cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scroll wave drift along steps, troughs, and corners

Three-dimensional excitable systems can create nonlinear scroll waves that rotate around one-dimensional phase singularities. Recent theoretical work predicts that these filaments drift along step-like height variations. Here, we test this prediction using experiments with thin layers of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. We observe that over short distances scroll waves are attracted towards the step and then rapidly commence a steady drift along the step line. The translating filaments always reside on the shallow side of the step near the edge. Accordingly, filaments in the deep domain initially collide with and shorten at the step wall. The drift speeds obey the predicted proportional dependence on the logarithm of the height ratio and the direction depends on the vortex chirality. We also observe drift along the perimeter of rectangular plateaus and find that the filaments perform sharp turns at the corners. In addition, we investigate rectangular troughs for which vortices of equal chirality can drift in different directions. The latter two effects are reproduced in numerical simulations with the Barkley model. The simulations show that narrow troughs instigate scroll wave encounters that induce repulsive interaction and symmetry breaking. Similar phenomena could exist in the geometrically complicated ventricles of the human heart where reentrant vortex waves cause tachycardia and fibrillation.
United States’ bankruptcy jurisdiction over foreign entities: exorbitant or congruent?

Alarmed at the ease with which global bankruptcy jurisdiction can be engineered in the US through a combination of the Bankruptcy Code’s low bar to entry and the worldwide effects of a bankruptcy c...
A PROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF COMORBIDITIES AND LENGTH OF STAY FOR TOTAL JOINT PATIENTS

Background The ability to identify those at risk for longer inpatient stay helps providers with postoperative planning and patient expectations. Decreasing length of stay in the future will be determined by appropriate patient selection, risk stratification, and pre-operative patient optimization. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that place patients at risk for extended postoperative lengths of stay. Methods The prospective study cohort included 2009 primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients and 905 total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients. Patient comorbidities were prospectively identified and the length of stay for each patient was tracked following a primary arthroplasty. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate which comorbidities were associated with longer inpatient stays. Results In the TKA population, gender, smoking status, venous thromboembolism history, body mass index and diabetes status were not found to be a significant predictors for length of stay. Age was found to be a factor in univariate regression testing (P Conclusions Age and gender were associated with a longer length of stay after THA, whereas only age was a significant factor after TKA. Development of age adjusted LOS models may help aid patient expectations and risk management.
Reflections on Teaching the First Day of Contracts Class

ABSTRACT A veteran of the law school classroom offers his thoughts on why Contracts is the most significant course in the first-year curriculum, why the study of contract law should begin with the subject of remedies, and why the “hairy hand” case of The Paper Chase fame makes an ideal starting point. The author also shares his first-day advice on how to succeed in law school. Along the way he explains why he prefers a problems-based casebook, opposes use of commercial briefs and outlines, and makes robust use of a course website.
How do valuations impact outcomes of asset sales with heterogeneous bidders

Abstract Differences among bidder type-specific outcomes of asset sales are theoretically related to differences in bidders’ valuations and participation. The lead application to quantify these relations is takeover auctions: bidders are classified into strategic and financial, and bids are available. I structurally estimate valuations from all bids. The positive difference in premiums between strategic and financial acquirers is driven by the difference in dispersions of valuations (e.g., strategic bidders’ synergies are more dispersed) and the set of auction participants. The difference in average valuations is relatively unimportant. My approach can help explain outcomes of asset sales, even in settings with limited bidder data.
Description of work processes used by clinical nurse specialists to improve patient outcomes.

Abstract Background Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) are expected to contribute to improved patient outcomes. Traditionally, clinical nurse specialists (CNS) have been the APRN role that led system-level nursing practice initiatives to advance care for specialty populations. Little is known about the work processes used by CNSs to achieve outcomes. Purpose This study identified common processes used by CNSs working in a variety of practice settings and specialties to advance nursing practice and achieve improved clinical outcomes. Methods Qualitative descriptive methods were used; a purposeful sample of CNSs with completed system-level projects participated in focus groups. Data were analyzed using standard content analysis process. Findings CNSs engaged in intricate interactions identified as articulation work involving the management of intersections between people, technology and organizations. This expert work is largely invisible. Self-agency, trust, and influence are a nexus upon which CNS work processes revolve. Discussion The findings provide insight into CNS work processes, lend credibility to the CNS's leadership abilities, and help explain why the CNS role and practice is often considered invisible and ambiguous.
FEMORAL DEROTATION OSTEOTOMIES IN ADULTS FOR VERSION ABNORMALITIES

