cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE AFTERMATH OF HAMILTON'S "REPORT ON MANUFACTURES"

Alexander Hamilton's “Report on Manufactures” (1791) is a classic document of U.S. economic policy, but its fate in Congress is not well known. It is commonly believed that the report was never implemented. Although Hamilton's proposals for bounties (subsidies) failed to receive support, virtually every tariff recommendation was adopted by Congress in early 1792. These tariffs were not highly protectionist because Hamilton feared discouraging imports, which were the critical tax base on which he planned to fund the public debt. As a consequence, protectionist interests shifted their political support from the Federalists to the Jeffersonian Republicans during the 1790s.
Some Cues for the Distinction Between Voiced and Voiceless Stops in Initial Position

Experiments with synthetic speech produced by the Pattern Playback indicated that the voiced stops in initial position could be made to sound like their voiceless counterparts by cutting back the b...
Supersymmetric Dark Matter

Abstract There is almost universal agreement among astronomers that most of the mass in the Universe and most of the mass in the Galactic halo is dark. Many lines of reasoning suggest that the dark matter consists of some new, as yet undiscovered, weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP). There is now a vast experimental effort being surmounted to detect WIMPs in the halo. The most promising techniques involve direct detection in low-background laboratory detectors and indirect detection through observation of energetic neutrinos from annihilation of WIMPs that have accumulated in the Sun and/or the Earth. Of the many WIMP candidates, perhaps the best motivated and certainly the most theoretically developed is the neutralino, the lightest superpartner in many supersymmetric theories. We review the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model and discuss prospects for detection of neutralino dark matter. We review in detail how to calculate the cosmological abundance of the neutralino and the event rates for both direct- and indirect-detection schemes, and we discuss astrophysical and laboratory constraints on supersymmetric models. We isolate and clarify the uncertainties from particle physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics that enter at each step in the calculations. We briefly review other related dark-matter candidates and detection techniques.
Mechanical translation of set theoretic problem specifications into efficient RAM code-A case study

This paper illustrates a fully automatic top-down approach to program development in which formal problem specifications are mechanically translated into efficient RAM code. This code is guaranteed to be totally correct and an upper bound on its worst case asymptotic running time is automatically determined. The user is only required to supply the system with a formal problem specification, and is relieved of all responsibilities in the rest of the program development process. These results are obtained, in part, by greatly restricting the system to handle a class of determinate, set theoretic, tractable problems. The most essential transformational techniques that are used are fixed point iteration, finite differencing, and data structure selection. Rudimentary forms of these techniques have been implemented and used effectively in the RAPTS transformational programming system. This paper explains the conceptual underpinnings of our approach by considering the problem of attribute closure for relational databases and systematically deriving a program that implements a linear time solution.
MICROECONOMETRIC MODELS OF RATIONING, IMPERFECT MARKETS, AND NON-NEGATIVITY CONSTRAINTS

Abstract This paper provides a theoretically consistent approach to estimating demand relationships in which kink points occur either in the interior or on the vertices of the budget set. There are important classes of problems in developing countries which demonstrate such kinked budget sets including binding non-negativity constraints. This paper also extends these methods to the estimation of production structures. As an application a translog cost function for three energy inputs is estimated from cross-sections of individual Indonesian firms.
Large area nanolithographic templates by selective etching of chemically stained block copolymer thin films

Magnetic nanodot arrays were prepared from thin film templates of cylinder-forming polystyrene-polylactide diblock copolymers by first annealing the films to obtain PLA cylinders oriented perpendicular to the surface, then selectively staining the PS matrix with RuO4 vapors, followed by etching the cylinders by O2-reactive ion etching. Metal was then deposited by molecular beam deposition and finally the polymer mask was lifted off.
Ultrastructure Synthesis and Nonlinear Spectroscopy of Photonic Materials

Abstract A brief progress report is provided on (1) the fabrication and integration with high speed VLSI circuitry of high frequency organic electro-optic modulators and (2) preparation of polymer microspheres, containing one or more layers of covalently coupled chromophores, capable of supporting morphological resonances.
DFacTo: Distributed Factorization of Tensors

We present a technique for significantly speeding up Alternating Least Squares (ALS) and Gradient Descent (GD), two widely used algorithms for tensor factorization. By exploiting properties of the Khatri-Rao product, we show how to efficiently address a computationally challenging sub-step of both algorithms. Our algorithm, DFacTo, only requires two sparse matrix-vector products and is easy to parallelize. DFacTo is not only scalable but also on average 4 to 10 times faster than competing algorithms on a variety of datasets. For instance, DFacTo only takes 480 seconds on 4 machines to perform one iteration of the ALS algorithm and 1,143 seconds to perform one iteration of the GD algorithm on a 6.5 million x 2.5 million x 1.5 million dimensional tensor with 1.2 billion non-zero entries.
PREPARATION OF 4-NITROPHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE FROM N-METHYL-4-NITROPHTHALIMIDE

