cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plastome and Nuclear Phylogenies of Dwarf Mistletoes (Arceuthobium: Viscaceae)

Dwarf mistletoes are a lineage of morphologically-reduced stem parasites inhabiting Pinaceae and Cupressaceae throughout the northern hemisphere and equatorial East Africa. Though diagnosable by a suite of morphological traits, phylogenetic knowledge of species relationships has been limited to studies employing either comprehensive taxonomic sampling of one or two genes, or more sequence data from a limited number of individuals. We used data from genome skimming to assemble 3kb of the nuclear ribosomal cistron and up to 45kb of the plastome to clarify the phylogenetic root of the genus, monophyly of species, and relationships among infraspecific taxa. Genomic differentiation among terminal taxa was variable; however, we found strong support for reciprocally monophyletic New World and Old World lineages, congruent nrDNA and plastome topologies at the species level and below, and monophyly of most taxonomic sections and species. Plastome gene content was stable across the genus with minimal pseudogenization or loss, as in other hemiparasites, with the notable exception of cemA. These findings form the basis of our re-evaluation of historical biogeographical hypotheses, species- and subspecies-level taxonomy, and plastome evolution in Arceuthobium. More broadly, this work provides a foundation for future clade-focused comparative and biosystematics studies of Arceuthobium.
Changepoint Analysis for Efficient Variant Calling

We present CAGe, a statistical algorithm which exploits high sequence identity between sampled genomes and a reference assembly to streamline the variant calling process. Using a combination of changepoint detection, classification, and online variant detection, CAGe is able to call simple variants quickly and accurately on the 90-95% of a sampled genome which differs little from the reference, while correctly learning the remaining 5-10% that must be processed using more computationally expensive methods. CAGe runs on a deeply sequenced human whole genome sample in approximately 20 minutes, potentially reducing the burden of variant calling by an order of magnitude after one memory-efficient pass over the data.
Econometrics of the Basu Asymmetric Timeliness Coefficient and Accounting Conservatism

A substantial literature investigates conditional conservatism, defined as asymmetric accounting recognition of economic shocks (�news�), and how it depends on various market, political, and institutional variables. Studies typically assume the Basu [1997] asymmetric timeliness coefficient (the incremental slope on negative returns in a piecewise-linear regression of accounting income on stock returns) is a valid conditional conservatism measure. We analyze the measure's validity, in the context of a model with accounting income incorporating different types of information with different lags, and with noise. We demonstrate that the asymmetric timeliness coefficient varies with firm characteristics affecting their information environments, such as the length of the firm's operating and investment cycles, and its degree of diversification. We particularly examine one characteristic, the extent to which �unbooked� information (such as revised expectations about rents and growth options) is independent of other information, and discuss the conditions under which a proxy for this characteristic is the market-to-book ratio. We also conclude that much criticism of the Basu regression misconstrues researchers� objectives.
Target-Directed Control of Nonlinear Systems

Abstract A new theory for the design of controls is reviewed which applies to systems with pronounced nonlinearities and large variations in their dynamic characteristics. It assumes that the nonlinearities either are or have been approximated by polynomials. The control objective is to drive the system outputs into a target set, possibly a single point. A design theory is described that either leads to globally stable controls for a given system or else indicates a faulyy problem formulation. These results do not require control to be of the closed-loop type. Feedback is introduced specifically to provide robustness against variations in the system characteristics, i.e., for the purpose for which it was invented in the first place. It is shown that the new approach leads to results with global validity, by contrast to the traditional ones which are restricted in infinitesimally small variations.
Position-aware string kernels with weighted shifts and a general framework to apply string kernels to other structured data

In combination with efficient kernel-base learning machines such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), string kernels have proven to be significantly effective in a wide range of research areas (e.g. bioinformatics, text analysis, voice analysis). Many of the string kernels proposed so far take advantage of simpler kernels such as trivial comparison of characters and/or substrings, and are classified into two classes: the positionaware string kernel which takes advantage of positional information of characters/substrings in their parent strings, and the position-unaware string kernel which does not. Although the positive semidefiniteness of kernels is a critical prerequisite for learning machines to work properly, a little has been known about the positive semidefiniteness of the positionaware string kernel. The present paper is the first paper that presents easily checkable sufficient conditions for the positive semidefiniteness of a certain useful subclass of the position-aware string kernel: the similarity/ matching of pairs of characters/substrings is evaluated with weights determined according to shifts (the differences in the positions of characters/ substrings). Such string kernels have been studied in the literature but insufficiently. In addition, by presenting a general framework for converting positive semidefinite string kernels into those for richer data structures such as trees and graphs, we generalize our results.
Findings from the Mellon Metadata Harvesting Initiative