Introduction Version abnormalities of the femur, either retroversion or excessive anteversion, cause pain and hip joint damage due to impingement or instability respectively. A retrospective clinical review was conducted on patients undergoing a subtrochanteric derotation osteotomy for either excessive anteversion or retroversion of the femur. Methods A total of 49 derotation osteotomies were performed in 39 patients. There were 32 females and 7 males. Average age was 29 years (range 14 to 59 years). Osteotomies were performed closed with an intramedullary saw (Figure 1). Fixation was performed with a variety of intramedullary nails. Patients requiring a varus or valgus intertrochanteric osteotomy were excluded. Pure rotational corrections only were performed. Twenty-four percent of patients had a retroversion deformity (average −8° retroversion, range +1 to −23°), 76% had excessive anteversion of the femur (average +36° anteversion, range +22° to +53°). Etiology was post-traumatic in 5 (10%), diplegic cerebral palsy in 4 (8%), fibrous dysplasia in 2 (4%), Prader-Willi Syndrome in 1 (2%) and idiopathic in 37 (76%). Previous surgery had been performed in 51% of hips. Fifty-seven percent underwent concomitant surgery with the index femoral derotation osteotomy, including hip arthroscopy in 39% (labral debridement alone or with femoral neck osteochondroplasty), a tibial derotation osteotomy in 12% and periacetabular osteotomy in 6%. Concomitant tibial osteotomies were performed to correct a compensatory excessive external tibial torsion that would be exacerbated in the correction of excessive femoral anteversion. The modified Harris Hip Score was used to assess the results in patients with a minimum of 24 months follow-up. Results There were no non-unions. Average time to union was 3.3 months. One late infection occurred 10 months after surgery, treated successfully with hardware removal and antibiotics. Two patients, one with Prader-Willi syndrome and one with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, were converted to total hip replacement. At an average follow-up of 6.1 years (range 2 to 19.1 years), the modified Harris Hip Score improved by 26 points (p Discussion and Conclusion A closed, subtrochanteric derotation osteotomy of the femur is a safe and effective procedure to treat either femoral retroversion or excessive anteversion. Excellent or good results were obtained in 93%, despite the need for subsequent hardware removal in more than two-thirds of the patients. For figures/tables, please contact authors directly.
Evaluation and prediction of polygon approximations of planar contours for shape analysis

ABSTRACTContours may be viewed as the 2D outline of the image of an object. This type of data arises in medical imaging as well as in computer vision and can be modeled as data on a manifold and can be studied using statistical shape analysis. Practically speaking, each observed contour, while theoretically infinite dimensional, must be discretized for computations. As such, the coordinates for each contour as obtained at k sampling times, resulting in the contour being represented as a k-dimensional complex vector. While choosing large values of k will result in closer approximations to the original contour, this will also result in higher computational costs in the subsequent analysis. The goal of this study is to determine reasonable values for k so as to keep the computational cost low while maintaining accuracy. To do this, we consider two methods for selecting sample points and determine lower bounds for k for obtaining a desired level of approximation error using two different criteria. Because thi...
Reply to Fine on Aboutness

A reply to Fine’s critique of Aboutness. Fine contrasts two notions of truthmaker, and more generally two notions of “state.” One is algebraic; states are sui generis entities grasped primarily through the conditions they satisfy. The other uses set theory; states are sets of worlds, or, perhaps, collections of such sets. I try to defend the second notion and question some seeming advantages of the first.
Bayesian optimization for automated model selection.

Despite the success of kernel-based nonparametric methods, kernel selection still requires considerable expertise, and is often described as a “black art.” We present a sophisticated method for automatically searching for an appropriate kernel from an infinite space of potential choices. Previous efforts in this direction have focused on traversing a kernel grammar, only examining the data via computation of marginal likelihood. Our proposed search method is based on Bayesian optimization in model space, where we reason about model evidence as a function to be maximized. We explicitly reason about the data distribution and how it induces similarity between potential model choices in terms of the explanations they can offer for observed data. In this light, we construct a novel kernel between models to explain a given dataset. Our method is capable of finding a model that explains a given dataset well without any human assistance, often with fewer computations of model evidence than previous approaches, a claim we demonstrate empirically.
EXPLOITING CLOSED-END FUND DISCOUNTS: A SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATION OF ALPHAS

We systematically study the value of the information contained in closed-end fund (CEF) premiums. We parametrically estimate CEF expected returns as a function of the history of CEF premiums, in addition to the current premium, and buy the quintile of funds with the highest expected returns and sell the quintile of funds with the lowest expected returns. The return on this portfolio suggests that previous studies, which examine the information in current premiums only, have understated the value of the information in premiums. Our strategy values the information in the history of CEF premiums at an annualized return of 18.2%.
Lithium Use in Pregnancy and the Risk of Cardiac Malformations.

