cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Explaining TeV Cosmic-Ray Anisotropies with Non-Diffusive Cosmic-Ray Propagation

Constraining the behavior of cosmic ray data observed at Earth requires a precise understanding of how the cosmic rays propagate in the interstellar medium. The interstellar medium is not homogeneous; although turbulent magnetic fields dominate over large scales, small coherent regions of magnetic field exist on scales relevant to particle propagation in the nearby Galaxy. Guided propagation through a coherent field is significantly different from random particle diffusion and could be the explanation of spatial anisotropies in the observed cosmic rays. We present a Monte Carlo code to propagate cosmic particle through realistic magnetic field structures. We discuss the details of the model as well as some preliminary studies which indicate that coherent magnetic structures are important effects in local cosmic-ray propagation, increasing the flux of cosmic rays by over two orders of magnitude at anisotropic locations on the sky. The features induced by coherent magnetic structure could be the cause of the observed TeV cosmic-ray anisotropy.
Objective Priors: An Introduction for Frequentists

Bayesian methods are increasingly applied in these days in the theory and practice of statistics. Any Bayesian inference depends on a likelihood and a prior. Ideally one would like to elicit a prior from related sources of information or past data. However, in its absence, Bayesian methods need to rely on some “objective” or “default” priors, and the resulting posterior inference can still be quite valuable. Not surprisingly, over the years, the catalog of objective priors also has become prohibitively large, and one has to set some specific criteria for the selection of such priors. Our aim is to review some of these criteria, compare their performance, and illustrate them with some simple examples. While for very large sample sizes, it does not possibly matter what objective prior one uses, the selection of such a prior does influence inference for small or moderate samples. For regular models where asymptotic normality holds, Jeffreys’ general rule prior, the positive square root of the determinant of the Fisher information matrix, enjoys many optimality properties in the absence of nuisance parameters. In the presence of nuisance parameters, however, there are many other priors which emerge as optimal depending on the criterion selected. One new feature in this article is that a prior different from Jeffreys’ is shown to be optimal under the chi-square divergence criterion even in the absence of nuisance parameters. The latter is also invariant under one-to-one reparameterization.
X-RAY EMISSION FROM THE SUPERGIANT SHELL IN IC 2574

The M81 group member dwarf galaxy IC 2574 hosts a supergiant shell of current and recent star formation activity surrounding a 1000 × 500 pc hole in the ambient H I gas distribution. Chandra X-ray Observatory imaging observations reveal a luminous, L X ~ 6.5 × 1038 erg s–1 in the 0.3-8.0 keV band, point-like source within the hole but offset from its center and fainter diffuse emission extending throughout and beyond the hole. The star formation history at the location of the point source indicates a burst of star formation beginning ~25 Myr ago and currently weakening and there is a young nearby star cluster, at least 5 Myr old, bracketing the likely age of the X-ray source at between 5 and ~25 Myr. The source is thus likely a bright high-mass X-ray binary—either a neutron star or black hole accreting from an early B star undergoing thermal-timescale mass transfer through Roche lobe overflow. The properties of the residual diffuse X-ray emission are consistent with those expected from hot gas associated with the recent star formation activity in the region.
Maximum-Likelihood Fits to Histograms for Improved Parameter Estimation

Straightforward methods for adapting the familiar $$\chi ^2$$ statistic to histograms of discrete events and other Poisson distributed data generally yield biased estimates of the parameters of a model. The bias can be important even when the total number of events is large. For the case of estimating a microcalorimeter’s energy resolution at 6 keV from the observed shape of the Mn K $$\alpha $$ fluorescence spectrum, a poor choice of $$\chi ^2$$ can lead to biases of at least 10 % in the estimated resolution when up to thousands of photons are observed. The best remedy is a Poisson maximum-likelihood fit, through a simple modification of the standard Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm for $$\chi ^2$$ minimization. Where the modification is not possible, another approach allows iterative approximation of the maximum-likelihood fit.
Quantum materials interfaces: Graphene/bismuth (111) heterostructures

This paper uncovers nonintuitive phenomena associated with the moir\'e-physics of graphene/bismuth superlattices, which are of interest for next-generation technologies based on two dimensional layered materials. The authors show a preservation of graphene-derived Dirac cones in spite of proximity to a substrate with large spin-orbit coupling.
Code vectors: understanding programs through embedded abstracted symbolic traces

