cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the Carina Nebula: The steady march of feedback-driven star formation

We report the first results of imaging the Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope, providing a photometry catalog of over 44,000 point sources as well as a catalog of over 900 candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) based on fits to their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We discuss several aspects of the extended emission, including the structure of dozens of dust pillars that result when a clumpy molecular cloud is shredded by feedback from massive stars. There are surprisingly few of the “extended green objects” (EGOs) that are normally taken as signposts of outflow activity in Spitzer data, and not one of the dozens of Herbig-Haro jets detected optically are seen as EGOs. EGOs are apparently poor tracers of outflow activity in strongly irradiated environments, due to the e!ects of massive star feedback. A population of “extende dr ed objects” tends to be found around late O-type and early B-type stars, some with clear bow-shock morphology. These are dusty shocks where stellar winds collide with photoevaporative flows o! nearby clouds. Finally, the relative distributions of O-type s tars, small star clusters, and sub-clusters of YSOs as compared to the dust pillars shows that while some YSOs are located within dust pillars, many more stars and YSOs reside just outside pillar heads. We suggest that pillars are transient phenomena, part of a continuous outwardly propagating wave of star formation driven by feedback from massive stars. As the pillars are destroyed, they leave newly formed stars in their wake, and these are then subsumed into the young OB association. The YSOs are found predominantly in the cavity between pillars and massive stars, arguing that their formation was in fact triggered. Altogether, the current generation of YSOs shows no strong deviation from a normal initial mass function (IMF). The number of YSOs is consistent with a roughly constant star-formation rate over the past ! 3 Myr, implying that propagating star formation in pillars constitutes an important mechanism to construct unbound OB associations. These accelerated pillars may give birth to massive O-type stars that, after several Myr, could appear to have formed in isolation.
Application of Parabolized Stability Equations to the Prediction of Jet Instabilities

A newly developed method called parabolized stability equations (PSE) is used to analyze the streamwise evolution of instability waves in flows that are highly unidirectional, such as boundary layers and free shear layers. That the PSE analysis is able to fully account for the nature of diverging mean flow and to resolve the evolving instabilities without numerical difficulties as seen in linear stability theory has made PSE an alternative tool in dealing with the jet instabilities at relatively low computational cost compared with schemes based on direct numerical simulation or large eddy simulation
Crowding out and Crowding in of Private Donations and Government Grants

A large literature examines the interaction of private and public funding of charities, much of it testing if public funding crowds out private funding. In this article, the author looks for two alternative phenomena using a large panel data set gathered from nonprofit organizations’ tax returns. First, the author looks for crowding out in the opposite direction: increased private funding may cause reduced public funding. Second, the author tests whether one type of funding acts as a signal of charity quality and thus crowds in other funding. The author finds evidence that government grants crowd in private donations. Crowding in is larger for younger charities. This is consistent with signaling, if donors know less about younger charities and the signal value is stronger. The author finds no evidence of an effect of private donations on government grants.
Nuclear Star Clusters from Clustered Star Formation

Photometrically distinct nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are common in late-type disk and spheroidal galaxies. The formation of NSCs is inevitable in the context of normal star formation in which a majority of stars form in clusters. A young, mass-losing cluster embedded in an isolated star-forming galaxy remains gravitationally bound over a period determined by its initial mass and the galactic tidal field. The cluster migrates radially toward the center of the galaxy and becomes integrated in the NSC if it reaches the center. The rate at which the NSC grows by accreting young clusters can be estimated from empirical cluster formation rates and dissolution times. We model cluster migration and dissolution and find that the NSCs in late-type disks and in spheroidals could have assembled from migrating clusters. The resulting stellar nucleus contains a small fraction of the stellar mass of the galaxy; this fraction is sensitive to the high-mass truncation of the initial cluster mass function (ICMF). The resulting NSC masses are consistent with the observed values, but generically, the final NSCs are surrounded by a spatially more extended excess over the inward-extrapolated exponential (or S?rsic) law of the outer galaxy. We suggest that the excess can be related to the pseudobulge phenomenon in disks, though perhaps not all of the pseudobulge mass assembles this way. Comparison with observed NSC masses can be used to constrain the truncation mass scale of the ICMF and the fraction of clusters suffering prompt dissolution. We infer truncation mass scales of 106 M ? (105 M ?) without (with 90%) prompt dissolution. Since the NSC assembly is collisionless and non-dissipative, no relation to the process responsible for central black hole assembly in more massive galaxies is expected.
A Note on Dirac Operators on the Quantum Punctured Disk

We study quantum analogs of the Dirac type operator 2z @ @z on the punctured disk, subject to the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer boundary conditions. We construct a parametrix of the quantum operator and show that it is bounded outside of the zero mode.
Interconnect characterization using time-domain reflectometry

