cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Technical infrastructure implications of the patient work framework.

In their response to our original paper, “Transforming Consumer Health Informatics through a Patient Work Framework: Connecting Patients to Context,” Marceglia and colleagues propose an architecture that integrates the patient work framework into a higher-order framework linking consumer health informatics (CHI) applications and professional health information systems (designated by the authors as the health-Information Technology (IT) ecosystem).1 The purpose of our letter is threefold. First, we detail how an expanded understanding of the patient work framework already conceptually encompasses the larger contexts in which CHI use must occur. Second, we assert that meaningful application of the patient work perspective yields implications not only for integration with professional health information systems but also with the larger information infrastructures within the community. Third, we propose modifications to Marceglia and colleagues’ architecture to explicitly represent a “shared space” between CHI applications and professional health information systems; this space contains collaborative work and collaborative informatics. Our original patient work framework was intended to serve as a foundation for CHI design by enabling the understanding of people, their daily contexts, and their daily activities. As such, we limited the scope of our discussion to the immediate home and community environments of the …
Flow System to Detect Transitional Flow Based on Pulsed Doppler Ultrasound Velocity Profiles

A flow circuit test rig has been constructed to determine the critical Reynolds number at which blood flow become turbulent. A Doppler ultrasound velocimeter was used in an in vitro flow system to measure the velocity of water inside a straight pipe in order to determine the critical Reynolds number (Re) at which the flow becomes transitional. Results using water as the working fluid demonstrated flow-transition to turbulence near Re = 2000 which is close to the expected value from literature. Future studies will utilize blood as the working fluid.© 2012 ASME
Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers for Regularized Multiclass Support Vector Machines

The support vector machine SVM was originally designed for binary classifications. A lot of effort has been put to generalize the binary SVM to multiclass SVM MSVM which are more complex problems. Initially, MSVMs were solved by considering their dual formulations which are quadratic programs and can be solved by standard second-order methods. However, the duals of MSVMs with regularizers are usually more difficult to formulate and computationally very expensive to solve. This paper focuses on several regularized MSVMs and extends the alternating direction method of multiplier ADMM to these MSVMs. Using a splitting technique, all considered MSVMs are written as two-block convex programs, for which the ADMM has global convergence guarantees. Numerical experiments on synthetic and real data demonstrate the high efficiency and accuracy of our algorithms.
World agricultural development and the future of U.S. agriculture

This book identifies the long-run trends in global agricultural production, prices, and trade and projects the likely trends of the future.
The development impact of financial regulation: evidence from Ethiopia and antebellum USA

In absence of deposit insurance, underdeveloped financial systems can exhibit a coordination failure between banks, unable to commit on safe asset holding, and depositors, anticipating low deposit repayment in bad states. This paper shows conditions under which a government can solve this failure by imposing safe asset purchases, which boosts deposits by increasing depositor repayment in bad states. In so doing, financial regulation stimulates bank profits if subsequent deposit growth exceeds the intermediation margin decline. As a result, it also promotes loans and branch installation with deposits. Two empirical tests are presented: 1) a regulation change by the National Bank of Ethiopia in 2011; 2) the introduction of bank taxes in Antebellum USA (1800-1861). Analyzing bank balance sheets and long-term branch installation, the regulation effects are isolated exploiting heterogeneity in bank size and policies introduction respectively, and find increases in branches, deposits, loans, and safe assets, with no decline in overall profits.
Towards optimal deterministic coding for interactive communication

We study efficient, deterministic interactive coding schemes that simulate any interactive protocol both under random and adversarial errors, and can achieve a constant communication rate independent of the protocol length.For channels that flip bits independently with probability e
Brass Powder in Rubber Vulcanizates. The Effect on Adhesion

Abstract Brass plating is presently used for promoting the adhesion of rubber to steel cords used in tires. It is generally accepted that the adhesion is due to chemical bonds that are formed between the rubber and brass,1 although evidence has been obtained indicating that the adhesion is the result of a physical phenomenon.2 In addition, a catalytic oxidation theory also has been advanced.1 Natural rubber vulcanizates loaded with brass powder showed an increase in crosslinking (by swelling measurements), indicating an interaction or bonding between the rubber and brass. Techniques previously employed with reinforcing fillers such as carbon black were used to evaluate the effect of brass on adhesion. The addition of brass powder decreased the scorch time and optimum cure time indicating that the rubber immediately surrounding the brass was being cured at a faster rate. Copper powder, on the other hand, inhibited the cure completely. When exposed to air or oxygen, even small amounts of brass catalyzed oxi...
Observations on the vanishing viscosity limit

