Conjuncture: Soviet Nationality Policy in Its Comparative Context

This is how Margery Perham, Oxford don and expert on "native administration" in British colonial Africa, described the northern Nigerian emir of Kano in her book Native Administration in Nigeria, published in 1937.1 Her enthusiastic description of the Muslim African ruler was characteristic of British colonial policy in the interwar period, a time when the principles of "indirect rule" reinforced and legitimized the authority of Africa's precolonial elites. Perham celebrates the emir as an aristocrat; her recognition of his inherited "prerogative" signals respect and admiration to the reader. Contrast her description of the emir with this remark of a secretary of the Uzbek Komsomol to the Fifth Plenum of the Komsomol Central Committee the next year, in February 1938: Our Komsomol members wear ethnic clothing [nalsional'nye kostiumy], robes. This is prevalent, but I think it is wrong. ... We are not against ethnic clothing. Our party supports it. [But] we Bolsheviks desire that our youth develop on an equal basis with general global socialist culture. Sometimes Komsomol raikom secretaries come from the villages in robes, in turbans, and in skullcaps. . . . They wear trousers made of ten meters of cloth and four shawls! What is the good of this, comrades? Enemies and national-fascist elements cultivate it.2
The gut as a regulator of early inflammation in type 1 diabetes.

Purpose of reviewSeveral studies indicate that factors affecting the gut are capable of modulating the development of autoimmune diabetes. This review discusses the recent research on these mechanisms, which may reveal novel pathogenic pathways and new possibilities for prevention of type 1 diabetes
CIOs and IT Professionals as Change Agents, Risk and Stakeholder Managers: A Field Study

Abstract:This article examines the organizational roles of IT executives in seven Fortune 500 companies. Results show that many CIOs and IT leaders increasingly assume change and risk management roles. They must also orchestrate cultural and political interests of multiple stakeholders to succeed in implementing projects. CIOs and IT senior staff in large, global organizations experience pressures from internal and external clients to facilitate business problem solving as well as helping with technical solutions. These professionals are required to take on expanded roles, including assisting their clients meet market expectations and performance goals through the use of new technologies. Implications and lessons from our findings for effective IT project leadership are reported.
Improved Protocol for Indoline Synthesis via Palladium-Catalyzed Intramolecular C(sp2)–H Amination

An efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of indoline compounds from picolinamide (PA)-protected β-arylethylamine substrates via palladium-catalyzed intramolecular amination of ortho-C(sp(2))-H bonds. These reactions feature high efficiency, low catalyst loadings, mild operating conditions, and the use of inexpensive reagents.
SAMPLING-BASED PLANNING, CONTROL, AND VERIFICATION OF HYBRID SYSTEMS

Abstract In this paper, we survey a planning, control, and verification approach in terms of sampling-based tools, such as Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRTs) and Probabilistic RoadMaps (PRMs). We review RRTs and PRMs for motion planning and show how to use them to solve standard nonlinear control problems. We extend them to the case of hybrid systems and describe our modifications to LaValle's Motion Strategy Library to allow for hybrid planning and verification. Finally, we extend them to purely discrete spaces (replacing distance metrics with cost-to-go heuristic estimates and substituting local planners for straight-line connectivity) and provide computational experiments comparing them to conventional methods, such as A * . We also review our work on the coverage, optimality properties, and computational complexity of sampling-based techniques.
Mind the gulfs An analysis of medication-related cognitive artifacts used by older adults with heart failure

Medication management is a patient health-related activity characterized by poor performance in older adults with chronic disease. Interventions focus on educating and motivating the patient with limited long-term effects. Cognitive artifacts facilitate cognitive tasks by making them easier, faster, and more effective and can potentially improve medication management performance. This study examined how older adult patients with heart failure use cognitive artifacts and how representational structure and physical properties facilitated or impeded medication-related tasks and processes. Interview, observation, medical record, and photographic data of and about older patients with heart failure (N = 30) and their informal caregivers (N=14) were content analyzed for cross-cutting themes about patient goals, representations, and actions. Results illustrated patient artifacts designed from a clinical rather than patient perspective, disparate internal and external representations threatening safety, and incomp...
Adult Reference Intervals for 12 Chemistry Analytes: Influences of Age and Sex

