cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Financing Indian cities : opportunities and constraints in an Nth best world

This paper examines international experience with mobilizing funding for both capital and recurrent costs for municipal infrastructure with a view to identifying areas where India could improve its system of financing infrastructure in cities. Based on international data, the analysis shows that there is indeed a wide range of models for funding municipal infrastructure across a group even as relatively homogeneous as the European Union. Although a number of different models operate in countries with very good services, important features of Indias municipal finance system stand out. The spending per capita is exceptionally low, even when compared with local governments with few functions. The real estate sector generates meager tax revenues, but transfers from higher levels of government are also meager. Turning to cost recovery models for services, the paper examines international evidence on cost recovery. In practice, a surprisingly large number of countries, including high-income countries, subsidize basic municipal services, particularly in water supply and sanitation. Analysis shows that these subsidies often have perverse distributional effects. Likewise, pricing schemes designed to skew subsidies to low-income households often have unintended distributional effects. Again, evidence from urban India suggests that cost recovery is exceptionally low, not only in absolute terms but relative to the experience of other low and middle-income countries. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the measures that should be considered for improving finances in Indian cities, including land monetization and capital grants systems designed specifically for reaching secondary cities and towns.
High temperature superconducting current lead test facility with heat pipe intercepts

A high temperature superconducting (HTS) current lead test facility using heat pipe thermal intercepts is under development at the Superconductivity Technology Center at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The facility can be configured for tests at currents up to 1000 A. Mechanical cryocoolers provide refrigeration to the leads. Electrical isolation is maintained by intercepting thermal energy from the leads through cryogenic heat pipes. HTS lead warm end temperature is variable from 65 K to over 90 K by controlling heat pipe evaporator temperature. Cold end temperature is variable up to 30 K. Performance predictions in terms of heat pipe evaporator temperature as a function of lead current are presented for the initial facility configuration, which supports testing up to 200 A. Measurements are to include temperature and voltage gradient in the conventional and HTS lead sections, temperature distribution and heat transfer rate in the heat pipes, as well as optimum and off-optimum performance of the conventional lead sections.
QccPack: an open-source software library for quantization, compression, and coding

Summary form only given. We describe the QccPack software package, an open-source collection of library routines and utility programs for quantization, compression, and coding of data. QccPack is written to expedite data compression research and development by providing general and reliable implementations of common compression techniques. Functionality of the current release includes entropy coding, scalar quantization, vector quantization, adaptive vector quantization, wavelet transforms and subband coding, error-correcting codes, image processing support, and general vector-mathematics, matrix-mathematics, file-I/O, and error-message routines. All QccPack functionality is accessible via library calls; additionally, many utility programs provide command-line access. Although primary development efforts have concentrated on the Red Hat Linux i386 platform, it should be a straightforward procedure to build QccPack on other varieties of Linux as well as non-Linux UNIX-based systems.
Nonlinear control of competitive mixed‐culture bioreactors via specific cell adhesion

A nonlinear control strategy is developed for competitive mixed-culture bioreactors in which two cell populations compete for a common growth limiting substrate. A stream is periodically removed from the reactor, and the two cell populations are separated using specific cell adhesion. The steady state corresponding to the desired population fraction is stabilized by discarding faster growing cells and recycling slower growing cells to the reactor. The recycle loop must be operated periodically to allow regeneration of the adhesion column after each separation. As a result, the manipulated input is chosen as the sampling interval during which material is removed from the reactor. The nonlinear controller is designed using a simplified dynamic model that assumes continuous separation of the cell populations. The controller is implemented by calculating the sampling interval that leads to the same amount of material being removed from the reactor as that computed from the continuous control law. A nonlinear, closed-loop observer is used to generate one-time-delay-ahead predictions of the measured cell concentrations and the unmeasured substrate concentration. The efficacy of the proposed control strategy is evaluated via simulation.
Intercellular communication via intracellular calcium oscillations.

Abstract In this letter, we present the results of a simple model for intercellular communication via calcium oscillations, motivated in part by a recent experimental study. The model describes two cells (a “donor” and “sensor”) whose intracellular dynamics involve a calcium-induced, calcium release process. The cells are coupled by assuming that the input of the sensor cell is proportional to the output of the donor cell. As one varies the frequency of calcium oscillations of the donor cell, the sensor cell passes through a sequence of N : M phase-locked regimes and exhibits a “Devil's staircase” behavior. Such a phase-locked response has been seen experimentally in pulsatile stimulation of single cells. We also study a stochastic version of the coupled two-cell model. We find that phase locking holds for realistic choices for the cell volume.
A-kinase-anchoring proteins.