Whether, in the presence of a boundary, solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations converge to a solution to the Euler equations in the vanishing viscosity limit is unknown. In a seminal 1983 paper, Tosio Kato showed that the vanishing viscosity limit is equivalent to having sufficient control of the gradient of the Navier-Stokes velocity in a boundary layer of width proportional to the viscosity. In a 2008 paper, the present author showed that the vanishing viscosity limit is equivalent to the formation of a vortex sheet on the boundary. We present here several observations that follow on from these two papers. Compiled on Sunday 20 March 2016 1. Definitions and past results 3 2. A 3D version of vorticity accumulation on the boundary 6 3. L-norms of the vorticity blow up for p > 1 7 4. Improved convergence when vorticity bounded in L 8 5. Some kind of convergence always happens 9 6. Width of the boundary layer: 2D 10 7. Optimal convergence rate: 2D 12 8. A condition on the boundary equivalent to (V V ): 2D 14 9. Examples where condition on the boundary holds: 2D 17 10. On a result of Bardos and Titi: 2D 22 Appendix A. A Trace Lemma 23 Acknowledgements 25 References 26 The Navier-Stokes equations for a viscous incompressible fluid in a domain Ω ⊆ Rd, d ≥ 2, with no-slip boundary conditions can be written, (NS)  ∂tu+ u · ∇u+∇p = ν∆u+ f in Ω, div u = 0 in Ω, u = 0 on Γ := ∂Ω. Date: (compiled on Sunday 20 March 2016). 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 76D05, 76B99, 76D10.
High-Frequency Injection-Based Stator Flux Linkage and Torque Estimation for DB-DTFC Implementation on IPMSMs Considering Cross-Saturation Effects

Deadbeat-direct torque and flux control (DB-DTFC) is a direct torque control method that provides the fastest possible torque control, low ripple, easily integrated dynamic loss minimization control, and one control law that uses the inherent volt-second source properties of power electronics to enable operation over all operating conditions, including voltage limits. DB-DTFC is a model-based discrete time controller that relies on precise machine parameter, flux, and torque estimation to provide fast dynamic torque control. In this paper, a new method for high-frequency injection (HFI)-based self- and mutual incremental inductance estimation is proposed and evaluated in both simulations and experiments. In this new method, the estimated incremental inductances including cross-coupling inductance due to cross saturation are curve fitted offline and then used to calculate the apparent inductances. With the apparent inductances, the stator resistance and permanent-magnet flux linkage are estimated using recursive least squares method online. The stator flux linkage observer using the identified machine parameters yields improved stator flux linkage estimates that enable precise torque calculation. Experimental evaluation of the HFI-based flux estimates on torque estimation and control accuracy is performed at an interior permanent-magnet synchronous machine drive test bench with a torque transducer mounted.
Application of Cluster Analysis and Unsupervised Learning to Multivariate Tissue Characterization

This paper describes a procedure for classifying tissue types from unlabeled acoustic measurements (data type unknown) using unsupervised cluster analysis. These techniques are being applied to unsupervised ultrasonic image segmentation and tissue characteriza-tion. The performance of a new clustering technique is measured and compared with supervised methods, such as a linear Bayes classifier. In these comparisons two objectives are sought: a) How well does the clustering method group the data? b) Do the clusters correspond to known tissue classes? The first question is investigated by a measure of cluster similarity and dispersion. The second question involves a comparison with a supervised technique using labeled data.
Enantio- and Diastereoselective Synthesis of 1,2-Hydroxyboronates through Cu-Catalyzed Additions of Alkylboronates to Aldehydes

The first catalytic enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of 1,2-hydroxyboronates is reported. Reactions are promoted by a readily available chiral monodentate phosphoramidite–copper complex in the presence of an alkyl 1,1-diboron reagent. Products contain two contiguous stereogenic centers and are obtained in up to 91% yield, >98:2 d.r., and 98:2 e.r. The reaction is tolerant of aryl and vinyl aldehydes, and the 1,2-hydroxyboronate products can be transformed into versatile derivatives. Mechanistic experiments indicate control of absolute stereochemistry of the α-boryl component.
The all-or-none phenomenon revisited

One of the more pervasive tenets of teratology is the "all-or-none" phenomenon, which refers to the concept that embryonic exposure that occurs before organogenesis results in either no adverse embryonic outcome or in embryonic death. This concept has been used extensively in genetic counseling of pregnant women who have inadvertently undergone an exposure in the very early stages of pregnancy, frequently before the pregnancy has been recognized. Herein, we review the data that supports the all-or-none concept and the exceptions to this general rule. In the absence of further human evidence to the contrary, and given the many women exposed to medications or environmental agents before learning of their pregnancies, it would be prudent to continue to counsel pregnant women using the all-or-none hypothesis to avoid needless interruption of pregnancy out of unfounded fear of an adverse pregnancy outcome.
The Case Study Approach in Cross-Cultural Research

Most leading international advertisers, agencies and research firms take a pragmatic approach to the problem of transferring successful U.S. advertising campaigns to foreign markets, with the final...
High-Frequency Quasi-Resonant and Multi-Resonant Converter Technologies

