cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Releasable layer-by-layer assembly of stabilized lipid nanocapsules on microneedles for enhanced transcutaneous vaccine delivery.

Here we introduce a new approach for transcutaneous drug delivery, using microneedles coated with stabilized lipid nanocapsules, for delivery of a model vaccine formulation. Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microneedle arrays were coated with multilayer films via layer-by-layer assembly of a biodegradable cationic poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) and negatively charged interbilayer-cross-linked multilamellar lipid vesicles (ICMVs). To test the potential of these nanocapsule-coated microneedles for vaccine delivery, we loaded ICMVs with a protein antigen and the molecular adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A. Following application of microneedle arrays to the skin of mice for 5 min, (PBAE/ICMV) films were rapidly transferred from microneedle surfaces into the cutaneous tissue and remained in the skin following removal of the microneedle arrays. Multilayer films implanted in the skin dispersed ICMV cargos in the treated tissue over the course of 24 h in vivo, allowing for uptake of the lipid nanocapsules by antigen presenti...
Development of DIOP derivatives as efficient ligands for asymmetric hydrogenation: factors controlling the reactivities and enantioselectivities

Several DIOP derivatives have been developed as efficient ligands for Rh and Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenations. The conformational mobility of the backbone in this type of ligand plays an important role in governing both the reactivity and enantioselectivity. Isolation of pure pre-catalyst is another key factor to obtain high catalytic activity.
A REMARK ON PRIMALITY TESTING AND DECIMAL EXPANSIONS

We show that for any fixed base a, a positive proportion of primes become composite after any one of their digits in the base a expansion is altered; the case where a=2 has already been established by Cohen and Selfridge [‘Not every number is the sum or difference of two prime powers’, Math. Comput.29 (1975), 79–81] and Sun [‘On integers not of the form ±pa±qb’, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc.128 (2000), 997–1002], using some covering congruence ideas of Erdős. Our method is slightly different, using a partially covering set of congruences followed by an application of the Selberg sieve upper bound. As a consequence, it is not always possible to test whether a number is prime from its base a expansion without reading all of its digits. We also present some slight generalisations of these results.
Recognition of strings using nonstationary Markovian models: an application in ZIP code recognition

This paper presents nonstationary Markovian models and their application to recognition of strings of tokens, such as ZIP codes in the US mailstream. Unlike traditional approaches where digits are simply recognized in isolation, the novelty of our approach lies in the manner in which recognitions scores along with domain specific knowledge about the frequency distribution of various combination of digits are all integrated into one unified model. The domain knowledge is derived from postal directory files. This data feeds into the models as n-grams statistics that are seamlessly integrated with recognition scores of digit images. We present the recognition accuracy (90%) achieved on a set of 20,000 ZIP codes.
Projective equivalence of ideals in Noetherian integral domains

Abstract Let I be a nonzero proper ideal in a Noetherian integral domain R. In this paper we establish the existence of a finite separable integral extension domain A of R and a positive integer m such that all the Rees integers of IA are equal to m. Moreover, if R has altitude one, then all the Rees integers of J = Rad ( I A ) are equal to one and the ideals J m and IA have the same integral closure. Thus Rad ( I A ) = J is a projectively full radical ideal that is projectively equivalent to IA. In particular, if R is Dedekind, then there exists a Dedekind domain A having the following properties: (i) A is a finite separable integral extension of R; and (ii) there exists a radical ideal J of A and a positive integer m such that I A = J m . In this case the extension A also has the property that for each maximal ideal N of A with I ⊆ N , the canonical inclusion R / ( N ∩ R ) ↪ A / N is an isomorphism, and the integer m is a multiple of [ A ( 0 ) : R ( 0 ) ] .
Application of the Fokker-Planck equation to particle-beam injection into e- storage rings.

Nonlinear forces in the longitudinal accelerating field---or in the transverse magnetic fields---lead to filamentation of the injected emittance and to the decoherence of the center-of-mass motion. The dynamics of the particle distribution function in the presence of synchrotron radiation is governed by the Fokker-Planck equation. We derive the time evolution of the distribution function after injection as an approximate solution to the Fokker-Planck equation. The approximation assumes the injected emittance to be considerably larger than the equilibrium emittance, which is fulfilled for a certain class of storage rings, e.g., damping rings. In the limit of no quantum excitation, this distribution function will then be an exact solution. Higher moments of the distribution can be expressed in combinations of elementary functions and agree very well with multiparticle simulations.
Conduct parameters and the measurement of market power

This paper examines a simple version of the conduct parameter method widely used in empirical industrial organization and argues that the conduct parameter fails to measure market power accurately. It is shown analytically and with simulations that in a dynamic oligopoly model this mismeasurement can be quite severe.
Empirical assessment of the impact of highway design exceptions on the frequency and severity of vehicle accidents