Highly organized molecular complexes determine the precise location and timing of the signal transduction events that occur downstream of cell surface receptor activation ([Pawson and Nash, 2003][1]). One set of scaffolding molecules that organize such complexes is a family of proteins known as A-
Asymptoticity of grafting and Teichmüller rays

We show that any grafting ray in Teichmuller space is (strongly) asymptotic to some Teichmuller geodesic ray. Given a grafting ray, we define its limiting surface, and a conformally equivalent singular-flat surface of infinite area that represents the limit of the desired Teichmuller ray. The proof involves building quasiconformal maps of low dilatation between the surfaces along the rays. Our preceding work had proved the result for rays determined by an arational lamination or a multicurve, and the unified approach here gives an alternative proof of the former case.
Isospin breaking and fine-tuning in top-color assisted technicolor

Recently, Hill has proposed a model in which new, potentially low-energy, top-color interactions produce a top-condensate (a la Nambu-Jona-Lasinio) and accommodate a heavy top quark, while technicolor is responsible for producing the W and Z masses. Here we argue that isospin breaking gauge interactions, which are necessary in order to split the top and bottom quark masses, are likely to couple to technifermions. In this case they produce a significant shift in the W and Z masses (i.e. contribute to Δϱ∗ = αT) if the scale of the new interactions is near 1 TeV. In order to satisfy experimental constraints on Δϱ∗, we find that either the effective top quark coupling or the top-color coupling must be adjusted to 1%. Independent of the couplings of the technifermions, we show that the isospin-splitting of the top and bottom quarks implies that the top-color gauge bosons must have masses larger than about 1.4 TeV. Our analysis can also be applied to strong extended technicolor (ETC) models that produce the top-bottom splitting via isospin breaking ETC interactions.
Interpreting the Clustering of Distant Red Galaxies

We analyze the angular clustering of z ~ 2.3 distant red galaxies (DRGs) measured by Quardi et al. We find that, with robust estimates of the measurement errors and realistic halo occupation distribution modeling, the measured clustering can be well fit within standard halo occupation models, in contrast to previous results. However, in order to fit the strong break in w(θ) at θ = 10'', nearly all satellite galaxies in the DRG luminosity range are required to be DRGs. Within this luminosity-threshold sample, the fraction of galaxies that are DRGs is ~44%, implying that the formation of DRGs is more efficient for satellite galaxies than for central galaxies. Despite the evolved stellar populations contained within DRGs at z = 2.3, 90% of satellite galaxies in the DRG luminosity range have been accreted within 500 Myr. Thus, satellite DRGs must have known they would become satellites well before the time of their accretion. This implies that the formation of DRGs correlates with large-scale environment at fixed halo mass, although the large-scale bias of DRGs can be well fit without such assumptions. Further data are required to resolve this issue. Using the observational estimate that ~30% of DRGs have no ongoing star formation, we infer a timescale for star formation quenching for satellite galaxies of 450 Myr, although the uncertainty on this number is large. However, unless all non-star-forming satellite DRGs were quenched before accretion, the quenching timescale is significantly shorter than z ~ 0 estimates. Down to the completeness limit of the Quadri et al. sample, we find that the halo masses of central DRGs are ~50% higher than non-DRGs in the same luminosity range, but at the highest halo masses the central galaxies are DRGs only ~2/3 of the time.
A Structural, Kinetic Model of Soft Tissue Thermomechanics

A structure-based kinetic model was developed to predict the thermomechanical response of collagenous soft tissues. The collagen fibril was represented as an ensemble of molecular arrays with cross-links connecting the collagen molecules within the same array. A two-state kinetic model for protein folding was employed to represent the native and the denatured states of the collagen molecule. The Monte Carlo method was used to determine the state of the collagen molecule when subjected to thermal and mechanical loads. The model predictions were compared to existing experimental data for New Zealand white rabbit patellar tendons. The model predictions for one-dimensional tissue shrinkage and the corresponding mechanical property degradation agreed well with the experimental data, showing that the gross tissue behavior is dictated by molecular-level phenomena.
Stochastic memristive devices for computing and neuromorphic applications

Nanoscale resistive switching devices (memristive devices or memristors) have been studied for a number of applications ranging from non-volatile memory, logic to neuromorphic systems. However a major challenge is to address the potentially large variations in space and time in these nanoscale devices. Here we show that in metal-filament based memristive devices the switching can be fully stochastic. While individual switching events are random, the distribution and probability of switching can be well predicted and controlled. Rather than trying to force high switching probabilities using excess voltage or time, the inherent stochastic nature of resistive switching allows these binary devices to be used as building blocks for novel error-tolerant computing schemes such as stochastic computing and provides the needed “analog” feature for neuromorphic applications. To verify such potential, we demonstrated memristor-based stochastic bitstreams in both time and space domains, and show that an array of binary memristors can act as a multi-level “analog” device for neuromorphic applications.
Via-depletion electromigration in copper interconnects