Resonant-switch topologies operating under the principle of zero-current switching and zero-voltage switching are introduced to minimize switching losses, stresses and noises. Employing the resonant-switch concept, the family of quasi-resonant converters (QRCs) and the family of multiresonant converters (MRCs) are derived from the conventional PWM converters. They are capable of operating in megahertz range, with a significant improvement in performance and power density. Characteristics of these QRCs and MRCs are reviewed and their relative merits and limitations are assessed.
Rhodium(II)-Catalyzed C–H Functionalization of Electron-Deficient Methyl Groups

Enantioselective C-H functionalization of relatively electron-deficient methyl sites was achieved with the combination of 2,2,2-trichloroethyl aryldiazoacetates and tetrakis(triarylcyclopropanecarboxylate) dirhodium catalysts. The substrate scope of the transformation was relatively broad, and C-H functionalization products were furnished with excellent levels of enantioselectivity. As a strategic reaction, crotonate derivatives give 1,6-dicarbonyl compounds, which are useful for further diversification.
Urinary screening tests in the infant and young child.

Abstract Urinary screening tests are available for the detection of a large number of diseases, from the rare hereditary nephritides to the more common lead poisoning and urinary tract infection. Genetic diseases of the kidney with structural and functional abnormalities and a variety of nonrenal metabolic diseases are identifiable by such tests. Some of these diseases are associated with preventable mental retardation. More work needs to be done in the validation of urinary screening procedures and the establishment of normal values. A scheme for routine screening is outlined.
Two-Stage Economic Operation of Microgrid-Like Electric Vehicle Parking Deck

This paper addresses a two-stage framework for the economic operation of a microgrid-like electric vehicle (EV) parking deck with on-site renewable energy generation (roof-top photovoltaic panel). This microgrid-like EV parking deck is a localized grouping of distributed generation (solar), energy storage (EV batteries), and load (EV charging load). Although EV parking decks can enable greater adoption of renewable energy sources by scheduling charging loads to coincide with periods of strong sun, the inherent intermittency of renewable energy resources and variable EV parking behaviors complicates the economic operation. In this paper, the proposed first stage of this framework provides the parking deck operators with a stochastic approach for dealing with the uncertainty of solar energy so as to make an optimal price decision (marginal electricity sale price and parking fee rebate) at the day-ahead time scale. The second stage introduces a model predictive control-based operation strategy of EV charging dealing with the uncertainty of parking behaviors within the real-time operation. Case studies demonstrate the better performance of the proposed framework, offering an effective day-ahead marginal electricity price for tomorrow’s operation and increasing the microgrid-like EV parking deck’s revenue during the real-time operation.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: Review and Reference to Stroke in a Major League Pitcher

The thoracic outlet compression syndrome is reviewed. It should be considered in all neurologic and vascular complaints of the upper extremity. Symptoms are related to arm position and use and are aggravated by sustained activity that stresses the shoulder. A participant in any sport that requires a repetitive violent throwing motion is a potential candidate for this condition. A detailed report of a major league pitcher illustrates the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, inasmuch as delay can be catastrophic, as in the case of this career athlete. A thorough history is the best aid in arriving at a diagnosis. When the symptoms are mild or moderate, conservative therapy may suffice. When surgery is indicated, the object is to create adequate space for passage of the brachial plexus, subclavian artery, and subclavian vein. Patients with thrombosis and occlusion of a major artery supplying the upper extremity require an additional arterial reconstructive procedure plus a cervicothoracic sympathectomy.
A large-scale study on predicting and contextualizing building energy usage

In this paper we present a data-driven approach to modeling end user energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings. Our model is based upon a data set of monthly electricity and gas bills, collected by a utility over the course of several years, for approximately 6,500 buildings in Cambridge, MA. In addition, we use publicly available tax assessor records and geographical survey information to determine corresponding features for the buildings. Using both parametric and non-parametric learning methods, we learn models that predict distributions over energy usage based upon these features, and use these models to develop two end-user systems. For utilities or authorized institutions (those who may obtain access to the full data) we provide a system that visualizes energy consumption for each building in the city; this allows companies to quickly identify outliers (buildings which use much more energy than expected even after conditioning on the relevant predictors), for instance allowing them to target homes for potential retrofits or tiered pricing schemes. For other end users, we provide an interface for entering their own electricity and gas usage, along with basic information about their home, to determine how their consumption compares to that of similar buildings as predicted by our model. Merely allowing users to contextualize their consumption in this way, relating it to the consumption in similar buildings, can itself produce behavior changes to significantly reduce consumption.
Stronger Limits on Hypothetical Yukawa Interactions in the 30-8000 nm Range

We report the results of new differential force measurements between a test mass and rotating source masses of gold and silicon to search for forces beyond Newtonian gravity at short separations. The technique employed subtracts the otherwise dominant Casimir force at the outset and, when combined with a lock-in amplification technique, leads to a significant improvement (up to a factor of 10^{3}) over existing limits on the strength (relative to gravity) of a putative force in the 40-8000 nm interaction range.
Is there Informational Value in Corporate Giving

