cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal rate list decoding via derivative codes

The classical family of [n, k]q Reed-Solomon codes over a field Fq consist of the evaluations of polynomials f ∈ Fq[X] of degree < k at n distinct field elements. In this work, we consider a closely related family of codes, called (order m) derivative codes and defined over fields of large characteristic, which consist of the evaluations of f as well as its first m - 1 formal derivatives at n distinct field elements. For large enough m, we show that these codes can be list-decoded in polynomial time from an error fraction approaching 1 - R, where R = k/(nm) is the rate of the code. This gives an alternate construction to folded Reed-Solomon codes for achieving the optimal trade-off between rate and list error-correction radius. Our decoding algorithm is linear-algebraic, and involves solving a linear system to interpolate a multivariate polynomial, and then solving another structured linear system to retrieve the list of candidate polynomials f. The algorithm for derivative codes offers some advantages compared to a similar one for folded Reed-Solomon codes in terms of efficient unique decoding in the presence of side information.
Compositional Interface Dynamics Within Symmetric and Asymmetric Planar Lipid Bilayer Membranes

Compositional domains within multicomponent lipid bilayer membranes are believed to facilitate many important cellular processes. In this presentation, we first outline the derivation of the general equations that describe the dynamics of compositional domains within planar membranes with asymmetry in leaflet properties and in the presence of a thermodynamic coupling between the leaflets. These equations are then employed to develop analytical solutions to the dynamics of the recurrence of registration for circular domains in the case of weak coupling. Finally, numerical solutions to the governing equations are employed to provide a deeper understanding of the domain registration process.
Effects of 20th century warming and climate variability on flood risk in the western U.S.

[1] Using precipitation and temperature data for the 20th century in combination with a macroscale hydrologic model, we evaluate changes in flood risk in the western U.S. associated both with century-scale warming and interannual climate variations. In addition, we examine the implications of apparent increases in precipitation variability over the region since the mid-1970s. We use detrended temperature data representing early and late 20th century climate to force the variable infiltration capacity hydrologic model and show that spatially homogeneous temperature changes over the western U.S. in the 20th century on the order of +1°C per century have resulted in substantial changes in flood risks over much of the region. Although changes specific to particular geographic areas are apparent in some cases, the overall changes due to observed warming trends are well categorized by midwinter temperature regimes in each watershed. Cold river basins where snow processes dominate the annual hydrologic cycle ( 5°C average in midwinter) show little systematic change. Intermediate or transient basins show a wide range of effects depending on competing factors such as the relative role of antecedent snow and contributing basin area during storms that cause flooding. Warmer transient basins along the coast in Washington, Oregon, and California, in particular, tend to show increased flood risk. While the absolute value of simulated changes in flood risk is affected by basin scale, the nature of the relationship of flood risk to basin temperatures in midwinter is largely scale-independent. Climate variations associated with Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) also have strong effects on flood risks. In contrast to the effects associated with 20th century warming, the climate variability signal is characterized by regional scale patterns related to the geographic distribution of cool season precipitation also identified in many previous studies. In general, the largest changes in simulated flood risks are associated with years when PDO and ENSO are "in phase," particularly in the southwest. Changes in the variability of cool season precipitation after about 1973, the causes of which are uncertain, are shown to result in increased flood risk over much of the western U.S. in the simulations.
Reproduction and Survival of Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) Fed Linolenic Acid as the Only Source of Essential Fatty Acids

A semipurified test diet containing 1% linolenate as the sole dietary essential fatty acid was fed to a group of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) for 34 months. The fish matured and the eggs produced were hatched. The second generation fry were fed our laboratory diet for 3 months. The growth of these fry was normal. Histologic examinations revealed no abnormality in liver, heart and kidney tissues of the fry during the three month period.
From Livingstone to SMV

To fulfill the needs of its deep space exploration program, NASA is actively supportingresearc h and development in autonomy software. However, the reliable and cost-effective development and validation of autonomy systems poses a tough challenge. Traditional scenario-based testingmetho ds fall short because of the combinatorial explosion of possible situations to be analyzed, and formal verification techniques typically require a tedious, manual modellingb y formal method experts. This paper presents the application of formal verification techniques in the development of autonomous controllers based on Livingstone, a model-based health-monitoringsystem that can detect and diagnose anomalies and suggest possible recovery actions. We present a translator that converts the models used by Livingstone into specifications that can be verified with the SMV model checker. The translation frees the Livingstone developer from the tedious conversion of his design to SMV, and isolates him from the technical details of the SMV program. We describe different aspects of the translation and briefly discuss its application to several NASA domains.
Expert systems: working systems and the research literature