Via-depletion electromigration was studied under a number of conditions in a 65-nm technology. Observed failure distributions were either single mode or bimodal, depending on the structural configuration. The distribution and the time to fail for the early-fail mode of the bimodal distributions varied with linewidth, via redundancy, and via current density. Additionally, it was observed that for bimodal failure distributions, the length of the extension of the line past the via determined the fraction of early fails in the via. The bimodal behavior was suppressed by optimization of the via liner deposition process
Three-dimensional object recognition from multiple views

We discuss an algorithm that enables a machine-vision system to recognize a three-dimensional object from a series of multiple views. The algorithm uses pseudoreflection tomography to map N images of the object into a single signature image that incorporates information from all N views. Rotation-, scale-, and brightness-invariant features are extracted from the signature image that permits robust recognition of the object. The signature image enjoys other invariants as well, such as invariance with respect to both translation of the yaw (i.e., y) axis and slight vertical shifts of the object along the yaw axis. Rotation-invariant features are extracted by using the circular-harmonic functions originally introduced by Hsu [ Appl. Opt.21, 4012 ( 1982)]. Scale invariance is obtained by using Mellin transforms. If only partial-view data are available, the probability of correct recognition is obviously decreased but can to some extent be ameliorated—at least in a low-noise environment—by using similarity measures between test and reference objects based on gray-level coincidence statistics.
Graphene-oxide-coated LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 as high voltage cathode for lithium ion batteries with high energy density and long cycle life

Lithium ion batteries are receiving enormous attention as power sources and energy storage devices in the renewable energy field. With the ever increasing demand for higher energy and power density, high voltage cathodes have emerged as an important option for new generation batteries. Here, we report graphene-oxide-coated LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 as a high voltage cathode and demonstrate that the batteries showed superior cycling performance for up to 1000 cycles. Mildly oxidized graphene oxide coating was found to improve the battery performance by enhancing the conductivity and protecting the cathode surface from undesired reactions with the electrolyte. As a result, the graphene-oxide-coated high voltage cathode LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 showed 61% capacity retention after 1000 cycles in the cycling test, which converts to only 0.039% capacity decay per cycle. At large current rates of 5 C, 7 C and 10 C, the batteries were able to deliver 77%, 66% and 56% of the 1 C capacity, respectively (1 C = 140 mA g−1). In contrast, the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode without graphene oxide coating showed 88.7% capacity retention after only 100 cycles. The promising results demonstrated the potential of developing high energy density batteries with the high voltage cathode LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 and improving the battery performance by surface modification with mildly oxidized graphene oxide.
Cognitive decision aids for ground combat vehicles

This paper describes an effort by the US Army to apply cognitive decision aids to ground combat vehicles in a program entitled Crew integration & Automation Testbed. Based on a generic intelligent complex ground vehicle taxonomy, workload modeling is conducted to identify peak areas of crew workload. Analysis of specific tasks during peak workload conditions allows the application of specific workload reduction measures, including decision aiding, to improve task loading.
Enantioselective Intermolecular Crossed-Conjugate Additions between Nitroalkenes and α,β-Enals through a Dual Activation Strategy†

Double the fun: The title reaction was developed by using a Lewis base/iminium activation strategy (see scheme). The reaction proceeded with excellent yields and ee values, and the products were additionally transformed into a single enantiomer of a substituted pyrrolidine with excellent retention of configuration.
Between “Here” and “There”: Immigrant Cross‐Border Activities and Loyalties

This paper provides an empirical assessment of the prevalence and determinants of cross-state social exchanges and attachments among Latin American immigrants living in the United States. As we shall show, using data from a recent survey of Latin American migrants living in the United States, migrant cross-state social action comes in a variety of types, with the direction of conditioning factors differing from one type to another. Moreover, social and political incorporation in the United States reduces affective ties and provision of material support, all the while facilitating other forms of cross-state social action. Consequently, while international migrants regularly engage in trans-state social action, the paper shows that neither transnationalism as condition of being, nor transmigrants, as distinctive class of people, is commonly found.
Error probability of reduced-state sequence estimation for trellis-coded modulation on intersymbol interference channels

The error probability of reduced-state sequence estimation (RSSE) for trellis-coded modulation (TCM) on intersymbol interference channels is evaluated. A method based on a stack algorithm is proposed to evaluate the union bound on the error probability for ideal RSSE, which is a good approximation to the error probability of real RSSE. The stack algorithm is employed because it provides a good tradeoff between computer memory and computing time. >
Structure and Photochemistry of Cyclopentene Fused Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Abstract This review focuses on physico-chemical aspects of cyclopentene-fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CPAH) that we are currently studying. Steric effects, deformation of polycyclic skeletons from planarity, radical ions, and excited states are properties being investigated. Molecular modeling as a tool for predicting the geometries of CPAH is discussed.
End-to-end internet packet dynamics