Compliance to standardized highway design criteria is considered essential to ensure roadway safety. However, for a variety of reasons, situations arise where exceptions to standard-design criteria are requested and accepted after review. This research explores the impact that such design exceptions have on the frequency and severity of highway accidents in Indiana. Data on accidents at carefully selected roadway sites with and without design exceptions are used to estimate appropriate statistical models of the frequency and severity of accidents at these sites using recent statistical advances with mixing distributions. The results of the modeling process show that presence of approved design exceptions has not had a statistically significant effect on the average frequency or severity of accidents - suggesting that current procedures for granting design exceptions have been sufficiently rigorous to avoid adverse safety impacts. However, the findings do suggest that the process that determines the frequency of accidents does vary between roadway sites with design exceptions and those without.
A Review and Analysis of the Existing Research Streams in Continuous Auditing

A growing body of literature related to continuous auditing topics has developed. Advances in information technology and web‐based applications are making monitoring and control of operations through continuous auditing increasingly important. The objective of this paper is to describe, summarize, and provide a framework for classifying the contributions of the diverse literature addressing the topic of continuous auditing. This paper was intended to provide researchers and practitioners with a background in continuous auditing topics. Our broad view of the literature is also designed to discover areas holding the potential for future research. Research streams are divided into five major categories: demand factors, theory and guidance, enabling technologies, applications, and impacts. Over 80 papers have been identified that relate to these areas. Many more articles exist, especially in the area of enabling technologies. However, the focus of our paper is the literature most closely related to continuous...
Quantitative analysis of properties and spatial relations of fuzzy image regions

Properties of objects and spatial relations between objects play an important role in rule-based approaches for high-level vision. The partial presence or absence of such properties and relationships can supply both positive and negative evidence for region labeling hypotheses. Similarly, fuzzy labeling of a region can generate new hypotheses pertaining to the properties of the region, its relation to the neighboring regions, and, finally, hypotheses pertaining to the labels of the neighboring regions. A unified methodology that can be used to characterize both properties and spatial relationships of object regions in a digital image is presented. The methods proposed for computing the properties and relations of image regions can be used to arrive at more meaningful decisions about the contents of the scene. >
Workspace generation of hyper-redundant manipulators as a diffusion process on SE(N)

Hyper-redundant manipulators have a large number of redundant degrees of freedom. They have been recognized as a means to improve manipulator performance in complex and unstructured environments. However, the high degree of redundancy also causes difficulty in the calculation of workspaces and inverse kinematics. This paper develops a diffusion-based algorithm for workspace generation of hyper-redundant manipulators. This algorithm makes the workspace generation problem as simple as solving a diffusion equation which has an explicit solution. This diffusion equation is a partial differential equation defined on the motion group SE(N), and describes the evolution of the workspace density function, depending on manipulator length and kinematic properties. This paper also solves the inverse kinematics problem in an elegant way by dividing the manipulator into virtual segments and cascading the corresponding workspace densities generated by the diffusion equation.
A Kalman filter solution of the inverse scattering problem with a rational reflection coefficient

Abstract This paper presents a new inverse scattering method for reconstructing the reflectivity function of symmetric two-component wave equations, or the potential of a Schrodinger equation, when the reflection coefficient is rational. This method relies on the so-called Chandrasekhar equations which implement the Kalman filter associated to a stationary state-space model. These equations are derived by using first a general layer stripping principle to obtain some differential equations for reconstructing a general scattering medium, and by specializing these recursions to the case when the probing waves have a state-space model.
Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Technique for Transonic Unsteady Aerodynamic Flows

A new method for constructing reduced-order models (ROM) of unsteady small-disturbance e ows is presented. The reduced-order models are constructed using basis vectors determined from the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) of an ensemble of small-disturbance frequency-domain solutions. Each of the individual frequencydomain solutions is computed using an efe cient time-linearized e ow solver. We show that reduced-order models can be constructed using just a handful of POD basis vectors, producing low-order but highly accurate models of the unsteady e ow over a wide range of frequencies. We apply the POD/ROM technique to compute the unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic behavior of an isolated transonic airfoil and to a two-dimensional cascade of airfoils.
Experimental Investigation of IEEE 802.15.4 Transmission Power Control and Interference Minimization

Although the characteristics of RF transmissions are physically well understood at the lowest levels of communication design, accurately incorporating power and interference effects is one of the most challenging tasks in designing efficient wireless network algorithms. The most noteworthy approaches are the circular transmission and interference "ranges" that do not apply to antennae packages that are not omnidirectional, as well as to non line-of-sight environments of many low power wireless sensor and mesh network. In this paper we experimentally investigate and then model the transmission interference of low power 802.15.4 based transceiver nodes by relying not only on distance but also on the transmit power, orientations, and the relative positions of the transmitter, receiver, and interfering nodes. The experimentally validated power/interference model is then used as the basis for an optimization algorithm that schedules nodes to minimize interference and maximize throughput from a set of senders to a set of receivers.
It takes time to prime: Semantic priming in the ocular lexical decision task