: Many expert systems have moved out of development laboratories into field test and routine use. About sixty such systems are listed. Academic research laboratories are contributing manpower to fuel the commercial development of AI. But the quantity of AI research may decline as a result unless the applied systems are experimented with and analyzed.
Estimation With a Helper Who Knows the Interference

We consider the problem of estimating a signal corrupted by independent interference with the assistance of a cost-constrained helper who knows the interference causally or noncausally. When the interference is known causally, we characterize the minimum distortion incurred in estimating the desired signal. In the noncausal case, we present a general achievable scheme for discrete memoryless systems and novel lower bounds on the distortion for the binary and Gaussian settings. Our Gaussian setting coincides with that of assisted interference suppression introduced by Grover and Sahai. Our lower bound for this setting is based on the relation recently established by Verdu between divergence and minimum mean squared error. We illustrate with a few examples that this lower bound can improve on those previously developed. Our bounds also allow us to characterize the optimal distortion in several interesting regimes. Moreover, we show that causal and noncausal estimation are not equivalent for this problem. Finally, we consider the case where the desired signal is also available at the helper. We develop new lower bounds for this setting that improve on those previously developed, and characterize the optimal distortion up to a constant multiplicative factor for some regimes of interest.
Sparse hypergraphs with low independence number

Let K4(3) denote the complete 3-uniform hypergraph on 4 vertices. Ajtai, Erdźs, Komlos, and Szemeredi (1981) asked if there is a function ź(d)źź such that every 3-uniform, K4(3)-free hypergraph H with N vertices and average degree d has independence number at least $$\frac{N} {{d^{1/2} }}\omega (d)$$Nd1/2ź(d). We answer this question by constructing a 3-uniform, K4(3)-free hypergraph with independence number at most $$2\frac{N}{{{d^{1/2}}}}$$2Nd1/2. We also provide counterexamples to several related conjectures and improve the lower bound of some hypergraph Ramsey numbers.
A historical review and resource guide to the scholarship of teaching and training in psychology and law and forensic psychology.

The field of psychology and law, including forensic psychology, is an exciting concentration of research activity and student training and has grown rapidly, but to what extent have teaching and training efforts in the field been systematically catalogued and evaluated? We conducted a historical review and content analysis of the American and Canadian literature on the scholarship of teaching and training in the field. This review catalogs (a) information related to the development of training and teaching, (b) descriptions of programs and courses at various levels, and (c) articles on teaching resources or techniques in this field. We hope it serves as a useful guide to the literature resources for those in the field and a catalyst for future interest in this area of scholarship, especially for future evaluations of teaching and training.
Use of Mathematical Models to Estimate Characteristics of Pyrethroid Resistance in Tobacco Budworm and Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Field Populations

Genetic models have been used to examine the evolution of insecticide resistance in pest species subject to data and assumptions regarding genetic, biological, and operational parameters. We used time-series data on pyrethroid tolerance and simple genetic models to estimate underlying genetic and biological parameters associated with resistance evolution in tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), and bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), Louisiana field populations. Assuming pyrethroid resistance is conferred by one gene at one locus in both species, inheritance of pyrethroid resistance was partially dominant in the tobacco budworm and partially recessive in the bollworm. Relative fitness estimates indicated that fitness costs associated with resistance selected against resistance alleles in the absence of selection pressure in the tobacco budworm, but not in the bollworm. In addition, relative fitness estimates obtained using the indirect method outlined in this study were similar in magnitude to estimates obtained using traditional direct approaches.
Private and oblivious set and multiset operations

Privacy-preserving set operations are a popular research topic. Despite a large body of literature, the great majority of the available solutions are two-party protocols and expect that each participant knows her input set in the clear. In this work, we put forward a new framework for secure multi-party set and multiset operations in which the inputs can be arbitrarily partitioned among the participants, knowledge of an input (multi)set is not required for any party, and the secure set operations can be composed and can also be securely outsourced to third-party computation providers. In this framework, we construct a comprehensive suite of secure protocols for set operations and their various extensions. Our protocols are secure in the information-theoretic sense and are designed to minimize the round complexity. We then also build support for multiset operations by providing (i) a generic conversion from a multiset to a set, which makes the protocols for set operations applicable to multisets and (ii) direct instantiations of multiset operations of improved performance. All of our protocols have communication and computation complexity of $$O(m \log m)$$O(mlogm) and logarithmic round complexity for sets or multisets of size m, which compares favorably with prior work. Practicality of our solutions is shown through experimental results, and novel optimizations based on set compaction allow us to improve performance of our protocols in practice. Our protocols are secure in both semi-honest and malicious security models.
A DESICCANT-HOLDING SLIDE BOX FOR RADIOAUTOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE.