(1988). PREPARATION OF 4-NITROPHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE FROM N-METHYL-4-NITROPHTHALIMIDE. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 423-425.
Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope-induced luminescence of GaN

We present the scanning tunneling microscope-induced luminescence (STL) of MBE-grown GaN using a liquid helium (LHe) cooled UHV scanning tunnel microscope (STM) and discuss luminescence images at various wavelengths. To our knowledge, this is the first report of low-temperature STL of GaN. We also complement our STL study using low-temperature SEM-induced cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL).
Employing the simple monosilylcopper reagent, Li[PhMe2SiCuI], in 1,4-addition reactions

Conjugate addition reactions using the simple Li[PhMe2SiCuI] reagent to a variety of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds is described; dimethyl sulfide from the purification of CuI plays a key role for very high yields as well as high stereoselectivities in the formation of β-silyl carbonyl compounds.
Detangling extrinsic and intrinsic hysteresis for detecting dynamic switch of electric dipoles using graphene field-effect transistors on ferroelectric gates

A transition in source–drain current vs. back gate voltage (ID–VBG) characteristics from extrinsic polar molecule dominant hysteresis to anti-hysteresis induced by an oxygen deficient surface layer that is intrinsic to the ferroelectric thin films has been observed on graphene field-effect transistors on Pb0.92La0.08Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 gates (GFET/PLZT-Gate) during a vacuum annealing process developed to systematically remove the polar molecules adsorbed on the GFET channel surface. This allows the extrinsic and intrinsic hysteresis on GFET/PLZT-gate devices to detangle and the detection of the dynamic switch of electric dipoles using GFETs, taking advantage of their high gating efficiency on ferroelectric gate. A model of the charge trapping and pinning mechanism is proposed to successfully explain the transition. In response to pulsed VBG trains of positive, negative, as well as alternating polarities, respectively, the source–drain current ID variation is instantaneous with the response amplitude following the ID–VBG loops measured by DC VBG with consideration of the remnant polarization after a given VBG pulse when the gate electric field exceeds the coercive field of the PLZT. A detection sensitivity of around 212 dipole per μm2 has been demonstrated at room temperature, suggesting the GFET/ferroelectric-gate devices provide a promising high-sensitivity scheme for uncooled detection of electrical dipole dynamic switch.
USING VOLUNTEER MENTORS TO IMPROVE THE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES OF UNDERSERVED STUDENTS: THE ROLE OF RELATIONSHIPS

Schools can benefit from understanding how to use community volunteers to achieve academic goals. A randomized control evaluation, involving 1139 students from 71 schools, of the school-based mentoring program of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America found modest but statistically significant improvements in the teacher-rated academic performance and self-reported scholastic efficacy of mentored students. The present study explores the causal mechanism behind these effects. We find that a close relationship between mentor and protege appears key to better academic outcomes. Because relationship closeness is not randomly assigned, we use two-stage least squares and other methods to control for potential selection bias. The role of emotional closeness as a mediator of program effects is evident across mentoring relationships of various lengths and statuses. Students were more likely to feel close to their mentors in programs that included weekly meetings and opportunities for mentor-protege pairs to interact outside of a large-group setting.
Does a thin foreign exchange market lead to destabilizing capital-market speculation in the Asian Crisis countries?

The authors investigate how the thinness of foreign-exchange markets causes destabilization speculation, especially when exchange-rate flexibility is increased, as it has been in the countries involved in the Asian crisis. They analyze the impact of this market thinness on the dynamic capital mobility and capital market risk of four countries involved in the Asian crisis: Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand. Using the vector-autoregression model, impulse response functions, and variance decomposition, they show that in response to one-standard-deviation shock to interest and exchange rates, the dynamic capital mobility of all four countries decreases in the short run. These shocks also cause the capital market risk of these countries to rise. Since the onset of the Asian crisis, the countries involved responded by raising their interest rates and devaluing their currencies. These measures were intended to stem capital flight from the borrowing countries and to encourage capital inflows. But in an environment of protracted financial sector reform and thin foreign exchange markets, these standard policies did not stabilize capital inflows into these countries. The authors' research supports the view that because standard policies were unable to change institutional investors' (self-fulfilling) expectations and herding behavior, the countries' policies have, in the short run, not been successful. This failure is in large part attributable to the very thin foreign exchange markets in these Asian countries.
A One‐Pot, One‐Operation [3+3] Annulation Approach to Benzothiazines

Enantiomerically pure 2,1-benzothiazines are readily prepared by a one-pot, one-operation procedure consisting of a palladium-catalyzed aryl amination of an ortho-bromobenzaldehyde with a sulfoximine followed by an intramolecular condensation reaction [Eq. (1)]. BINAP=1,1′-binaphthalene-2,2′-diylbis(diphenylphosphane).
Managed Care Discounting: Evidence from the MarketScan Database