We discuss findings from a large-scale study of Internet packet dynamics conducted by tracing 20000 TCP bulk transfers between 35 Internet sites. Because we traced each 100-kbyte transfer at both the sender and the receiver, the measurements allow us to distinguish between the end-to-end behavior due to the different directions of the Internet paths, which often exhibit asymmetries. We: (1) characterize the prevalence of unusual network events such as out-of-order delivery and packet replication; (2) discuss a robust receiver-based algorithm for estimating "bottleneck bandwidth" that addresses deficiencies discovered in techniques based on "packet pair;" (3) investigate patterns of packet loss, finding that loss events are not well modeled as independent and, furthermore, that the distribution of the duration of loss events exhibits infinite variance; and (4) analyze variations in packet transit delays as indicators of congestion periods, finding that congestion periods also span a wide range of time scales.
Why ‘Anglo Licks the ANC's Boots’: Globalization and State–Capital Relations in South Africa

Under what conditions does capital in the age of globalization accept state regulation of markets instead of exercising its ‘exit option’ and shifting assets to less restrictive markets? This article explores this question by analysing local and foreign capital's compliance with the South African government's policy of seeking to transfer 25-30 percent of equity and management in white-owned companies to blacks in all sectors of the economy by 2014. This is part of government's overall policy of black economic empowerment (BEE) to foster the emergence of a black capital-owning class. The article argues that the relative vulnerability of states and markets to globalization pressures compels states and markets to reach a ‘fateful compromise’ that enhances state autonomy to regulate markets while also advancing the interests of capital.
Capitalism 2.0: implications for management 2.0

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a collection of articles representing the best papers and invited contributions from attendees at the 4th Annual Global Drucker Forum, an international conference focused on future challenges facing management.Design/methodology/approach – The recent financial crisis has presented twin challenges confronting the next generation of management: a transformation toward a new environment in which market‐driven efficiency and the concern for a functioning society are better aligned, and the nature of management practice that successfully addresses this alignment. Dimensions of these challenges are discussed in five articles in this special issue. This summary of the articles and underlying themes is provided by a professor whose teaching and research focus on strategy and entrepreneurship in free markets.Findings – The articles in this issue discuss the need in organizations for adaptive flexibility, new ways of thinking, leadership behaviour at the individua...
Diosmium and dirhodium compounds containing a cisoid arrangement of 2-diphenylphosphinopyridine bridges

Two new compounds with a novel cisoid arrangement of bridging 2-diphenylphosphinopyridine (Ph 2 Ppy) have been synthesized. They have been prepared from the tetraacetate compounds and show varying degrees of substitution of the carboxylate ligands. Os 2 (O 2 CCH 3 )(Ph 2 Ppy) 2 Cl 4 ( 1 ) has been isolated from the reaction of Ph 2 Ppy with Os 2 (O 2 CCH 3 ) 4 Cl 2 . It has been obtained in two crystalline forms: as a dichloromethane adduct ( 1a ) and as an acetone adduct ( 1b ). Compound 1a crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P 2 1 / n with a = 10.496(3), b =20.688(5), c =18.440(5) A, β= 91.62(2)°, V =4003(3) A 3 and Z =4. Compound 1b crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P 2 1 / c with a =18.977(5), b =10.469(2), c =20.737(6)A, β=92.36(2)°, V =4116(3) A 3 and Z =4. The molecule of 1 contains a cisoid arrangement of the two Ph 2 Ppy ligands arranged in a head-to-tail fashion, one bridging acetate ion and four chloride ions. The metal-metal distance is 2.395(1)A in 1a and 2.388(1) A in 1b and the formal bond order is 2.5. Rh 2 (O 2 CCH 3 ) 2 (Ph 2 Ppy) 2 Cl 2 ( 2 ) has been isolated from the reaction of Rh 2 (O 2 CCH 3 ) 4 (MeOH) 2 with Ph 2 Ppy in toluene in the presence of LiCl. Compound 2 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P 2 1 c with a = b =22.203(3), c =17.049(2) A, V =8404(2) A 3 and Z =8. The two Ph 2 Ppy ligands are arranged in a cisoid fashion, along with two bridging acetate groups and two axial chloride ions. The rhodium- rhodium distance is 2.518(1) A.
Direct recovery of motion and shape in the general case by fixation