Blood samples were drawn from 123 "healthy" adults residing in the Salt Lake City, Utah metropolitan area. A sample of adults was identified using a random telephone method and respondents for the study were selected to represent the age and sex distribution of the population. Blood samples were drawn and analyzed for 12 blood analytes. The range of serum concentrations, mean values, median values, and standard deviations for each analyte are reported for males and females and for three age groups (25-44, 45-59, 60-70). Age differences existed for total cholesterol, triglycerides, and TIBC. Sex differences were found for HDL-cholesterol, copper, and vitamin C. Magnesium, LDL-cholesterol, and calcium had both age and sex differences. No age or sex differences were observed for iron, B-carotene, and zinc. A table of adult reference intervals reflecting these findings is presented.
Philadelphia County Court of Quarter Sessions and Common Pleas, 1695

In an Action upon the Statute or Law of this Province The Pltf. being called appears by his Atturney David Lloyd the Deft appears in person. Thomas Smith of Darby in the County of Chester Yeoman complains agt. Thomas Harris of Philadelphia Mercht. of a Plea That whereas in a Statute or Law of this Province lately made and provided (it is amongst other things) Ordained & Established That no Freeman within this Province or Territories thereof shall be taken or imprisoned or disseised of his Free holds or Libertys or be out Lawed or exiled or any otherwise hurt damnified or distroyed nor shall he be tryed or condemned but by the Lawfull Judgmt. of his Twelve Equalls or by the Laws of this Province and Territories thereof, As in the same Statute is more fully contained, And whereas the said Thomas Smith is a Freeman within this Province and ought to enjoy his Libertys afores'd, And contrary thereunto ought in no wise to be disquited according to the form of the said Statute, And the aforesaid Thomas Harris not ignorant of the premisses But malitiously purposing the weakening of the aforesaid Liberty and intending that the said Thomas Smith should not enjoy the same did on the Thirtieth day of the Sixth month 32 last past at Philadelphia afores'd dispossess the Said Thomas Smith of his goods without the Lawfull Judgmt. of his Twelve equalls or any other due course or process of the Laws of this Province
Analysis of seismograms from a downhole array in sediments near San Francisco Bay

abstract A four-level downhole array of three-component instruments was established on the southwest shore of San Francisco Bay to monitor the effect of the sediments on low-amplitude seismic ground motion. The deepest instrument is at a depth of 186 m—2 m below the top of the Franciscan bedrock. Earthquake data from regional distances (29 km ≦ Δ ≦ 485 km) over a wide range of azimuths are compared with the predictions of a simple plane-layered model with material properties independently determined. Spectral ratios between the surface and bedrock, computed for the one horizontal component of motion that was analyzed, agree rather well with the model predictions; the model predicts the frequencies of the first three peaks within 10 per cent in most cases and the height of the peaks within 50 per cent in most cases. Surface time histories computed from the theoretical model predict the time variations of amplitude and frequency content reasonably well, but correlations of individual cycles cannot be made between observed and predicted traces.
Examination of ClpB Quaternary Structure and Linkage to Nucleotide Binding