BackgroundThere has been concern that exposure to lithium early in pregnancy may be associated with a marked increase in the risk of Ebstein’s anomaly (a right ventricular outflow tract obstruction defect) in infants and overall congenital cardiac defects, but data are conflicting and limited. MethodsWe conducted a cohort study involving 1,325,563 pregnancies in women who were enrolled in Medicaid and who delivered a live-born infant between 2000 and 2010. We examined the risk of cardiac malformations among infants exposed to lithium during the first trimester as compared with unexposed infants and, in secondary analyses, with infants exposed to another commonly used mood stabilizer, lamotrigine. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated with control for psychiatric and medical conditions, medications, and other potential confounders. ResultsCardiac malformations were present in 16 of the 663 infants exposed to lithium (2.41%), 15,251 of the 1,322,955 nonexposed infants (1.15%), and 27 of th...
Advanced phases and reduced amplitudes are suggested to characterize the daily rest-activity cycles in depressed adolescent boys.

AbstractSelf-reported eveningness has been previously associated with depressed mood among adults and adolescents. Here, we study how circadian indicators based on actigraphic data differ between depressed and healthy adolescent boys. Our sample consisted of 17 medication-free adolescent boys, aged 14.5 to 17.5 years, of which eight had depressive disorder and were currently depressed and nine were healthy comparison participants. Psychiatric assessment was conducted by diagnostic interviews and complemented with observer-rating and self-rating scales. Actigraphic data were collected with wrist actigraphs for a minimum period of 25 consecutive days (range of 25 to 44 days). The behavioral trait of morningness–eveningness was measured with the 19-item Horne-Ostberg Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire. Based on the self-report, the depressed boys were more prone to eveningness than healthy controls, but based on the actigraphic data, they had earlier phases especially on school days and lower activity lev...
Inequality Constrained State-Space Models

The standard Kalman filter cannot handle inequality constraints imposed on the state variables, as state truncation induces a nonlinear and non-Gaussian model. We propose a Rao-Blackwellized partic...
Clinical Evaluation of a New Rapid Heparin Assay Using the Dye Azure A

At the present time, heparin assays are based on biologic measures of activity. They are time-consuming, difficult to reproduce, and require special devices. We have developed a colorimetric assay for chemical heparin in plasma based on the metachromasia of azure A in the presence of heparin. One milliliter of plasma is added to 1 ml of 0.08 percent azure A, vortex mixed, and read at 620 nm in a spectrophotometer. To evaluate the clinical utility of this assay, we compared it to two biologic assays of heparin effect, activated PTT and activated clotting time, and to heparin levels determined by protamine titration in 113 samples from 28 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. The activated PTT in 94 of 113 samples was greater than 600 seconds, making this test not useful due to the time required and the lack of an end point. The activated clotting time of 80 samples was less than 600 seconds. The azure A measurement of heparin concentration correlated well in this group (correlation coefficient of 0.88, p less than or equal to 0.0001). Protamine titration determinations also had excellent correlation with azure A measurements in the 111 samples tested (correlation coefficient of 0.85, p less than or equal to 0.0001). The azure A assay correlates well with the standard measures of both heparin activity and heparin concentration. It is more rapid, simple, and less expensive than either of these, and it does not depend on a bioassay of coagulation as an end point. Chemical heparin measurements with azure A may be more useful clinically than the biologic assays in determining the reversal dose of protamine.
Infection in Renal Transplant Recipients—Current Approaches to Diagnosis, Therapy, and Prevention

Abstract Despite dramatic Improvements in patient and renal allograft survival, infections continue to be an important cause of post-transplantation morbidity and mortality. Most serious infections manifest clinically as febrile diseases, and Immunosuppression-induced compromised cell-mediated immunity is the basis for the predominance of infections due to opportunistic intracellular microorganisms. Diagnostic evaluation is guided by the timing of fever after transplantation, epidemiologic factors, and evidence of specific organ system Involvement. Although current therapy of bacterial and parasitic infections is usually effective, the management of deep-seated fungal Infections remains highly unsatisfactory. Cytomegalovirus disease, the single most important infection in some transplant centers, frequently presents as a self-limited viral syndrome; however, multiple organs may be affected. New measures for the rapid diagnosis and treatment of this viral infection hold promise. A number of recommendations have been proposed to prevent infections in renal transplant recipients; however, continued progress will depend primarily upon further refinements in immunosuppressive therapy.
Characterization of hypervelocity metal fragments for explosive initiation