Findings are reported from four projects initiated through funding by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2001 to explore applications of metadata harvesting using the OAI-PMH. Metadata inconsistencies among providers have been encountered and strategies for normalization have been studied. Additional findings concerning harvesting are format conflicts, harvesting problems, provider system development, and questions regarding the entire cycle of metadata production, dissemination, and use (termed metadata gardening, rather than harvesting).
Analytical Redundancy Methods in Fault Detection and Isolation - Survey and Synthesis

Abstract The best known residual generation methods in model based fault detection and isolation, including parity equations, diagnostic observers and Kalman filtering, are presented in a consistent framework. The discussion is organized along two residual enhancement concepts, namely structured and fixed direction residual sets. It is shown that, once the design objectives are selected, parity equation and observer based designs lead to equivalent residual generators. Robustness in the face of modelling errors is addressed and partially robust residual generator algorithms based on multiple model variants and on partial parameter insensitivity are reviewed.
High-Performance Grouting Materials in Shear Keys Between Box Beams

Bridges with adjacent box beams and voided slabs are common and have grouted shear keys to transfer the load between beams. However, cracks occur in the transverse direction and in the bond area along the joint. Even when a waterproofing membrane is in place, shear keys crack and deicing salts leak through the cracks and thus cause corrosion in the prestressing strands of the beams and deterioration of the grout. The resulting corroded and broken strands endanger the structural integrity of the bridge, and the compromised grout provides less shear transfer. In the study described in this report, two bridge structures with adjacent voided slabs were selected and three grouting materials—a nonshrink grout without any fibers, engineered cementitious composite (ECC) with polyvinyl alcohol fibers, and ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) with steel fibers—were used in the shear keys. The test results and visual observations indicate that all grouting materials had good bond strengths, dictated by the strength...
Dynamic Models of Animal Movement with Spatial Point Process Interactions

When analyzing animal movement, it is important to account for interactions between individuals. However, statistical models for incorporating interaction behavior in movement models are limited. We propose an approach that models dependent movement by augmenting a dynamic marginal movement model with a spatial point process interaction function within a weighted distribution framework. The approach is flexible, as marginal movement behavior and interaction behavior can be modeled independently. Inference for model parameters is complicated by intractable normalizing constants. We develop a double Metropolis–Hastings algorithm to perform Bayesian inference. We illustrate our approach through the analysis of movement tracks of guppies (Poecilia reticulata).
Elaborative Strategies in Verbal Learning and Memory

Publisher Summary Traditional theories of learning and memory are insufficiently complex to allow adequate description or understanding of the complex network of processes and variables involved in memorizing and remembering. Somewhat more adequate approaches are those which recognize this complexity and attempt to identify the processes and how they function in a variety of tasks. This chapter places major emphasis on S controlled processes, which directly influence the adequacy of recall performance in certain tasks. The results from various research paradigms strongly implicate S -control processes in determining how well material is stored in memory, and its form. Accuracy in recall is directly related to characteristics of these processes. The pattern of free recall and its organization is determined by the pattern of Ss' rehearsals. The experiments also demonstrate that “rehearsal” often involves coding or transformation of verbal items. In fact, elaborative coding strategies are almost universally used in verbal learning by the adults who form the S population for most experiments. It is suggested that the codes increase the accessibility of the verbal items at recall.
Creating Stealth Game Interventions for Attitude and Behavior Change: An "Embedded Design" Model

Persuasive games tackling serious issues in a literal, explicit fashion are far less likely to succeed in changing attitudes or behaviors than are games that take the more “stealthy” approach of embedding persuasive messages within a game’s content or context. The “Embedded Design” model, developed by the design and research team at Tiltfactor Laboratory at Dartmouth College, offers novel, evidence-based strategies for including persuasive content in a game in ways that circumvent players’ psychological defenses, triggering a more receptive mindset for internalizing a game’s intended message, and do so without sacrificing players’ enjoyment or the game’s inherent replayability. Such techniques promise to revolutionize the repertoire of techniques that game developers should consider in broaching and presenting serious topics in games. Three original “Embedded Design” strategies are presented here: (1) Intermixing: balancing “on-message” and “off-message” content to render the former less overt or threatening; (2) Obfuscating: using framing devices or genres that divert expectations or focus away from the game’s persuasive intent; and (3) Distancing: employing fiction and metaphor to increase the psychological gap between players’ identities and beliefs, and the game’s characters and persuasive content.
Controlled steering of Cherenkov surface plasmon wakes with a one-dimensional metamaterial