With the rise of machine learning, there is a great deal of interest in treating programs as data to be fed to learning algorithms. However, programs do not start off in a form that is immediately amenable to most off-the-shelf learning techniques. Instead, it is necessary to transform the program to a suitable representation before a learning technique can be applied. In this paper, we use abstractions of traces obtained from symbolic execution of a program as a representation for learning word embeddings. We trained a variety of word embeddings under hundreds of parameterizations, and evaluated each learned embedding on a suite of different tasks. In our evaluation, we obtain 93% top-1 accuracy on a benchmark consisting of over 19,000 API-usage analogies extracted from the Linux kernel. In addition, we show that embeddings learned from (mainly) semantic abstractions provide nearly triple the accuracy of those learned from (mainly) syntactic abstractions.
Spectromicroscopic measurement of surface and bulk band structure interplay in a disordered topological insulator

Topological insulators are bulk semiconductors that manifest in-gap surface states with massless Dirac-like dispersion due to the topological bulk-boundary correspondence principle1–3. These surface states can be manipulated by the interface environment to display various emergent phenomena4–11. Here, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunnelling microscopy to investigate the interplay of crystallographic inhomogeneity with the topologically ordered band structure in a model topological insulator. We develop quantitative analysis methods to obtain spectroscopic information, in spite of a limited dwell time on each measured point. We find that the band energies vary on the scale of 50 meV across the sample surface, and this enables single sample measurements that are analogous to a multi-sample doping series. By focusing separately on the bulk and surface electrons we reveal a hybridization-like interplay between fluctuations in the surface and bulk state energetics. The authors develop a high-spatial-resolution photoemission technique to show variation of the energy of the Dirac point of approximately 50 meV. They also find an interplay between bulk and surface states.
Areas spanned by point configurations in the plane

We consider an over-determined Falconer type problem on $(k+1)$-point configurations in the plane using the group action framework introduced in \cite{GroupAction}. We define the area type of a $(k+1)$-point configuration in the plane to be the vector in $\R^{\binom{k+1}{2}}$ with entries given by the areas of parallelograms spanned by each pair of points in the configuration. We show that the space of all area types is $2k-1$ dimensional, and prove that a compact set $E\subset\R^d$ of sufficiently large Hausdorff dimension determines a positve measure set of area types.
Transitive graphs uniquely determined by their local structure

We give an example of an infinite, vertex transitive graph that has the following property: it is the unique completion to a transitive graph of a large enough finite subgraph of itself.
Examining the Kerr metric through wave fronts of null geodesics

We examine the singularities of the wave fronts of null geodesics from point sources in the Kerr metric. We find that the wave fronts develop a tube like structure that collapses non-symmetrically, leading to cusp features in the wave front singularities. As the wave front advances, the cusps trace out an astroidal shaped caustic tube, which had been discovered previously using lens mapping and geodesic deviation methods. Thus, the wave front approach in this study helps to complete a picture of caustics and gravitational lensing in the Kerr geometry.
Global Models of the Galactic Interstellar Medium: Comparison to X-Ray and H i Observations

In a previous paper, we calculated numerical hydrodynamic models of the interstellar medium in the Galaxy, which suggested that hot gas (T $\ge$ 3 $\times$ 10$^5$ K) has a filling factor near 50\% in the midplane (Rosen \& Bregman 1995, ApJ 440, 634). Here we extend the work to examine the X-ray emission characteristics of the best model and calculate a variety of observable measures for comparison with the observed soft X-ray background. We calculate the X-ray intensities, spectra, and hardness ratios in two soft X-ray bands as Galactic latitude and cool gas column are varied, and make comparisons with observational data. The observed distribution of N$_{H I}$ is similar to that seen from one of the simulated bubbles, with the important exception that the minimum hydrogen column in the model is too low. Also, there are clear examples of anticorrelations between H I and X-ray emission as well as correlations between H I and X-rays, which is caused by an increased emission measure as a shock enters a cool gas region. Statistically, anticorrelations are slightly more common than correlations. X-ray spectra are calculated from the models and these reveal that for observations to have strong diagnostic power in probing the hot ISM, a spectral resolution of E/$\Delta$E $>$ 30 is required. This analysis demonstrates several shortcomings of our model, which may be solved by future simulations that include magnetic fields.
Thermal spin photonics in the near-field of nonreciprocal media

The interplay of spin angular momentum and thermal radiation is a frontier area of interest to nanophotonics as well as topological physics. Here, we show that a thick planar slab of a nonreciprocal material, despite being at thermal equilibrium with its environment, can exhibit nonzero photon spin angular momentum and nonzero radiative heat flux in its vicinity. We identify them as the persistent thermal photon spin (PTPS) and the persistent planar heat current (PPHC) respectively. With a practical example system, we reveal that the fundamental origin of these phenomena is connected to spin-momentum locking of thermally excited evanescent waves. We also discover spin magnetic moment of surface polaritons in nonreciprocal photonics that further clarifies these features. We then propose a novel thermal photonic imaging experiment based on Brownian motion that allows one to witness these surprising features by directly looking at them using a lab microscope. We further demonstrate the universal behavior of these near-field thermal radiation phenomena through a comprehensive analysis of gyroelectric, gyromagnetic and magneto-electric nonreciprocal materials. Together, these results expose a surprisingly little explored research area of thermal spin photonics with prospects for new avenues related to non-Hermitian topological photonics and radiative heat transport.
Hydrodynamics of Active Defects: From Order to Chaos to Defect Ordering