In this article, we propose that giving in cash and non-cash (in-kind) differ in their relation with the giving firm’s future corporate financial performance (CFP) and only cash giving is associated with future CFP. Using a novel dataset from ASSET4 that differentiates corporate giving over a sample period of 2002–2012, we examine three competing hypotheses: (1) agency cost hypothesis that cash giving reflects agency cost and destroys value for shareholders, (2) investment hypothesis that cash giving is an investment by management that aims for better future return, and (3) information hypothesis that cash giving has informational value to shareholders as cash is a critical resource at a firm and giving is a decision by managers who are insiders. We find that indeed, only cash giving is positively associated with future CFP and firm value, measured by Fama–French five-factor abnormal risk-adjusted stock returns, future return on assets, and Tobin’s Q. In addition, we find that the positive association exists only between excess, i.e., unexpected, but not expected cash giving and future CFP. Our empirical findings support the information hypothesis, but neither the agency hypothesis nor the investment hypothesis, and are robust to a number of endogeneity tests, including orthogonalized cash giving, instrumental variable regression using geography-based instruments, and propensity score matching. Furthermore, we show that the positive association between future CFP and unexpected cash giving is only pronounced at firms with good governance and relatively higher sales growth where agency problems are less likely, and at firms with no alternative mechanisms to demonstrate the strength of cash flow. Additionally, we do not find evidence that suggests in-kind giving to possess any informational value.
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate with Local Anesthesia in 100 Patients

AbstractWe performed transurethral resections of the prostate in 100 patients under local anesthesia supplemented when appropriate by intravenous medication. In the first part of the study (40 patients) local anesthesia was infiltrated into the prostate transurethrally only, while in the second part (60 patients) infiltration was performed transurethrally and perineally. Prostate sizes ranged from 5 to 50 gm., and pain control was excellent in the majority of the patients, especially when perineal infiltration was added to the procedure. Of the patients 98 per cent said they would do it again, no patient required conversion to general anesthesia and there were no significant complications relating to the anesthesia. Local anesthesia with intravenous supplementation can be performed successfully in the majority of the patients with small to moderately sized prostate glands.
Criminal Adjudication, Error Correction, and Hindsight Blind Spots

Table of ContentsI. Introduction 166II. Finding the Blind Spot in Hindsight 168A. Unpredictable Evidentiary Interactions 169B. Bias v. Blindness 171C. The Error-Correction Imperative 173III. Weighing Exculpatory Evidence 177A. Hindsight About Foresight 178B. The Example of Impeachment 181C. The Problem with Materiality 183IV. Considering the Adequacy of Counsel 187A. The Structure of Strickland 188B. Obstacles to Enforcement 192V. Determining the Significance of Error 197A. Quantitative Assessments of Impact 197B. Photoshopped Trials 199VI. Limiting the Role of Hindsight 204A. Verdicts Untainted by Error 205B. Standards for Systemic Failures 212VII. Conclusion 214I. IntroductionConstitutional requirements and standards of review that turn on hindsight warrant reconsideration in light of both recent social science on decision-making and empirical advances about error in the criminal justice process. For example, hindsight pervades the operation of the Brady rule governing prosecutors' due process obligation to disclose exculpatory evidence,1 the Strickland standard for assessing the adequacy of defense counsel under the Sixth Amendment,2 and the question whether certain constitutional and evidentiary errors at trial require reversal.3 While these standards have long been critiqued,4 recent scholarship on reliability that DNA-based exonerations made possible substantially reinforces the claim.5 Wrongful convictions occur, in significant numbers, and the adversarial orientation of police and prosecutors frequently precludes self-correction.6 Other avenues for ensuring accuracy thus merit closer scrutiny, including the interstices where courts review claims of error and consider reversing convictions. As cognizance of wrongful convictions has grown, interest has increased in the mechanisms of error correction and the safety valve that appellate courts could provide.7The manner in which courts evaluate the reliability of adjudication has also been illuminated by social science on the unfolding of facts, the structure of decision-making, and the inevitability of biases.8 In light of those developments, requiring assessments of what "might have been" appears to leave a barrier between reviewing courts and the root causes of error. Underenforcement of discovery obligations, the right to counsel, and exclusionary rules diminishes accuracy. And that underenforcement occurs in part because hindsight standards both preclude relief in individual cases9 and impede reform.10 Each of these standards has been revealed as having inconsistent application and insufficient rigor,11 and each suffers from a similar disability. New vocabulary to discuss the weight of error could help strike the balance between meaningful review and an administrable reversal rate.II. Finding the Blind Spot in HindsightEven as the incarceration rate attracts bipartisan attention,12 and scrutiny of investigative practices has given rise to conviction integrity units in prosecutors' offices,13 the role of judges considering trial errors continues to contract because of habeas barriers and hindsight standards. …
Commentary to 'Outcomes of Seromuscular Bladder Augmentation versus Standard Ileocystoplasty: A Single Institution Experience over 14 years'.