In the Cherenkov effect a charged particle moving with a velocity faster than the phase velocity of light in the medium radiates light that forms a cone with a half angle determined by the ratio of the two speeds. In this paper, we show that by creating a running wave of polarization along a one dimensional metallic nanostructure consisting of subwavelength spaced rotated apertures that propagates faster than the surface plasmon polariton phase velocity, we can generate surface plasmon wakes, which are the two-dimensional analogue of Cherenkov radiation. The running wave of polarization travels with a speed determined by the angle of incidence and the photon spin angular momentum. We utilize this running wave of polarization to demonstrate controlled steering of the wakes by changing both the angle of incidence and the polarization of light, which we measure through near-field scanning optical microscopy.
Nondeterministic Polynomial Time versus Nondeterministic Logarithmic Space: Time-Space Tradeoffs for Satisfiability

We give the first nontrivial model-independent time-space tradeoffs for satisfiability. Namely, we show that SAT cannot be solved simultaneously in n/sup 1+0(1)/ time and n/sup 1-/spl epsiv// space for any /spl epsiv/>0 on general random-access nondeterministic Turing machines. We also give several other related results. Our proof uses two basic ideas. First we show that if SAT can be solved nondeterministically with a small amount of space then we can collapse a nonconstant number of levels of the polynomial-time hierarchy. Next we extend work of V. Nepomnjascii (1970) to show that a nondeterministic computation of super linear time and sublinear space can be simulated in alternating linear time. Combining these facts with simple diagonalization yields our main result. We discuss how these bounds lead to a new approach to separating the complexity classes NL and NP. We give some possibilities and limitations of this approach.
THE IMPACT OF RISK AVERSION, TIME PREFERENCE, AND INTERTEMPORAL SUBSTITUTABILITY ON FARMERS' RISK MANAGEMENT BEHAVIOR

This paper applies the generalized expected utility (GEU) approach developed by Epstein and Zin (1989, 1991) to dynamic agricultural risk analysis. We explore the impacts of alternative preference parameters of farmers including of risk aversion, time preference, and intertemporal substitutability on their optimal risk management portfolio selection. Furthermore, we extend the GEU model by introducing a welfare measure, the equivalence variation, and investigate the impacts of U.S. government programs and market institutions on farmers’ risk management decisions. We find farmers’ optimal hedge ratio is sensitive to changes in the preferences and the effects of these preferences changes are intertwined. The policy impact analysis shows government payment programs has a greater effect on farmers’ optimal choice than crop insurance and crop insurance outperforms hedging. Both crop insurance and government payments are influential to farmers’ welfare improvement.
Pilot Study of Reproductive Health Counseling in a Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic

Objective To assess perception and behavior after reproductive health counseling among adolescent patients in a tertiary care–based pediatric rheumatology clinic. Methods Adolescent females seen at a Stanford pediatric rheumatology clinic were prospectively enrolled during routine visits. At the study start, standard clinic procedures were reviewed with providers for the following: 1) the home, education, activities, drugs, sexual activity, and suicide/depression (HEADSS) assessment; 2) reproductive health counseling; and 3) medical record documentation. Patients were enrolled if providers indicated that they performed the HEADSS assessment and reproductive health counseling. At enrollment, patients completed a survey to assess their perceptions of reproductive health counseling. Chart reviews confirmed documented discussions. A followup survey performed 3–5 months after enrollment tracked reproductive health information–seeking behavior. Results In total, 90 females (mean ± SD age 17 ± 2 years) participated. Almost all patients (99%) agreed that reproductive health was discussed; 71% reported that pregnancy risks were discussed, 42% had recent concerns about reproductive health, and 33% reported their provider recommended that they seek further reproductive health care. Eighty-four patients completed followup phone surveys, with 25% reporting seeking further information on reproductive health concerns, but with only 9.5% actually seeking further care. Only 18% of patients reported having ever asked their rheumatology provider for guidance regarding reproductive health care concerns. Conclusion Routine reproductive health discussion and counseling are necessary in a rheumatology clinic because, in our experience, a substantial number of adolescents have concerns and actively seek reproductive health information. Despite these discussions, adolescents rarely pursue further reproductive health care. Further work to bridge this gap is needed.
Mindboggle: Automated brain labeling with multiple atlases