The paper examines price discounting by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) in markets for hospital services. Our empirical analysis focuses on transaction prices for angioplasty, which is a relatively common procedure with well-defined ‘‘product’’ characteristics. After controlling for patient and procedure heterogeneity and market power, we find that on average angioplasty prices are 8% lower for PPOs than for fee-for-service plans, followed by point-of-service HMOs, which capture a 24% discount. Our results are in general agreement with earlier work by Cutler, McClellan, and Newhouse (2000), who show that managed care discounts are ‘‘real,’’ after accounting for case severity and process of care. It is generally assumed that managed care has been successful at lowering prices, but the implications have been a matter of debate. Critics have argued that managed care organizations attain savings by reducing intensity of services; others have argued that savings are ‘‘real’’ and are a consequence of discounts per unit of care, rather than a consequence of reduced intensity. Examining treatment episodes for acute myocardial infarctions (i.e., heart attacks), Cutler, McClellan, and Newhouse (2000) suggest that discounts are attained by managed care plans without sacrificing intensity. They pose the question, ‘‘Does managed care achieve discounts through reduced intensity?’’ We rephrase the question as, ‘‘Does managed care achieve discounts even after accounting for product heterogeneity?’’ To address this, we use a unique claims database that contains relatively rich detail on both sources of payment and on the process of care for hospital procedures. The specific procedure that we focus on is angioplasty, which is suitable for empirical research because it is a well-defined and relatively common cardiac procedure. Our study complements Cutler, McClellan, and Newhouse in one other important dimension: their study examined differences among managed care options within a single large health maintenance organization (HMO), whereas we focus on differences among various insurers and employers. After accounting for market forces, case mix, and product heterogeneity, we
Efficient Algorithms for Elliptic Curve Cryptosystems

This contribution describes three algorithms for efficient implementations of elliptic curve cryptosystems. The first algorithm is an entirely new approach which accelerates the multiplications of points which is the core operation in elliptic curve public-key systems. The algorithm works in conjunction with the k-ary or sliding window method. The algorithm explores computational advantages by computing repeated point doublings directly through closed formulae rather than from individual point doublings. This approach reduces the number of inversions in the underlying finite field at the cost of extra multiplications. For many practical implementations, where field inversion is at least four times as costly as field multiplication, the new approach proofs to be faster than traditional point multiplication methods. The second algorithm deals with efficient inversion in composite Galois fields of the form GF((2n)n). Based on an idea of Itoh and Tsujii, we optimize the algorithm for software implementation of elliptic curves. The algorithm reduced inversion in the composite field to inversion in the subfield GF(2n). The third algorithm describes the application of the Karatsuba-Ofman Algorithm to multiplication in GF((2n)n). We provide a detailed complexity analysis of the algorithm for the case that subfield arithmetic is performed through table look-up. We apply all three algorithms to an implementation of an elliptic curve system over GF((216)11). We provide absolute performance measures for the field operations and for an entire point multiplication.
Rates of information aggregation in common value auctions

We study the rates at which transaction prices aggregate information in common value auctions under the different information structures in Wilson (Rev. Econ. Stud. 44 (1977) 511) and Pesendorfer and Swinkels (Econometrica 65 (1997) 1247). We consider uniform-price auctions in which k identical objects of unknown value are auctioned to n bidders, where both n and k are allowed to diverge to infinity, and k/n converges to a number in [0,1). The Wilson assumptions lead to information aggregation at a rate proportional to n/√k , but the price aggregates information at a rate proportional to n/√k in the PS setting. We also consider English auctions, and investigate whether the extra information revealed in equilibrium improves convergence rates in these auctions.
Lateral dermoid cyst of the floor of mouth: Unusual radiologic and pathologic findings

A lateral dermoid cyst is a rare lesion of the floor of mouth, with only 12 cases reported in the literature. We describe the case of a 60-year-old man with a slowly enlarging mass in the submandibular region. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a lesion containing multiple uniformly rounded foci, creating a "sack-of-marbles" appearance. Needle aspirations showed atypical findings, and the mass was excised. Histopathology revealed a cyst containing a keratinizing stratified squamous epithelial lining with apocrine and eccrine glands. These findings were diagnostic of a dermoid cyst, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any midline or lateral cervical lesion.
Behavioral Economics and Social Exclusion: Can Interventions Overcome Prejudice?