The fragment impact response of two plastic-bonded explosive (PBX) formulations was studied using explosively driven aluminum fragments. A generic aluminum-capped detonator generated sub-mm aluminum particles moving at hypersonic velocities. The ability of these fragments to initiate reaction or otherwise damage two PBX materials was assessed using go/no-go experiments at standoff distances of up to 160 mm. Lower density PBX 9407 (RDX-based) was initiable at up to 115 mm, while higher density PBX 9501 (HMX-based) was only initiable at up to 6 mm. Several techniques were used to characterize the size, distribution, and velocity of the particles. Witness plate materials, including copper and polycarbonate, and backlit high speed video were used to characterize the distribution of particles, finding that the aluminum cap did not fragment homogeneously but rather with larger particles in a ring surrounding finer particles. Finally, precise digital holography experiments were conducted to measure the three-dim...
Developing a Multiple Caregiver Group for Caregivers of Adolescents With Disruptive Behaviors

Abstract This article describes the development of a 6-week multiple caregiver group intervention for primary caregivers of adolescents diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder in low-income African American families. The intervention is aimed at increasing the primary caregivers' self-efficacy in managing interactions within the family and especially with child serving educational, mental health, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems. Development of the intervention involved seven iterative activities performed in a collaborative effort between an interdisciplinary academic team, community engagement specialists, members of the targeted population, and clinical partners from a large public mental health system. The intervention development process described in this article can provide guidance for teams that aim to develop new mental health interventions that target specific outcomes in populations with unique needs.
ADJUNCT PAIN GENERATORS: DEALING WITH THE PESKY RELATIVES

After shoulder arthroplasty many pain generators may continue to play a role and these might otherwise be missed in a patient where the post-operative radiograph looks fine. Such conditions might include pain from an adjacent location such as the AC joint, or stress fracture of the acromion with reverse prostheses. Unrecognised infection or rotator cuff tear are also factors to consider. Moreover, anxiety and depression may be relevant to the outcome of shoulder arthroplasty.
Made by Mistake: When Mistakes Increase Product Preference

Mistakes are often undesirable and frequently result in negative inferences about the person or company that made the mistake. Consequently, research suggests that information about mistakes is rarely shared with consumers. However, we find that consumers actually prefer products that were made by mistake to otherwise identical products that were made intentionally. This preference arises because consumers perceive that a product made by mistake is more improbable relative to a product made intentionally, and thus, view the product as more unique. We find converging evidence for this preference in a field study, six experiments, and eBay auction sales. Importantly, this preference holds regardless of whether the mistake enhances or detracts from the product. However, in domains where consumers do not value uniqueness (e.g., utilitarian goods), the preference is eliminated.
Contribution to the hydrogeology of the Lower Cretaceous aquifer in east Central Sinai, Egypt

Abstract The Lower Cretaceous aquifer (Malha sandstone aquifer) represents the main aquifer in east Central Sinai. The hydrogeological evaluation of the aquifer is based on the data of 14 selected deep wells. The objective of this paper aims to elucidate the hydrogeological characteristics of the Lower Cretaceous aquifer. The groundwater of Lower Cretaceous aquifer exists under confined conditions. The top surface of the Lower Cretaceous dips steeply towards the southwest direction. The average sand percent of the penetrated aquifer attains 54%. The groundwater flow direction of Lower Cretaceous aquifer is concentric to the center of study area related to the influence of the graben block. The general hydraulic gradient reaches 0.0011 in southwestern portion, while it reaches 0.0028 in central portion of study area. The average effective porosity and transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity of the Lower Cretaceous aquifer are 17.3%, 416 m 2 /day and 1.4 m/day, respectively. They increase towards the northeast direction with increasing of the sand percentage. Durov diagram plot revealed that the groundwater has been a final stage evolution represented by an NaCl water type. The groundwater salinity increases towards the central portion of study area coinciding with groundwater flow. The groundwater salinity of the Lower Cretaceous aquifer is brackish water and varies from 2510 to 5256 ppm. It is unsuitable for drinking and domestic purposes.
Consumer Privacy Choice in Online Advertising: Who Opts Out and at What Cost to Industry?