A double-depth plastic slide box is made by removing the bottoms of two standard 25–slide boxes and cementing the remaining frames together, bottom to bottom. A desiccant is placed in one box cover and fitted to the lower section of the cemented unit. A piece of screening is placed over the desiccant, the upper section filled with slides for radioautogaphy, and the empty cover applied to the top of the assembled box. Thus all slides are kept effectively and uniformly dehydrated during exposure.
Moving to the cloud: patterns, integration challenges and opportunities

There has been great interest in cloud computing in recent days with companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google and others roll out cloud computing infrastructure. Cloud computing offers a number of benefits, organizations and enterprise are hesitant due to concerns on security, control and access to data. The author is of the opinion that customers will be pragmatic and adopt a hybrid approach that will leverage on the best of both approaches. The presentation shares some patterns in the thought process when considering where applications should reside, and sheds some insights into the technical challenges when implementing such hybrid architecture.
The problem of cold starts: A closer look at mobile source emissions levels

Abstract While the phenomenon of excess vehicle emissions from cold-start conditions is well known, the magnitude and duration of this phenomenon is often unclear due to the complex chemical processes involved and uncertainty in the literature on this subject. This paper synthesizes key findings regarding the influence of ambient and engine temperatures on light-duty vehicle (LDV) emissions. Existing literature, as well as analytical tools like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES), indicate that while total vehicle emissions have dropped significantly in recent years, those associated with cold starts can still constitute up to 80% for some pollutant species. Starting emissions are consistently found to make up a high proportion of total transportation-related methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). After 3–4 min of vehicle operation, both the engine coolant and the catalytic converter have generally warmed, and emissions are significantly lower. This effect lasts roughly 45 min after the engine is shut off, though the cooling rate depends greatly on the emission species and ambient temperature. Electrically (pre-)heated catalysts, using the bigger batteries available on hybrid drivetrains and plug-in vehicles, may be the most cost-effective technology to bring down a sizable share of mobile source emissions. Trip chaining (to keep engines warm) and shifting to non-motorized modes for shorter trips, where the cold start can dominate emissions, are also valuable tactics.
The influence of rebate programs on the demand for water heaters: The case of New South Wales

This paper examines the role of Australian hot water system rebate programs in shifting the existing stock of electric water heaters toward more climate friendly versions using two unique data sets from New South Wales homeowners. The first data set is based on a survey of households who recently purchased a water heater before and after the rebate programs were in place. The other is based on a set of stated preference questions asked of households soon to face a replacement decision. While the former allows us to look at recent responses, the latter enables us to forecast future demand. We find that the programs significantly increase shares of solar/heat pump systems. The programs, however, appear less effective in reducing the stock of electric heaters for households with access to natural gas. This pattern is consistent in both datasets. Results from the discrete choice experiments suggest considerable heterogeneity with respect to household preferences toward different types of water heaters and the discount rates they hold. The effective cost of reducing carbon emissions via incentives for water heater replacement is considered from the counterfactual perspective of no government incentives.
Secure Communications in the Presence of a Buffer-Aided Wireless-Powered Relay With Self-Energy Recycling

We consider a relay-assisted wireless network, where the energy-harvesting buffer-aided relay node is powered by radio-frequency signals from a source node wishing to communicate with its destination. We propose two secure cooperative protocols for a network composed of a source node equipped with a data buffer communicating with its destination in the presence of a buffer-aided relay node and an eavesdropper. Our proposed protocols are designed based on the channel state information and the buffer state information at the source and relay nodes. The burstiness of data at the source node queue (buffer) and the energy recycling process at the relay are taken into account in our analysis. In addition, we take the decoding and signal processing circuit power consumption constraints into consideration. For the limiting case of an infinite-size battery at the relay, we derive a sufficient condition for the energy queue to saturate. Our numerical results demonstrate the throughput gains of our proposed protocols.
Fiscal and Financial Crises