A direct method called fixation is introduced for solving the general motion vision problem: arbitrary motion relative to an arbitrary environment. This method results in a linear constraint equation that explicitly expresses the rotational velocity in terms of the translational velocity. The combination of this constraint equation with the brightness-change constraint equation solves the general motion vision problem. Avoiding correspondence and optical flow has been the motivation behind this direct method, which uses the image brightness information such as temporal and spatial brightness gradients directly. In contrast with previous direct methods, the fixation method does not put any severe restrictions on the motion or the environment. Moreover, the fixation method neither requires tracked images as its input nor uses tracking for obtaining fixated images. Instead, it introduces a pixel shifting process to construct fixated images for any arbitrary fixation point. This is done entirely in software without any use of camera motion for tracking. >
The Term Structure of Euromarket Interest Rates: An Empirical Investigation

Abstract This paper is an empirical investigation of the predictability and co-movement of risk premia in the term structure of Euromarket interest rates. We present regression results which suggest that risk premia in three Euromarket term structures and on uncovered foreign asset positions move together. We test formally the hypothesis that these risk premia move in proportion to a single latent variable. We are unable to reject this hypothesis. The single latent variable model can be interpreted as in Hansen and Hodrick (1983) and Hodrick and Srivastava (1984) as a specialization of the ICAPM in which assets have constant betas on a single, unobservable benchmark portfolio.
Price dispersion with directed search

We model a market where identical buyers direct their search to identical capacity-constrained sellers. Sellers cannot fully commit to the list price so strategic bargaining may determine the sale price. We study search and pricing behavior in symmetric equilibrium. Sale prices exhibit equilibrium dispersion as they respond naturally to local demand conditions. Uncoordinated search decisions lead to equilibrium demand heterogeneity, so sellers realizing large demand bargain prices up. We characterize the sale price distribution parametrically, studying how different commitment limitations and market features affect pricing and surplus shares. We also determine endogenously
Catalytic Asymmetric Intermolecular Stetter Reaction of Heterocyclic Aldehydes with Nitroalkenes: Backbone Fluorination Improves Selectivity

The catalytic asymmetric intermolecular Stetter reaction of heterocyclic aldehydes and nitroalkenes has been developed. We have identified a strong stereoelectronic effect on catalyst structure when a fluorine substituent is placed in the backbone. X-ray structure analysis provides evidence that hyperconjugative effects are responsible for a change in conformation in the azolium precatalyst. This new N-heterocyclic carbene precursor bearing fluorine substitution in the backbone results in significantly improved enantioselectivities across a range of substrates.
NUTATIONAL STABILITY OF A DUAL-SPIN SATELLITE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF APPLIED REACTION TORQUES

It is assumed that since the solar paddle attachments to the hub of the spacecraft are not rigidly locked, the effect of the solar panels can be replaced by a constant reaction torque acting on the hub of the spacecraft. This could result in the satellite having an equilibrium motion about an axis displaced from the nominal axis of symmetry. The variational equations of motion are developed about such an equilibrium position using the SAS-A spacecraft as a model. Energy dissipation on the rotor as well as the main body is included. This nonautonomous set of differential equations are linearized and transformed to an autonomous set using the Liapunov reducibility theorem. The stability of the kinematically similar system is examined numerically using representative SAS-A parameters for the case when either pair of solar panels is assumed to be loosely attached. Stability is verified for small system nutation angles (0.1 degree).
Development of 3D Beam-Beam simulation for the Tevatron

We present status of development of a 3D Beam-Beam simulation code for simulating the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The essential features of the code are 3D particle - in-cell Poisson solver for calculating the Beam-Beam electromagnetic interactions with additional modules for linear optics, machine impedance and chromaticity, and multiple bunch tracking. The simulations match synchro- betatron oscillations measured at the VEPP-2M collider. The impedance calculations show beam instability development consistent with analytic expressions.
Hookah Smoking: Behaviors and Beliefs among Young Consumers in the United States

Hookah smoking is growing in popularity among college-age students in the United States. Community-based, semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 college-age individuals who had used a hookah to smoke tobacco. A structured analysis of responses was conducted and framed in terms of the health belief model's four main constructs. Although hookah smokers were aware of the potential severity of tobacco-related illnesses, they did not express a perceived susceptibility to those illnesses. To the extent that cues to action exist with respect to hookah smoking, they generally serve to promote a risky behavior that is perceived to be largely social in nature.
The symmetries and scaling of tidal tails in galaxies