E. coli ClpB is a heat shock protein that belongs to the AAA+ protein family. Studies have shown that ClpB and its eukaryotic homologue, Hsp104, can disaggregate denatured proteins by themselves or cooperate with the DnaK chaperone system in vivo. It is thought that ClpB requires binding of nucleoside triphosphate to assemble into hexameric rings with protein binding activity and ClpB majorly exist as hexamer in the presence of nucleoside triphosphate. In contrast to this conclusion, our sedimentation velocity data show that ClpB resides in a monomer-dimer-tetramer-hexamer equilibrium in the presence of ATPϒS (a slowly hydrolysable ATP analog). ClpB hexamers exhibit fast subunit exchange in the absence of nucleoside triphosphate, while the exchange rates decrease when the binding of nucleotide approaching to saturation. For the first time, we determined the binding constants and stoichiometries for ATPϒS to each ClpB oligomer. The monomer is only able to bind one nucleotide whereas all twelve sites in the hexameric ring are bound by nucleotide. Interestingly, dimers and tetramers exhibit stoichiometries of ∼3 and 7, respectively, which is one fewer than the maximum number of binding sites, which suggest an open conformation for the intermediates. We also determined the assembly constants for dimers, tetramers, and hexamers and their dependencies on nucleotide. These interaction constants make it possible to predict the concentration of hexamers present and able to bind to co-chaperones and polypeptide substrates. We anticipate our studies on ClpB assembly to be a starting point for understanding how ClpB hexamers disaggregate protein aggregates.
Private contracting with externalities: Divide and conquer?

Abstract This paper considers the efficacy of divide-and-conquer strategies in principal-agent games involving contracting with externalities. We find that whereas divide-and-conquer offers can arise in equilibrium under some conditions when the principal’s offers are publicly observable, they cannot arise in equilibrium when the principal’s offers are privately observable and the agents hold passive out-of-equilibrium beliefs. This insight applies to technology and platform adoption decisions with network effects, labor relations, settlement negotiations, and input licensing, among others.
Racial Disparities In total ankle arthroplasty Utilization and outcomes

The objective of this study was to examine the racial disparities in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) utilization and outcomes. We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to study the time-trends. Race was categorized as White and Black. Utilization rates were calculated for the U.S. general population per 100,000. Hospital length of stay, discharge disposition and mortality after TAA were assessed. We used the Cochran Armitage trend test to assess time-trends from 1998 to 2011 and chi-square test to compare TAA utilization. We used analysis of variance or chi-squared test to compare the characteristics of Whites and Blacks undergoing TAA and logistic regression to compare mortality, length of stay and discharge to home versus medical facility. The mean ages for Whites undergoing TAA were 62 years and for Blacks was 52 years. Significant racial disparities were noted in TAA utilization rates (/100,000) in 1998, 0.14 in Whites vs. 0.07 in Blacks (P < 0.0001; 2-fold) and in 2011, 1.17 in Whites vs. 0.33 in Blacks (P < 0.0001; 4-fold). Racial disparities in TAA utilization increased significantly from 1998 to 2011 (P < 0.0001). There was a trend towards statistical significance for the difference in the length of hospital stay in Blacks vs. Whites (52.9% vs. 44.3% with length of hospital stay higher than the median; P = 0.08). Differences in the proportion discharged to an inpatient medical facility after TAA, 16.6% Blacks vs. 13.4% Whites, were not significant (P = 0.36). This study demonstrated significant racial disparities with lower TAA utilization and suboptimal outcomes in Blacks compared to Whites. Further studies are needed to understand the mediators of these disparities and to assess whether these mediators can be targeted to reduce racial disparities in TAA.
Cα–H Oxidations of Amines to Amides: Expanding Mechanistic Understanding and Amine Scope through Catalyst Development

This highlight provides a general overview of Cα–H oxidations of amines to form amides. Initial as well as recent examples are reviewed with a particular focus on existing challenges regarding substrate scope and reaction conditions. Finally, one very recently established catalyst system is described in detail which achieves the iron-catalyzed, Cα–H oxidation of amines under mild conditions. 1 Introduction 2 First C–H Oxygenations 3 State of the Art: Oxidations of Primary, Secondary, Cyclic, Benzylic, and Aromatic Amines 4 General Iron-Catalyzed C–H Oxidations under Mild Conditions 5 Conclusions
Random gradient descent tree: a combinatorial approach for SVM with outliers