The technique of seromuscular bladder augmentation (SMBA), as first described experimentally by Shoemaker [1] and later popularized in human subjects by Dewan [2], continues to hold great interest among urologists as a means of providing an augmentation substrate that avoids incorporation of absorptive epithelium. Yet the widespread acceptance of this technique has remained elusive, due to lack of evidence that a significant decrease in complication rate exists that would warrant the increased technical challenges and length of the operative procedure. To this end, the authors of the present paper seek to document differences between augmentation with unaltered ileal and demucosalized colonic segments. While this report lends further support to SMBA being a safe and effective technique, the results presented show no advantage over standard enterocystoplasty. The small number of subjects in the SMBA group (n Z 10) does not provide sufficient power to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in the categories investigated. The authors point to more stones being formed in the ileocystoplasty group (8/30 or 27%) relative to the SMBA cohort. However, from the results section, one gleans that only five of the stones were of significant size to require surgical intervention. If only 5/30 (17%) patients had significant stones, the calculated P-value between the SMBA and ileocystoplasty groups would be PZ 0.17. Compared to the historical results of Jednak, et al, who found that 6% of his cohort of 32 SMBA patients developed calculi [3], the
Concise Total Syntheses of (+)-Haplocidine and (+)-Haplocine via Late-Stage Oxidation of (+)-Fendleridine Derivatives

We report the first total syntheses of (+)-haplocidine and its N1-amide congener (+)-haplocine. Our concise synthesis of these alkaloids required the development of a late-stage and highly selective C–H oxidation of complex aspidosperma alkaloid derivatives. A versatile, amide-directed ortho-acetoxylation of indoline amides enabled our implementation of a unified strategy for late-stage diversification of hexacyclic C19-hemiaminal ether structures via oxidation of the corresponding pentacyclic C19-iminium ions. An electrophilic amide activation of a readily available C21-oxygenated lactam, followed by transannular cyclization and in situ trapping of a transiently formed C19-iminium ion, expediently provided access to hexacyclic C19-hemiaminal ether alkaloids (+)-fendleridine, (+)-acetylaspidoalbidine, and (+)-propionylaspidoalbidine. A highly effective enzymatic resolution of a non-β-branched primary alcohol (E = 22) allowed rapid preparation of both enantiomeric forms of a C21-oxygenated precursor for sy...
Planning in the Royal Dutch/Shell Group

The Royal Dutch/Shell Group, or Shell, was the second largest industrial corporation in the world and the largest industrial corporation outside the USA in 1983. Sales were $81 bn and net income was $4.2 bn.1 The Shell Group had previously owned 69 per cent of Shell Oil Company (US). In 1984 the Group made a bid for the remaining 31 per cent. In this chapter, Shell refers to the Royal Dutch/Shell Group and not to Shell Oil (US).
What are Lyapunov exponents, and why are they interesting?

Taking as inspiration the Fields Medal work of Artur Avila, I’d like to introduce you to Lyapunov exponents. My plan is to show how Lyapunov exponents play a key role in three areas in which Avila’s results lie: smooth ergodic theory, billiards and translation surfaces, and the spectral theory of 1-dimensional Schrodinger operators. But first, what are Lyapunov exponents? Let’s begin by viewing them in one of their natural habitats. The barycentric subdivision of a triangle is a collection of 6 smaller triangles obtained by joining the midpoints of the sides to opposite vertices. Here’s what happens when you start with an equilateral triangle and repeatedly barycentrically subdivide:
RELATIVISTIC QUARK MODEL AS REPRESENTATION OF CURRENT ALGEBRA

Let us summarize the discussion in the first part of this work on the use of equal-time commutation relations of charge densities at infinite momentum. We consider the space of all quantum states of hadrons, to all orders in the strong interaction, and with weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational interactions treated as perturbations. We assume the validity of equal-time commutation relations among the time components of vector currents
The chromatin regulator chd8 is a context-dependent mediator of cell survival in murine hematopoietic malignancies

Aberrant chromatin regulation is a frequent driver of leukemogenesis. Mutations in chromatin regulators often result in more stem-like cells that seed a bulk leukemic population. Inhibitors targeting these proteins represent an emerging class of therapeutics, and identifying further chromatin regulators that promote disease progression may result in additional drug targets. We identified the chromatin-modifying protein CHD8 as necessary for cell survival in a mouse model of BCR-Abl+ B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This disease has a poor prognosis despite treatment with kinase inhibitors targeting BCR-Abl. Although implicated as a risk factor in autism spectrum disorder and a tumor suppressor in prostate and lung cancer, the mechanism of CHD8’s activity is still unclear and has never been studied in the context of hematopoietic malignancies. Here we demonstrate that depletion of CHD8 in B-ALL cells leads to cell death. While multiple B cell malignancies were dependent on CHD8 expression for survival, T cell malignancies displayed milder phenotypes upon CHD8 knockdown. In addition, ectopic expression of the Notch1 intracellular domain in a T cell malignancy partially alleviated the detrimental effect of CHD8 depletion. Our results demonstrate that CHD8 has a context-dependent role in cell survival, and its inhibition may be an effective treatment for B lymphoid malignancies.
Net Baryon Fluctuations from a Crossover Equation of State