Behavioral economics recognizes that mental models -- intuitive sets of ideas about how things work -- can bias an individual's perceptions of himself and the world. By representing an ascriptive category of people as unworthy, a mental model can foster unjust social exclusion of, for example, a race, gender, caste, or class. Since the representation is a social construction, shouldn't society be able to control it? But how? This paper considers three interventions that have had some success in developing countries: (1) Group deliberation in Senegal challenged the traditional mental model of female genital cutting and contributed to the abandonment of the practice; (2) political reservations for women and low castes in India improved the way men perceived women, the way parents perceived their daughters, and the way women perceived themselves, but have not generally had positive effects on the low castes; and (3) reductions in the salience of identity closed performance gaps between dominant and stigmatized groups in experiments in India and China. Spoiled collective identities need to be changed or made less prominent in order to overcome social exclusion.
Linearizing Transformations for the Thermal Dynamics of Gas Compression Processes

Linearizing transformations provide insight into gas compression processes frequently encountered in chemical and thermofluid systems as well as in hydraulic and pneumatic control elements. Significant nonlinear dynamic effects, resulting in hysteresis and energy dissipation, obviate the common use of polytropic exponents. However, these same effects are simply quantified through the analysis of an imbedded log-linear system. Response predictions for the linearized and nonlinear models are compared for both harmonic and transient inputs.
Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of plasma lipoproteins in head and neck cancer patients

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to evaluate changes in plasma lipoproteins in patients with squamous cell head and neck cancer. Plasma from 14 patients was analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and line widths and fast and slow methyl and methylene transverse relaxation values were obtained. In addition, the lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in the sera of these patients were measured by standard biochemical techniques. Preliminary results suggested that squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck with nodal metastases are associated with measureable changes in slow methylene transverse relaxation values, as compared with controls. These findings indicate the presence of a new lipoprotein complex in patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck with nodal metastases.
Unconventional Gas and Oil Development in the United States: Economic Experience and Policy Issues

This paper examines the economic experience of past energy booms and of current unconventional shale gas and oil development. It focuses on key economic characteristics of gas and oil development, such as its employment potential, the geography of such development, its boom-bust nature, and the economic experience with shale oil and gas development. This background is used to discuss important economic policy issues arising with unconventional oil and gas development, such as taxation, governmental use of those revenues, preemption, and equity in the distribution of costs and benefits. The paper concludes with economic policy recommendations for states and communities affected by such development.
TOWARD A UNIFICATION OF STAR FORMATION RATE DETERMINATIONS IN THE MILKY WAY AND OTHER GALAXIES

The star formation rate (SFR) of the Milky Way remains poorly known, with often-quoted values ranging from 1 to 10 Myr −1 . This situation persists despite the potential for the Milky Way to serve as the ultimate SFR calibrator for external galaxies. We show that various estimates for the Galactic SFR are consistent with one another once they have been normalized to the same initial mass function (IMF) and massive star models, converging to 1.9 ± 0.4 Myr −1 . However, standard SFR diagnostics are vulnerable to systematics founded in the use of indirect observational tracers sensitive only to high-mass stars. We find that absolute SFRs measured using resolved low/intermediate-mass stellar populations in Galactic Hii regions are systematically higher by factors of ∼2-3 compared with calibrations for SFRs measured from mid-IR and radio emission. We discuss some potential explanations for this discrepancy and conclude that it could be allayed if (1) the power-law slope of the IMF for intermediate-mass (1.5 M� <m< 5M� ) stars were steeper than the Salpeter slope or (2) a correction factor was applied to the extragalactic 24 μm SFR calibrations to account for the duration of star formation in individual mid-IR-bright Hii regions relative to the lifetimes of O stars. Finally, we present some approaches for testing whether a Galactic SFR of ∼2 Myr −1 is consistent with what we would measure if we could view the Milky Way as external observers. Using luminous radio supernova remnants and X-ray point sources, we find that the Milky Way deviates from expectations at the 1σ -3σ level, hinting that perhaps the Galactic SFR is overestimated or extragalactic SFRs need to be revised upward.
Quality Management and Juran's Legacy

Quality management provides the framework for the industrial application of statistical quality control, design of experiments, quality improvement, and reliability methods. It is therefore helpful for quality engineers and statisticians to be familiar with basic quality management principles. In this article we discuss Dr. Joseph M. Juran's important contributions to modern quality management concepts, principles, and models. Many people have contributed to modern quality management. However, through his extensive writings covering more than six decades, Juran has managed to distill and synthesize the subject. He has provided us with a coherent framework and terminology and anticipated many of the principles that subsequently became incorporated under the Six Sigma umbrella. We briefly outline Juran's framework and discuss a number of key contributions he has made to the subject of managing for quality.
Module selection and data format conversion for cost-optimal DSP synthesis