This paper studies consumers’ revealed privacy choice in online display advertising using real-world transaction data from an ad exchange.
Risk Factors for Herpes Zoster: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Objective To systematically review studies examining risk factors for herpes zoster (HZ). Methods We performed a literature search using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for articles published from January 1, 2003, to February 1, 2017. A random-effects model was used to summarize the risk ratio (RR) or odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI. Results Of the 3450 studies screened, we included 84 studies in the systematic review and conducted meta-analysis in 62 studies. Women were at increased risk of HZ compared with men (pooled adjusted RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.27-1.34). Black individuals had almost half the risk of HZ as white individuals (pooled RR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.47-0.63). Family history was found to be a risk factor for HZ (pooled OR, 3.59; 95% CI, 2.39-5.40). Autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (pooled RR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.41-1.98) and systemic lupus erythematosus (pooled RR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.40-3.15), were associated with an elevated risk of HZ. Other comorbidities were associated with an increased risk of HZ, with the pooled RRs ranging from 1.25 (95% CI, 1.13-1.39) for asthma to 1.30 (95% CI, 1.17-1.45) for diabetes mellitus and 1.31 (95% CI, 1.22-1.41) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusion Our review revealed that female sex, race/ethnicity, family history, and comorbidities are risk factors for HZ. Efforts are needed to increase the uptake of zoster vaccination.
Atom Pairing in Optical Superlattices

We study the pairing of fermions in a one-dimensional lattice of tunable double-well potentials using radio-frequency spectroscopy. The spectra reveal the coexistence of two types of atom pairs with different symmetries. Our measurements are in excellent quantitative agreement with a theoretical model, obtained by extending the Green's function method of Orso et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 060402 (2005)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.95.060402] to a bichromatic 1D lattice with nonzero harmonic radial confinement. The predicted spectra comprise hundreds of discrete transitions, with symmetry-dependent initial state populations and transition strengths. Our work provides an understanding of the elementary pairing states in a superlattice, paving the way for new studies of strongly interacting many-body systems.
Internal protein motions in molecular-dynamics simulations of Bragg and diffuse X-ray scattering

Molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of Bragg and diffuse X-ray scattering provide a means of obtaining experimentally validated models of protein conformational ensembles. This paper shows that compared with a single periodic unit-cell model, the accuracy of simulating diffuse scattering is increased when the crystal is modeled as a periodic supercell consisting of a 2 × 2 × 2 layout of eight unit cells. The MD simulations capture the general dependence of correlations on the separation of atoms. There is substantial agreement between the simulated Bragg reflections and the crystal structure; there are local deviations, however, indicating both the limitation of using a single structure to model disordered regions of the protein and local deviations of the average structure away from the crystal structure. Although it was anticipated that a simulation of longer duration might be required to achieve maximal agreement of the diffuse scattering calculation with the data using the supercell model, only a microsecond is required, the same as for the unit cell. Rigid protein motions only account for a minority fraction of the variation in atom positions from the simulation. The results indicate that protein crystal dynamics may be dominated by internal motions rather than packing interactions, and that MD simulations can be combined with Bragg and diffuse X-ray scattering to model the protein conformational ensemble.
Trade Creation and Trade Diversion in Deep Agreements

Preferential trade agreements have boomed in recent years and extended their reach well beyond tariff reduction, to cover policy areas such as investment, competition, and intellectual property rights. This paper uses new information on the content of preferential trade agreements to examine the trade effects of deep agreements and revisit the classic Vinerian question of trade creation and trade diversion. The results indicate that deep agreements lead to more trade creation and less trade diversion than shallow agreements. Furthermore, some provisions of deep agreements have a public good aspect and increase trade also with non-members.
Adolescent-Parent Dyad Descriptions of the Decision to Start the HPV Vaccine Series.

Abstract Study Objective To examine how adolescent-parent dyads describe decision-making regarding initiation of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series, specifically who they viewed as making the final decision. Design Semistructured interviews with adolescent-parent dyads were audio-recorded and transcribed. Responses to the question: “How did you make a decision about whether or not to receive the HPV vaccine series?” were content-coded for each individual member of the dyad. Setting Adolescent medicine clinics of 2 large urban medical centers and through snowball sampling. Participants Adolescents 14-17 years of age and a parent (N = 262). Qualitative analyses were conducted for those who agreed that they were offered and started the HPV vaccine series (n = 109). Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Descriptions of the decision-making included 1 person (adolescent or parent) making the decision or joint decision-making by the adolescent and parent together. Results More than half of the dyads did not agree on who made the decision to start the vaccine. Most adolescents and parents described a similar account about when they were offered the HPV vaccine, although the interpretation of the event in terms of the decision-maker might have differed. More than half of adolescents and parents individually mentioned the health care provider in their description of the HPV vaccine decision-making process even though they were not queried about the role of the provider. Conclusion Understanding the range of descriptions of these dyads is helpful to guide interventions to promote vaccine uptake in a manner that balances provider expertise, adolescent autonomy, and parental involvement.
AutoMode: Relational Learning with Less Black Magic