Two eye-tracking experiments were conducted in which the manual response mode typically used in lexical decision tasks (LDTs) was replaced with an eye-movement response through a sequence of 3 words. This ocular LDT combines the explicit control of task goals found in LDTs with the highly practiced ocular response used in reading text. In Experiment 1, forward saccades indicated an affirmative lexical decision (LD) on each word in the triplet. In Experiment 2, LD responses were delayed until all 3 letter strings had been read. The goal of the study was to evaluate the contribution of task goals and response mode to semantic priming. Semantic priming is very robust in tasks that involve recognition of words in isolation, such as LDT, but limited during text reading, as measured using eye movements. Gaze durations in both experiments showed robust semantic priming even though ocular response times were much shorter than manual LDs for the same words in the English Lexicon Project. Ex-Gaussian distribution fits revealed that the priming effect was concentrated in estimates of tau (τ), meaning that priming was most pronounced in the slow tail of the distribution. This pattern shows differential use of the prime information, which may be more heavily recruited in cases in which the LD is difficult, as indicated by longer response times. Compared with the manual LD responses, ocular LDs provide a more sensitive measure of this task-related influence on word recognition as measured by the LDT.
Experimental methods and the welfare evaluation of policy lotteries

Policies impose lotteries of outcomes on individuals, since we never know exactly what the effects of the policy will be. In order to evaluate alternative policies, we therefore need to make some assumptions about individual preferences, even before social welfare functions are applied. Instead of making a priori assumptions about those preferences that are likely to be wrong, there are two broad ways in which experimental methods are used to evaluate policy. One is to use experiments to estimate individual preferences, valuations and beliefs, and use those estimates as priors in the evaluation of policy. The other approach is to undertake deliberate randomization, or exploit accidental or natural randomization, to infer the effects of policy. The strengths and weaknesses of these approaches are reviewed, and their complementarities identified.
Optimal motion and structure estimation

The causes of existing linear algorithms exhibiting various high sensitivities to noise are analyzed. It is shown that even a small pixel-level perturbation may override the epipolar information that is essential for the linear algorithms to distinguish different motions. This analysis indicates the need for optimal estimation in the presence of noise. Methods are introduced for optimal motion and structure estimation under two situations of noise distribution: known and unknown. Computationally, the optimal estimation amounts to minimizing a nonlinear function. For the correct convergence of this nonlinear minimization, a two-step approach is used. The first step is using a linear algorithm to give a preliminary estimate for the parameters. The second step is minimizing the optimal objective function starting from that preliminary estimate as an initial guess. A remarkable accuracy improvement has been achieved by this two-step approach over using the linear algorithm alone. >
Rate and oxygen activity oscillations during hydrogen oxidation on polycrystalline nickel

Abstract The catalytic oxidation of hydrogen on polycrystalline nickel films supported on yttria stabilized zirconia was studied in a continuous flow reactor at temperatures between 280 and 400 °C and atmospheric total pressure. The technique of solid electrolyte potentiometry (SEP) was used to monitor the thermodynamic activity of oxygen adsorbed on the catalyst surface. The limits of gas phase composition and temperature within which sustained oscillations appear were investigated. It was found that the boundaries within which unsteady state phenomena occur depend upon the catalyst temperature and the partial pressures of both reactants, hydrogen and oxygen. The minimum surface oxygen activity below which only stable steady states are observed is very close to the dissociation pressure of nickel oxide.
Algorithms and hardness results for parallel large margin learning

We consider the problem of learning an unknown large-margin halfspace in the context of parallel computation, giving both positive and negative results. As our main positive result, we give a parallel algorithm for learning a large-margin half-space, based on an algorithm of Nesterov's that performs gradient descent with a momentum term. We show that this algorithm can learn an unknown γ-margin halfspace over n dimensions using n ċ poly(1/γ) processors and running in time O(1/γ)+O(log n). In contrast, naive parallel algorithms that learn a γ-margin halfspace in time that depends polylogarithmically on n have an inverse quadratic running time dependence on the margin parameter γ. Our negative result deals with boosting, which is a standard approach to learning large-margin halfspaces. We prove that in the original PAC framework, in which a weak learning algorithm is provided as an oracle that is called by the booster, boosting cannot be parallelized. More precisely, we show that, if the algorithm is allowed to call the weak learner multiple times in parallel within a single boosting stage, this ability does not reduce the overall number of successive stages of boosting needed for learning by even a single stage. Our proof is information-theoretic and does not rely on unproven assumptions.
Strong stabilizability of systems with multiaffine uncertainties and numerator denominator coupling