In high level synthesis each node of a synchronous dataflow graph (DFG) is scheduled to a specific time and allocated to a processor. In this paper we present new integer linear programming (ILP) models which generate a blocked schedule for a DFG with implicit retiming, pipelining, and unfolding while performing module selection and data format conversion. A blocked schedule is a schedule which overlaps multiple iterations of the DFG to guarantee a minimum number of processors. Component modules are selected from a library of processors to minimize cost. Furthermore, we include data format converters between processors of different data formats. In addition, we minimize the unfolding factor of the blocked schedule.
SN 2011hw: Helium-Rich Circumstellar Gas and the Luminous Blue Variable to Wolf-Rayet Transition in Supernova Progenitors

We present optical photometry and spectroscopy of the peculiar Type IIn/Ibn supernova (SN) 2011hw. Its light curve exhibits a slower decline rate than normal SNe Ibc, with a peak absolute magnitude of 19.5 (unfiltered) and a secondary peak 20–30 days later of 18.3 mag (R). Spectra of SN 2011hw are highly unusual compared to normal SN types, most closely resembling the spectra of SNe Ibn. We center our analysis on comparing SN 2011hw to the well-studied Type Ibn SN 2006jc. While the two SNe have many important similarities, the differences are quite telling: compared to SN 2006jc, SN 2011hw has weaker He i and Ca ii lines and relatively stronger H lines, its light curve exhibits a higher visual-wavelength luminosity and slower decline rate, and emission lines associated with the progenitor’s circumstellar material (CSM) are narrower. One can reproduce the unusual continuum shape of SN 2011hw with roughly equal contributions of a 6000 K blackbody and a spectrum of SN 2006jc. We attribute this blackbody-like emission component and many other differences between the two SNe to extra opacity from a small amount of additional H in SN 2011hw, analogous to the small H mass that makes SNe IIb differ from SNe Ib. Slower speeds in the CSM and somewhat elevated H content suggest a connection between the progenitor of SN 2011hw and the class of Ofpe/WN9 stars, which have been associated with luminous blue variables (LBVs) in their hot quiescent phases between outbursts, and are H-poor — but not H-free like classical Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. Thus, we conclude that the similarities and differences between SN 2011hw and SN 2006jc can be largely understood if their progenitors happened to explode at different points in the transitional evolution from an LBV to a WR star.
Message-Optimal and Latency-Optimal Termination Detection Algorithms for Arbitrary Topologies

Detecting termination of a distributed computation is a fundamental problem in distributed systems. We present two optimal algorithms for detecting termination of a non-diffusing distributed computation for an arbitrary topology. Both algorithms are optimal in terms of message complexity and detection latency. The first termination detection algorithm has to be initiated along with the underlying computation. The message complexity of this algorithm is Θ(N+M) and its detection latency is Θ(D), where N is the number of processes in the system, M is the number of application messages exchanged by the underlying computation, and D is the diameter of the communication topology. The second termination detection algorithm can be initiated at any time after the underlying computation has started. The message complexity of this algorithm is Θ(E+M) and its detection latency is Θ(D), where E is the number of channels in the communication topology.
Nickel‐Catalyzed Amination of Aryl Chlorides with Ammonia or Ammonium Salts

The nickel-catalyzed amination of aryl chlorides to form primary arylamines occurs with ammonia or ammonium sulfate and a well-defined single-component nickel(0) precatalyst containing a Josiphos ligand and an η(2)-bound benzonitrile ligand. This system also catalyzes the coupling of aryl chlorides with gaseous amines in the form of their hydrochloride salts.
Leadership in online creative collaboration

Leadership plays a central role in the success of many forms of online creative collaboration, yet little is known about the challenges leaders must manage. In this paper, we report on a qualitative study of leadership in three online communities whose members collaborate over the Internet to create computer-animated movies called "collabs." Our results indicate that most collabs fail. Collab leaders face two major challenges. First, leaders must design collabora-tive projects. Second, leaders must manage artists during the collab production process. We contrast these challenges with the available empirical research on leadership in open-source software and Wikipedia, identifying four themes: originality, completion, subjectivity, and ownership. We conclude with broader implications for online creative col-laboration in its many forms.
When Walmart Comes to Town: Always Low Housing Prices? Always? †

Abstract Walmart often faces strong local opposition when trying to build a new store. One common complaint is that Walmart lowers nearby housing prices. In this study we use over one million housing transactions located near 159 Walmarts that opened between 2000 and 2006 to test if the opening of a Walmart lowers housing prices. Using a difference-in-differences specification, our estimates suggest that a new Walmart store actually increases housing prices by between 2% and 3% for houses located within 0.5 miles of the store and by 1–2% for houses located between 0.5 and 1 mile.
The Relationship between the Catholic Teacher's Faith and Commitment in the Catholic High School