An approach is presented for modeling board-level, package-level, and multichip module substrate-level interconnect circuitry based on measured time-domain reflectrometry data. The scattering poles and residues of a multiport system are extracted and used as a model that can be evaluated in linear time by recursive convolution in a SPICE-based simulator. This allows any linear or nonlinear circuits to be connected to the model ports, and the entire circuit may be simulated in in a SPICE-based simulator. Two-port and four-port example microstrip circuits are characterized, and the simulation results are compared with measured data. Delay, reflection, transmission, and crosstalk are shown to be accurately modeled in each case. >
The role of DNA damage repair in aging of adult stem cells

DNA repair maintains genomic stability and the loss of DNA repair capacity results in genetic instability that may lead to a decline of cellular function. Adult stem cells are extremely important in the long-term maintenance of tissues throughout life. They regenerate and renew tissues in response to damage and replace senescent terminally differentiated cells that no longer function. Oxidative stress, toxic byproducts, reduced mitochondrial function and external exposures all damage DNA through base modification or mis-incorporation and result in DNA damage. As in most cells, this damage may limit the survival of the stem cell population affecting tissue regeneration and even longevity. This review examines the hypothesis that an age-related loss of DNA damage repair pathways poses a significant threat to stem cell survival and longevity. Normal stem cells appear to have strict control of gene expression and DNA replication whereas stem cells with loss of DNA repair may have altered patterns of proliferation, quiescence and differentiation. Furthermore, stem cells with loss of DNA repair may be susceptible to malignant transformation either directly or through the emergence of cancer-prone stem cells. Human diseases and animal models of loss of DNA repair provide longitudinal analysis of DNA repair processes in stem cell populations and may provide links to the physiology of aging.
Equivalence theorem and dynamical symmetry breaking

Abstract The equivalence theorem, between the longitudinal gauge bosons and the states eaten up by them in the process of symmetry breaking, is shown to be valid in a class of models where the details of dynamical symmetry breaking makes it obscure.
Enantioselective intramolecular C-H amination catalyzed by engineered cytochrome P450 enzymes in vitro and in vivo.

Nitrogen activation: Though P450 enzymes are masters of oxygen activation and insertion into C-H bonds, their ability to use nitrogen for the same purpose has so far not been explored. Engineered variants of cytochrome P450_(BM3) have now been found to catalyze intramolecular C-H aminations in azide substrates. Mutations to two highly conserved residues significantly increased this activity.
A New Handle on de Sitter Compactifications

We construct a large new class of de Sitter (and anti de Sitter) vacua of critical string theory from flux compactifications on products of Riemann surfaces. In the construction, the leading effects stabilizing the moduli are perturbative. We show that these effects self-consistently dominate over standard estimates for further {alpha}{prime} and quantum corrections, via tuning available from large flux and brane quantum numbers.
Creep and Toughness of Cryomilled Nial Containing Cr

NiAl–AlN + Cr composites were produced by blending cryomilled NiAl powder with approximately 10 vol% Cr flakes. In comparison to the as-consolidated matrices, hot isostatically pressed Cr-modified materials did not demonstrate any significant improvement in toughness. Hot extruded NiAl–AlN + 10.5Cr, however, possessed a toughness twice that determined for the base NiAl–AlN alloy. Measurement of the 1200 to 1400 K plastic flow properties revealed that the strength of the composites was completely controlled by the properties of the NiAl–AlN matrices. This behavior could be successfully modeled by the Rule-of-Mixtures, where load is shed from the weak Cr to the strong matrix.
Strong Non-Linear MCD-Effects Due to Partially Circular Polarized Light Sources

Most soft x-ray magnetic dichroism studies are carried out with light of mixed polarization. The effect of incomplete circular polarization is usually taken care off by linearly extrapolating the data to Pcirc=1. Using a classical model which includes the polarization factor we show that the MCD-effect, which is the normalized quantity 2(I+-I-)/(I++I-), is highly non-linear with regard to cire. With a specially designed quadruple reflection phase shifter we measured the MCD effect with Pcire and orbital moments are extracted by means of sum rules.
First X-ray observations of the young pulsar J1357-6429

The first short Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the young and energetic pulsar J1357-6429 provided strong indications of a tail-like pulsar-wind nebula associated with this object, as well as strong pulsations of its X-ray flux with a pulsed fraction above 40% and a thermal component dominating at lower photon energies (below 2 keV). The elongated nebular is very compact in size. about 1" x 1.5" and might be interpreted as a pulsar jet. The thermal radiation is most plausibly emitted from the entire neutron star surface of an effective temperature about 1 MK covered with a magnetized hydrogen atmosphere At higher energies the pulsar's emission is of a nonthermal (magnetospheric) origin, with a power-law spectrum of a photon index Gamma approx. equals 1.1. This makes the X-ray properties of PSR J1357-6429 very similar to those of the youngest pulsars J1119-6127 and Vela with a detected thermal radiation.
Handling emergent resource use oscillations