We present analytic models for the formation and evolution of tidal tails and related structures following single or multiple impulsive disturbances in galaxy collisions. Since the epicyclic approximation is not valid for large radial excursions, we use orbital equations of the form we call p-ellipses (a class of precessing ellipses). These have been shown to provide accurate representations of orbits in logarithmic and powerlaw halo potentials. In the simplest case of an impulsive collision yielding a purely tidal disturbance the resulting tidal tails have simple structure. Scalings for their maximum lengths and other characteristics as nonlinear functions of the tidal amplitude and the exponent of the power-law potentials are described. The analytic model shows that azimuthal caustics (orbit crossing zones of high density also seen in numerical models) are produced generically in these tails at a xed azimuth relative to the point of closest approach. Long tails, with high order caustics at their base, and ocular waveforms are also produced at larger amplitudes. The analysis is then extended to nonlinear disturbances and multiple encounters, which break the symmetries of purely tidal perturbations. The p-ellipse orbital solutions are similar to those in the linear tidal case. However, as the strength of the nonlinear terms is varied the structure of the resulting forms varies from symmetric tails to one-armed plumes. Cases with two or more impulse disturbances are also considered as the simplest analytic models distinguishing between prograde and retrograde encounters. The model shows explicitly how tail growth diers in the two cases. In the prograde case a specic mechanism for the formation of tidal dwarf galaxies at the end of tails is suggested as a consequence of resonance eects in multiple or prolonged encounters. Qualitative comparisons to Arp Atlas systems suggest that the limiting analytic cases are realized in real systems. For example, we identify a few Arp systems which have multiple tidal strands meeting near the base of long tails. These may be swallowtail caustics, where dissipative gas streams are converging and triggering star formation. UV and optical images reveal luminous knots of young stars at these ’hinge clump’ locations.
Supporting Physicians Who Work in Challenging Contexts: A Role for the Academic Health Center

Physicians who work in challenging contexts such as remote rural locations or with special populations may need support in persevering in their positions and also may suffer vicarious trauma through their work. Academic health centers may be in a position to provide much needed support to these physicians through focused continuing medical education, faculty development, practice-based research networks, and other means.
Currency hedging and goods trade

Abstract A puzzle in empirical international finance is the difficulty in finding a large and negative effect of exchange rate volatility on international trade. A common explanation is the availability of hedging instruments. This paper examines the empirical validity of this explanation using data on over 1000 country pairs. Which countries have currency hedging instruments is not perfectly observable. This paper deals with the problem by specifying an endogenous regime-switching regression. There are two main findings. First, there is no evidence in the data to support the validity of the hedging hypothesis. Second, for country pairs with large trade potential, exchange rate volatility deters goods trade to an extent much larger than that typically has been documented in the literature (without using the switching regression specification).
Reassessing the effects of bilateral tax treaties on US FDI activity

Despite substantial evidence that foreign direct investment (FDI) is influenced by taxation, the impact of bilateral tax treaties on FDI is surprisingly unclear. We provide a simple theoretical framework illustrating why the impact of tax treaties may be heterogeneous across the distribution of FDI, and thus why focusing on the average effect of tax treaties may be misleading. We then assess the empirical relevance of such heterogeneity by estimating the quantile treatment effects of tax treaties on US inbound and outbound FDI using panel data from 1980–1999. Our results are striking, and consistent with our expectations. We obtain positive effects of tax treaties at lower quantiles of the distribution of FDI, but negative effects in the upper quantiles. Moreover, while the negative effects are substantially larger in absolute terms relative to the positive effects, the two effects are roughly equivalent in percentage terms.
Top-Quark Processes at NLO in Production and Decay

We describe the implementation of top production and decay processes in the parton- level Monte Carlo program MCFM. By treating the top quark as being on-shell, we can factorize the amplitudes for top-pair production, s-channel single-top production, and t-channel single-top produc- tion into the product of an amplitude for production and an amplitude for decay. In this way we can retain all spin correlations. Both the production and the decay amplitudes are calculated consistently at next-to-leading order in αS. The full dependence on the b-quark mass is also kept. Phenomeno- logical results are presented for various kinematic distributions at the LHC and for the top quark forward-backward asymmetry at the Tevatron.
Gravitational allocation to Poisson points

For d ≥ 3, we construct a non-randomized, fair and translationequivariant allocation of Lebesgue measure to the points of a standard Poisson point process in R d , defined by allocating to each of the Poisson points its basin of attraction with respect to the flow induced by a gravitational force field exerted by the points of the Poisson process. We prove that this allocation rule is economical in the sense that the allocation diameter, defined as the diameter X of the basin of attraction containing the origin, is a random variable with a rapidly decaying tail. Specifically, we have the tail bound P(X > R) ≤ C exp h − cR(logR) αd i
Crystal plasticity analysis of constitutive behavior of 5754 aluminum sheet deformed along bi-linear strain paths

Sheet specimens of aluminum alloy 5754 were deformed along a series of bi-linear, equal-biaxial and uniaxial, strain paths while simultaneously measuring stress–strain behavior. The Visco-Plastic Self-Consistent crystal plasticity model, which incorporates texture evolution, was used to simulate the flow stress and hardening behavior based in part on the measured crystallographic texture before deformation. The predicted crystallographic texture qualitatively captures the texture measured in the experiments. Including latent hardening of multiple slip planes allowed the model to explain the decrease in flow stress when changing from equal-biaxial to uniaxial deformation. However, the model captures neither the details of the drop in flow stress nor the magnitude of the plastic hardening after the change in deformation mode. This is likely due to room temperature recovery between the two segments of testing. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Breakdown of the slowly-varying-amplitude approximation: generation of backward-traveling, second-harmonic light