Relational learning algorithms learn the Datalog definition of novel relations in terms of existing relations in the database. In order to effectively use these algorithms, users must constraint the space of candidate definitions by specifying a language bias. Unfortunately, specifying the language bias takes a great deal of time and effort, as it is done via trial and error and is guided by the expert's intuitions. We demonstrate AutoMode, a system that leverages information in the schema and content of the database to automatically induce the language bias used by popular relational learning algorithms.
Pareto efficient taxation and expenditures: Pre- and re-distribution

Abstract This paper shows that there is a presumption that Pareto-efficient taxation entails a positive tax on capital. When tax and expenditure policies can affect the market distribution of income in ways that cannot be directly offset, those effects need to be taken into account, reducing the burden imposed on distortionary redistribution. The paper extends the 1976 Atkinson-Stiglitz results to a dynamic, overlapping generations model, correcting a misreading of the result on the desirability of a zero capital tax. That result required separability of consumption from labor and that the only unobservable differences among individuals were in (fixed) labor productivities. In a general equilibrium model, one needs to take into account the effects of policy changes on binding self-selection constraints. In a simple model with time separability but with non-separability between consumption and leisure, capital taxation depends on the complementarity/substitutability of leisure during work with retirement consumption. The final section constructs a simple two class model, capitalists who maximize dynastic welfare and workers who save for retirement, whose productivity can be enhanced by (publicly provided) education. It derives a simple expression for the optimal capital tax, which is positive, so long as the social welfare function is sufficiently equalitarian and the productivity of educational expenditures is sufficiently high.
Evolution-informed forecasting of seasonal influenza A (H3N2)

Interpandemic or seasonal influenza A, currently subtypes H3N2 and H1N1, exacts an enormous annual burden both in terms of human health and economic impact. Incidence prediction ahead of season remains a challenge largely because of the virus' antigenic evolution. We propose a forecasting approach that incorporates evolutionary change into a mechanistic epidemiological model. The proposed models are simple enough that their parameters can be estimated from retrospective surveillance data. These models link amino acid sequences of hemagglutinin epitopes with a transmission model for seasonal H3N2 influenza, also informed by H1N1 levels. With a monthly time series of H3N2 incidence in the United States for more than 10 years, we demonstrate the feasibility of skillful prediction for total cases ahead of season, with a tendency to underpredict monthly peak epidemic size, and an accurate real-time forecast for the 2016/2017 influenza season.
An examination of the relation between strategic interaction among industry firms and firm performance

Abstract This paper examines the relation between the degree and type of strategic interaction among industry firms and firm performance. As a measure of firm performance, we use data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the efficiency of a firm relative to the ‘best practice’ firms in its industry. We find that firms in industries with higher levels of strategic interaction are less efficient and the negative relation is more pronounced in industries where firms compete in strategic substitutes. This finding is consistent with the idea that there is significantly more cooperation (tacit collusion) under strategic complements than strategic substitutes. We also find that frontier efficiency methodology outperforms other measures of firm performance in explaining the relation between strategic interaction and firm performance.
Molecular and Cytogenetic Characterization of the 5DS-5BS Chromosome Translocation Conditioning Soft Kernel Texture in Durum Wheat.

The durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum (Desf.) Husn.) cultivar Soft Svevo with a soft kernel texture was developed through a Ph1b-mediated homoeologous 5DS–5BS chromosomal translocation. The soft kernel trait (Hardness locus) derived from chromosome 5D of the common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Chinese Spring. Soft Svevo was used as the donor parent to create near-isogenic soft durum germplasm. The size of the translocation, its estimated breakpoint, and the amount of chromosome 5BS translocated, if any, remain unknown. Four near-isogenic pairs of hard and soft kernel durum genotypes, in addition to Soft Svevo and the Chinese Spring deletion line 5DS-2, which lacks a distal 22% terminal segment of chromosome 5DS, were genotyped using Illumina’s 90k wheat single nucleotide polymorphism array. Single nucleotide polymorphism results were processed in GenomeStudio and 164 polymorphic markers were identified between the near-isogenic lines (NILs). Subsequent BLASTn results for two subsets of markers corresponding to the distal ends of chromosomes 5DS and 5BS indicated that the translocation event was nearly reciprocal, as a ~24.36-Mbp segment of chromosome 5DS was gained, whereas a ~20.01-Mbp segment of chromosome 5BS was lost. Genomic in situ hybridization images of the soft durum NILs agreed with these estimates and confirmed the absence of additional terminal or interstitial translocations. Soft durum represents the potential of a new wheat market class and these findings will assist durum wheat breeders in the development of new soft durum germplasm.
Dynamic Models of Appraisal Networks Explaining Collective Learning