Abstract Interconnections between banking crises and fiscal crises have a long history. We document the long-run evolution from classic banking panics toward modern banking crises where financial guarantees are associated with crisis resolution. Recent crises feature a feedback loop between bank guarantees and bank holdings of local sovereign debt thereby linking financial to fiscal crises. Earlier examples include the crises in Chile (early 1980s), Japan (1990), Sweden and Finland (1991), and the Asian crisis (1997). We discuss the evolution in economic theorizing on crises since the 1950s, and then provide an overview of the long-run evolution of connections between different types of crises. Next we explore the empirics of financial crises. We discuss the methodological issue of crisis measurement encompassing the definition, dating, and incidence of financial crises. Leading datasets differ markedly in terms of their historical frequency of crises leading to classification uncertainty. There is a range of estimates of output losses from financial crises in the literature, and these are also dependent upon definitions. We find economically significant output losses from various types of crises using a consistent methodology across time and datasets. Predicting crises also remains a challenge. We survey the Early Warnings Indicators literature finding that a broad range of variables are potential predictors. Credit booms have been emphasized recently, but other factors still matter. Finally, we identify a new policy trilemma. Countries can have two of the following three choices: a large financial sector, fiscal bailouts devoted to financial crises, and discretionary fiscal policy aimed at raising demand during the recessions induced by financial crises.
Positional Selectivity in C-H Functionalizations of 2-Benzylfurans with Bimetallic Catalysts.

Metal-catalyzed carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions are a mainstay in the synthesis of pharmaceutical agents. A long-standing problem plaguing the field of transition metal catalyzed C–H functionalization chemistry is control of selectivity among inequivalent C–H bonds in organic reactants. Herein we advance an approach to direct site selectivity in the arylation of 2-benzylfurans founded on the idea that modulation of cooperativity in bimetallic catalysts can enable navigation of selectivity. The bimetallic catalysts introduced herein exert a high degree of control, leading to divergent site-selective arylation reactions of both sp2 and sp3 C–H bonds of 2-benzylfurans. It is proposed that the selectivity is governed by cation−π interactions, which can be modulated by choice of base and accompanying additives [MN(SiMe3)2, M = K or Li·12-crown-4].
Synthetic Methods for the Preparation of Platinum Anticancer Complexes

The demonstration in the 1960's that cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II), or cisplatin, inhibits cellular division of Escherichia coli1 led to the subsequent discovery that this simple coordination compound is also an effective antitumor agent in mouse models.2 Subsequent studies validated cisplatin as an effective anticancer agent in humans as well,3–7 and FDA approval of cisplatin for the treatment of metastatic ovarian and testicular cancers was granted in 1978.8 Its introduction as a chemotherapeutic agent significantly improved the survival outlook for many cancer patients; the cure rate for testicular cancer before the approval of cisplatin was less than 10%, significantly lower than the 90% cure rate attained with modern platinum chemotherapy.9,10 Cisplatin kills cancer cells primarily by cross-linking DNA and inhibiting transcription.11 The chemical origin of this process begins when cisplatin enters the cell and undergoes aquation involving loss of one or both chloride ligands. The resulting platinum(II) aqua complexes are potent electrophiles that readily react with a number of biological ligands with loss of the bound water molecules. The purine bases of nucleic acids are strongly nucleophilic at the N7 position. Thus, cisplatin binds readily to DNA, forming primarily bifunctional adducts with loss of both chloride ligands. The major cisplatin-DNA adduct is the intrastrand 1,2-d(GpG) cross-link, which accounts for 60–65% of the bound platinum.12 The resulting Pt-DNA adducts, which distort and bend the DNA structure,13–15 impede transcription.16 The downstream effects of transcription inhibition ultimately lead to cell death. Despite its great curative success in testicular cancer, cisplatin is not universally effective in other cancer types and induces a number of toxic side effects.17–19 Additionally, certain cancers are resistant to cisplatin therapy. This resistance is either intrinsic or developed during prolonged treatment.20,21 To circumvent these problems, new platinum complexes have been pursued and investigated for their antitumor properties. Although well over a thousand complexes have been prepared and tested thus far,22 only two other platinum drugs are approved for clinical use worldwide, and three additional compounds are approved for regional use in Asia.23 These complexes, displayed in Chart 1, operate with a mechanism of action similar to that of cisplatin, which involves DNA binding and transcription inhibition. Open in a separate window Chart 1 Chemical structures of the clinically used platinum-based anticancer drugs. The top three complexes, cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, are approved for use worldwide. The bottom three complexes, nedaplatin, lobaplatin, and heptaplatin, are approved for use in Japan, China, and Korea, respectively.
CONSUMER DEBT STRESS, CHANGES IN HOUSEHOLD DEBT, AND THE GREAT RECESSION