Support Vector Machine (SVM) is a fundamental technique in machine learning. A long time challenge facing SVM is how to deal with outliers (caused by misla-beling), as they could make the classes in SVM non-separable. Existing techniques, such as soft margin SVM, v-SVM, and Core-SVM, can alleviate the problem to certain extent, but cannot completely resolve the issue. Recently, there are also techniques available for explicit outlier removal. But they suffer from high time complexity and cannot guarantee quality of solution. In this paper, we present a new combinatorial approach, called Random Gradient Descent Tree (or RGD-tree), to explicitly deal with outliers; this results in a new algorithm called RGD-SVM. Our technique yields prov-ably good solution and can be efficiently implemented for practical purpose. The time and space complexities of our approach only linearly depend on the input size and the dimensionality of the space, which are significantly better than existing ones. Experiments on benchmark datasets suggest that our technique considerably outperforms several popular techniques in most of the cases.
Evaluating Health Practice and Understanding

(1966). Evaluating Health Practice and Understanding. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 37, No. 5, pp. 30-32.
Residential Proximity to Major Roadways Is Not Associated with Cardiac Function in African Americans: Results from the Jackson Heart Study

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart failure, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly among African Americans. Exposure to ambient air pollution, such as that produced by vehicular traffic, is believed to be associated with heart failure, possibly by impairing cardiac function. We evaluated the cross-sectional association between residential proximity to major roads, a marker of long-term exposure to traffic-related pollution, and echocardiographic indicators of left and pulmonary vascular function in African Americans enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS): left ventricular ejection fraction, E-wave velocity, isovolumic relaxation time, left atrial diameter index, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure. We examined these associations using multivariable linear or logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. Of 4866 participants at study enrollment, 106 lived <150 m, 159 lived 150–299 m, 1161 lived 300–999 m, and 3440 lived ≥1000 m from a major roadway. We did not observe any associations between residential distance to major roads and these markers of cardiac function. Results were similar with additional adjustment for diabetes and hypertension, when considering varying definitions of major roadways, or when limiting analyses to those free from cardiovascular disease at baseline. Overall, we observed little evidence that residential proximity to major roads was associated with cardiac function among African Americans.
Initialized decadal prediction for transition to positive phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation.

The negative phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), a dominant mode of multi-decadal variability of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Pacific, contributed to the reduced rate of global surface temperature warming in the early 2000s. A proposed mechanism for IPO multidecadal variability indicates that the presence of decadal timescale upper ocean heat content in the off-equatorial western tropical Pacific can provide conditions for an interannual El Nino/Southern Oscillation event to trigger a transition of tropical Pacific SSTs to the opposite IPO phase. Here we show that a decadal prediction initialized in 2013 simulates predicted Nino3.4 SSTs that have qualitatively tracked the observations through 2015. The year three to seven average prediction (2015-2019) from the 2013 initial state shows a transition to the positive phase of the IPO from the previous negative phase and a resumption of larger rates of global warming over the 2013-2022 period consistent with a positive IPO phase.
Constructing Quaternary Carbons from N-(Acyloxy)phthalimide Precursors of Tertiary Radicals Using Visible-Light Photocatalysis

Tertiary carbon radicals have notable utility for uniting complex carbon fragments with concomitant formation of new quaternary carbons. This article explores the scope, limitations, and certain mechanistic aspects of Okada’s method for forming tertiary carbon radicals from N-(acyloxy)phthalimides by visible-light photocatalysis. Optimized conditions for generating tertiary radicals from N-(acyloxy)phthalimide derivatives of tertiary carboxylic acids by visible-light irradiation in the presence of 1 mol % of commercially available Ru(bpy)3(PF6)2, diethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (8), and i-Pr2NEt and their coupling in dichloromethane at room temperature with alkene acceptors were developed. Four representative tertiary N-(acyloxy)phthalimides and 15 alkene radical acceptors were examined. Both reductive couplings with electron-deficient alkenes and radical substitution reactions with allylic and vinylic bromides and chlorides were examined with many such reactions occurring in go...
Reducing the uncertainty in subtropical cloud feedback