This paper proposes models of learning processes in teams of individuals who collectively execute a sequence of tasks and whose actions are determined by individual skill levels and networks of interpersonal appraisals and influence. The closely-related proposed models have increasing complexity, starting with a centralized manager-based assignment and learning model, and finishing with a social model of interpersonal appraisal, assignments, learning, and influences. We show how rational optimal behavior arises along the task sequence for each model, and discuss conditions of suboptimality. Our models are grounded in replicator dynamics from evolutionary games, influence networks from mathematical sociology, and transactive memory systems from organization science.
Sovereignty, Territory, and Population in Jean Bodin's République

This article offers a re-interpretation of Jean Bodin’s Six livres de la Republique (1576), a work that deeply transformed European political discourse at the time of the French Wars of Religion and that had important repercussions on the later ‘reason of state’ tradition. Highlighting the ties between Bodin’s definition of sovereignty in Book 1 and his discussion of demographic growth and territorial expansion in Books 4, 5, and 6, the article shows that Bodin’s critical contribution to early modern political thought, far from being limited to his reframing of the juristic concept of souverainete or maiestas, extends to his novel understanding of the territory as a non-juridical ‘technologie politique’ (Michel Foucault). Through an examination of Bodin’s work and its later reception, the article argues that Bodin’s insights about territorial and demographic matters played a fundamental role in the early modern ‘territorialisation de la politique’ (Romain Descendre), in that they helped redefine the very terms in which the notion of territory would be understood and discussed in the following decades.
Folding Approaches for Tensioned Precision Planar Shell Structures

An origami-based engineering approach is applied to the folding design of tensioned precision space structures. Tension is a viable means of stiffening a flat antenna aperture, especially when stow...
Threshold Concepts and Information Experience in IL Professional Education: Curriculum Design for Online Learning

Information literacy (IL) professionals are engaged in teaching, mentoring, and collaboration, roles that call for deep understanding of strategies for navigating the information environment. The relatively new construct of information experience provides insights into these integrative roles and is considered together with the theoretical construct of threshold concepts. Threshold concepts in the library and information science (LIS) domain have been explored for professional search expertise and for information literacy. The discussion extends from the IL professional’s roles to the experiential realm of threshold knowledge in online learning. Practical illustrations of designing online curriculum for information professionals based on threshold concept research findings are provided.
Fund Management Skill and Noise Trading

In this article, the authors show that institutional investors’ skill matters most during high sentiment periods when market signals are noisy. The results reveal that the fund managers with the highest (lowest) skill add (lose) $7.71 ($5.64) million of value during high sentiment periods, compared with a $3.74 million gain realized by the average manager during the entire sample period. When the market sentiment is low, highly skilled fund managers incur a value loss of only $0.18 million, much smaller than the $30.32 million loss realized by their less-skilled counterparts.
A Robust Sequential Procedure for Estimating the Number of Structural Changes in Persistence

This paper proposes a new procedure for estimating the number of structural changes in the persistence of a univariate time series. In contrast to the extant literature that primarily assumes (regime-wise) stationarity, our framework also allows the underlying stochastic process to switch between stationary [I(0)] and unit root [I(1)] regimes. We develop a sequential testing approach based on the simultaneous application of two Wald-type tests for structural change, one of which assumes the process is I(0)-stable under the null hypothesis while the other assumes the stable I(1) model as the null hypothesis. This feature allows the procedure to maintain correct asymptotic size regardless of whether the regimes are I(0) or I(1). We also propose a novel procedure for distinguishing processes with pure level and/or trend shifts from those that are also subject to concurrent shifts in persistence. The large sample properties of the recommended procedures are derived and the relevant asymptotic critical values tabulated. Our Monte Carlo experiments demonstrate that the advocated approach compares favorably relative to the commonly employed approach based on I(0) sequential testing, especially when the data contain an I(1) segment.
The Opioid Crisis and Federal Criminal Prosecution

This article examines how federal law enforcement has responded to the opioid epidemic nationally and in a variety of locales. We focus in depth on two initiatives, including prosecution in opioid-death cases, undertaken by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Connecticut.
The total return to higher education: Is there underinvestment for economic growth and development?