A new theoretical framework for active nematic fluids describes how topological defects move about within the material, predicting that under certain conditions the defects will organize themselves into a flock.
Gluon chain model of the confining force

We develop a picture of the QCD string as a chain of constituent gluons, bound by attractive nearest-neighbor forces which may be treated perturbatively. This picture accounts for both Casimir scaling at large Nc, and the asymptotic center dependence of the static quark potential. We discuss the relevance, to the gluon-chain picture, of recent three-loop results for the static quark potential. A variational framework is presented for computing the minimal energy and wavefunction of a long gluon chain, which enables us to derive both the logarithmic broadening of the QCD flux tube (``roughening''), and the existence of a Luscher −c/R term in the potential.
The Odd nilHecke Algebra and its Diagrammatics

We introduce an odd version of the nilHecke algebra and develop an odd analogue of the thick diagrammatic calculus for nilHecke algebras. We graphically describe idempotents which give a Morita equivalence between odd nilHecke algebras and the rings of odd symmetric functions in finitely many variables. Cyclotomic quotients of odd nilHecke algebras are Morita equivalent to rings which are odd analogues of the cohomology rings of Grassmannians. Like their even counterparts, odd nilHecke algebras categorify the positive half of quantum sl(2).
Effect of Accelerated Global Expansion on Bending of Light

In 2007 Rindler and Ishak showed that, contrary to previous claims, the value of the cosmological constant does have an effect on light deflection by a gravitating object in an expanding universe. In their work they considered a Schwarzschild–de Sitter (SdS) spacetime, which has a constant asymptotic expansion rate $$H_0$$ . A model with a time-dependent H(t) was studied by Kantowski et al., who consider in their 2010 paper a “Swiss-cheese” model of a Friedmann–Lemaitre–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) spacetime with an embedded SdS bubble. In this paper, we generalize the Rindler and Ishak model to time-varying H(t) in another way, by considering light bending in a McVittie metric representing a gravitating object in a FLRW cosmological background. We carry out numerical simulations of the propagation of null geodesics in different McVittie spacetimes, in which we keep the values of the distances from the observer to the lensing object and to the source fixed, and vary the form of H(t).
The latent state hazard model, with application to wind turbine reliability

We present a new model for reliability analysis that is able to distinguish the latent internal vulnerability state of the equipment from the vulnerability caused by temporary external sources. Consider a wind farm where each turbine is running under the external effects of temperature, wind speed and direction, etc. The turbine might fail because of the external effects of a spike in temperature. If it does not fail during the temperature spike, it could still fail due to internal degradation, and the spike could cause (or be an indication of) this degradation. The ability to identify the underlying latent state can help better understand the effects of external sources and thus lead to more robust decision-making. We present an experimental study using SCADA sensor measurements from wind turbines in Italy.
The Future of Labor Localism in an Age of Preemption

In recent years, labor and civil rights groups have successfully pushed for local regulation raising the minimum wage, creating new parenting and sick leave policies, and broadening anti-discrimina...
Acceleration of nonlinear solvers for natural convection problems

This paper develops an efficient and robust solution technique for the steady Boussinesq model of non-isothermal flow using Anderson acceleration applied to a Picard iteration. After analyzing the fixed point operator associated with the nonlinear iteration to prove that certain stability and regularity properties hold, we apply the authors' recently constructed theory for Anderson acceleration, which yields a convergence result for the Anderson accelerated Picard iteration for the Boussinesq system. The result shows that the leading term in the residual is improved by the gain in the optimization problem, but at the cost of additional higher order terms that can be significant when the residual is large. We perform numerical tests that illustrate the theory, and show that a 2-stage choice of Anderson depth can be advantageous. We also consider Anderson acceleration applied to the Newton iteration for the Boussinesq equations, and observe that the acceleration allows the Newton iteration to converge for significantly higher Rayleigh numbers that it could without acceleration, even with a standard line search.
The Hessian Penalty: A Weak Prior for Unsupervised Disentanglement