Background: To make inferences about brain structures or activity across multiple individuals, one first needs to determine the structural correspondences across their image data. We have recently developed Mindboggle as a fully automated, feature-matching approach to assign anatomical labels to cortical structures and activity in human brain MRI data. Label assignment is based on structural correspondences between labeled atlases and unlabeled image data, where an atlas consists of a set of labels manually assigned to a single brain image. In the present work, we study the influence of using variable numbers of individual atlases to nonlinearly label human brain image data. Methods: Each brain image voxel of each of 20 human subjects is assigned a label by each of the remaining 19 atlases using Mindboggle. The most common label is selected and is given a confidence rating based on the number of atlases that assigned that label. The automatically assigned labels for each subject brain are compared with the manual labels for that subject (its atlas). Unlike recent approaches that transform subject data to a labeled, probabilistic atlas space (constructed from a database of atlases), Mindboggle labels a subject by each atlas in a database independently. Results: When Mindboggle labels a human subject's brain image with at least four atlases, the resulting label agreement with coregistered manual labels is significantly higher than when only a single atlas is used. Different numbers of atlases provide significantly higher label agreements for individual brain regions. Conclusion: Increasing the number of reference brains used to automatically label a human subject brain improves labeling accuracy with respect to manually assigned labels. Mindboggle software can provide confidence measures for labels based on probabilistic assignment of labels and could be applied to large databases of brain images.
Asymmetric Incentives in Subsidies: Evidence from a Large-Scale Electricity Rebate Program

Many countries use substantial public funds to subsidize reductions in negative externalities. However, such subsidies create asymmetric incentives because increases in externalities remain unpriced. This paper examines implications of such asymmetric subsidy incentives by using a regression discontinuity design in California's electricity rebate program that provided a financial reward for energy conservation. Using household-level panel data from administrative records, I find precisely-estimated zero causal effects in coastal areas. In contrast, the incentive produced a 5% consumption reduction in inland areas. Income and climate conditions significantly drive the heterogeneity. Asymmetric subsidy structures weaken incentives because consumers far from the rebate target show little response. The overall program cost is 17.5 cents per kWh reduction and $390 per ton of carbon dioxide reduction, which is unlikely to be cost-effective for a reasonable range of the social marginal cost of electricity.
Latency in local, two-dimensional, fault-tolerant quantum computing

We analyze the latency of fault-tolerant quantum computing based on the 9-qubit Bacon-Shor code using a local, two-dimensional architecture. We embed the data qubits in a 7 by 7 array of physical qubits, where the extra qubits are used for ancilla preparation and qubit transportation by means of a SWAP chain. The latency is reduced with respect to a similar implementation using Steane's 7-qubit code [1]. Furthermore, the error threshold is also improved to 2.02×10-5, when memory errors are taken to be one tenth of the gate error rates.
On the Grushin operator and hyperbolic symmetry

Complexity of geometric symmetry for differential operators with mixed homogeniety is examined here. Sharp Sobolev estimates are calculated for the Grushin operator in low dimensions using hyperbolic symmetry and conformal geometry. Considerable interest exists in understanding differential operators with mixed homogeneity. A simple example is the Grushin operator on 1R2 02 4t2 02 G= t2 + 9Ox2 The purpose of this note is to demonstrate the complexity of geometric symmetry that may exist for operators defined on Lie groups. Here the existence of an underlying SL(2, R) symmetry for AG is used to compute the sharp constant for the associated L2 Sobolev inequality. Theorem 1. For f G C1(1R2) (1) [lf 1L6(R2) < ? 2/j [( At ) + 4t2( )] dxdt This inequality is sharp, and an extremal is given by [(1 + It12)2 + IX12] -1/4 This result follows from the analysis of a Sobolev inequality on SL(2, R)/SO(2). But the hyperbolic embedding estimate requires some interpretation to take into account cancellation effects. It will be essential to include contibutions to the hyperbolic Dirichlet form from non-L2 functions. Let z = x + iy denote a point in the upper half-plane Rl+ j _2 H M SL(2, R)/SO(2). Here the invariant distance is given by the Poincare metric
FRACTIONAL DIFFERENCING MODELING AND FORECASTING OF EUROCURRENCY DEPOSIT RATES

Using the spectral regression method, we test for long-term stochastic memory in three- and six-month daily returns series of Eurocurrency deposits denominated in major currencies. Significant evidence of positive long-term dependence is found in several Eurocurrency returns series. Compared with benchmark linear models, the estimated fractional models result in dramatic out-of-sample forecasting improvements over longer horizons for the Eurocurrency deposits denominated in German marks, Swiss francs, and Japanese yen.
Together we stand ? agglomeration in Indian manufacturing

This paper uses plant-level data to examine the impact of industrial and trade policy reforms on the geographic concentration of manufacturing industries in India from 1980 to 1999. First, the research shows that de-licensing and liberalization in foreign direct investment significantly reduced spatial concentration, but trade reforms had no significant effect on spatial concentration. Second, plants respond differently to policy reforms based on their size. Liberalization in foreign direct investment and de-licensing caused small plants to disperse, while trade liberalization had the opposite effect. However, for large plants trade liberalization led to lower spatial concentration.
Capital goods imports, the real exchange rate, and the current account