This research examines psychological debt stress and changes in household debt holdings for consumers during the Great Recession using data from a monthly national U.S. household survey covering the period 2006 through 2012. Debt stress measures in the population rose by over 50% at the bottom of the recession. Determining relative stress for eight different types of household debt, we find that noncollateralized debts are more stressful than collateralized debt and that during the recession the composition of debt shifted away from collateralized debt and toward noncollateralized. Our empirical results show that women and Hispanics experienced higher measured levels of stress. (JEL D12, D18) I. INTRODUCTION In the latter part of the twentieth century, household debt began to rise to high levels in the United States. Accompanying this, there was an upsurge in reports concerning psychological debt stress coming from financial and family counselors, health-care professionals, employers, and others. These reports pointed to a wide range of health, family, and job problems for Americans arising from this increase in debt. After 2007, events in the housing market marked the onset of the Great Recession and financial crisis. Many households faced declining home prices and foreclosure as well as changes in other asset values and incomes. There was a general tightening of credit and changes in some lending practices by banks. Here we seek to add additional understanding to changes in consumer debt stress 1 during the Great Recession by relating them to changes in eight different types of debt holdings during this period. We use data covering 2006 through 2012 from the Consumer Finance Monthly survey (CFM), a national random telephone survey of household finances taken on a monthly basis from a cross
Codes in Context: How States, Markets, and Civil Society Shape Adherence to Global Labor Standards

Corporate codes of conduct are becoming an increasingly important vehicle for promoting and assessing adherence to global labor standards at factories in global supply chains, but little is known about the factors that predict when supplier factories will comply with them. Regulation and governance scholarship suggests that factories’ compliance with global labor standards depends on the institutional environments in which they are embedded. However, there are few systematic, comprehensive studies of how different regulatory institutions influence private firms’ compliance with global norms. We conduct one of the first large-scale comparative studies using tens of thousands of codes of conduct audits from one of the world’s largest social auditors to determine what constellation of international, domestic, civil society, and market institutions promotes compliance with the global labor standards embodied in codes. We find that supplier factories are more likely to comply when they are embedded in states that have highly protective labor regulation and high levels of press freedom; when they serve buyers located in countries where consumers are wealthy and socially conscious; and, among factories in developing countries, those situated in states with more international labor treaty obligations and greater densities of international nongovernment organizations (INGOs). Taken together, these findings suggest the importance of multiple, robust, overlapping, and reinforcing governance regimes to meaningful transnational regulation.
Decarboxylative Allylation of Amino Alkanoic Acids and Esters via Dual Catalysis

A combination of photoredox and palladium catalysis has been employed to facilitate the room temperature decarboxylative allylation of recalcitrant α-amino and phenylacetic allyl esters. This operationally simple process produces CO2 as the only byproduct and provides direct access to allylated alkanes. After photochemical oxidation, the carboxylate undergoes radical decarboxylation to site-specifically generate radical intermediates which undergo allylation. A radical dual catalysis mechanism is proposed. Free phenylacetic acids were also allylated utilizing similar reactions conditions.
Strategist, organize thyself

Thousands of scholars and hundreds of millions of dollars are devoted to the study of management. What has society gained from this significant and ongoing allocation of scarce talent and money? As many of our most senior scholars have noted, less than we would like. We can do better. Through an organized process, we can develop more managerial knowledge with fewer resources. In this essay, I outline two suggestions—roadmaps and the Theories of Management Catalog—that could organize and advance management knowledge and bring us into better fit with our decreasingly munificent environment.
Ionic liquids as novel media for electrophilic/onium ion chemistry and metal-mediated reactions: a progress summary

The account presented here summarizes progress from the author's laboratory during the past 15 years on the application of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) as solvents and catalysts in electrophilic/onium ion chemistry as well as in metal-mediated bond forming reactions.
Credit Default Swaps and the Empty Creditor Hypothesis—If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it