We have constructed an equation of state which smoothly interpolates between an excluded-volume hadron resonance gas at low energy density to a plasma of quarks and gluons at high energy density. This crossover equation of state agrees very well with lattice calculations at both zero and nonzero baryon chemical potential. We use it to compute the variance, skewness, and kurtosis of fluctuations of baryon number, and compare to measurements of proton number fluctuations in central Au-Au collisions as measured by the STAR Collaboration in a beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. The crossover equation of state can reproduce the data if the fluctuations are frozen out at temperatures well below than the average chemical freeze-out.
A Discriminative Framework for Anomaly Detection in Large Videos

We address an anomaly detection setting in which training sequences are unavailable and anomalies are scored independently of temporal ordering. Current algorithms in anomaly detection are based on the classical density estimation approach of learning high-dimensional models and finding low-probability events. These algorithms are sensitive to the order in which anomalies appear and require either training data or early context assumptions that do not hold for longer, more complex videos. By defining anomalies as examples that can be distinguished from other examples in the same video, our definition inspires a shift in approaches from classical density estimation to simple discriminative learning. Our contributions include a novel framework for anomaly detection that is (1) independent of temporal ordering of anomalies, and (2) unsupervised, requiring no separate training sequences. We show that our algorithm can achieve state-of-the-art results even when we adjust the setting by removing training sequences from standard datasets.
Using the travel cost method to value visits and stigma in connection with ARV adherence in Uganda

ABSTRACTThis article uses the travel cost method to value both client visits to collect antiretroviral therapy (ARV) and stigma, which prevents ARV adherence. Using a representative sample for Uganda initiated specifically for this study, we found a willingness to pay (WTP) valuation for visits made in the range of US$14–US$17 and a willingness to accept (WTA) valuation of US$25 for visits missed. The valuations for stigma based on a novel measure of stigma using a new estimation method were close to the valuations for visits. These valuations can be used to estimate the benefits to carry out cost–benefit analyses (CBAs) of interventions aimed at increasing ARV coverage and adherence.
Firm Heterogeneity in Consumption Baskets: Evidence from Home and Store Scanner Data

A growing literature has emphasized the role of Melitz-type firm heterogeneity within sectors in accounting for nominal income inequality. This paper explores the implications of firm heterogeneity for household price indices across the income distribution. Using detailed matched US home and store scanner microdata that allow us to trace the firm size distribution into the consumption baskets of individual households, we present evidence that richer US households source their consumption from on average significantly larger producers of brands within disaggregated product groups compared to poorer US households. We use the microdata to explore alternative explanations, write down a quantitative framework that rationalizes the observed moments, and estimate its parameters to quantify the underlying channels and explore model-based counterfactuals. Our central findings are that larger, more productive firms endogenously sort into catering to the taste of wealthier households, and that this gives rise to asymmetric effects on household price indices. We find that these price index effects significantly amplify observed nominal income inequalities in both the cross-section of households and for changes over time, and that they lead to a significantly more regressive distribution of the gains from international trade.
Optimization and Its Discontents In Regulatory Design: Bank Regulation as an Example

Economists and lawyers trained in economics tend to speak about regulation from a perspective organized around the basic norm of optimization. In contrast, an important managerial literature espouses a perspective organized around the basic norm of reliability. The perspectives are not logically inconsistent, but the economist's view sometimes leads in practice to a preoccupation with decisional simplicity and cost minimization at the expense of complex judgment and learning. Drawing on a literature often ignored by economists and lawyers, I elaborate the contrast between the optimization and reliability perspectives. I then show how the contrast illuminates current discussions of the reform of bank regulation.
Controlling nanotube growth

In the past ten years or so, the remarkable electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes have captured the attention of researchers worldwide. This is largely because these novel structures are of significant fundamental interest and could lead to a huge range of potential applications worth billions of dollars. These range from nanoscale electronics and tools to manipulate individual atoms, to exceptionally strong materials, flat-panel displays and hydrogen fuel cells.
Noise-Tolerant Life-Long Matrix Completion via Adaptive Sampling

We study the problem of recovering an incomplete $m\times n$ matrix of rank $r$ with columns arriving online over time. This is known as the problem of life-long matrix completion, and is widely applied to recommendation system, computer vision, system identification, etc. The challenge is to design provable algorithms tolerant to a large amount of noises, with small sample complexity. In this work, we give algorithms achieving strong guarantee under two realistic noise models. In bounded deterministic noise, an adversary can add any bounded yet unstructured noise to each column. For this problem, we present an algorithm that returns a matrix of a small error, with sample complexity almost as small as the best prior results in the noiseless case. For sparse random noise, where the corrupted columns are sparse and drawn randomly, we give an algorithm that exactly recovers an $\mu_0$-incoherent matrix by probability at least $1-\delta$ with sample complexity as small as $O(\mu_0rn\log(r/\delta))$. This result advances the state-of-the-art work and matches the lower bound in a worst case. We also study the scenario where the hidden matrix lies on a mixture of subspaces and show that the sample complexity can be even smaller. Our proposed algorithms perform well experimentally in both synthetic and real-world datasets.
Deep Learning Models of the Retinal Response to Natural Scenes