Distributed computing systems are increasingly being created as self-organizing collections of many autonomous (human or software) agents cooperating as peers. Peer-to-peer coordination introduces, however, unique and potentially serious challenges. When there is no one "in charge", dysfunctions can emerge as the collective effect of locally reasonable decisions. In this paper, we consider the dysfunction wherein inefficient resource use oscillations occur due to delayed status information, and describe novel approaches, based on the selective use of misinformation, for dealing with this problem. A model of several servers offering equivalent service to independent clients is presented and studied numerically and analytically; the spreading of misinformation about the queue status is found to dampen oscillations and improve system performance for a wide range of parameters.
Novel technique for ultra-sensitive determination of trace elements in organic scintillators

A technique based on neutron activation has been developed for an extremely high sensitivity analysis of trace elements in organic materials. Organic materials are sealed in plastic or high purity quartz and irradiated at the HFIR and MITR. The most volatile materials such as liquid scintillator (LS) are first preconcentrated by clean vacuum evaporation. Activities of interest are separated from side activities by acid digestion and ion exchange. The technique has been applied to study the liquid scintillator used in the KamLAND neutrino experiment. Detection limits of <2.4×10 15 g 40 K/g LS, <5.5×10 15 g Th/g LS, and <8×10 15 g U/g LS have been achieved.
Deployment Strategies for Paratransit Computer-Assisted Scheduling and Dispatching Systems: Results from a Focus Group in Illinois

The level of realized positive impacts from computer-assisted scheduling and dispatching (CASD) systems depends on the specifics of each implementation plan and the overall deployment strategy that is contemplated early in the procurement process. Moreover, with increasing numbers of local CASD system implementations, state departments of transportation have only recently realized the need to incorporate feedback from paratransit providers in developing statewide strategies regarding future deployments of such systems. While considering the variety of needs of Illinois paratransit operators, this paper develops three different CASD deployment scenarios: a centralized, a decentralized, and a regional deployment. The consensus from a focus group was that a hybrid approach that combines the strengths of the decentralized and regional approaches should be further pursued. The total cost of ownership for the preferred alternatives is also developed.
Dynamical Instabilities in Spherical Stellar Systems

Equlibrium spherical stellar systems exhibiting instabilities on a dynamical timescale were first studied by Henon (1973), using a spherically symmetric N-body code. We have re-examined Henon’s models using an improved code which includes non-radial forces to quadrupole order. In addition to the radial instability reported by Henon, two new non-radial instabilities are also observed. In one, found in models with highly circular orbits, the mass distribution exhibits quadrupolemode oscillations. In the other, seen in models with highly radial orbits, the system spontaneously breaks spherical symmetry and settles into a tri-axial ellipsoid. These instabilities, which are driven by fluctuations of the mean field, offer some analogies to the well-known dynamical instabilities of a cold disk of stars. While our models are rather artificial, they indicate that dynamical instabilities may be more common in spherical systems than had been thought.
Does Customer Auditing Help Chinese Workers

The authors find that auditing by downstream firms has limited effects on Chinese firms' adherence to labor standards and other measures of blue-collar workers' well-being. Auditing does not affect the supplier's blue-collar employees' wages, probability of belonging to a union, or likelihood of working overtime. Audited firms, however, are more likely to provide rural migrant workers (who usually face discrimination) with government-sponsored medical insurance, business medical insurance, and unemployment insurance.
Fixed point theorems for noncommutative functions

Abstract We establish a fixed point theorem for mappings of square matrices of all sizes which respect the matrix sizes and direct sums of matrices. The conclusions are stronger if such a mapping also respects matrix similarities, i.e., is a noncommutative function. As a special case, we prove the corresponding contractive mapping theorem which can be viewed as a new version of the Banach Fixed Point Theorem. This result is then applied to prove the existence and uniqueness of a solution of the initial value problem for ODEs in noncommutative spaces. As a by-product of the ideas developed in this paper, we establish a noncommutative version of the principle of nested closed sets.
Biology of Congenital Obstructive Nephropathy

Congenital obstructive nephropathy is a common disease affecting fetuses and young children. The kidney shows profound morphologic and functional changes. The physiologic developmental kidney program is disturbed in the most advanced cases, arguing for altered temporal/spatial expression of genes which control normal nephrogenesis. Major regulators of mesenchymal-epithelial transformation and collecting duct and tubular development such as WT1 and Sall1 are decreased with obstruction. Additional candidate genes include GDNF/cRET, LIM1 and Pax2. Excessive apoptosis is an undisputed mechanism in these processes, mediated by decreased expression of apoptosis inhibiting genes (Bcl-2, HGF, IGF, BMP7), and overexpression of pro-apoptotic genes like Bax and TGF-beta. Renin and AT2R implicated in renal vascular development are decreased. Numerous extracellular matrix genes including Matrilysin are altered. The emerging theories of the biology of congenital obstructive nephropathy suggest new targets for therapeutic interventions with profound implications for these children.
Selective Microvascular Procedures in Oculoplastic Surgery