Existing disentanglement methods for deep generative models rely on hand-picked priors and complex encoder-based architectures. In this paper, we propose the Hessian Penalty, a simple regularization term that encourages the Hessian of a generative model with respect to its input to be diagonal. We introduce a model-agnostic, unbiased stochastic approximation of this term based on Hutchinson’s estimator to compute it efficiently during training. Our method can be applied to a wide range of deep generators with just a few lines of code. We show that training with the Hessian Penalty often causes axis-aligned disentanglement to emerge in latent space when applied to ProGAN on several datasets. Additionally, we use our regularization term to identify interpretable directions in BigGAN’s latent space in an unsupervised fashion. Finally, we provide empirical evidence that the Hessian Penalty encourages substantial shrinkage when applied to over-parameterized latent spaces. We encourage readers to view videos of our disentanglement results at www.wpeebles.com/hessian-penalty, and code at https://github.com/wpeebles/hessian_penalty.
DAVE: Deriving Automatically Verilog from English

Specifications for digital systems are provided in natural language, and engineers undertake significant efforts to translate these into the programming languages understood by compilers for digital systems. Automating this process allows designers to work with the language in which they are most comfortable - the original natural language - and focus instead on other downstream design challenges. We explore the use of state-of-the-art machine learning (ML) to automatically derive Verilog snippets from English via fine-tuning GPT-2, a natural language ML system. We describe our approach for producing a suitable dataset of novice-level digital design tasks and provide a detailed exploration of GPT-2, finding encouraging translation performance across our task sets (94.8 % correct), with the ability to handle both simple and abstract design tasks.
Augmented phase reduction for periodic orbits near a homoclinic bifurcation and for relaxation oscillators

Oscillators - dynamical systems with stable periodic orbits - arise in many systems of physical, technological, and biological interest. The standard phase reduction, a model reduction technique based on isochrons, can be unsuitable for oscillators which have a small-magnitude negative nontrivial Floquet exponent. This necessitates the use of the augmented phase reduction, a recently devised two-dimensional reduction technique based on isochrons and isostables. In this article, we calculate analytical expressions for the augmented phase reduction for two dynamically different planar systems: periodic orbits born out of a homoclinic bifurcation, and relaxation oscillators. To validate our calculations, we simulate models in these dynamic regimes, and compare their numerically computed augmented phase reduction with the derived analytical expressions. These analytical and numerical calculations help us to understand conditions for which the use of augmented phase reduction over the standard phase reduction can be advantageous.
Robust Learning of Mixtures of Gaussians

We resolve one of the major outstanding problems in robust statistics. In particular, if $X$ is an evenly weighted mixture of two arbitrary $d$-dimensional Gaussians, we devise a polynomial time algorithm that given access to samples from $X$ an $\eps$-fraction of which have been adversarially corrupted, learns $X$ to error $\poly(\eps)$ in total variation distance.
MSNet: A Multilevel Instance Segmentation Network for Natural Disaster Damage Assessment in Aerial Videos

In this paper, we study the problem of efficiently assessing building damage after natural disasters like hurricanes, floods or fires, through aerial video analysis. We make two main contributions. The first contribution is a new dataset, consisting of user-generated aerial videos from social media with annotations of instance-level building damage masks. This provides the first benchmark for quantitative evaluation of models to assess building damage using aerial videos. The second contribution is a new model, namely MSNet, which contains novel region proposal network designs and an unsupervised score refinement network for confidence score calibration in both bounding box and mask branches. We show that our model achieves state-of-the-art results compared to previous methods in our dataset.1
A generalized class of strongly stable and dimension-free T-RPMD integrators.

Recent work shows that strong stability and dimensionality freedom are essential for robust numerical integration of thermostatted ring-polymer molecular dynamics (T-RPMD) and path-integral molecular dynamics, without which standard integrators exhibit non-ergodicity and other pathologies [R. Korol et al., J. Chem. Phys. 151, 124103 (2019) and R. Korol et al., J. Chem. Phys. 152, 104102 (2020)]. In particular, the BCOCB scheme, obtained via Cayley modification of the standard BAOAB scheme, features a simple reparametrization of the free ring-polymer sub-step that confers strong stability and dimensionality freedom and has been shown to yield excellent numerical accuracy in condensed-phase systems with large time steps. Here, we introduce a broader class of T-RPMD numerical integrators that exhibit strong stability and dimensionality freedom, irrespective of the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck friction schedule. In addition to considering equilibrium accuracy and time step stability as in previous work, we evaluate the integrators on the basis of their rates of convergence to equilibrium and their efficiency at evaluating equilibrium expectation values. Within the generalized class, we find BCOCB to be superior with respect to accuracy and efficiency for various configuration-dependent observables, although other integrators within the generalized class perform better for velocity-dependent quantities. Extensive numerical evidence indicates that the stated performance guarantees hold for the strongly anharmonic case of liquid water. Both analytical and numerical results indicate that BCOCB excels over other known integrators in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and stability with respect to time step for practical applications.
(Un)expected housing price changes: Identifying the drivers of small business finance