This paper considers a set of proper transfer functions whose numerator and denominator polynomial coefficients display dependent multiaffine parametric uncertainties. It is shown that provided no member transfer function has positive real pole-zero cancellations, all members satisfy the parity interlacing property iff all corner members do the same. Notice that while this implies that each member is strongly stabilizable, it does not imply the existence of a single stable controller that stabilizes the whole set. The paper also shows that whenever the numerator and denominator polynomials lie in dependent polytopes, the task of verifying the absence of positive real pole-zero cancellations can be accomplished by checking the edges. >
Architecture and performance testing of a software GPS receiver for space-based applications

Space-based GPS technology presents significant challenges over Earth-based systems. These include visibility issues for rotating platforms and tracking of GPS satellites from spacecraft that are in higher orbits than the GPS, realtime resolution of carrier phase ambiguities, and different dynamics during various mission phases. NAVSYS has developed a software GPS receiver that makes use of 3-dimensional digital beam steering technology and inertial aiding to address these issues. This approach offers several advantages including all round visibility for spinning satellites, tracking of weak GPS signals, reduction of multipath, and reprogrammability to accommodate different mission phases. Additionally, a suite of simulation tools based on the NAVSYS Matlab Toolbox and Advanced GPS Hybrid simulation products have been built to allow testing for simulated space environments. The receiver architecture and test tools are described in this paper.
Depth Discontinuities by Pixel-to-Pixel Stereo

An algorithm to detect depth discontinuities from a stereo pair of images is presented. The algorithm matches individual pixels in corresponding scanline pairs, while allowing occluded pixels to remain unmatched, then propagates the information between scanlines by means of a fast postprocessor. The algorithm handles large untextured regions, uses a measure of pixel dissimilarity that is insensitive to image sampling, and prunes bad search nodes to increase the speed of dynamic programming. The computation is relatively fast, taking about 600 nanoseconds per pixel per disparity on a personal computer. Approximate disparity maps and precise depth discontinuities (along both horizontal and vertical boundaries) are shown for several stereo image pairs containing textured, untextured, fronto-parallel, and slanted objects in indoor and outdoor scenes.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICIES: A Retrospective Examination

▪ Abstract We review literature on several types of energy efficiency policies: appliance standards, financial incentive programs, information and voluntary programs, and management of government energy use. For each, we provide a brief synopsis of the relevant programs, along with available existing estimates of energy savings, costs, and cost-effectiveness at a national level. The literature examining these estimates points to potential issues in determining the energy savings and costs, but recent evidence suggests that techniques for measuring both have improved. Taken together, the literature identifies up to four quads of energy savings annually from these programs—at least half of which is attributable to appliance standards and utility-based demand-side management, with possible additional energy savings from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) ENERGY STAR, Climate Challenge, and Section 1605b voluntary programs to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Related reductions in CO2 and criteria a...
An Algebraically Derived Nonlinear Control Theory

This paper presents a control theory, for a large class of nonlinear systems, including analog, digital, and hybrid systems. The control theory is developed from a new system model that can be used to model nonlinear systems that cannot be modeled with the state space equations.
An Inverse Radiative Transfer in Refractive Media Equipped with a Magnetic Field

We study the reconstruction of the attenuation and absorption coefficients in a stationary linear transport equation from knowledge of the albedo operator in dimension \(n\ge 3\) on a Riemannian manifold in the presence of a magnetic field. We show that the direct boundary value problem is well posed under two types of subcritical conditions. We obtain uniqueness and non-uniqueness results of the reconstruction under some restrictions. Finally, stability estimates are also established.
ELLIPTIC CURVES OF ODD MODULAR DEGREE

The modular degree m E of an elliptic curve E/Q is the minimal degree of any surjective morphism X 0(N) → E, where N is the conductor of E. We give a necessary set of criteria for m E to be odd. In the case when N is prime our results imply a conjecture of Mark Watkins. As a technical tool, we prove a certain multiplicity one result at the prime p = 2, which may be of independent interest.
Architectural directions for opening IBM networks: the case of OSI

This paper discusses the results of a research project that developed an architectural framework for integrating non-IBM network architectures to the reference model and node structures of IBM's Systems Network Architecture (SNA). The unique features of the selected integration approach allow multiple protocol stacks to coexist and interoperate within the same computer, to share use of common physical network ports, links, and switching nodes, and to be accessed and managed through homogeneous interfaces. The architectural framework was developed for the specific purpose of integrating the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model to that of SNA, but its basic philosophy and key aspects turn out to be generally applicable to the integration of other network technologies as well, such as TCP/IP or NetBIOS.
Modernidades múltiples y encuentro de civilizaciones