Conventional aggregate models of open economies typically rule out trade in capital goods. But capital goods account for a major share of the world trade. In 1990, they represented more than 40 percent of U.S. merchandise exports and more than 30 percent of its imports. In the same year, capital goods imports represented an average of roughly 30 of total imports for 82 industrial and developing countries, and almost 9 percent of their GDP. This report shows that the presence of imported capital goods greatly changes the short- and long-run effects of macoreconomic policies and external shocks on key macroeconomic variables. Using a rational-expectations aggregate model with intertemporally optimizing agents and with trade in both consumption and capital goods, it finds that the long-run equilibrium of the economy displays a negative relationship between the real exchange rate and real output - that is, a real appreciation is associated with an increase in long-run output and the capital stock. With investment subject to adjustment costs, the response to unanticipated permanent disturbances involves a changing real exchange rate and a non-zero current account. The author analyzes the macroeconomic consequences of changes in fiscal policy and of transfers of wealth from abroad. He show that both have well-defined long-run effects on the capital stock and real output. Fiscal expansion, in particular, may have a long-run crowding-in effect on investment. By constrast, the impact of disturbances on the current account is ambiguous. The author shows that it depends critically on the degree of intertemporal substitutability in both consumption and investment - with the latter measured by the magnitude of investment adjustment costs.
The Subsumption Lattice and Query Learning

The paper identifies several new properties of the lattice induced by the subsumption relation over first-order clauses and derives implications of these for learnability. In particular, it is shown that the length of subsumption chains of function free clauses with bounded size can be exponential in the size. This suggests that simple algorithmic approaches that rely on repeating minimal subsumption-based refinements may require a long time to converge. It is also shown that with bounded size clauses the subsumption lattice has a large branching factor. This is used to show that the class of first-order length-bounded monotone clauses is not properly learnable from membership queries alone. Finally, the paper studies pairing, a generalization operation that takes two clauses and returns a number of possible generalizations. It is shown that there are clauses with an exponential number of pairing results which are not related to each other by subsumption. This is used to show that recent pairing-based algorithms can make exponentially many queries on some learning problems.
Activity and motion detection based on measuring texture change

We estimate the speed of texture change by measuring the spread of texture vectors in their feature space. This method allows us to robustly detect even very slow moving objects. By learning a normal amount of texture change over time, we are also able to detect increased activities in videos. We illustrate the performance of the proposed techniques on videos from PETS repository and the Temple University Police department.
An experimental Ada programming support environment in the HP CASEdge integration framework

We defined an integrated environment as an ensemble of tools which collaborate in support of users' software engineering processes. We described a framework for software tool integration, together with architectural support for control integration (the Broadcast Message Server) and a mechanism (the Encapsulator) for integrating tools conforming to the UNIX “standard model”. Tools in the CASEdge framework have a common style of user interface presentation based on X-Windows, and coordinate their behaviour by participating in intertool message traffic. Tool execution is fully distributed, with data sharing via Network File System protocols.
How State Policies Influence the Efficacy of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Reducing Poverty

The U.S. social safety net has undergone dramatic changes in the past two decades, with a shift away from direct cash assistance since the 1996 welfare reform legislation removed the entitlement to cash payments for low-income families with children; and more reliance on tax credits and in-kind assistance. During the past decade, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called the Food Stamp Program) has experienced significant growth. The average monthly SNAP caseload increased from 17.2 million individuals in 2000 to 44.7 million individuals in 2011. With the increase in the SNAP caseload, program expenditures have increased dramatically over the past decade, providing total benefits of almost $72 billion in 2011. Meanwhile, the policy environment has shifted to greater emphasis on fiscal austerity. In an era of tightening budgets, it is essential to examine the program’s effectiveness as part of the social safety net. One important indicator of effectiveness is the extent to which the program alleviates poverty. We measure the effect of SNAP on poverty by including SNAP benefits in family income and calculating the percent reduction in poverty measures that portray the rate and the severity of poverty.
Incompressible MHD Turbulence

The inertial range of incompressible MHD turbulence is most conveniently describedin terms of counter propagating waves. Shear Alfven waves control the cascade dynamics. Slowwaves play a passive role and adopt the spectrum set by the shear Alfven waves. Cascades composedentirely of shear Alfven waves do not generate a significant measure of slow waves. MHD turbulenceis anisotropic with energy cascading more rapidly along k⊥. than along k∥. Anisotropy increases withk⊥. such that the excited modes are confined inside a cone bounded by k∥ α k⊥2/3. The opening angleof the cone, θ(k⊥) α k⊥ - 1/3, defines the scale dependent anisotropy. MHD turbulence is genericallystrong in the sense that the waves which comprise it are critically damped. Nevertheless, deep insidethe inertial range, turbulent fluctuations are small. Their energy density is less than that of thebackground field by a factor θ2(k⊥) > 1 which accounts for dominance of theshear Alfven waves in controlling the cascade dynamics.
Efficient Parallel Estimation for Markov Random Fields