Abstract In this paper, we use the Kauffman Firm Survey to examine the effect of housing price changes on small business financial variables. We apply macroeconomic forecasting techniques to decompose housing price changes into expected and unexpected components. In addition to investigating the effect of predictable and unpredictable movements in housing prices, we argue that our use of forecast errors allows us to identify plausibly exogenous variation in housing prices. We show that for several measures of small business financing, the unexpected housing price changes have particularly large effects on small business balance sheets. Analysis of specific measures of credit access points to the channels of transmission of housing market disruptions on small business outcomes and suggests that small business owners absorb negative shocks to housing wealth through relatively expensive sources of credit and not through loans from the banking sector. We conclude with policy proposals for reducing the effect of housing market disruptions on small businesses.
The Law, Economics, and Psychology of Manipulation

This comment on Cass Sunsteinâs paper, âFifty Shades of Manipulation", argues that âmanipulationâ â âcontrolling or playing upon someone by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to oneâs own advantageâ â has always been regarded as wrongful, an indirect form of fraud, by common law courts and government regulators. The manipulator perceives that the victim brings incorrect assumptions to a transaction and does not correct them, or else anticipates and takes advantage of peopleâs propensity to make incorrect inferences. Thus, the manipulator is able to effect a transfer from the victim to himself without resorting to explicit fraudulent statements or coercion. Within the various standard constraints like problems of proof, the government should and does try to restrict manipulation for standard efficiency and welfarist reasons. The law does not provide a remedy to fraud when it causes no harm, and similarly it should not for manipulation. Analogously, I argue that when government uses manipulation to advance the public good, it should be evaluated on welfarist grounds.
Refusals to Deal with Competitors by Owners of Patents and Copyrights: Reflections on the Image Technical and Xerox Decisions

Under the patent and copyright laws, the owner of a patent for an invention or of a copyright for a work has the right to sell, license or transfer it, to exploit it individually and exclusively, or even to decide to withhold it from the public. By contrast, under the antitrust laws, a unilateral refusal to deal may constitute an element of a violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act, and the courts may then impose a duty on the violator to deal with others, including possibly with its actual or would-be competitors. The central question addressed by this Article arises from an attempt to harmonize these potentially conflicting principles: What is the extent to which the antitrust laws may impose a duty to deal on the owner of intellectual property? Two recent court of appeals decisions have taken notably different approaches to this question. In Image Technical Services v. Eastman Kodak, the Ninth Circuit held that, in the absence of legitimate business justifications, the defendant, the owner of copyright and patent rights, violated the Sherman Act by its refusal to sell or license the products subject to intellectual property protection to its competitors. In In re Independent Service Organizations Antitrust Litigation (Xerox), the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit expressly disagreed with the Ninth Circuit and rejected the proposition that even in the absence of those justifications, the antitrust laws might impose a duty on the owner of patents or copyrights to deal with competitors. On several occasions, albeit not in the context of intellectual property, the Supreme Court has recognized that the antitrust laws may impose a duty on a firm with market power to deal with its competitors. However, last Term, in Trinko, the Supreme Court limited the reach of some of those prior decisions. This Article explores this apparent - but in fact exaggerated - tension between the intellectual property regime and the antitrust laws. What are the policy justifications for imposing, or refusing to impose, a duty on the owner of intellectual property to deal with competitors? Was Image Technical correctly decided? To what extent does Image Technical survive after Xerox, Trinko, and other recent cases?
Aseret Had'Varim in Tension: The Ten Commandments and the Bill of Rights

This essay describes the way in which the Ten Commandments and the Constitution are in conflict: It is in large part the Bill of Rights which bars the Ten Commandments from serving a functional role in American criminal law. For example, the First Commandment ("Thou shalt have no other gods before me") cannot become a part of the criminal law because of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion. This simple observation unsettles the shibboleth that The Ten Commandments are a foundation of American law, and challenges the presentation of the two as companion documents.
PROBLEMS IN THE NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF MODELS WITH HETEROGENEOUS AGENTS AND ECONOMIC DISTORTIONS

Our work has been concerned with the numerical simulation of dynamic economies with heterogeneous agents and economic distortions. Recent research has drawn attention to inherent difficulties in the computation of competitive equilibria for these economies: A continuous Markovian solution may fail to exist, and some commonly used numerical algorithms may not deliver accurate approximations. We consider a reliable algorithm set forth in Feng et al. (2009), and discuss problems related to the existence and computation of Markovian equilibria, as well as convergence and accuracy properties. We offer new insights into numerical simulation. (JEL: C6, D5, E2)
Generalized Method of Integrated Moments for High‐Frequency Data