The aesthetic and functional reconstruction of the orbital and periorbital anatomy poses a complex challenge to the reconstructive surgeon. Four clinical cases are illustrated regarding the restoration of contour, and coverage of vital structures following tumor resections.
Entanglement of internal and external angular momenta of a single atom

We consider the exchange of spin and orbital angular momenta between a circularly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian beam of light and a single atom trapped in a two-dimensional harmonic potential. The radiation field is treated classically but the atomic centre-of-mass motion is quantized. The internal levels in the atom are taken to be Rydberg circular states. The spin and orbital angular momenta of the field are individually conserved upon absorption, with the result that the electronic and motional degrees of freedom of the atom are entangled. We suggest applications in quantum information processing.
The Response of Drug Expenditure to Nonlinear Contract Design: Evidence from Medicare Part D

We study the demand response to non-linear price schedules using data on insurance contracts and prescription drug purchases in Medicare Part D. We exploit the kink in individuals' budget set created by the famous "donut hole," where insurance becomes discontinuously much less generous on the margin, to provide descriptive evidence of the drug purchase response to a price increase. We then specify and estimate a simple dynamic model of drug use that allows us to quantify the spending response along the entire non-linear budget set. We use the model for counterfactual analysis of the increase in spending from "filling" the donut hole, as will be required by 2020 under the Affordable Care Act. In our baseline model, which considers spending decisions within a single year, we estimate that "filling" the donut hole will increase annual drug spending by about $150, or about 8 percent. About one-quarter of this spending increase reflects "anticipatory" behavior, coming from beneficiaries whose spending prior to the policy change would leave them short of reaching the donut hole. We also present descriptive evidence of cross-year substitution of spending by individuals who reach the kink, which motivates a simple extension to our baseline model that allows - in a highly stylized way - for individuals to engage in such cross year substitution. Our estimates from this extension suggest that a large share of the $150 drug spending increase could be attributed to cross-year substitution, and the net increase could be as little as $45 per year.
A Plastic Fracture Mechanics Analysis of Small Case B Fatigue Cracks Under Multiaxial Loading Conditions

The near-tip fields of small Case B cracks in power law, hardening materials are investigated under generalized plane-strain and general yielding conditions by finite element analyses. The results for two different crack orientations are examined and compared. The results indicate that the plastic deformation patterns near the tips of the cracks of two different orientations are remarkably similar in terms of the global coordinates. The results of the J-integral from the finite element analyses are used to correlate to a fatigue crack growth criterion for Case B cracks. The trends of constant ΔJ-contours on the Γ-plane for two cracks of different orientations are virtually the same. Further, the trends are compared reasonably well with those of the experimental results of constan t fatigue life and constant fatigue crack growth rate.
False Confessions Causes, Consequences, and Implications for Reform

In recent years, DNA exoneration cases have shed light on the problem of false confessions and the wrongful convictions that result. Drawing on basic psychological principles and methods, an extens...
Fault detection with multiple observers

There is a pressing need for network management systems capable of handling faults. The use of a set of independent observers to detect faults in communication systems that are modeled by finite-state machines is proposed. An algorithm for constructing these observers and a fast real-time fault detection mechanism used by each observer are given. Since these observers run in parallel and independently, one immediate benefit is that of graceful degradation-one failed observer will not cause collapse of the fault management system. In addition, each observer has a simpler structure than the original system and can be operated at higher speed. This approach has the potential to be incorporated into the fault management system for a high-speed communication system. >
Refractive Microstructure From Diffusive And Turbulent Ocean Mixing

Small scale fluctuations in refractive index can affect visibility and image quality in ocean optics. Such fluctuations are a result of temperature and salinity microstructure. Ocean mixing proceeds by the stirring together of dissimilar water types at finer and finer scales until diffusion creates a water type intermediate to the original components. Optically, the most important scale in the mixing cascade is microstructure because it consists of the highest gradient and smallest scale structures. Two classes of mixing process have been distinguished by shadowgraph images made in conjunction with profiles of temperature, salinity, and velocity shear. One class is diffusive and depends on the vertical distribution of temperature and salinity. The other class is turbulent and depends on velocity shear.
Amine-catalyzed Michael reactions of an aminoaldehyde derivative to nitroolefins

Catalytic enantioselective Michael addition reactions of α-amino functionalized aldehydes to nitroolefins have been developed. The Michael product was obtained in up to 98% ee, but the enantiomeric purity of the Michael product was decreased during isolation of the product.
Design, synthesis, and characterization of new embelin derivatives as potent inhibitors of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein

Abstract X-Linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is a promising molecular target for the design of new anticancer drugs aiming at promoting apoptosis in cancer cells. We have previously identified embelin as an inhibitor of XIAP through computational structure-based database screening. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of new embelin analogues as inhibitors of XIAP. Our efforts led to the identification of new and more potent inhibitors. For example, compound 6g has a Ki value of 180 nM binding to XIAP BIR3, in a competitive binding assay and represents a promising lead compound for further optimization.
Co-design of multicore architectures and microfluidic cooling for 3D stacked ICs

In this paper, we investigate the co-design of multicore architectures and microfluidic cooling for 3D stacked ICs. The architecture is a 16 core, ?86 multicore die stacked with a second die hosting an L2 SRAM cache. First, a multicore ?86 compatible cycle-level microarchitecture simulator was constructed and integrated with physical power models. The simulator executes benchmark programs to create power traces that drive thermal analysis. Second, the thermal characteristics under liquid cooling were investigated using a compact thermal model. Four alternative packaging organizations were studied and compared. The greatest overall temperature reduction under a given pumping power is achieved, with two tiers and two pin fin enhanced microgaps, with the high power dissipation tier on the top. Third, an optimization of the pin fin parameters including the diameter, height, and longitudinal and transversal spacing was performed. This optimization is shown to achieve significant improvement in energy/instruction, and significant reductions in leakage power.
Microwave-assisted deformylation of N-aryl formamide by KF on basic Al2O3

Abstract The formyl group was successfully removed from N -aryl formamide by KF on a solid support of basic Al 2 O 3 in 4–20 min with microwave irradiation. The conditions mimic base-catalyzed hydrolysis of formamide and are compatible with carbamates and t -butyl esters, but not methyl, ethyl, and benzyl esters.
Manipulation and trapping of particles in the ray optics regime using DPS-DNG layered structures: Toward calibration and precision of optical tweezers

Optical traps or tweezers use the forces exerted by structured beams of light to confine and manipulate non-intrusively and non-destructively microscopic objects including living cells and bacteria, with high accuracy. This technique provides unique means to control the dynamics of small particles and played a revolutionary role in areas of the physical and biological sciences. This manuscript aims at absolute force calibration of optical beams, using new technique and structure of DPS-DNG layered structure to manipulate targets in the far field with high resolution trapping scheme. Using this layered structure which acts as a tunable optical band-pass filter would help to calibrate and control the forces on the target(s). The band-pass effect varies with the periodic parameters of the DPS-DNG structure, applied electric and magnetic field, incident angle and frequency.
Epac activation sensitizes rat sensory neurons through activation of Ras.

Guanine nucleotide exchange factors directly activated by cAMP (Epacs) have emerged as important signaling molecules mediating persistent hypersensitivity in animal models of inflammation, by augmenting the excitability of sensory neurons. Although Epacs activate numerous downstream signaling cascades, the intracellular signaling which mediates Epac-induced sensitization of capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that selective activation of Epacs with 8-CPT-2′-O-Me-cAMP-AM (8CPT-AM) increases the number of action potentials (APs) generated by a ramp of depolarizing current and augments the evoked release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from isolated rat sensory neurons. Internal perfusion of capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons with GDP-βS, substituted for GTP, blocks the ability of 8CPT-AM to increase AP firing, demonstrating that Epac-induced sensitization is G-protein dependent. Treatment with 8CPT-AM activates the small G-proteins Rap1 and Ras in cultures of sensory neurons. Inhibition of Rap1, by internal perfusion of a Rap1-neutralizing antibody or through a reduction in the expression of the protein using shRNA does not alter the Epac-induced enhancement of AP generation or CGRP release, despite the fact that in most other cell types, Epacs act as Rap-GEFs. In contrast, inhibition of Ras through expression of a dominant negative Ras (DN-Ras) or through internal perfusion of a Ras-neutralizing antibody blocks the increase in AP firing and attenuates the increase in the evoked release of CGRP induced by Epac activation. Thus, in this subpopulation of nociceptive sensory neurons, it is the novel interplay between Epacs and Ras, rather than the canonical Epacs and Rap1 pathway, that is critical for mediating Epac-induced sensitization.
Extended field-of-view and increased-signal 3D holographic illumination with time-division multiplexing

Phase spatial light modulators (SLMs) are widely used for generating multifocal three-dimensional (3D) illumination patterns, but these are limited to a field of view constrained by the pixel count or size of the SLM. Further, with two-photon SLM-based excitation, increasing the number of focal spots penalizes the total signal linearly—requiring more laser power than is available or can be tolerated by the sample. Here we analyze and demonstrate a method of using galvanometer mirrors to time-sequentially reposition multiple 3D holograms, both extending the field of view and increasing the total time-averaged two-photon signal. We apply our approach to 3D two-photon in vivo neuronal calcium imaging.
Plasmon enhanced Raman scattering effect for an atom near a carbon nanotube