Large uncertainty remains on how subtropical clouds will respond to anthropogenic climate change and therefore whether they will act as a positive feedback that amplifies global warming or negative feedback that dampens global warming by altering Earth's energy budget. Here we reduce this uncertainty using an observationally constrained formulation of the response of subtropical clouds to greenhouse forcing. The observed interannual sensitivity of cloud solar reflection to varying meteorological conditions suggests that increasing sea surface temperature and atmospheric stability in the future climate will have largely canceling effects on subtropical cloudiness, overall leading to a weak positive shortwave cloud feedback (0.4 ± 0.9 W m−2 K−1). The uncertainty of this observationally based approximation of the cloud feedback is narrower than the intermodel spread of the feedback produced by climate models. Subtropical cloud changes will therefore complement positive cloud feedbacks identified by previous work, suggesting that future global cloud changes will amplify global warming.
Seasonal Forecasts of Major Hurricanes and Landfalling Tropical Cyclones using a High-Resolution GFDL Coupled Climate Model

AbstractSkillful seasonal forecasting of tropical cyclone (TC; wind speed ≥17.5 m s−1) activity is challenging, even more so when the focus is on major hurricanes (wind speed ≥49.4 m s−1), the most intense hurricanes (category 4 and 5; wind speed ≥58.1 m s–1), and landfalling TCs. This study shows that a 25-km-resolution global climate model [High-Resolution Forecast-Oriented Low Ocean Resolution (FLOR) model (HiFLOR)] developed at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) has improved skill in predicting the frequencies of major hurricanes and category 4 and 5 hurricanes in the North Atlantic as well as landfalling TCs over the United States and Caribbean islands a few months in advance, relative to its 50-km-resolution predecessor climate model (FLOR). HiFLOR also shows significant skill in predicting category 4 and 5 hurricanes in the western North Pacific and eastern North Pacific, while both models show comparable skills in predicting basin-total and landfalling TC frequency in the basins. The...
Temporal learning and sequence modeling for a job recommender system

We present our solution to the job recommendation task for RecSys Challenge 2016. The main contribution of our work is to combine temporal learning with sequence modeling to capture complex user-item activity patterns to improve job recommendations. First, we propose a time-based ranking model applied to historical observations and a hybrid matrix factorization over time re-weighted interactions. Second, we exploit sequence properties in user-items activities and develop a RNN-based recommendation model. Our solution achieved 5th place in the challenge among more than 100 participants. Notably, the strong performance of our RNN approach shows a promising new direction in employing sequence modeling for recommendation systems.
Merkle’s Key Agreement Protocol is Optimal: An O(n^2) Attack on Any Key Agreement from Random Oracles

We prove that every key agreement protocol in the random oracle model in which the honest users make at most n queries to the oracle can be broken by an adversary who makes \(O(n^2)\) queries to the oracle. This improves on the previous \({\tilde{\Omega }}(n^6)\) query attack given by Impagliazzo and Rudich (STOC ’89) and resolves an open question posed by them. Our bound is optimal up to a constant factor since Merkle proposed a key agreement protocol in 1974 that can be easily implemented with n queries to a random oracle and cannot be broken by any adversary who asks \(o(n^2)\) queries.
Case Studies for Data-Oriented Emergency Management/Planning in Complex Urban Systems

To reduce the losses caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes, it is necessary to build effective and efficient emergency management/planning systems for cities. With increases in volume, variety and acquisition rate of urban data, major opportunities exist to implement data-oriented emergency management/planning. New York/New Jersey metropolitan area is selected as the study area. Large datasets related to emergency management/planning including, traffic operations, incidents, geographical and socio-economic characteristics, and evacuee behavior are collected from various sources. Five related case studies conducted using these unique datasets are summarized to present a comprehensive overview oni¾?how to use big urban datai¾?to obtain innovative solutions for emergency management and planning, in the context of complex urban systems. Useful insights are obtained from data for essential tasks of emergency management and planning such as evacuation demand estimation, determination of evacuation zones, evacuation planning and resilience assessment.
Manifest and Subtle Cyclic Behavior in Nonequilibrium Steady States