We propose a semiparametric two-step inference procedure for a finite-dimensional parameter based on moment conditions constructed from high-frequency data. The population moment conditions take the form of temporally integrated functionals of state-variable processes that include the latent stochastic volatility process of an asset. In the first step, we nonparametrically recover the volatility path from high-frequency asset returns. The nonparametric volatility estimator is then used to form sample moment functions in the second-step GMM estimation, which requires the correction of a high-order nonlinearity bias from the first step. We show that the proposed estimator is consistent and asymptotically mixed Gaussian and propose a consistent estimator for the conditional asymptotic variance. We also construct a Bierens-type consistent specification test. These infill asymptotic results are based on a novel empirical-process-type theory for general integrated functionals of noisy semimartingale processes.
Subsidizing the Press

Through beat reporting and investigative journalism, reporters monitor the foundational institutions of our society. This reporting has value even to those who never buy a newspaper or read a website. For example, subscribers and nonsubscribers alike benefit when government officials respond to a critical news story by eliminating an abusive practice. Yet unfortunately, the professional press is experiencing a severe economic crisis. Layoffs are pervasive, and news organizations across the nation are on the brink of insolvency. As a result, a number of commentators have proposed government subsidies for the press. Yet if the press becomes financially dependent on the government, would they be deterred from monitoring and criticizing the government? If so, the subsidy would undercut some of the social benefits it is meant to preserve. In response to this conundrum, this Article proposes a three-part analytical framework for evaluating press subsidies. The first step is to assess how effectively the subsidy safeguards press independence. The second criterion, which this Article calls ‘‘focus,’’ gauges how effectively a subsidy channels resources to externalitygenerating activities, as opposed to other uses. For example, a subsidy that induces press organizations to hire more reporters is superior to one that can be used, instead,to fund pay raises for the advertising staff.The third criterion is political feasibility. How likely is a subsidy to attract political support? And how much political support does it need? One that can be implemented undercurrent law, forexample, requires less political support than one that depends on broad new legislation. Based on this framework, the principal recommendation of this Article is for news organizations to make greater use of the nonprofit form. By providing a subsidy through the charitable deduction, we would not empower the government to choose how much funding to allocate to each news organization. Instead, the charitable deduction allows the government to piggyback on the judgments of private donors about which nonprofits to support. In addition, this subsidy is feasible politically since it already can be used, to a significant extent, under current law.
Legal risks for phishing researchers

Researchers are increasingly turning to live, dasiain the wildpsila phishing studies of users, who unknowingly participate without giving informed consent. Such studies can expose researchers to a number of unique, and fairly significant legal risks. This paper will present four case studies highlighting the steps that researchers have taken to avoid legal problems, and to highlight the legal risks that they were unable to avoid. It then provides a high-level introduction to a few particularly dangerous areas of American law. Finally, it concludes with a series of best practices that may help researchers to avoid legal trouble, however, this information should not be taken as legal advice.
A SEARCH FOR OPTICAL VARIABILITY OF TYPE 2 QUASARS IN SDSS STRIPE 82

Hundreds of Type 2 quasars have been identified in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data, and there is substantial evidence that they are generally galaxies with highly obscured central engines, in accord with unified models for active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A straightforward expectation of unified models is that highly obscured Type 2 AGNs should show little or no optical variability on timescales of days to years. As a test of this prediction, we have carried out a search for variability in Type 2 quasars in SDSS Stripe 82 using difference-imaging photometry. Starting with the Type 2 AGN catalogs of Zakamska et al. and Reyes et al., we find evidence of significant g-band variability in 17 out of 173 objects for which light curves could be measured from the Stripe 82 data. To determine the nature of this variability, we obtained new Keck spectropolarimetry observations for seven of these variable AGNs. The Keck data show that these objects have low continuum polarizations (p ≲ 1% in most cases) and all seven have broad Hα and/or Mg II emission lines in their total (unpolarized) spectra, indicating that they should actually be classified as Type 1 AGNs. We conclude that the primary reasonmore » variability is found in the SDSS-selected Type 2 AGN samples is that these samples contain a small fraction of Type 1 AGNs as contaminants, and it is not necessary to invoke more exotic possible explanations such as a population of 'naked' or unobscured Type 2 quasars. Aside from misclassified Type 1 objects, the Type 2 quasars do not generally show detectable optical variability over the duration of the Stripe 82 survey.« less
Finite lifetimes, long-term debt and the fiscal limit