Abstract We present a new, deterministic, distributed MAP estimation algorithm for Markov Random Fields called Local Highest Confidence First (Local HCF). The algorithm has been applied to segmentation problems in computer vision and its performance compared with stochastic algorithms. The experiments show that Local HCF finds better estimates than stochastic algorithms with much less computation.
Looking Beyond English: Linguistic Inquiry for English Language Learners

This paper reports on a pilot project that explored the potential of linguistic inquiry in a high school English as a Second Language (ESL) class. In class meetings across the school year, students worked collaboratively to investigate noun phrase pluralization, language acquisition, writing systems, and translation in their own and other languages. Classroom observations and students’ oral and written work provide evidence that: • Examining the structures of the spoken and written languages represented in the ESL classroom captures students’ interest and engages them in critical inquiry about the nature of linguistic knowledge and their beliefs about language. • The cross-linguistic analysis of students’ home languages validates their languages in the school context, defining them as a rich resource worthy of study, rather than as a hindrance to education. These findings are of particular significance in this time of English-only education in the United States, when students’ home languages are often rejected in schools.
Complementarity between Multilateral Lending and Private Flows to Developing Countries: Some Empirical Results

Even though multilateral loans may have behaved countercyclically with respect to private flows to developing countries in the short term, these flows tended to complement private flows in the medium term by signaling - and often fostering - a better investment environment in the borrowing country. Despite the surge in private capital flows in the 1990s, lending by the multilateral development banks continues to be a significant source of external finance for low-income and lower-middle-income countries. And for middle-income countries, which receive the lion's share of private flows, multilateral lending has played an important stabilizing role during times of credit rationing. Even though multilateral loans may have behaved countercyclically with respect to private flows in the short term, these loans also tended to complement private flows in the medium term by signaling - and often fostering - a better investment environment in the borrowing countries. This paper - a product of the Development Prospects Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to understand the relationship between official flows and private flows to developing countries. The author may be contacted at dratha@worldbank.org.
Paternalism and Energy Efficiency: An Overview

This article provides an overview of the application of behavioral public economics to energy efficiency. I document policy makers' arguments for “paternalistic” energy efficiency policies, formalize with a simple model of misoptimizing consumers, review and critique empirical evidence, and suggest future research directions. Although empirical results suggest that policies to address imperfect information and internalities may increase welfare in some cases, some existing policies may be mistargeted or miscalibrated.
An efficient approach for finding the MPE in belief networks

Given a belief network with evidence, the task of finding the l most probable explanations (MPE) in the belief network is that of identifying and ordering the l most probable instantiations of the nonevidence nodes of the belief network. Although many approaches have been proposed for solving this problem, most work only for restricted topologies (i.e., singly connected belief networks). In this paper, we will present a new approach for finding l MPEs in an arbitrary belief network. First, we will present an algorithm for finding the MPE in a belief network. Then, we will present a linear time algorithm for finding the next MPE after finding the first MPE. And finally, we will discuss the problem of finding the MPE for a subset of variables of a belief network, and show that the problem can be efficiently solved by this approach.
Evolution of Silicic Magma Chambers and their Relationship to Basaltic Volcanism

Silicic volcanism is commonly preceded by eruption of basalt. Similarly, the earliest phases of granitic plutonic complexes are often gabbro or diorite. Basalt magma must play a role in the initiation of a large silicic magma system, but three lines of evidence suggest that basalt magma also enters silicic chambers and influences their further evolution. These are: contemporaneous basalt vents flank silicic volcanic centers; thermal models of silicic bodies suggest that their heat must be replenished to maintain them in the upper crust for their observed life span; and petrologic data indicate that mafic clots and cognate xenoliths common in granodiorite and andesite represent basalt magma quenched within active silicic magma chambers. Phase assemblages in volcanic rocks and bulk composition of volcanic and plutonic rocks in suites of this type show that much of the variation in erupted or crystallized end products is due to this interaction of basaltic and rhyolitic magmas. It is proposed that basalt magma from the upper mantle provides heat for generating rhyolitic melt in the lower crust, and that the resulting rhyolite magma body continues to receive injections of basalt as it rises through the crust. Implications of this model are discussed.
Social Investments, Informal Risk Sharing, and Inequality

This paper studies costly network formation in the context of risk sharing. Neighboring agents negotiate agreements as in Stole and Zwiebel (1996), which results in the social surplus being allocated according to the Myerson value. We uncover two types of inefficiency: overinvestment in social relationships within group (e.g., caste, ethnicity), but underinvestment across group. We find a novel tradeoff between efficiency and equality. Both within and across groups, inefficiencies are minimized by increasing social inequality, which results in financial inequality and increasing the centrality of the most central agents. Evidence from 75 Indian village networks is congruent with our model.
Reduction of the Wavepacket: How Long Does it Take?