Quantum electrodynamics theory of the resonance Raman scattering is developed for an atom in a close proximity to a carbon nanotube. The theory predicts a dramatic enhancement of the Raman intensity in the strong atomic coupling regime to nanotube plasmon near-fields. This resonance scattering is a manifestation of the general electromagnetic surface enhanced Raman scattering effect, and can be used in designing efficient nanotube based optical sensing substrates for single atom detection, precision spontaneous emission control, and manipulation.
Graph induced complex on point data

The efficiency of extracting topological information from point data depends largely on the complex that is built on top of the data points. From a computational viewpoint, the favored complexes for this purpose have so far been Vietoris-Rips and witness complexes. While the Vietoris-Rips complex is simple to compute and is a good vehicle for extracting topology of sampled spaces, its size becomes prohibitively large for reasonable computations. The witness complex on the other hand enjoys a smaller size because of a subsampling, but fails to capture the topology in high dimensions unless imposed with extra structure. We investigate a complex called the graph induced complex that, to some extent, enjoys the advantages of both. It works on a subsample but still retains the power of capturing the topology as the Vietoris-Rips complex. It only needs a graph connecting the original sample points from which it builds a complex on the subsample thus taming the size considerably. We show that, using the graph induced complex one can (i) infer the one dimensional homology of a manifold from a lean subsample, (ii) reconstruct a surface in three dimensions from a sparse subsample without computing Delaunay triangulations, (iii) infer the persistent homology groups of compact sets from a sufficiently dense sample. We provide experimental evidences in support of our theory.
Doing without Money: Controlling Inflation in a Post-Monetary World☆☆☆

Central banks now generally agree that conventional monetary aggregates are of little use as targets or even indicators for monetary policy, owing to the instability of money demand relations in ec ...
General Results for Higher Spin Wilson Lines and Entanglement in Vasiliev Theory

We develop tools for the efficient evaluation of Wilson lines in 3D higher spin gravity, and use these to compute entanglement entropy in the hs[λ] Vasiliev theory that governs the bulk side of the duality proposal of Gaberdiel and Gopakumar. Our main technical advance is the determination of SL(N) Wilson lines for arbitrary N , which, in uitable cases, enables us to analytically continue to hs[λ] via N → −λ. We apply this result to compute various quantities of interest, including entanglement entropy expanded perturbatively in the background higher spin charge, chemical potential, and interval size. This includes a computation of entanglement entropy in the higher spin black hole of the Vasiliev theory. These results are consistent with conformal field theory calculations. We also provide an alternative derivation of the Wilson line, by showing how it arises naturally from earlier work on scalar correlators in higher spin theory. The general picture that emerges is consistent with the statement that the SL(N) Wilson line computes the semiclassical W N vacuum block, and our results provide an explicit result for this object.
QSAR Modeling of α-Campholenic Derivatives with Sandalwood Odor

Three-dimensional quantitative structure−activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models were developed for a series of 44 synthetic α-campholenic derivatives with sandalwood odor. These compounds have comp...
Everyday consumer aesthetics

This review introduces the notion of everyday consumer aesthetics. Everyday consumer aesthetics entails non-art, non-nature aesthetic experiences that are diverse and dynamic and result in specific consumer actions (e.g. purchasing) and consumption behaviors (e.g. recycling). Two broad trends observed in the recent literature are highlighted: a focus on the quantification of the use and impact of aesthetics, and, the study of specific new aesthetic features and their theoretical underpinnings. Recent insights and advances in consumer aesthetics research pertaining to elements of packaging, shape and surface appeal, color, dynamism and visual change, embodiment and individual differences are presented. Future research endeavors to expand the scope and impact of everyday aesthetics in consumer behavior are discussed.
Religious TV Series: The Making of Popular Piety Culture in Indonesia

In the last few years, Indonesia's post-Suharto's era has been marked by a proliferation of popular piety culture in the media. This proliferation is situated within the political transition from authoritarianism to democracy, the industrialization of media and the emergence of Islam as one of the important keys to unlocking the ongoing transformation of the political, social and cultural spheres of contemporary Indonesian society. My thesis, in general, is a study of the role of Islam in this transformation and how popular culture is an integral part of it. Through my study case of the production of a religious TV series, I want to explore the complexity that makes up religious practices when the piety movement takes up secular/capitalist media to further their movement. In other words, this paper asks: when the logic of the piety movement and the logic of the media industry converge, what kinds of practices in terms of religious practices and film-making practices are maintained, negotiated, and challenged? Building my methodological framework on theories of media practices (Bourdieu, 1977 and 1993; Couldry, 2004; Hobart, forthcoming; Rajagopal, 2001), I divide my analysis into how and why practices and standards are constructed, affirmed and challenged in two foci: on-site and off-site.
Marriage Meets the Joneses: Relative Income, Identity, and Marital Status

Abstract:This paper investigates the effect of relative income on marriage. Accounting flexibly for absolute income, the ratio between a man's income and a local reference group median is a strong predictor of marital status, but only for low-income men. Relative income affects marriage even among those living with a partner. A 10 percent higher reference group income is associated with a 2 percent reduction in marriage. We propose an identity model to explain the results.
Understanding Service Retention Within and Across Cohorts Using Limited Information