A central challenge in sensory neuroscience is to understand neural computations and circuit mechanisms that underlie the encoding of ethologically relevant, natural stimuli. In multilayered neural circuits, nonlinear processes such as synaptic transmission and spiking dynamics present a significant obstacle to the creation of accurate computational models of responses to natural stimuli. Here we demonstrate that deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) capture retinal responses to natural scenes nearly to within the variability of a cell's response, and are markedly more accurate than linear-nonlinear (LN) models and Generalized Linear Models (GLMs). Moreover, we find two additional surprising properties of CNNs: they are less susceptible to overfitting than their LN counterparts when trained on small amounts of data, and generalize better when tested on stimuli drawn from a different distribution (e.g. between natural scenes and white noise). An examination of the learned CNNs reveals several properties. First, a richer set of feature maps is necessary for predicting the responses to natural scenes compared to white noise. Second, temporally precise responses to slowly varying inputs originate from feedforward inhibition, similar to known retinal mechanisms. Third, the injection of latent noise sources in intermediate layers enables our model to capture the sub-Poisson spiking variability observed in retinal ganglion cells. Fourth, augmenting our CNNs with recurrent lateral connections enables them to capture contrast adaptation as an emergent property of accurately describing retinal responses to natural scenes. These methods can be readily generalized to other sensory modalities and stimulus ensembles. Overall, this work demonstrates that CNNs not only accurately capture sensory circuit responses to natural scenes, but also can yield information about the circuit's internal structure and function.
The Spirit of Laws is Not Universal: Alternatives to the Enforcement Paradigm for Human Rights

Drawing on the contested legacy of Montesquieu in The Spirit of the Laws, this essay questions the efficacy of state-centric legality in the enforcement of human rights, and proposes an alternative approach of cultural transformation and political mobilization. The author begins by exploring whether Montesquieu’s thought may have inspired European powers to seek to impose his model of the nation-state and its positive laws through global colonial projects. Second, the author discusses the structural inadequacy of the current treaty-based state-centric enforcement paradigm while highlighting the viability of a universally realistic alternative of cultural transformation and political mobilization for the implementation of consensus-based human rights norms. Third, the author explores his proposed people-centered alternative to the state-centric enforcement model for human rights. This paradigm shift is necessary because the current legalistic approach has totally failed in providing any protection of human rights for the vast majority of humanity around the world.
Efficacy of a Supplemental Phonemic Awareness Curriculum to Instruct Preschoolers With Delays in Early Literacy Development

Purpose Children who do not develop early literacy skills, especially phonological awareness (PA) and alphabet knowledge, prior to kindergarten are at risk for reading difficulties. We investigated...
The number of triple systems without even cycles

For k ⩾ 4, a loose k-cycle Ck is a hypergraph with distinct edges e1, e2, …, ek such that consecutive edges (modulo k) intersect in exactly one vertex and all other pairs of edges are disjoint. Our main result is that for every even integer k ⩾ 4, there exists c > 0 such that the number of triple systems with vertex set [n] containing no Ck is at most $$2^{cn^2}$$ . An easy construction shows that the exponent is sharp in order of magnitude. Our proof method is different than that used for most recent results of a similar flavor about enumerating discrete structures, since it does not use hypergraph containers. One novel ingredient is the use of some (new) quantitative estimates for an asymmetric version of the bipartite canonical Ramsey theorem.
Non-Traded Goods and Real Exchange Rate Fluctuations: A Structural VAR Analysis

Real exchange rate variance decompositions indicate that only a small fraction of real exchange rate movements can be attributed to changes in the relative price between traded and non-traded goods. This paper argues that those exercises, by ignoring the nature of the shocks behind real exchange rate changes, may be inadequate to measure the relative importance of non-traded goods prices. Instead, it proposes using a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model to study the effects of shocks to the relative supply and relative demand for non-traded goods on the real exchange rate. The SVAR model is identified via long-run restrictions and is estimated for a group of advanced economies. The results indicate that for some countries, relative supply shocks can be a significant source of real exchange rate fluctuations.
CORRECTION OR ANKLE CALCANEUS IN CHILDREN BY GUIDED GROWTH USING TENSION BAND PLATES