An empty creditor is a creditor who, through the use of derivatives, especially credit default swaps (CDSs), takes a position where she retains the legal rights of a creditor but has little or no economic exposure to a borrower. Thus far, the debate on empty creditors has focused mainly on how the law should react to the perceived problem of empty creditors. The debate also covers the prominent argument that empty creditors violate the underlying corporate law assumption that creditors and shareholders hold their legal rights in proportion to their economic exposure to a company. This article argues that the current debate is misguided — that empty creditors are in fact not a problem. The article presents a theoretical argument suggesting that empty creditors are unlikely to be a widespread phenomenon. Further, the article argues that the law has never made the assumption that legal rights are held in proportion to economic exposure; in fact, taking economic exposure into account when allocating legal rights to investors is contrary to fundamental principles of corporate law.
Next generation muon g-2 experiment at FNAL

The precise measurement of the muon anomalous magnetic moment aμ has stimulated much theoretical and experimental efforts over more than six decades. The last experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA obtained a value more than three standard deviations larger than predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics, and is one of the strongest hints for physics beyond the Standard Model. A new experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL, USA to measure aμ with fourfold increased precision to 140 ppb is currently in its commissioning phase. While the new experiment will reuse the 1.45 T superconducting muon storage ring which was shipped from Brookhaven National Laboratory, most of the other instrumentation of the experiment will be new. This will allow the experiment to make efficient use of the significantly higher number of muons available at the new muon campus. We discuss the general status of the experiment and in particular focus on the improved tools available to homogenize and determine the magnetic field in the muon storage ring.
Copper Coordination in Metallothionein

Metal ions in Cd,Zn-metallothionein (MT) are ligated in 2 polynuclear clusters enfolded by separate domains (1–3). The 7 metal ions are tetrahedrally coordinated to 4 cysteine thiolates (4,5). Eight of the 20 ligating cysteines exist as bridging sulfurs in the clusters (5). Other metals with tetrahedral geometry in MT include Bi(III), Co(II), Hg(II), Ni(II), and Pb(II), but the binding stoichiometry for some of these metal-protein complexes has not been established (6–10). Ag-and Cu-MT are complexes of the protein that deviate from the usual coordination of 7 tetrahedrally bound metals/polypeptide (11–14). We reported that 11–12 Ag or Cu ions can associate with MT and that the 6 domain can coordinate 6 Cu(I) ions, unlike the 3 Zn(II) ions/0 domain in Zn-MT (13,14). The higher binding stoichiometry of Cu-MT suggests that the Cu-protein adopts a binding geometry and structural conformation distinct from that of Cd,Zn-MT.
Chance-constrained scheduling via conflict-directed risk allocation

Temporal uncertainty in large-scale logistics forces one to trade off between lost efficiency through built-in slack and costly replanning when deadlines are missed. Due to the difficulty of reasoning about such likelihoods and consequences, a computational framework is needed to quantify and bound the risk of violating scheduling requirements. This work addresses the chance-constrained scheduling problem, where actions' durations are modeled probabilistically. Our solution method uses conflict-directed risk allocation to efficiently compute a scheduling policy. The key insight, compared to previous work in probabilistic scheduling, is to decouple the reasoning about temporal and risk constraints. This decomposes the problem into a separate master and subproblem, which can be iteratively solved much quicker. Through a set of simulated car-sharing scenarios, it is empirically shown that conflict-directed risk allocation computes solutions nearly an order of magnitude faster than prior art does, which considers all constraints in a single lump-sum optimization.
Efficiency and optimality of largest deficit first prioritization: Resource allocation for real-time applications

An increasing number of real-time applications with compute and/or communication deadlines are being supported on shared infrastructure. Such applications can often tolerate occasional deadline violations without substantially impacting their Quality of Service (QoS). A fundamental problem in such systems is deciding how to allocate shared resources so as to meet applications' QoS requirements. A simple framework to address this problem is to, (1) dynamically prioritize users as a possibly complex function of their deficits (difference of achieved vs required QoS), and (2) allocate resources so to expedite users with higher priority. This paper focuses on a general class of systems using such priority-based resource allocation. We first characterize the set of feasible QoS requirements and show the optimality of max weight-like prioritization. We then consider simple weighted Largest Deficit First (w-LDF) prioritization policies, where users with higher weighted QoS deficits are given higher priority. The paper gives an inner bound for the feasible set under w-LDF policies, and, under an additional monotonicity assumption, characterizes its geometry leading to a sufficient condition for optimality. Additional insights on the efficiency ratio of w-LDF policies, the optimality of hierarchical-LDF and characterization of clustering of failures are also discussed.
Nucleophile promoted gold redox catalysis with diazonium salts: C–Br, C–S and C–P bond formation through catalytic Sandmeyer coupling