Many interesting phenomena in nature are described by stochastic processes with irreversible dynamics. To model these phenomena, we focus on a master equation or a Fokker-Planck equation with rates which violate detailed balance. When the system settles in a stationary state, it will be a nonequilibrium steady state (NESS), with time independent probability distribution as well as persistent probability current loops. The observable consequences of the latter are explored. In particular, cyclic behavior of some form must be present: some are prominent and manifest, while others are more obscure and subtle. We present a theoretical framework to analyze such properties, introducing the notion of "probability angular momentum" and its distribution. Using several examples, we illustrate the manifest and subtle categories and how best to distinguish between them. These techniques can be applied to reveal the NESS nature of a wide range of systems in a large variety of areas. We illustrate with one application: variability of ocean heat content in our climate system.
To Big Wing, or Not to Big Wing, Now an Answer

The Churchillian quote “Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few” [3], encapsulates perfectly the heroics of Royal Air Force (RAF) Fighter Command (FC) during the Battle of Britain. Despite the undoubted heroics, questions remain about how FC employed the ‘so few’. In particular, the question as to whether FC should have employed the ‘Big Wing’ tactics, as per 12 Group, or implement the smaller wings as per 11 Group, remains a source of much debate. In this paper, I create an agent based model (ABM) simulation of the Battle of Britain, which provides valuable insight into the key components that influenced the loss rates of both sides. It provides mixed support for the tactics employed by 11 Group, as the model identified numerous variables that impacted the success or otherwise of the British.
Robotic swarm control from spatio-temporal specifications

In this paper, we study the problem of controlling a two-dimensional robotic swarm with the purpose of achieving high level and complex spatio-temporal patterns. We use a rich spatio-temporal logic that is capable of describing a wide range of time varying and complex spatial configurations, and develop a method to encode such formal specifications as a set of mixed integer linear constraints, which are incorporated into a mixed integer linear programming problem. We plan trajectories for each individual robot such that the whole swarm satisfies the spatio-temporal requirements, while optimizing total robot movement and/or a metric that shows how strongly the swarm trajectory resembles given spatio-temporal behaviors. An illustrative case study is included.
Whitham modulation theory for the Kadomtsev- Petviashvili equation.

The genus-1 Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP)-Whitham system is derived for both variants of the KP equation; namely the KPI and KPII equations. The basic properties of the KP-Whitham system, including symmetries, exact reductions and its possible complete integrability, together with the appropriate generalization of the one-dimensional Riemann problem for the Korteweg–de Vries equation are discussed. Finally, the KP-Whitham system is used to study the linear stability properties of the genus-1 solutions of the KPI and KPII equations; it is shown that all genus-1 solutions of KPI are linearly unstable, while all genus-1 solutions of KPII are linearly stable within the context of Whitham theory.
On definition and use of systems engineering processes, methods and tools

A case study on the development and deployment of a systems engineering process for use on commercial avionics systems is discussed. The systems engineering process is presented in the context of the overall product development process, called the common process, which identifies goals, objectives, major milestones and top level activities for the systems engineering, hardware engineering, software engineering, project management and authorization/budgeting processes. The systems engineering development plan is described. The scope of the systems engineering process and its major activities are described. Emphasis is on using techniques that reduce cultural and organizational impact and improve the likelihood that the changes are accepted. >
Globalization and household saving: is there a link?