Abstract The total return to higher education is the rate of return based on earnings plus non-monetary private and social benefits beyond earnings that captures higher education’s contribution to development. A theory of endogenous development is a new scholarly contribution where firm and household production with education externalities and the endogeneity of new ideas leads to an optimal rate of development. This rate is higher than in an economy without these externalities. Since measures of private non-market and social benefit externalities are positive, externalities contribute to higher per capita development. The total return is estimated to be considerably higher than the opportunity cost of funds and the return on physical capital, the first major evidence of serious underinvestment in higher education in the US for optimal development. Policy-relevant treatment effects and policy options with implications for optimal development and for improving the worsening condition of the dissatisfied middle class are considered.
Crashing Simulated Planes is Cheap: Can Simulation Detect Robotics Bugs Early?

Robotics and autonomy systems are becoming increasingly important, moving from specialised factory domains to increasingly general and consumer-focused applications. As such systems grow ubiquitous, there is a commensurate need to protect against potentially catastrophic harm. System-level testing in simulation is a particularly promising approach for assuring robotics systems, allowing for more extensive testing in realistic scenarios and seeking bugs that may not manifest at the unit-level. Ideally, such testing could find critical bugs well before expensive field-testing is required. However, simulations can only model coarse environmental abstractions, contributing to a common perception that robotics bugs can only be found in live deployment. To address this gap, we conduct an empirical study on bugs that have been fixed in the widely used, open-source ArduPilot system. We identify bug-fixing commits by exploiting commenting conventions in the version-control history. We provide a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the bugs, focusing on characterising how the bugs are triggered and how they can be detected, with a goal of identifying how they can be best identified in simulation, well before field testing. To our surprise, we find that the majority of bugs manifest under simple conditions that can be easily reproduced in software-based simulation. Conversely, we find that system configurations and forms of input play an important role in triggering bugs. We use these results to inform a novel framework for testing for these and other bugs in simulation, consistently and reproducibly. These contributions can inform the construction of techniques for automated testing of robotics systems, with the goal of finding bugs early and cheaply, without incurring the costs of physically testing for bugs in live systems.
Time-Varying Wavelet-Based Applications for Evaluating the Water-Energy Nexus

This paper quantifies the rising global dynamic, interconnected relationship between energy and water commodities. Over the last decade, increased international concern has emerged about the water-energy nexus. However, recent research still lacks a quantified understanding of the role of water within a financial-economic view of the nexus. The complexity of commodity markets contributes to this lack of understanding. These markets consist of a wide variety of participants having different objectives, resulting in non-stationary time series. Wavelets are mathematical functions that detect common time-localized oscillations in non-stationary time series. The novelty of our analysis lies in applying wavelet techniques to better quantify the financial implications and understand opportunities of the dynamic relationship that exists in the water-energy nexus. Using daily water and energy commodity ETF price data from 2007 to 2017 we deconstruct each of the time series into different horizon components and evaluate their respective wavelet transforms. Comparing the wavelet squared coherence (WSC) and the windowed scalogram difference (WSD) allows us to specify nexus similarities and differences. We further analyze the wavelet local multiple correlations (WLMC) by including S&P500 ETF price data to conditionally eliminate market effects. Previous studies heavily focused on the qualitative relationships between water and energy. Whereas the analysis in this paper, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to confirm the time-varying relationship in a quantitative manner. The most significant financial-economic result from our analysis is that water prices, at certain time horizons, lead energy prices during specific localized economic events.
Discrepancies in Hospital Financial Information: Comparison of Financial Data in State Data Repositories and the Healthcare Cost Reporting Information System

ABSTRACT High-quality financial data are important to stakeholders in the healthcare sector but are difficult to obtain. The two data sources most often used are hospital financial statements (HFSs...
Dopamine maintains network synchrony via direct modulation of gap junctions in the crustacean cardiac ganglion

The Large Cell (LC) motor neurons of the crab cardiac ganglion have variable membrane conductance magnitudes even within the same individual, yet produce identical synchronized activity in the intact network. In a previous study we blocked a subset of K+ conductances across LCs, resulting in loss of synchronous activity (Lane et al., 2016). In this study, we hypothesized that this same variability of conductances makes LCs vulnerable to desynchronization during neuromodulation. We exposed the LCs to serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA) while recording simultaneously from multiple LCs. Both amines had distinct excitatory effects on LC output, but only 5HT caused desynchronized output. We further determined that DA rapidly increased gap junctional conductance. Co-application of both amines induced 5HT-like output, but waveforms remained synchronized. Furthermore, DA prevented desynchronization induced by the K+ channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA), suggesting that dopaminergic modulation of electrical coupling plays a protective role in maintaining network synchrony.