By numerically solving the nonlinear field equations, we simulate second-harmonic generation by laser pulses within a nonlinear medium without making the usual slowly-varying-amplitude approximation, an approximation which may fail when laser pulses of moderate intensity or ultrashort duration are used to drive a nonlinear process. Under these conditions we show that a backward-traveling, second-harmonic wave is created, and that the magnitude of this wave is indicative of the breakdown of the slowly-varying-amplitude approximation. Conditions necessary for experimental detection of this wave are discussed.
Writing instruction in first grade: an observational study

As schools work to meet the ambitious Common Core State Standards in writing in the US, instructional approaches are likely to be examined (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). However, there is little research on the current state of instruction. This study was designed to provide a comprehensive analysis of first-grade writing instruction across 13 schools in one state in the US. Daylong observations were conducted four times during the year in 50 first-grade classrooms. Using a time-sampled, observational protocol, observers coded multiple dimensions of instruction, including grouping, instructional focus, teacher instructional activity, and student writing activity. Results revealed that writing was taught for less than 30 min a day on average, and instruction in skills or process writing was common. Most instruction was organized in whole-class settings with teachers either presenting information or asking students questions. Variability in the amount and focus of writing instruction and in student writing activity was examined at the classroom and school levels. A small number of classrooms and schools were identified with distinctive patterns in their approach to instruction and writing activity. Several moderate relationships were found between the writing instructional focus and the nature of student writing. These findings suggest that first-grade writing instruction is inconsistent across classrooms and schools and point to instructional implications for teachers and schools in the US.
Ecologic validity in neuropsychological assessment: prediction of wayfinding.

This study compared the ability of clinical and ecologic simulation measures to predict performance on environment-specific criterion measures of wayfinding. Thirty-one unilateral stroke participants comprised the right and left hemisphere groups (16 patients with left sided and 15 patients with right sided strokes). Participants completed a battery of clinical tasks (e.g., traditional paper-and-pencil measures of visualization, mental rotation, visual memory and spatial orientation), ecologic simulations (e.g., slide route recall and visualization of a model town from differing perspectives) and environment specific criterion tasks (e.g., route recall and directional orientation). The groups were equivalent in age, sex, education, handedness, and weeks since stroke. Both ecologic simulation tasks were found to have fairly good internal consistency and 1 simulation task was significantly related to real world wayfinding. Of the clinical tasks, 1 visual memory test was correlated with a directional orientation criterion task, but none correlated with route navigation ability. Results are consistent with literature purporting the benefits of ecologic simulation tasks as predictors of real world functioning. (JINS, 2001, 7, 675–682.)
On a simple method of obtaining sidelobe reduction over a wide angular range in one and two dimensions

A patented technique for suppressing the sidelobes of an array antenna is considered. This technique involves the addition of two elements, one at each end of the array, which together produce an interferometer pattern used for the cancellation of sidelobes. It is shown here that the technique is most effective for uniform illumination and that there then exists an optimum fixed position for the added elements. The amplitude of the excitation of the auxiliary elements determines the angular location of the region of sidelobe reduction while the phase of the excitation tracks the beamsteering phase of the array. Thus, this technique is seen to be easily implemented in an array controlled by coupled oscillators. The technique generalizes in a straightforward manner to two-dimensional (2-D) arrays in which case a set of auxiliary elements on the perimeter of the array is required. A 2-D oscillator controlled array of this type is described here with which one can produce a main beam and a sidelobe suppression region that can be independently positioned anywhere in a hemisphere provided they do not coincide.
Endogenous Borrowing Constraints and Stagnation in Latin America

Latin America has had striking changes in economic performance over time. None more striking than consumption. Consumption per-capita in the year 2004 was roughly the same as it was in 1980. Latin America is also an open economic region, with several international debt crises. This paper studies the time path of consumption using a small open economy real business cycle model with limited commitment. I compare the distortions to the planner’s pareto weights and investment that are generated endogenously by the model, to those that can be recovered from an international extension of a business cycle accounting exercise in the spirit of Chari, Kehoe and McGrattan (2007). I find that the limited commitment model does a good job at explaining the behavior of Latin American consumption and that the endogenous distortions to the planner’s pareto weights are very similar to those recovered from the accounting exercise.
Self-assembled porphyrin nanostructures.