ABSTRACTThis article proposes that globalization can affect household saving in the long run in a number of ways. Social interactions between different cultures can induce value changes, which can result in shifts in consumption and saving behaviour. International trade allows consumers to have easier access to status goods, stimulating consumption and dampening saving. Extending from Veblen’s conspicuous consumption theory, saving may also decrease when globalization leads to greater population mobility and fosters urbanization, thus enhancing the importance of consumption as a way to display wealth. In addition, financial globalization reduces credit constraints and allows households to save less. Using cross-country data from the United Nations (UN), the OECD, and other sources, this article finds evidence that household saving declines as globalization deepens, especially in the social and cultural dimensions.
Fast timing for collider detectors

Advancements in fast timing particle detectors have opened up new possibilities to design 4π collider detectors that fully reconstruct and separate event vertices and individual particles in the time domain. The applications of these techniques are considered for the physics at CEPC.
Caution: Reactivation of Hepatitis B during Hepatitis C Treatment with Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy.

Caution: Reactivation of Hepatitis B during Hepatitis C Treatment with Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy
Understanding the role of sender reputation in abuse reporting and cleanup

Motivation: Participants on the front lines of abuse reporting have a variety of options to notify intermediaries and resource owners about abuse of their systems and services. These can include emails to personal messages to blacklists to machine-generated feeds. Recipients of these reports have to voluntarily act on this information. We know remarkably little about the factors that drive higher response rates to abuse reports. One such factor is the reputation of the sender. In this article, we present the first randomized controlled experiment into sender reputation. We used a private datafeed of Asprox-infected websites to issue notifications from three senders with different reputations: an individual, a university and an established anti-malware organization. Results: We find that our detailed abuse reports significantly increase cleanup rates. Surprisingly, we find no evidence that sender reputation improves cleanup. We do see that the evasiveness of the attacker in hiding compromise can substantially hamper cleanup efforts. Furthermore, we find that the minority of hosting providers who viewed our cleanup advice webpage were much more likely to remediate infections than those who did not, but that website owners who viewed the advice fared no better.
Reducing carbon emissions in Portugal: the relative roles of fossil fuel prices, energy efficiency, and carbon taxation

We assess the role of fossil fuel prices, energy efficiency, and carbon taxation in achieving climate policy goals using a dynamic general-equilibrium model of the Portuguese economy. Given the for...
Experimental confirmation of the Jahn-Teller distortion of CH4+

Abstract We report measured energy and angular distributions for H + and C n + ( n = 2, 3, 4) fragments resulting from the collisional dissociation of 200 keV/amu CH m + ( m = 0−4) in thin carbon targets. From the systematic trends of these “Coulomb explosion” spectra, one can obtain qualitative information on the structures of these species. In particular, the series displays a narrowing of the carbon angular and energy widths as protons are symmetrically added around a central carbon atom and provide a “focusing” effect. Because of the Jahn-Teller distortion, the carbon width in CH 4 + is dramatically increased.
Adaptive heterogeneous multi-robot teams

Abstract This research addresses the problem of achieving fault-tolerant cooperation within small- to medium-sized teams of heterogeneous mobile robots. We describe a novel behavior-based, fully distributed architecture, called ALLIANCE, that utilizes adaptive action selection to achieve fault tolerant cooperative control in robot missions involving loosely coupled tasks. The robots in this architecture possess a variety of high-level functions that they can perform during a mission, and must at all times select an appropriate action based on the requirements of the mission, the activities of other robots, the current environmental conditions, and their own internal states. Since such cooperative teams often work in dynamic and unpredictable environments, the software architecture allows the team members to respond robustly and reliably to unexpected environmental changes and modifications in the robot team that may occur due to mechanical failure, the learning of new skills, or the addition or removal of robots from the team by human intervention. After presenting ALLIANCE, we describe in detail our experimental results of an implementation of this architecture on a team of physical mobile robots performing a cooperative box pushing demonstration. These experiments illustrate the ability of ALLIANCE to achieve adaptive, fault-tolerant cooperative control amidst dynamic changes in the capabilities of the robot team.
Edge Plasma Effects in DIII-D Impurity Seeded Discharges