Gold-catalyzed C-heteroatom (C–X) coupling reactions are evaluated without using sacrificial oxidants. Vital to the success of this methodology is the nucleophile-assisted activation of aryldiazonium salts, which could be an effective oxidant for converting Au(I) to Au(III) even without the addition of an assisting ligand or photocatalyst. By accelerating the reaction kinetics to outcompete C–C homo-coupling or diazonium dediazoniation, gold-catalyzed Sandmeyer reactions were achieved with different nucleophiles, forming C–Br, C–S and C–P bonds in high yields and selectivities.
Electron beam hardening

Recently, surface hardening techniques utilizing a high energy concentration heat source have been attracting the interest of engineers. Electron Beam Hardening is one such technique and has many characteristics, including; (1) Suitable for hardening specified local area of very complicated shape; (2) High energy concentration and efficiency; (3) Beam application is only several seconds, etc. This paper describes the Electron Beam Hardening Method which has been successfully applied to automotive parts.
Quantum Measurement with a Positive Operator-Valued Measure

In the quantum theory of measurement, the positive operator-valued measure (POVM) is an important concept, and its implementation can be useful. Following a brief review of the mathematics of POVMs in quantum theory, a particular implementation of a POVM for use in the measurement of nonorthogonal photon polarization states is reviewed. The two-dimensional Hilbert space of the POVM implementation can be embedded in the three-dimensional Hilbert space of an ordinary projective-valued measure. Also, analytical expressions can be obtained for the maximum Renyi information loss from the device to a disturbing probe.
Interpolating the Coulomb phase of little string theory

We study up to 8-derivative terms in the Coulomb branch effective action of (1,1) little string theory, by collecting results of 4-gluon scattering amplitudes from both perturbative 6D super-Yang-Mills theory up to 4-loop order, and tree-level double scaled little string theory (DSLST). In previous work we have matched the 6-derivative term from the 6D gauge theory to DSLST, indicating that this term is protected on the entire Coulomb branch. The 8-derivative term, on the other hand, is unprotected. In this paper we compute the 8-derivative term by interpolating from the two limits, near the origin and near the infinity on the Coulomb branch, numerically from SU(k) SYM and DSLST respectively, for k=2,3,4,5. We discuss the implication of this result on the UV completion of 6D SYM as well as the strong coupling completion of DSLST. As a result, we also comment on analogous interpolating functions in the Coulomb phase of circle-compactified (2,0) little string theory.
The study of slums as social and physical constructs: challenges and emerging research opportunities

AbstractOver 1 billion people currently live in slums, with the number of slum dwellers only expected to grow in the coming decades. The vast majority of slums are located in and around urban centres in the less economically developed countries, which are also experiencing greater rates of urbanization compared with more developed countries. This rapid rate of urbanization is cause for significant concern given that many of these countries often lack the ability to provide the infrastructure (e.g., roads and affordable housing) and basic services (e.g., water and sanitation) to provide adequately for the increasing influx of people into cities. While research on slums has been ongoing, such work has mainly focused on one of three constructs: exploring the socio-economic and policy issues; exploring the physical characteristics; and, lastly, those modelling slums. This paper reviews these lines of research and argues that while each is valuable, there is a need for a more holistic approach for studying slu...
Origin of soft limits from nonlinear supersymmetry in Volkov-Akulov theory

We apply the background field technique, recently developed for a general class of nonlinear symmetries, at tree level, to the Volkov-Akulov theory with spontaneously broken $$ \mathcal{N}=1 $$ supersymmetry. We find that the background field expansion in terms of the free fields to the lowest order reproduces the nonlinear supersymmetry transformation rules. The double soft limit of the background field is, in agreement with the new general identities, defined by the algebra of the nonlinear symmetries.
Higher Education Under Pressure: What Will the Future Hold?