This study investigates the relationship between Catholic teachers’ faith and their school commitment in Catholic high schools. A national sample of 751 teachers from 39 Catholic high schools in 15 archdioceses in the United States participated in a self-administered website survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson correlation. The findings of this study show that there are significant relationships between the four dimensions of Catholic teachers’ faith (belief, intimacy with God, action, and a living faith) and the four dimensions of school commitment (commitment to mission, commitment to the school, commitment to teaching, and commitment to students). Among the four dimensions of Catholic faith, a living faith was most influential in all the four dimensions of teacher commitment. Among the four dimensions of teacher commitment, commitment to mission was most strongly connected with all four dimensions of faith. The findings of this study strongly suggest that Catholic teachers’ living faith, placed in the center of intrinsic motivation for their school lives and activities, needs to be acknowledged as a critical predictor of teacher commitment within Catholic high schools.
Supplemental plan offerings and retirement saving choices: an analysis of North Carolina school districts* ‡

Unlike private sector employers, public school districts generally offer more than one type of supplemental retirement savings plan and allow multiple vendors to offer products. Using individual-level payroll data from over half of the public school districts in North Carolina coupled with data from an employer survey, this study examines how inter-district differences in supplemental plan administration are related to participation in these savings vehicles. We find wide variation in total participation rates and in 403(b) plan participation rates in particular, even among this population of public-sector workers with the same defined benefit pension plan, health plan, and retiree health coverage. Individual and district characteristics explain some, but not all, of the variation observed.
Singular value analysis of deformable systems

Singular value analysis, balancing, and approximation of a class of deformable systems are investigated. The deformable systems considered herein include several important cases of flexible aerospace vehicles and are characterized by countably infinitely many poles and zeros on the imaginary axis. The analysis relies completely on the so-called asymptotic singular value decompositon of the Hankel operator associated with the impulse response of the system. A parametric study of a six-dimensional single-input single-output case is performed.
K2B12F12: A rare A2X structure for an ionic compound at ambient conditions

Abstract The anhydrous salt K 2 B 12 F 12 crystallized from aqueous solution and its structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The Ni 2 In-type structure it exhibits is rare for an A 2 X ionic compound at 25 °C and 1 atm., consisting of an expanded hexagonal close-packed array of B 12 F 12 2− centroids (cent⋯cent distances: 7.204–8.236 A) with half of the K + ions filling all of the O h holes and half of the K + ions filling all of the D 3h trigonal holes in the close-packed layers that are midway between two “empty” T d holes. The structure is also unusual in that the bond-valence sum for the K + ions in O h holes is less than or equal to 0.73 (the bond-valence sum for the other type of K + ion is 1.16). A variation of the Ni 2 In structure is exhibited by the previously published monohydrate Cs 2 (H 2 O)B 12 F 12 , for which an improved structure is also reported here. For K 2 B 12 F 12 : monoclinic, C 2/ c , a = 8.2072(8), b = 14.2818(7), c = 11.3441(9) A, β = 92.832(5)°, Z = 4, T = 120(2) K. For Cs 2 (H 2 O)B 12 F 12 : orthorhombic, P 2 1 2 1 2 1 , a = 9.7475(4), b = 10.2579(4), c = 15.0549(5) A, Z = 4, T = 110(1) K.
Encapsulation of a polymer by an icosahedral virus

The coat proteins of many viruses spontaneously form icosahedral capsids around nucleic acids or other polymers. Elucidating the role of the packaged polymer in capsid formation could promote biomedical efforts to block viral replication and enable use of capsids in nanomaterials applications. To this end, we perform Brownian dynamics on a coarse-grained model that describes the dynamics of icosahedral capsid assembly around a flexible polymer. We identify several mechanisms by which the polymer plays an active role in its encapsulation, including cooperative polymer–protein motions. These mechanisms are related to experimentally controllable parameters such as polymer length, protein concentration and solution conditions. Furthermore, the simulations demonstrate that assembly mechanisms are correlated with encapsulation efficiency, and we present a phase diagram that predicts assembly outcomes as a function of experimental parameters. We anticipate that our simulation results will provide a framework for designing in vitro assembly experiments on single-stranded RNA virus capsids.
Renormalization group for non-relativistic fermions.

A brief introduction is given to the renormalization group for non-relativistic fermions at finite density. It is shown that Landau’s theory of the Fermi liquid arises as a fixed point (with the Landau parameters as marginal couplings) and its instabilities as relevant perturbations. Applications to related areas, nuclear matter, quark matter and quantum dots, are briefly discussed. The focus will be on explaining the main ideas to people in related fields, rather than addressing the experts.
Structure-based analysis and optimization of a highly enantioselective catalyst for the strecker reaction.