We show that the “reduction of the wavepacket” caused by the interaction with the environment occurs on a timescale which is typically many orders of magnitude shorter than the relaxation timescale τ. In particular, we show that in a system interacting with a “canonical” heat bath of harmonic oscillators decorrelation timescale of two pieces of the wave-packet separated by N thermal de Broglie wavelengths is approximately τ/N2. Therefore, in the classical limit ℏ → 0 dynamical reversibility (τ → ∞) is compatible with “instantaneous” coherence loss.
Wiyn open cluster study. x. the k-band magnitude of the red clump as a distance indicator

In an effort to improve the utility of the helium-burning red clump luminosity as a distance indicator, we explore the sensitivity of the K-band red clump absolute magnitude [MK(RC)] to metallicity and age. We rely upon JK photometry for 14 open clusters and two globular clusters from the Second Incremental Data Release of the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) Point Source Catalog. The distances, metallicities, and ages of the open clusters are all on an internally consistent system, while the K(RC) values are measured from the 2MASS data. For clusters younger than ~2 Gyr, MK(RC) is insensitive to metallicity but shows a dependence on age. In contrast, for clusters older than ~2 Gyr, MK(RC) is influenced primarily by the metallicity of the population and shows little or no dependence on the age. Theoretical red clump models based on the formalism of Girardi et al. reinforce this finding. Over comparable metallicity and age ranges, our average MK(RC) value is in accord with that based on solar neighborhood red clump stars with Hipparcos parallaxes. Lastly, we compute the distance to the open cluster NGC 2158 using our red clump calibration. Adopting an age of 1.6 ± 0.2 Gyr and [Fe/H] = -0.24 ± 0.06, our calibration yields a distance of (m - M)V = 14.38 ± 0.09.
Reflection group of the quaternionic Lorentzian Leech lattice

We study a second example of the phenomenon studied in the article “The complex Lorentzian Leech lattice and the bimonster.” We find 14 roots in the automorphism group of the quaternionic Lorentzian Leech lattice L that form the Coxeter diagram given by the incidence graph of projective plane over F2. We prove that the reflections in these roots generate the automorphism group of L. The investigation is guided by an analogy with the theory of Weyl groups. There is a unique point in the quaternionic hyperbolic space fixed by the “diagram automorphisms” that we call the Weyl vector. The unit multiples of the 14 roots forming the diagram are the analogs of the simple roots. The 14 mirrors perpendicular to the simple roots are the mirrors that are closest to the Weyl vector.
Calculation of three-dimensional inviscid flowfields in propulsive nozzles with centerbodies

A numerical procedure for calculating three-dimensional inviscid subsonic/transonic/supersonic (i.e., trisonic) flowfields in propulsive nozzles with centerbodies is presented. The procedure can be used to investigate advanced propulsive nozzle concepts for improved engine-airframe integration. The interior point unit process is based on the MacCormack explicit predictor-corrector method, and the boundary point unit processes are based on a variation of the method of characteristics due to Kentzer. The overall numerical algorithm is an explicit second-order accurate time-marching procedure. Steady flow solutions are obtained as the asymptotic solution in time. Results are presented for several two-dimensional and three-dimensional inviscid nozzle flowfields. Solutions obtained by the present method agree well with solutions obtained by method of characteristics algorithms and experimental data.
A Method for simulating chiral fermions on the lattice

Abstract I show that a lattice theory of massive interacting fermions in 2 n +1 dimensions may be used to simulate the behavior of massless chiral fermions in 2 n dimensions if the fermion mass has a step function shape in the extra dimension. The massless states arise as zero modes bound to the mass defect, and all doublers can be given large gauge invariant masses. The manner in which the anomalies are realized is transparent: apparent chiral anomalies in the 2 n -dimensional subspace correspond to charge flow into the extra dimension.
Aggregation Bias in Price Indices for Multi-Family Rental Properties

This article examines aggregation bias in price index construction. Specifically, we test whether changes in values of 2- to 4-unit, multi-family rental housing properties vary systematically in th...
Digital Phoenix: Why the Information Economy Collapsed and How It Will Rise Again