Porphyrins and related tetrapyrroles have been extensively studied because of their importance in biological processes and they are often used in the development of artificial photosynthesis, catalysis, and sensor systems. Challenges in the development of functional nanoscale porphyrin systems are many, including the need to organize the porphyrins (e.g., to facilitate processes such as energy- and electron transfer) and to couple the porphyrin nanostructures to other nanoscale components (e.g., catalytic elements and conductors) to produce multifunctional nanoscale systems. This article summarizes recent advances in the synthesis of discrete self-assembled porphyrin nanostructures with well-defined shapes and sizes. A novel method for growing metal on the porphyrin nanostructures to produce nanocomposites with metal catalysts or interconnects is also described. Current and potential applications of these nanostructures and porphyrin–metal nanocomposites are discussed.
Sequentially Optimal Mechanisms

This paper establishes that posting a price in each period is a revenue-maximizing allocation mechanism in a finite period model without commitment. A risk-neutral seller has one object to sell and faces a risk-neutral buyer whose valuation is private information and drawn from an arbitrary bounded subset of the real line. The seller has all the bargaining power: she designs a mechanism to sell the object at t, but if trade does not occur at t she can propose another mechanism at t + 1. We show that posting a price in each period is an optimal mechanism. A methodological contribution of the paper is to develop a procedure to characterize optimal dynamic incentive schemes under non-commitment that is valid irrespective of the structure of the agent's type. © 2006 The Review of Economic Studies Limited.
Statistical decisions using likelihood information without prior probabilities

This paper presents a decision-theoretic approach to statistical inference that satisfies the Likelihood Principle (LP) without using prior information. Unlike the Bayesian approach, which also satisfies LP, we do not assume knowledge of the prior distribution of the unknown parameter. With respect to information that can be obtained from an experiment, our solution is more efficient than Wald's minimax solution. However, with respect to information assumed to be known before the experiment, our solution demands less input than the Bayesian solution.
Is investor misreaction economically significant? Evidence from short‐ and long‐term S&P 500 index options

Several recent studies present evidence of investor misreaction in the options market. Although the interpretation of their results is still controversial, the important question of economic significance has not been fully addressed. Here this gap is addressed by formulating regression-based tests to identify misreaction and its duration and constructing trading strategies to exploit the empirical patterns of misreaction. Regular S&P 500 index options and long-dated S&P 500 LEAPS are used to find an underreaction that on average dissipates over the course of 3 trading days and an increasing misreaction that peaks after four consecutive daily variance shocks of the same sign. Option trading strategies based on these findings produce economically significant abnormal returns in the range of 1–3% per day. However, they are not profitable in the presence of transaction costs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 25:717–752, 2005
The effect of local parameters on gas turbine emissions

Gas turbine engine inlet parameters reflect changes in local atmospheric conditions. The pollutant emissions for the engine reflects these changes. In attempting to model the effect of the changing ambient conditions on the emissions it was found that these emissions exhibit an extreme sensitivity to some of the details of the combustion process such as the local fuel-air ratio and the size of the drops in the fuel spray. Fuel-air ratios have been mapped under nonburning conditions using a single JT8D-17 combustion can at simulated idle conditions, and significant variations in the local values have been found. Modelling of the combustor employs a combination of perfectly stirred and plug flow reactors including a finite rate vaporization treatment of the fuel spray. Results show that a small increase in the mean drop size can lead to a large increase in hydrocarbon emissions and decreasing the value of the CO-OH rate constant can lead to large increases in the carbon monoxide emissions. These emissions may also be affected by the spray characteristics with larger drops retarding the combustion process. Hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen emissions calculated using the model accurately reflect measured emission variations caused by changing engine inlet conditions.
Synthesis, opioid receptor binding, and functional activity of 5′-substituted 17-cyclopropylmethylpyrido[2′,3′:6,7]morphinans

Abstract A series of naltrexone-derived pyridomorphinans possessing various substituents at the 5′-position on the pyridine ring were synthesized and evaluated for opioid receptor binding in rodent brain membranes and functional activity in smooth muscle preparations. While the introduction of aromatic 1-pyrrolyl group ( 6h ) improved the δ affinity and δ antagonist potency of the parent compound ( 3 ), the introduction of guanidine group ( 6i ) transformed it to a κ selective ligand in opioid receptor binding and [ 35 S]GTP-γ-S functional assays.
Analysis of light pulse transport through two-dimensional scattering and absorbing media

In this paper, a two-dimensional transient radiation transport algorithm is developed to analyze the ultra-short light pulse propagation in an anisotropically scattering rectangular medium. The time-dependent discrete ordinates method is used with the high order upwind piecewise parabolic interpolation scheme. The upwind difference scheme is needed to resolve the propagating wave front. This method extends from a prior one-dimensional model to treat the two-dimensional geometry through a Strang-type dimensional splitting. The accuracy and efficiency of this algorithm are studied. Comparisons with one-dimensional case and a parametric study show the flexibility of this method for homogeneous and non-homogeneous media.