Modernidades multiples y encuentro de civilizaciones Josetxo Beriain Universidad Publica de Navarra Indice: Modernidad: ?Una, ninguna o muchas?. El surgimiento de la modernidad en Europa occidental: La modernidad europeo-occidental. El excepcionalismo de la modernidad americana: “melting pot” o “glorious mosaic”. La domesticacion del Samurai: la modernidad japonesa. La moderna antimodernidad del fundamentalismo: La dimension jacobina de la modernidad. A modo de conclusion. “Entre los diversos tipos de culto que prevalecian en el mundo romano, todos ellos eran considerados igualmente verdaderos por el pueblo, igualmente falsos por los filosofos e igualmente utiles por los politicos. Asi, a traves de la tolerancia, se obtenia no solo la indulgencia mutua sino tambien la concordia religiosa”.Edward Gibbon “En el lugar de las verdades fundamentales, yo pongo probabilidades fundamentales: directrices provisionalmente asumidas con las que se vive y piensa” Friedrich Nietzsche
The effects of conference realignment on NCAA athletic departments

This study uses a panel of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletic department revenue and expenditure data from 227 public colleges and universities to empirically investigate the effects of conference realignment over the period 2006–2011. The results show that schools moving into automatic-qualifying conferences experienced nearly $12.15 million in increased revenue, nearly matched by $10.12 million in added expenditures. Schools moving into any FBS conference saw revenues increase by $6.43 million, with expenses growing $5.03 million. Schools switching conferences to a non-FBS conference did not see a statistically significant change in revenues or expenses. Schools with football programs saw revenues increase by $2.94 million and profits increase by close to $1 million. Despite the increase in revenues, no change to institutional subsidies was observed.
The Impact of the Health Insurance Market on Small Firm Employment

Small firms that offer health insurance to their employees may face variable premiums if they hire employees with high expected health costs. To avoid expensive premium variability, small firms may attempt to maintain a workforce with low expected health costs. This results in employment distortions. I examine the magnitude of these employment distortions using the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey and the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Based on the underwriting behavior of insurance companies in 1988, I classify medical conditions into three categories: conditions that led to denial of coverage; conditions that led to exclusion restrictions; and, conditions that led to higher premiums. In 1987, I find that insured small firms were less likely to employ workers with families that had conditions that led to higher premiums than insured large firms. However, in 1996, possibly due to the passage of small group health insurance reforms that restrict insurers' ability to exclude or deny coverage, insured small firms were less likely to employ workers with denial conditions compared to insured large firms. These results suggest that the pattern of employment distortions in insured small firms is consistent with the evolving small group health insurance market.
Positivity for Special Cases of $(q,t)$-Kostka Coefficients and Standard Tableaux Statistics

We present two symmetric function operators $H_3^{qt}$ and $H_4^{qt}$ that have the property $H_{m}^{qt} H_{(2^a1^b)}(X;q,t) = H_{(m2^a1^b)}(X;q,t)$. These operators are generalizations of the analogous operator $H_2^{qt}$ and also have expressions in terms of Hall-Littlewood vertex operators. We also discuss statistics, $a_{\mu}(T)$ and $b_{\mu}(T)$, on standard tableaux such that the $q,t$ Kostka polynomials are given by the sum over standard tableaux of shape $\lambda$, $K_{\lambda\mu}(q,t) = \sum_T t^{a_{\mu}(T)} q^{b_{\mu}(T)}$ for the case when when $\mu$ is two columns or of the form $(32^a1^b)$ or $(42^a1^b)$. This provides proof of the positivity of the $(q,t)$-Kostka coefficients in the previously unknown cases of $K_{\lambda (32^a1^b)}(q,t)$ and $K_{\lambda (42^a1^b)}(q,t)$. The vertex operator formulas are used to give formulas for generating functions for classes of standard tableaux that generalize the case when $\mu$ is two columns.
The Earnings of Real Estate Salespersons and Others in the Financial Services Industry

This study explores the determinants of earnings of salespersons in financial services using nationwide data from the 1990 U.S. Census. The study reveals that security and insurance salespersons earn substantially more than do persons in real estate sales. The returns to K through 12 schooling are highest in the insurance and securities areas, while the returns to college are highest in security sales. For males, the returns to graduate education are negative in real estate and insurance. For females in these same areas, returns are large and positive in insurance and negative in real estate. In all areas of financial services, earnings are higher in larger, more wealthy, homogenous cities.
Neutron investigations of novel magnetic phases

Recent years have seen a renewed search for Fe based permanent magnets, spurred by the discovery of Nd/sub 2/Fe/sub 14/B and interstitially modified rare-earth iron binaries. The insights derived from those compounds have suggested a number of routes to the development of such systems, including selective site substitution and combinations of site substitution and interstitial modification. Neutron diffraction is an essential component of this work, since it provides systematic information about the location of substitutional and interstitial atoms, and about the effects these changes have on the magnetic interactions in the systems of interest.
Excitation fields in a superconducting global string