A mechanistic investigation of the asymmetric Strecker reaction catalyzed by a metal-free Schiff base catalyst was conducted. The active site of the catalyst, the relevant stereoisomer of the imine substrate, and the solution structure of the imine−catalyst complex were elucidated using a series of kinetics, structure−activity, and NMR experiments. An unusual bridging interaction between the imine and the urea hydrogens of the catalyst was identified and supported by computation. Rational optimization of catalyst structure based on the mechanistic insight led to an improved catalyst for the asymmetric Strecker reaction.
Measurement of Trailing Edge Noise Using Directional Array and Coherent Output Power Methods

The use of a directional array of microphones for the measurement of trailing edge (TE) noise is described. The capabilities of this method are evaluated via measurements of TE noise from a NACA 63-215 airfoil model and from a cylindrical rod. This TE noise measurement approach is compared to one that is based on the cross spectral analysis of output signals from a pair of microphones (COP method). Advantages and limitations of both methods are examined. It is shown that the microphone array can accurately measures TE noise and captures its two-dimensional characteristic over a large frequency range for any TE configuration as long as noise contamination from extraneous sources is within bounds. The COP method is shown to also accurately measure TE noise but over a more limited frequency range that narrows for increased TE thickness. Finally, the applicability and generality of an airfoil self-noise prediction method was evaluated via comparison to the experimental data obtained using the COP and array measurement methods. The predicted and experimental results are shown to agree over large frequency ranges.
Holography in general space-times

We provide a background-independent formulation of the holographic principle. It permits the construction of embedded hypersurfaces (screens) on which the entire bulk information can be stored at a density of no more than one bit per Planck area. Screens are constructed explicitly for AdS, Minkowski, and de Sitter spaces with and without black holes, and for cosmological solutions. The properties of screens provide clues about the character of a manifestly holographic theory.
Diastereoselective cycloadditions of chiral homoallylic alcohols with benzonitrile oxide

The first diastereoselective cycloaddition of a nitrile oxide with a homoallylic alcohol is discussed. The reaction of benzonitrile oxide with the magnesium alkoxides of chiral homoallylic alcohols has been shown to proceed with good diastereoselectivity, favoring the syn isomer of the resulting 2-isoxazoline.
Dynamic coupling of underactuated manipulators

In recent years, researchers have been dedicated to the study of underactuated manipulators which have more joints than control actuators. In previous works, assumptions were made as to the existence of enough dynamic coupling between the active and the passive joints of the manipulator for it to be possible to control the position of the passive joints via the dynamic coupling. In this work, the authors aim to develop an index to measure the dynamic coupling, so as to address when control of the underactuated system is possible, and how the motion and robot configuration can be designed. The authors discuss extensively the nature of the dynamic coupling and of the proposed coupling index, and their applications in the analysis and design of underactuated systems, and in control and planning of robot motion configuration.
Method of images for the fast calculation of temperature distributions in packaged VLSI chips

Thermal aware routing and placement algorithms are important in industry. Currently, there are reasonably fast Green's function based algorithms that calculate the temperature distribution in a chip made from a stack of different materials. However, the layers are all assumed to have the same size, thus neglecting the important fact that the thermal mounts which are placed underneath the chip can be significantly larger than the chip itself. In an earlier publication, we showed that the image blurring technique can be used to calculate quickly temperature distribution in realistic packages. For this method to be effective, temperature distribution for several point heat sources at the center and at the corner and edges of the chip should be calculated using finite element analysis (FEA) or measured. In addition, more accurate results require correction by a weighting function that will need several FEA simulations. In this paper, we introduce the convolution by images that take the symmetry of the thermal boundary conditions into account. Thus with only "two" finite element simulations, the steady-state temperature distribution for an arbitrary complex power dissipation profile in a packaged chip can be calculated. Several simulation results are presented. It is shown that the power blurring technique together with the method of images can reproduce the temperature profile with an error less than 0.5%.
Indexed families of functionals and Gaussian radial basis functions

We report on results concerning the capabilities of gaussian radial basis function networks in the setting of inner product spaces that need not be finite dimensional. Specifically, we show that important indexed families of functionals can be uniformly approximated, with the approximation uniform also with respect to the index. Applications are described concerning the classification of signals and the synthesis of reconfigurable classifiers.
Linear transformations and Restricted Isometry Property

The Restricted Isometry Property (RIP) introduced by Candes and Tao is a fundamental property in compressed sensing theory. It says that if a sampling matrix satisfies the RIP of certain order proportional to the sparsity of the signal, then the original signal can be reconstructed even if the sampling matrix provides a sample vector which is much smaller in size than the original signal. This short note addresses the problem of how a linear transformation will affect the RIP. This problem arises from the consideration of extending the sensing matrix and the use of compressed sensing in different bases. As an application, the result is applied to the redundant dictionary setting in compressed sensing.
The local Solow growth model