Abstract Service churn and retention rates remain central as constructs in marketing activities, such as valuation of service subscribers and resource allocation. Although extant approaches have been proposed to relate service churn to external factors, such as reported satisfaction, marketing-mix activities, and so on, managers often face situations in which the only information available is the duration for which subscribers have had service. In such cases, can they forecast service churn and understand the contributing factors, which may allow for subsequent intervention? The authors propose a framework to examine factors that may underlie service retention in a contractual setting. Specifically, they use a model of retention that accounts for (1) duration dependence, (2) promotional effects, (3) subscriber heterogeneity, (4) cross-cohort effects, and (5) calendar-time effects (e.g., seasonality).Then, they apply the framework to subscription databases of seven services offered by a telecommunications ...
Microscopic Safety Evaluation and Prediction for Freeway-to-Freeway Interchange Ramps

Freeway-to-freeway interchange ramps are critical components of freeway networks. The safety of interchange ramps is a concern because of their complex horizontal and vertical alignment. For a better understanding of the crash mechanisms of interchange ramps, this work built multilevel Poisson–lognormal models to estimate 3-h-interval crash frequencies and built multilevel logistic regression models to predict real-time crash risks. All models were applied to both single-vehicle and multivehicle crashes. In addition, this study explored the feasibility of the use of crash reports to identify roadway surface conditions at study sites. The crash frequency models revealed that the logarithm of 3-h traffic volume and average turning angle were positive significant parameters in estimating single-vehicle crash frequency and that high traffic volume, sag, or downgrade vertical curve increased multivehicle crash frequency. The crash risk models revealed that the average turning angle had a positive impact on sin...
Quantum transport of two-species Dirac fermions in dual-gated three-dimensional topological insulators

Topological insulators are a novel class of quantum matter with a gapped insulating bulk, yet gapless spin-helical Dirac fermion conducting surface states. Here, we report local and non-local electrical and magneto transport measurements in dual-gated BiSbTeSe2 thin film topological insulator devices, with conduction dominated by the spatially separated top and bottom surfaces, each hosting a single species of Dirac fermions with independent gate control over the carrier type and density. We observe many intriguing quantum transport phenomena in such a fully tunable two-species topological Dirac gas, including a zero-magnetic-field minimum conductivity close to twice the conductance quantum at the double Dirac point, a series of ambipolar two-component half-integer Dirac quantum Hall states and an electron-hole total filling factor zero state (with a zero-Hall plateau), exhibiting dissipationless (chiral) and dissipative (non-chiral) edge conduction, respectively. Such a system paves the way to explore rich physics, ranging from topological magnetoelectric effects to exciton condensation.
Using Technology Tools to Engage Students with Multiple Learning Styles in a Constructivist Learning Environment.

This research study investigated the use of technology tools to support constructivist learning experiences in a preservice teacher education reading methods course. Learning opportunities based on Kolb’s learning styles model were used to support understanding of course content in the constructivist environment. Technology tools were used during class presentations to communicate, scaffold, and clarify course concepts and content while engaging students with information. Technology was used outside of class as a collaboration tool in mediating and negotiating learning between the instructor and students as well as between students and students. In addition to demonstration and application of reading methods, students’ perceptions of their learning experience and understanding of course content were considered in analyzing the effectiveness of technology used to address multiple learning styles in a constructivist environment.
A DEIM Induced CUR Factorization

We derive a CUR approximate matrix factorization based on the discrete empirical interpolation method (DEIM). For a given matrix ${\bf A}$, such a factorization provides a low-rank approximate decomposition of the form ${\bf A} \approx \bf C \bf U \bf R$, where ${\bf C}$ and ${\bf R}$ are subsets of the columns and rows of ${\bf A}$, and ${\bf U}$ is constructed to make $\bf C\bf U \bf R $ a good approximation. Given a low-rank singular value decomposition ${\bf A} \approx \bf V \bf S \bf W^T$, the DEIM procedure uses ${\bf V}$ and ${\bf W}$ to select the columns and rows of ${\bf A}$ that form ${\bf C}$ and ${\bf R}$. Through an error analysis applicable to a general class of CUR factorizations, we show that the accuracy tracks the optimal approximation error within a factor that depends on the conditioning of submatrices of ${\bf V}$ and ${\bf W}$. For very large problems, ${\bf V}$ and ${\bf W}$ can be approximated well using an incremental QR algorithm that makes only one pass through ${\bf A}$. Numer...
A Proof of Calibration Via Blackwell's Approachability Theorem