A model of a straight superconducting global cosmic string is examined in a setting wherein the string supports a charge/current pulse described by a travelling wave along the string. Linearized field equations are obtained for fluctuations of the scalar and vector fields of the theory, and a set of approximate particular solutions are found for the case in which the linear charge density and the current of the string have equal magnitudes. Although the equations of motion seem to suggest that the scalar and vector excitation fields are massive inside the string core, the particular solutions show that they behave as effectively massless fields which propagate at the speed of light along the string along with the primary charge/current pulse. The effect of the mass parameter is to modulate the radial profile of the excitation fields. The vector excitation field generates radial and angular components for both the electric and magnetic fields, but the particular solutions do not describe the emission or absorption of electromagnetic radiation from the string.
Three-Dimensional Quantum Gravity, Chern-Simons Theory, and the A-Polynomial

We study three-dimensional Chern-Simons theory with complex gauge group SL(2,ℂ), which has many interesting connections with three-dimensional quantum gravity and geometry of hyperbolic 3-manifolds. We show that, in the presence of a single knotted Wilson loop in an infinite-dimensional representation of the gauge group, the classical and quantum properties of such theory are described by an algebraic curve called the A-polynomial of a knot. Using this approach, we find some new and rather surprising relations between the A-polynomial, the colored Jones polynomial, and other invariants of hyperbolic 3-manifolds. These relations generalize the volume conjecture and the Melvin-Morton-Rozansky conjecture, and suggest an intriguing connection between the SL(2,ℂ) partition function and the colored Jones polynomial.
WEAR OF DENTAL RESTORATIVE RESINS.

The wear of dental composite restorative materials observed clinically in anterior and posterior teeth may be caused by abrasion, sliding, chemical erosion, or some combination of these mechanisms. This paper reviews experimental methodology for the study of wear of dental composite materials in vitro and in vivo.
Clearly Irrational Financial Market Behavior: Evidence from the Early Exercise of Exchange Traded Stock Options

This paper analyzes the early exercise of exchange-traded options by different classes of investors over the 1996 to 1999 period. A large number of exercises are identified as clearly irrational without invoking any model of market equilibrium. Customers of discount brokers and customers of full-service brokers both engage in a significant number of irrational exercises while traders at large investment houses exhibit no irrational early exercise behavior. Rational and irrational exercise is triggered for discount and full-service customers by the underlying stock price attaining its highest level over the past year and by high returns on the underlying stock. IT IS WELL-KNOWN THAT in the absence of market frictions, it is irrational to exercise American call options early except in some circumstances just before the underlying stock goes ex-dividend. Even in the presence of market frictions, it is possible to identify-without the imposition of any model of market equilibrium call exercises that are clearly irrational. In this paper, we employ a previously unavailable data set to analyze the rationality of early exercises of Chicago Board Option Exchange (CBOE) calls over the 1996 to 1999 period by customers of discount brokers (discount customers), customers of full-service brokers (full-service customers), and traders at large investment houses trading for their firms' own accounts (firm proprietary traders). Our first main finding is that there are a large number of early exercises that can be definitively identified as irrational, and irrational exercise activity is not evenly distributed across the investor classes. Discount customers and full-ser
A method for interference mitigation in space communications scheduling

A method to mitigate interference while minimizing unnecessary scheduling restrictions on the NASA tracking and data relay satellite system (TDRSS) network and user resources, based on consideration of all relevant communications parameters, has been developed. This method also can be used as the basis for analysis, evaluation, and optimization of user schedules with respect to communications performance. The method and its proposed application to scheduling in space communications are described. Test cases relative to planned missions, including the Earth Observing System, the Space Station manned base, and the Space Shuttle are discussed. >
Dynamic storage allocation systems

In many recent computer system designs, hardware facilities have been provided for easing the problems of storage allocation. A method of characterizing dynamic storage allocation systems--accordlng to the functional capabilities provided and the underlying techniques used--is presented. The basic purpose of the paper is to provide a useful perspective from which the utility of Various hardware facilities may be assessed. A brief survey of storage allocation facilities in several representative computer systems is included as an appendix.
Dual C–H Functionalization of N-Aryl Amines: Synthesis of Polycyclic Amines via an Oxidative Povarov Approach

Iminium ions generated in situ via copper(I) bromide catalyzed oxidation of N-aryl amines readily undergo [4 + 2] cycloadditions with a range of dienophiles. This method involves the functionalization of both a C(sp3)–H and a C(sp2)–H bond and enables the rapid construction of polycyclic amines under relatively mild conditions.
On the Complexity of Finding Narrow Proofs