We present our experience of using tension band plates to achieve guided growth in children for correction of calcaneus deformity of the ankle. 11 consecutive patients (13 ankles) fulfilled the inclusion criteria over a 4-year period. All underwent surgical treatment using a flexible two hole plate and screws on the posterior aspect of distal tibial physis. Measurements were done on preoperative, intraoperative screening and 1-year post operative plain AP and lateral ankle radiographs. The anterior distal tibia angle (ADTA), lateral distal tibial angle (LDTA) and screw divergence angle (angle subtended by lines passing through the long axis of the screws) were used to assess the deformity correction. A 2 tailed student t-test was carried out on the initial and 1-year post-op measurements to determine statistical significance with a p value There were 10 residual clubfoot deformities, 2 post-traumatic deformities and 1 spinal tumor causing deformity. The average age of the patients was 10 years 5 months (range 4 to 13 years). There were 9 males and 2 females. The ADTA showed a statistically significant change with a p value of 0.0008 with a mean correction of 8.6 degrees (range of 2.3 to 15.6 degrees). The SDA demonstrated a mean correction of 15.4 degrees (range 0.3 to 41.8 degrees), p=0.002. The LDTA did not change significantly (p= 0.08), thus confirming no coincidental coronal plane deformity had occurred. 5 ankles required revision of fixation due to metalwork reaching its maximum limit of divergence at an average of 1 year. 2 ankles had screw pulled out due to osteolysis around the screw. There were no cases of infection. We report satisfactory short-term results of correction of calcaneus deformity using a flexible tension band plate and screws system.
Geometric Requirements for Tectorial Membrane Traveling Waves in the Presence of Cochlear Loads

Recent studies suggest that wave motions of the tectorial membrane (TM) play a critical role in determining the frequency selectivity of hearing. However, frequency tuning is also thought to be limited by viscous loss in subtectorial fluid. Here, we analyze effects of this loss and other cochlear loads on TM traveling waves. Using a viscoelastic model, we demonstrate that hair bundle stiffness has little effect on TM traveling waves calculated with physiological parameters, that the limbal attachment can cause small (<20%) increases in TM wavelength, and that viscous loss in the subtectorial fluid can cause small (<20%) decreases in TM wave decay constants. However, effects of viscous loss in the subtectorial fluid are significantly increased if TM thickness is decreased. In contrast, increasing TM thickness above its physiological range has little effect on the wave, suggesting that the TM is just thick enough to maximize the spatial extent of the TM traveling wave.
A capillary surface with no radial limits

In 1996, Kirk Lancaster and David Siegel investigated the existence and behavior of radial limits at a corner of the boundary of the domain of solutions of capillary and other prescribed mean curvature problems with contact angle boundary data. In Theorem 3, they provide an example of a capillary surface in a unit disk $D$ which has no radial limits at $(0,0)\in\partial D.$ In their example, the contact angle ($\gamma$) cannot be bounded away from zero and $\pi.$ Here we consider a domain $\Omega$ with a convex corner at $(0,0)$ and find a capillary surface $z=f(x,y)$ in $\Omega\times\mathbb{R}$ which has no radial limits at $(0,0)\in\partial\Omega$ such that $\gamma$ is bounded away from $0$ and $\pi.$
Carina: Interactive Million-Node Graph Visualization using Web Browser Technologies

We are working on a scalable, interactive visualization system, called Carina, for people to explore million-node graphs. By using latest web browser technologies, Carina offers fast graph rendering via WebGL, and works across desktop (via Electron) and mobile platforms. Different from most existing graph visualization tools, Carina does not store the full graph in RAM, enabling it to work with graphs with up to 69M edges. We are working to improve and open-source Carina, to offer researchers and practitioners a new, scalable way to explore and visualize large graph datasets.
THE X-CLASS AND ALMOST-INCREASING PERMUTATIONS

In this paper we give a bijection between the class of permutations that can be drawn on an X-shape and a certain set of permutations that appears in Knuth [4] in connection to sorting algorithms. A natural generalization of this set leads us to the definition of almost-increasing permutations, which is a one-parameter family of permutations that can be characterized in terms of forbidden patterns. We find generating functions for almost-increasing permutations by using their cycle structure to map them to colored Motzkin paths. We also give refined enumerations with respect to the number of cycles, fixed points, excedances, and inversions.
Path planning for multiple heterogeneous Unmanned Vehicles with uncertain service times

This article presents a framework and develops a formulation to solve a path planning problem for multiple heterogeneous Unmanned Vehicles (UVs) with uncertain service times for each vehicle-target pair. The vehicles incur a penalty proportional to the duration of their total service time in excess of a preset constant. The vehicles differ in their motion constraints and are located at distinct depots at the start of the mission. The vehicles may also be equipped with disparate sensors. The objective is to find a tour for each vehicle that starts and ends at its respective depot such that every target is visited and serviced by some vehicle while minimizing the sum of the total travel distance and the expected penalty incurred by all the vehicles. We formulate the problem as a two-stage stochastic program with recourse, present the theoretical properties of the formulation and advantages of using such a formulation, as opposed to a deterministic expected value formulation, to solve the problem. Extensive numerical simulations also corroborate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.