Abstract DIII-D, ELMing H-mode radiating mantle discharges have been obtained with electron density near the Greenwald density limit and a large fraction of the input power radiated inside the last closed flux surface, significantly reducing peak divertor heat fluxes. In these ‘puff and pump’ discharges, the introduction of argon reduces particle flux to divertor tiles by a factor of 4 while peak heat flux is half of the no impurity value, suggesting that impurity seeding may be a useful control tool to reduce wall heat and particle fluxes in fusion reactors. A robust H-mode transport barrier is maintained and there are only small changes in the ELM energy and ELM frequency.
Observability, identifiability and sensitivity of vision-aided inertial navigation

We analyze the observability of 3-D position and orientation from the fusion of visual and inertial sensors. The model contains unknown parameters, such as sensor biases, and so the problem is usually cast as a mixed filtering/identification problem, with the resulting observability analysis providing necessary conditions for convergence to a unique point estimate. Most models treat sensor bias rates as "noise," independent of other states, including biases themselves, an assumption that is violated in practice. We show that, when this assumption is lifted, the resulting model is not observable, and therefore existing analyses cannot be used to conclude that the set of states that are indistinguishable from the measurements is a singleton. We recast the analysis as one of sensitivity: Rather than attempting to prove that the set of indistinguishable trajectories is a singleton, we derive bounds on its volume, as a function of characteristics of the sensor and other sufficient excitation conditions. This provides an explicit characterization of the indistinguishable set that can be used for analysis and validation purposes.
Dynamic Channel Modeling for Mode-Division Multiplexing

Environmental perturbations, such as wind, mechanical stress, temperature, and lightning, impose microsecond-time-scale changes to the transfer matrix of a multimode fiber (MMF), necessitating adaptive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) equalization to track the time-varying channel. It is of significant interest to accurately model channel dynamics so that adaptive MIMO equalization algorithms can be optimized and their impact on digital signal processing complexity and performance can be assessed. We propose a dynamic channel model using coupled-mode theory to describe time-varying polarization- and spatial-mode coupling in MMF caused by fast environmental perturbations. Our method assumes that the MMF has built-in refractive index and geometric defects that are responsible for random birefringence and mode coupling. Various time-varying perturbations modify the coupling coefficients in the coupled-mode equations to drive channel dynamics. We use our dynamic channel model to simulate an example aerial fiber link subject to a sudden gust of wind and show that increasing the strength of the perturbation, the number of modes, and the length of exposed fiber all lead to higher error at the output of an adaptive MIMO equalizer. We employ the model to study the convergence and tracking performance of the least-mean-squares adaptive equalization algorithm.
Equilibrium Fractionation of Non-traditional Stable Isotopes: an Experimental Perspective

In 1986, O’Neil wrote a Reviews in Mineralogy chapter on experimental aspects of isotopic fractionation. He noted that in order to fully understand and interpret the natural variations of light stable isotope ratios in nature, it was essential to know the magnitude and temperature dependence of the isotopic fractionation factor amongst minerals and fluids. At that time it was difficult to imagine that this would become true for the heavier, so called non-traditional stable isotopes, as well. Since the advent of the multiple collector inductively coupled plasma-source mass spectrometer (MC–ICP–MS), natural variations of stable isotope ratios have been found for almost any polyisotopic element measured. Although it has been known that as temperature and mass increase, isotope fractionation decreases very quickly, the MC–ICP–MS has revolutionized the ability of a geochemist to measure very small differences in isotope ratios. It was then that the field of experimental non-traditional stable isotope geochemistry was born. As O’Neil (1986) pointed out there are three ways to obtain isotopic fractionation factors: theoretical calculations, measurements of natural samples with well-known formation conditions, and laboratory calibration studies. This chapter is devoted to explaining the techniques involved with laboratory experiments designed to measure equilibrium isotope fractionation factors as well as the best practices that have been learned. Although experimental petrology has been around for a long time and basic experimental methods have been well-refined, there are additional considerations that must be taken into account when the goal is to measure isotopic compositions at the end of the experiment. It has been only about ten years since these initial studies were published, but much has been learned in that time about how best to conduct experiments aimed at determining equilibrium fractionation factors. We will not focus on the scientific results that have been determined by such experiments, as each …