While we were waiting for the Internet to make us rich--back when we thought all we had to do was to buy lottery tickets called dotcom shares--we missed the real story of the information economy. That story, says Bruce Abramson in Digital Phoenix, took place at the intersection of technology, law, and economics. It unfolded through Microsoft's manipulation of software markets, through open source projects like Linux, and through the file-sharing adventures that Napster enabled. Linux and Napster in particular exploited newly enabled business models to make information sharing cheap and easy; both systems met strong opposition from entrenched interests intent on preserving their own profits. These scenarios set the stage for the future of the information economy, a future in which each new technology will threaten powerful incumbents--who will, in turn, fight to retard this "dangerous new direction" of progress. Disentangling the technological, legal, and economic threads of the story, Abramson argues that the key to the entire information economy--understanding the past and preparing for the future--lies in our approach to intellectual property and idea markets. The critical challenge of the information age, he says, is to motivate the creation and dissemination of ideas. After discussing relevant issues in intellectual property and antitrust law, the economics of competition, and artificial intelligence and software engineering, Abramson tells the information economy's formative histories: the Microsoft antitrust trial, the open-source movement, and (in a chapter called "The Computer Ate My Industry") the advent of digital music. Finally, he looks toward the future, examining some ways that intellectual property reform could power economic growth and showing how the information economy will reshape the ways we think about business, employment, society, and public policy--how the information economy, in fact, can make us all rich, as consumers and producers, if not as investors.
Dynamic Optimization and Conformity in Health Behavior and Life Enjoyment over the Life Cycle

This article examines individual and social influences on investments in health and enjoyment from immediate consumption. Our lab experiment mimics the problem of health investment over a lifetime (Grossman, 1972a,b). Incentives to find the appropriate expenditures on life enjoyment and health are given by making in each period come period a function of previous health investments. In order to model social effects in the experiment, we randomly assigned individuals to chat/observation groups. Groups were permitted to freely chat between repeated lifetimes. Two treatments were employed: In the Independent-rewards treatment, an individual's rewards from investments in life enjoyment depend only on his choice and in the Interdependent-rewards treatment; rewards not only depend on an individual's choices but also on their similarity to the choices of the others in their group, generating a premium on conformity. The principal hypothesis is that gains from conformity increase variance in health behavior among groups and can lead to suboptimal performance. We tested three predictions and each was supported by the data: the Interdependent-rewards treatment (1) decreased within-group variance, (2) increased between-group variance, and (3) increased the likelihood of behavior far from the optimum with respect to the dynamic problem. We also test and find support for a series of subsidiary hypotheses. We found: (4) Subjects engaged in helpful chat in both treatments; (5) there was significant heterogeneity among both subjects and groups in chat frequencies; and (6) chat was most common early in the experiment, and (7) the interdependent rewards treatment increased strategic chat frequency. Incentives for conformity appear to promote prosocial behavior, but also increase variance among groups, leading to convergence on suboptimal strategies for some groups. We discuss these results in light of the growing literature focusing on social networks and health outcomes.
Strategic environmental policy under free trade with transboundary pollution

We analyze the effects of trade liberalization on environmental policies in a strategic setting when there is transboundary pollution. Trade liberalization can result in a race to the bottom in environmental taxes, which makes both countries worse off. This is not due to the terms of trade motive, but rather the incentive, in a strategic setting, to reduce the incidence of transboundary pollution. With command and control policies (emission quotas), countries are unable to influence foreign emissions by strategic choice of domestic policy; hence, there is no race to the bottom. However, with internationally tradable quotas, unless pollution is a pure global public bad, there is a race to the bottom in environmental policy. Under free trade, internationally nontradable quotas result in the lowest pollution level and strictly welfare-dominate taxes. The ordering of internationally tradable quotas and pollution taxes depends, among other things, on the degree of international pollution spillovers.
Patient experience measurement ignores mental health: suggestions for healthcare organizations.

Edited byMona M. Shattell, RN, PhD, FAANDePaul University, School of Nursing, Chicago, Illinois, USAEdited byMichelle Cleary, RN, PhDUniversity of Western Sydney, School of Nursing and Midwifery, S...
Impending Paradoxical Embolism

To the Editor: The echocardiogram on the cover of the June 1, 1999, issue of Circulation is a beautiful illustration of an impending paradoxical embolism. Unfortunately, neither the text1 nor the key words of the article made any mention of this condition. Impending paradoxical embolism2 is a surgical emergency. This diagnosis would not have been possible before the advent of echocardiography. However, to diagnose paradoxical embolism, contrast echocardiography should be performed during and after a Valsalva maneuver.3 The mere establishment …
Modeling social networks with node attributes using the multiplicative attribute graph model

Networks arising from social, technological and natural domains exhibit rich connectivity patterns and nodes in such networks are often labeled with attributes or features. We address the question of modeling the structure of networks where nodes have attribute information. We present a Multiplicative Attribute Graph (MAG) model that considers nodes with categorical attributes and models the probability of an edge as the product of individual attribute link formation affinities. We develop a scalable variational expectation maximization parameter estimation method. Experiments show that MAG model reliably captures network connectivity as well as provides insights into how different attributes shape the network structure.