Abstract The U.S. faces exponentially rising entitlement obligations. I introduce a fiscal limit—a point where higher taxes are no longer a feasible financing mechanism—into a Perpetual Youth model to examine how intergenerational redistributions of wealth, the average duration of government debt, and entitlement reform impact the consequences of explosive government transfers. Three key findings emerge: (1) Growing government transfers cause more severe and more persistent stagflation than in representative agent models that do not capture intergenerational transfers of wealth; (2) A longer average duration of government debt pushes the financing of government liabilities into the future and reduces the short-run impacts of explosive transfers; (3) The time it takes the economy to rebound from a period of growing transfers increases exponentially with the number of years it takes to pass entitlement reform.
Defending Demaree: The Ex Post Facto Clause's Lack of Control Over the Federal Sentencing Guidelines After Booker

In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Federal Sentencing Guidelines violated a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial because they allowed a judge to depart from a mandatory range based on facts not presented to a jury. As a solution, the Court modified the Guidelines to be advisory, yet curiously held that sentences were still subject to appellate review for reasonableness. Given this tension, U.S. courts of appeals are split on whether the Guidelines are laws, subject to the Ex Post Facto Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This Note argues that the Guidelines are advisory, given the level of deference the Supreme Court and circuit courts have recently given to sentencing judges in departures from the Guidelines, and thus they are not laws under the Ex Post Facto Clause.
G Forces: Gideon v. Wainwright and Matthew Adler's Move Beyond Cost-Benefit Analysis

With the approach of the fiftieth anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, Matthew Adler's continuous prioritarian social welfare economic theory provides an interesting new resource for advocates of public defense reform. Adler argues for a moral decision-making procedure in large-scale policy settings that prioritizes the interests of the less well-off. This essay identifies some key steps in Adler's analysis, highlights several avenues for critique and further development of his arguments, and begins to explore the doctrinal development of the right to counsel as an instantiation of his inequality-averse approach to moral decision-making.
Codifying Commonsense: Religious viewpoint antidiscrimination acts and the free speech rights they protect

The Supreme Court has held that the freedom of speech is not shed at the schoolhouse doors and warrants protection. Students’ whose religious viewpoints are discriminated against at school are likely unaware of their constitutional rights. The Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act or Student Religious Liberties Act, passed in Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas, aims to protect students’ right to free speech. The Acts reaffirm constitutionally protected rights to free speech in classroom assignments, homework, and other interactions while at school. The Acts also advocate for the establishment of a limited public forum at all school-sponsored events where students may speak. This policy ensures that students can speak at any school-sponsored event without the fear of discrimination or retribution. The Acts pass scrutiny under both the Lemon test and the endorsement test and protect the school from most Establishment Clause violations. The Acts promote a policy that protects students’ free speech rights, including any religious expressions and provide teachers and administrators with a clear policy that will prevent costly litigation.
The Tax Policy Debate: Increasing the Policy Impact of Academic Tax Accounting Research

ABSTRACT: Motivation— Academic accounting journals publish research with potential policy implications; however, the published manuscripts are often not considered by policymakers. We argue that the academic research currently being produced by accountants can have an increased policy impact. Objective— Our objective is to discuss how the policy impact of the academic research currently being produced can be increased by effectively integrating, presenting, and disseminating information that is useful to policymakers. Contribution to the Academic Literature— We offer the following recommendations to increase the policy impact of academic research: (1) integrate a discussion of the debate surrounding the tax policy issue under study into the manuscript; (2) explicitly offer detailed interpretations and implications of the research results; (3) proffer normative statements based on the empirical evidence; (4) provide a synopsis of the manuscript's contribution to the policy debate via a structured abstract;...
The Role of Newswires in Screening and Disseminating Value-Relevant Information in Periodic SEC Reports

ABSTRACT: We examine the role of newswires in identifying and conveying market-moving information in periodic SEC reports to capital market participants. Using data on Dow Jones Newswires, we find that newswires are more likely to send alerts on firms that do not release preliminary earnings, have credit ratings, are included in major market indices, have litigation exposure, or report losses. Reflective of the market’s focus on certain key events, firms with a nonstandard audit opinion, in the process of delisting, reporting unusual accounting items, or raising equity capital also receive alerts. Moreover, not only do we find significant price and volume reactions to the alerts at the daily level, but also we document immediate intra-day market activity triggered by the alerts, whereas we detect no similar reaction for SEC filings that trigger the alerts. Additional analysis suggests that the intra-day reaction is not driven by noise trading.
The Role of the Administrator in Instructional Technology Policy

In response to national and state reform movements, and in an attempt to strengthen preparation standards for teachers and students, accreditation boards have prepared performance indicators in the area of technology. Such standards call for the full integration of technology in school curricula, formal coursework and professional development workshops for teachers, and an understanding on the part of teachers and students alike as to the legal and ethical issues surrounding the use of technology. The thesis of this research is that it is essential that school administrators be involved in all levels of planning and integrating technology into school curricula since it is they who will be ultimately responsible for implementing new technology programs in schools.
Chapter 11 Reorganization and the Fair and Equitable Standard: How the Absolute Priority Rule Applies to All Nonprofit Entities