Abstract This paper generalizes the empirical analysis of the Solow growth model to account for country-specific heterogeneity. This generalization relaxes the assumption made in bulk of empirical growth studies that all countries possess identical aggregate production functions. Our empirical results indicate that there is substantial country-specific heterogeneity in the Solow parameters-heterogeneity that is associated with differences in initial income. We therefore conclude that the explanatory value of the Solow growth model is substantially enhanced by allowing for country-specific, i.e. local, production functions.
CROSS-TOWN BUS ROUTES AS A SOLUTION FOR DECENTRALIZED TRAVEL: A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR MONTERREY, MEXICO

In many metropolitan regions, employment has become less concentrated in central business districts (CBD) and instead is dispersed throughout the region. The resulting decentralized travel patterns have led transit authorities to complement traditional radial networks, where all transit routes radiate from the CBD, with cross-town transit routes from one suburb to another. In all cross town-routes, neither end of the bus line originates in the CBD. Peripheral cross-town routes totally bypass the CBD. This article uses an urban transportation planning model to simulate the productivity gains or losses in the transit system in Monterrey, Mexico following the introduction of new cross-town routes. The financial productivity and economic viability of the transit lines are analyzed by measuring the welfare gains and losses to bus riders, automobile users and bus operators. Monterrey is typical of many developing cities because of its high rate of growth in population and automobile ownership and limited road capacity. Analysis of morning peak-hour travel indicates that the introduction of cross-town routes resulted in time and monetary savings for their users. Redeploying buses from radial routes to cross-town ones reduced congestion and resulted in slightly higher travel speeds, which also benefited automobile users. Bus operators forego the revenues on eliminated transfers without any corresponding reduction in operating costs. Radial route users also suffer due to reduced frequencies of buses on the radial routes. In cases where bus companies are not earning economic rents, a redistribution of the gains may be required for the sustainability of the new service. Results suggest that there are large variations in productivity and profitability among the cross-town routes. Routes operating close to the periphery of the city and far from the CBD have the highest levels of ridership and productivity.
Development of sentinel node targeting technique in breast cancer patients

: The goals of this clinical study were to develop a clinically relevant technique of targeting the sentinel lymph nodes for surgical removal in breast cancer patients and to determine the accuracy of the sentinel node for predicting whether regional metastases have occurred. One hundred fifty-seven patients with breast cancer and clinically negative lymph nodes had 0.2 to 1.0 mCi of a radiopharmaceutical injected into the breast around the primary cancer. All patients underwent completion lymphadenectomy immediately following sentinel node resection. The nodes were analyzed pathologically to determine which nodes contained metastases. A considerable variation was observed in the ability of different radiopharmaceutical agents to selectively label the sentinel node. Of those evaluated, 1 mCi technetium sulfur colloid in a volume of 8 ml provided the best labeling rate (29/29 = 100%). Of 119 patients in which a sentinel node was identified, 41 had pathologically positive nodes and in only 2 cases was the sentinel node not one of the pathologically positive nodes (false-negative rate 4.9%). The mean number of sentinel nodes was 3. There was considerable variation in the ability of lymphoscintigraphic agents to selectvely label the sentinel lymph node in breast cancer agents. Technetium sulfur colloid appears to successfully label the sentinel nodes in >90% breast cancer patients and was the best agent of the group evaluated. The pathology of the sentinel lymph node has a high accuracy for predicting whether regional lymph node metastases have occurred.
Topologies of social interactions

The paper extends the Brock-Durlauf social interactions model to richer social structures modelled with arbitrary interaction topologies and examines in detail the star, the wheel and the path. It explores Nash equilibria when agents act on the basis of expectations over, and, alternatively, actual knowledge their neighbors’ decisions. It links social interactions with econometrics of systems of simultaneous equations. The local dynamics near steady states combine spectral properties of the adjacency matrix and of the nonlinearities of reaction functions. For regular interaction topologies, adjustment exhibit relative persistence. Cyclical interaction is associated with endogenous spatial oscillations and islands of conformity.
Cognitive System Management: The Polymorphic, Evolutionary, Neural Learning and Processing Environment (PENLPE)

Many have put forth architectures that facilitate cognition, learning, memories, and information processing, but it is not sufficient to create a completely autonomous Artificially Intelligent System (AIS). An overall AIS architecture framework, along with a knowledge and cognitive ontology are required in order to facilitate a fully autonomous, cognitive, self-aware, self-assessing, AIS. Such a system must include architectures and methodologies for managing such cognitive processes. Described here is an AIS processing and management framework called the Polymorphic, Evolutionary, Neural Learning and Processing Environment (PENLPE). This AIS processing and management framework allows dynamic adaptation of the structural elements of the cognitive system, providing the abilities to add and prune cognitive elements as necessary in the AIS evolution. PENLPE accommodates a variety of memory classes and algorithm methods. The basic building blocks of each are the Artificial Cognitive Neural Framework (ACNF), as well as methodologies and architectures for Memory, Decision, Rules, Learning, Reasoning, Decision, and Failure Management.