Abstract Over the past few years many proofs of the existence of calibration have been discovered. Each of the following provides a different algorithm and proof of convergence: D. Foster and R. Vohra (1991, Technical Report, University of Chicago), (1998, Biometrika85, 379–390), S. Hart (1995, personal communication), D. Fudenberg and D. Levine (1999, Games Econ. Behavior29, 104–130), and S. Hart and A. Mas-Colell (1997, Technical Report, Hebrew University). Does the literature really need one more? Probably not. But the algorithm proposed here has two virtues. First, it only randomizes between two forecasts that are very close to each other (either p or p + ϵ). In other words, the randomization only hides the last digit of the forecast. Second, it follows directly from Blackwell's approachability theorem, which shortens the proof substantially. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C70, C73, C53.
Multiple hypothesis testing in experimental economics

The analysis of data from experiments in economics routinely involves testing multiple null hypotheses simultaneously. These different null hypotheses arise naturally in this setting for at least three different reasons: when there are multiple outcomes of interest and it is desired to determine on which of these outcomes a treatment has an effect; when the effect of a treatment may be heterogeneous in that it varies across subgroups defined by observed characteristics and it is desired to determine for which of these subgroups a treatment has an effect; and finally when there are multiple treatments of interest and it is desired to determine which treatments have an effect relative to either the control or relative to each of the other treatments. In this paper, we provide a bootstrap-based procedure for testing these null hypotheses simultaneously using experimental data in which simple random sampling is used to assign treatment status to units. Using the general results in Romano and Wolf (Ann Stat 38:598–633, 2010), we show under weak assumptions that our procedure (1) asymptotically controls the familywise error rate—the probability of one or more false rejections—and (2) is asymptotically balanced in that the marginal probability of rejecting any true null hypothesis is approximately equal in large samples. Importantly, by incorporating information about dependence ignored in classical multiple testing procedures, such as the Bonferroni and Holm corrections, our procedure has much greater ability to detect truly false null hypotheses. In the presence of multiple treatments, we additionally show how to exploit logical restrictions across null hypotheses to further improve power. We illustrate our methodology by revisiting the study by Karlan and List (Am Econ Rev 97(5):1774–1793, 2007) of why people give to charitable causes.
A Non-Deterministic Path Generation Algorithm for Traffic Networks

In many transportation applications it is useful to find multiple paths for an origin-destination pair. This paper presents a non-deterministic approach to generate alternative paths in traffic networks. The algorithm exhibits desirable features in both computational complexity and path quality. Hypothetic examples are provided to evaluate the generated paths in terms of diversity and efficiency. A microscopic traffic simulation is then used to introduce potential applications in transportation practices. Some future works are also discussed.
Nanoscale dynamics of synaptic vesicle trafficking and fusion at the presynaptic active zone

The cytomatrix at the active zone (CAZ) is a macromolecular complex that facilitates the supply of release-ready synaptic vesicles to support neurotransmitter release at synapses. To reveal the dynamics of this supply process in living synapses, we used super-resolution imaging to track single vesicles at voltage-clamped presynaptic terminals of retinal bipolar neurons, whose CAZ contains a specialized structure-the synaptic ribbon-that supports both fast, transient and slow, sustained modes of transmission. We find that the synaptic ribbon serves a dual function as a conduit for diffusion of synaptic vesicles and a platform for vesicles to fuse distal to the plasma membrane itself, via compound fusion. The combination of these functions allows the ribbon-type CAZ to achieve the continuous transmitter release required by synapses of neurons that carry tonic, graded visual signals in the retina.
Disruptive Change in the Taxi Business: The Case of Uber

In most cities, the taxi industry is highly regulated and utilizes technology developed in the 1940s. Ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, which use modern internet-based mobile technology to connect passengers and drivers, have begun to compete with traditional taxis. This paper examines the efficiency of ride sharing services vis-a-vis taxis by comparing the capacity utilization rate of UberX drivers with that of traditional taxi drivers in five cities. The capacity utilization rate is measured by the fraction of time a driver has a fare-paying passenger in the car while he or she is working, and by the share of total miles that drivers log in which a passenger is in their car. The main conclusion is that, in most cities with data available, UberX drivers spend a significantly higher fraction of their time, and drive a substantially higher share of miles, with a passenger in their car than do taxi drivers. Four factors likely contribute to the higher capacity utilization rate of UberX drivers: 1) Uber’s more efficient driver-passenger matching technology; 2)the larger scale of Uber than taxi companies; 3) inefficient taxi regulations; and 4) Uber’s flexible labor supply model and surge pricing more closely match supply with demand throughout the day.
The employment impact of motor vehicle assembly plant openings

Abstract Local governments often offer motor vehicle assembly plants large subsidies to locate in their jurisdiction. A frequent justification is that an assembly plant will attract upstream parts suppliers to locate nearby and provide manufacturing jobs. Using propensity score matching, I find that an assembly plant brings an average of 500 additional parts supplier jobs beyond the employment gains the region would have experienced without the assembly plant. This increase is far less than predicted by the input–output models that state development agencies often employ.