In recent years, nonprofit entities increasingly have sought bankruptcy protection. Though the Bankruptcy Code does not prevent nonprofits from reorganizing, Chapter 11 was designed for and applies best to for-profit businesses. This creates challenges for courts evaluating a nonprofit’s reorganization plan. This Article focuses on one crucial aspect of a court’s evaluation — the fair and equitable standard, a necessary, but not sufficient condition of which is satisfaction of the absolute priority rule.The few courts addressing absolute priority claims in nonprofit reorganizations have held that the rule is categorically inapplicable to nonprofit entities except in limited circumstances. These courts overall failed to consider explicitly whether the nonprofit demonstrated that the plan otherwise satisfied the fair and equitable standard. Thereby, these courts potentially created case law that may be read to provide that a nonprofit’s plan need not allocate all going concern value to creditors until creditors are paid in full, as is required by the absolute priority rule and as is fundamental to the fair and equitable standard. This Article sets forth a theory of how the rule, by way of its history and underlying principles, applies to all nonprofit entities through the fair and equitable standard. Application of these principles will force nonprofits to propose plans that meet one of Chapter 11’s rigorous approval criteria.
THE ADEQUACY OF INVESTMENT CHOICES OFFERED BY 401K PLANS

Abstract The choices made by 401(k) participants are the product of two different decisions: what is offered and what is chosen. While there have been a number of studies of the decisions made by participants in 401(k) plans, there have been no studies of the adequacy of the full set of choices offered to 401(k) participants. This paper analyzes the adequacy and characteristics of the choices offered to 401(k)-plan participants for over 400 plans. We find that only 53% of the plans offer an adequate set of options and that over a 20-year period offering inadequate options makes a difference in terminal wealth of over 53%. We find that funds included in the plans are riskier, but have a slightly higher return, than the general population of funds in the same categories. However, we find that the return difference is roughly equal to the difference in expenses between funds selected by plans and randomly selected funds. We study the characteristics of plans that are associated with adequate investment choices, including an analysis of the use of company stock, plan size, and the use of sophisticated strategies.
Mortgage (mis)pricing: The case of co-borrowers

Abstract This paper provides evidence for a performance differential between loans with one borrower and loans with two borrowers. We argue that the choice of observables considered during the rate adjustment process may lead to mortgage mispricing for loans with co-borrowers. Our findings offer an example of borrower-level information that mortgage lenders collect, which is not used in pricing, but is predictive of performance.
A National "Natural" Standard for Food Labeling

This Article evaluates the policy reasons behind the FDA's and the USDA's decisions not to regulate food producers' claims that their products are "natural." Recognizing that the modern food system presents challenges for the task of defining what is "natural," this Article concludes that the benefits of rulemaking outweigh the challenges. Federal agencies' failure to codify a definition of "natural" has caused consumer confusion, as evidenced by recent false-advertising lawsuits against food and beverage producers whose food labels bear "natural" claims. Moreover, the agencies' rulemaking reticence leaves lower courts and states free to define "natural," potentially resulting in even greater regulatory confusion. Uncertainty exposes food producers to unnecessary risk of enforcement actions, negative publicity, or litigation. Thus, this Article calls for a "natural" food standard that can be adopted by and enforced by the FDA, USDA, and FTC.
Seasoned equity offerings: What firms say, do, and how the market reacts☆

Abstract Using a sample of 438 firms that issued seasoned equity, we investigate the ex ante reasons stated by the firm for the use of capital, the actual ex post use of funds, and the market reaction to this information. We find that, regardless of the stated use of funds, firms increase capital expenditures and research and development following an SEO. In addition, firms increase their long term debt following an SEO, even when the stated reason for the capital is to pay down debt. The market reacts more favorably to the anticipated investment increases if the firm provides specific plans for the use of the soon-to-be-raised capital. The evidence is consistent with the view that agency issues are important factors in SEOs.
Term Structure of Uncertainty in the Macroeconomy

Abstract Dynamic economic models make predictions about impulse responses that characterize how macroeconomic processes respond to alternative shocks over different horizons. From the perspective of asset pricing, impulse responses quantify the exposure of macroeconomic processes and other cash flows to macroeconomic shocks. Financial markets provide compensations to investors who are exposed to these shocks. Adopting an asset pricing vantage point, we describe and apply methods for computing exposures to macroeconomic shocks and the implied compensations represented as elasticities over alternative payoff horizons. The outcome is a term structure of macroeconomic uncertainty.