We study the complexity of the following "resolution width problem": Does a given 3-CNF formula have a resolution refutation of width k? For fixed k, refutations of width k can easily be found in polynomial time. We prove a matching polynomial lower bound for the resolution width problem that shows that there is no significant faster way to decide the existence of a width-k refutation than exhaustively searching for it. This lower bound is unconditional and does not rely on any unproven complexity theoretic assumptions. We also prove that the resolution width problem is EXPTIME-complete (if k is part of the input). This confirms a conjecture by Vardi, who has first raised the question for the complexity of the resolution width problem. Furthermore, we prove that the variant of the resolution width problem for regular resolution is PSPACE-complete, confirming a conjecture by Urquhart.
Weak and strong vibration localization in disordered structures: A statistical investigation

A statistical investigation of the effects of disorder on the dynamics of one-dimensional nearly periodic structures is presented. The problem of vibration propagation from a local source of excitation is considered. While for the ordered infinite system there exists a frequency passband for which the vibration propagates without attenuation, the introduction of disorder results in an exponential decay of the amplitude for all excitation frequencies. Analytical expressions for the localization factors (the exponential decay constants) are obtained in the two limiting cases of weak and strong internal coupling, and the degree of localization is shown to depend upon the disorder to coupling ratio and the excitation frequency. Both modal and wave propagation descriptions are used. The perturbation results are verified by Monte Carlo simulations. The phenomena of weak and strong localization are evidenced. While the former affects little the dynamics of most engineering structures, the latter is shown to be of significant importance in structural dynamics.
VO(acac)2 Catalyzed Oxidative Deprotection of Oximes, Hydrazones, and Semicarbazones

Oximes, hydrazones, and semicarbazones undergo facile deprotection in the presence of a catalytic amount of vanadyl acetylacetonate and hydrogen peroxide in acetone at room temperature.
The complex dynamics of smallholder technology adoption: the case of SRI in Madagascar

This article explores the dynamics of smallholder technology adoption, with particular reference to a high-yielding, low external input rice production method in Madagascar. We present a simple model of technology adoption by farm households in an environment of incomplete financial and land markets. We then use a probit model and symmetrically censored least squares estimation of a dynamic tobit model to analyze the decisions to adopt, expand, and disadopt the method. We find that seasonal liquidity constraints discourage adoption by poorer farmers. Learning effects—both from extension agents and from other farmers—exert significant influence over adoption decisions.
The Elliptic Curve Discrete Logarithm Problem and Equivalent Hard Problems for Elliptic Divisibility Sequences

We define three hard problems in the theory of elliptic divisibility sequences (EDS Association, EDS Residue and EDS Discrete Log), each of which is solvable in sub-exponential time if and only if the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem is solvable in sub-exponential time. We also relate the problem of EDS Association to the Tate pairing and the MOV, Frey-Ruck and Shipsey EDS attacks on the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem in the cases where these apply.
A new measure of earnings forecast uncertainty

Abstract Relying on the well-established theoretical result that uncertainty has a common and an idiosyncratic component, we propose a new measure of earnings forecast uncertainty as the sum of dispersion among analysts and the variance of mean forecast errors estimated by a GARCH model. The new measure is based on both common and private information available to analysts at the time they make their forecasts. Hence, it alleviates some of the limitations of other commonly used proxies for forecast uncertainty in the literature. Using analysts' earnings forecasts, we find direct evidence of the new measure's superior performance.
Exact computation of traces and H/sup 2/ norms for a class of infinite-dimensional problems

We derive a formula for the trace of a class of differential operators defined by forced two point boundary value problems. The formula involves finite-dimensional computations with matrices whose dimension is no larger than the order of the differential operator. Thus, we achieve an exact reduction of an infinite-dimensional problem to a finite-dimensional one. We relate this trace calculation to computation of the H/sup 2/ norm for certain infinite-dimensional systems. An example from fluid dynamics is included to illustrate the method.
A bandwidth management approach for quality of service support in mobile ad hoc networks

Bandwidth management is a key feature for providing quality of service (QoS) in contemporary mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). In this paper, we present a novel approach to bandwidth reservation which is designed for highly mobile environments. In this scheme, a node takes into account the bandwidth requirements of its 2-hop neighbors. The design of this scheme does not depend on any routing protocol. We evaluate the proposed approach by incorporating it in the well known AODV protocol. The comparison between the original AODV and its extended version, with our approach, shows that the latter achieves a significantly lower latency and higher reliability.
On the Power of Adaptivity in Sparse Recovery

The goal of (stable) sparse recovery is to recover a $k$-sparse approximation $x^*$ of a vector $x$ from linear measurements of $x$. Specifically, the goal is to recover $x^*$ such that$$\norm{p}{x-x^*} \le C \min_{k\text{-sparse } x'} \norm{q}{x-x'}$$for some constant $C$ and norm parameters $p$ and $q$. It is known that, for $p=q=1$ or $p=q=2$, this task can be accomplished using $m=O(k \log (n/k))$ {\em non-adaptive}measurements~\cite{CRT06:Stable-Signal} and that this bound is tight~\cite{DIPW, FPRU, PW11}. In this paper we show that if one is allowed to perform measurements that are {\em adaptive}, then the number of measurements can be considerably reduced. Specifically, for $C=1+\epsilon$ and $p=q=2$ we show\begin{itemize}\item A scheme with $m=O(\frac{1}{\eps}k \log \log (n\eps/k))$ measurements that uses $O(\log^* k \cdot \log \log (n\eps/k))$ rounds. This is a significant improvement over the best possible non-adaptive bound. \item A scheme with $m=O(\frac{1}{\eps}k \log (k/\eps) + k \log (n/k))$ measurements that uses {\em two} rounds. This improves over the best possible non-adaptive bound. \end{itemize} To the best of our knowledge, these are the first results of this type.
Structural Nested Mean Models for Assessing Time-Varying Effect Moderation

This article considers the problem of assessing causal effect moderation in longitudinal settings in which treatment (or exposure) is time varying and so are the covariates said to moderate its effect. Intermediate causal effects that describe time-varying causal effects of treatment conditional on past covariate history are introduced and considered as part of Robins' structural nested mean model. Two estimators of the intermediate causal effects, and their standard errors, are presented and discussed: The first is a proposed two-stage regression estimator. The second is Robins' G-estimator. The results of a small simulation study that begins to shed light on the small versus large sample performance of the estimators, and on the bias-variance trade-off between the two estimators are presented. The methodology is illustrated using longitudinal data from a depression study.
Many-head arrays for high-data-rate recorders: requirements, design considerations for next-generation VLBI systems

We have now selected thin-film inductive-write and magnetoresistive-read head technologies for the manufacture and further development of affordable, narrow-track, many-head arrays which are needed for wideband Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) recording systems. Key to this choice of technology is good manufacturability and an acceptable headlife. >
Errors in radiometric remote sensing of sea-surface temperature and salinity

Techniques for remote measurement of sea-surface physical temperature and salinity using radiometric measurements from aircraft or satellite are reviewed. Studies have been conducted to determine the sensitivity of the errors in surface temperature and salinity to errors in the measured brightness temperatures using combinations of UHF, L, S, and C-band measurements. These investigations were made using values of conductivity, static dielectric constant, and relaxation time derived from the regression equations of Klein and Swift [1]. Results of the error sensitivity study are presented in the form of error contour plots which permit the calculation of errors in the estimation of the physical parameters for given errors in the raw radiometric measurements.
Mexico : Two Decades of the Evolution of Education and Inequality

Mexico experienced a pronounced increase in the degree of inequality and earnings inequality over the 1980s and mid 1990s. Contrary to the trend in the distribution of total income inequality, there has been an improvement in the distribution of earnings inequality since 1996. This paper shows the following results. First, education has the highest gross contribution in explaining changes in earnings distribution. Second, both changes in the distribution of education and in the relative earnings among educational groups have always been in phase with the alterations in the earnings distribution. Specifically, when the income profile effect related to education became steeper and the inequality of education increased, the earnings distribution worsened (as in the 1988-96 period). Third, changes in the relative earnings among educational groups are always the leading force behind changes in inequality.
On the scaling law for compressive sensing and its applications

l 1 minimization can be used to recover sufficiently sparse unknown signals from compressed linear measurements. In fact, exact thresholds on the sparsity (the size of the support set), under which with high probability a sparse signal can be recovered from i.i.d. Gaussian measurements, have been computed and are referred to as “weak thresholds” [4]. It was also known that there is a tradeoff between the sparsity and the l 1 minimization recovery stability. In this paper, we give a closed-form characterization for this tradeoff which we call the scaling law for compressive sensing recovery stability. In a nutshell, we are able to show that as the sparsity backs off ϖ (0 &#60; ϖ &#60; 1) from the weak threshold of l 1 recovery, the parameter for the recovery stability will scale as equation. Our result is based on a careful analysis through the Grassmann angle framework for the Gaussian measurement matrix. We will further discuss how this scaling law helps in analyzing the iterative reweighted l 1 minimization algorithms. If the nonzero elements over the signal support follow a amplitude probability density function (pdf) ƒ(·) whose t-th derivative ƒt(0) ≠ 0 for some integer t ≥ 0, then a certain iterative reweighted l 1 minimization algorithm can be analytically shown to lift the phase transition thresholds (weak thresholds) of the plain l 1 minimization algorithm.
Modeling a Piezothermoelastic Beam String

An analysis of laminated piezopolymer-actuated flexible beams is presented. Complete development of the nonlinear equations of motion governing a continuous, slender, laminate of arbitrary thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties is presented. A closed-form asymptotic solution is developed using a combination or perturbation techniques. These governing equations are applied to a pressurized simple piezoelectrically actuated Kapton® material model. Both static and dynamic results indicate shape control at optical wavelengths is possible.