As part of a symposium on Rick Matasar's body of work, this article uses his The Canary in the Coal Mine: What the University Can Learn from Legal Education as its starting point. It argues that legal education may not be the canary described as undergraduate institutions have long been experiencing similar pressures. The article focuses on the cost-value proposition in both public and private higher education, with a detailed discussion of the background of escalating tuition costs and the role of federal student funding. It also addresses cost control and new revenues. Ultimately universities will have to focus ever more on values-based outcomes in the form of learning and employment results. Frequently technology is being hailed as the tool that will change all of higher education. The article explores the different ways in which technology has impacted teaching and learning in recent years. While technological changes will allow for the ongoing development of individualized learning tools and improve learning, they will not solve the larger woes of higher education. Instead they present a crucial element in the creation of new structures. Those are likely to further stratify higher education and the labor markets universities serve. In this process transformative energy is unlikely to emanate from law schools. They have largely been sheltered by their universities and continue to operate in relative insularity on their campuses and within higher education, focused on each other and the profession. In the end, universities should not rely on law schools to develop models they could emulate.
Noncommutative potential theory

We propose to view hermitian metrics on trivial holomorphic vector bundles E → Ω as noncommutative analogs of functions defined on the base Ω, and curvature as the notion corresponding to the Laplace operator or ∂∂. We discuss noncommutative generalizations of basic results of ordinary potential theory, mean value properties, maximum principle, Harnack inequality, and the solvability of Dirichlet problems.
Dominican Sugar Plantations: Production and Foreign Labor Integration

Preface Introduction Overview of the Historical and Contemporary Dominican Sugar Industry Historical National and International Labor The Modern Organization of Production and Labor Modern Haitian Migration to the Dominican Sugar Industry Factors of Expulsion and Attraction in Modern Haitian Migration to the Dominican Sugar Industry Anti-Haitian Prejudice: Origins and Myths Ethnic Distinctions, Real or Imagined? Bibliography Index
Emotional division-of-labor: A theoretical account

Abstract Division-of-labor is an account of how individuals vary in the types of contributions they make towards collective work efforts. This paper extends the longstanding concept into the realm of emotion in organizations, by developing a theoretical account of emotional division-of-labor (EDOL). Activities that require emotional abilities permeate the roles necessary for interdependent tasks in modern organizations. As with any other form of human capital, it is not necessary to draw equally from each person. Work is structured, instead, to distribute emotion-laden roles across members of workgroups. The model emphasizes that EDOL is both engineered deliberately and also emerges organically during interdependent work. Those who tend to take on roles requiring emotional competencies are those who are capable, believe themselves to be capable, and/or are believed to be capable. Highly committed group members of any capability level can also fill gaps as problems or opportunities arise. Case studies are presented for two settings in modern organizations—police crisis management and automobile dealerships—and reveal that group members use different combinations of emotional abilities to varying degrees, use specific abilities in complementary ways, and use the same abilities to enhance each other’s efforts. EDOL can leverage diversity in skill sets, as colleagues take on roles that compensate for each other’s weaknesses. Implications for leadership and group emotional intelligence are discussed.
Error Floor Approximation for LDPC Codes in the AWGN Channel

This paper addresses the prediction of error floors of low-density parity-check codes transmitted over the additive white Gaussian noise channel. Using a linear state-space model to estimate the behavior of the sum-product algorithm (SPA) decoder in the vicinity of trapping sets (TSs), we study the performance of the SPA decoder in the log-likelihood ratio (LLR) domain as a function of the LLR saturation level. When applied to several widely studied codes, the model accurately predicts a significant decrease in the error floor as the saturation level is allowed to increase. For nonsaturating decoders, however, we find that the state-space model breaks down after a small number of iterations due to the strong correlation of LLR messages. We then revisit Richardson's importance-sampling methodology for estimating error floors due to TSs when those floors are too low for Monte Carlo simulation. We propose modifications that account for the behavior of a nonsaturating decoder and present the resulting error floor estimates for the Margulis code. These estimates are much lower, significantly steeper, and more sensitive to iteration count than those previously reported.
Approximate Kernel clustering

In the kernel clustering problem we are given a large $n\times n$ positive semi-definite matrix $A=(a_{ij})$ with $\sum_{i,j=1}^na_{ij}=0$ and a small $k\times k$ positive semi-definite matrix $B=(b_{ij})$. The goal is to find a partition $S_1,...,S_k$ of $\{1,... n\}$ which maximizes the quantity $$ \sum_{i,j=1}^k (\sum_{(i,j)\in S_i\times S_j}a_{ij})b_{ij}. $$ We study the computational complexity of this generic clustering problem which originates in the theory of machine learning. We design a constant factor polynomial time approximation algorithm for this problem, answering a question posed by Song, Smola, Gretton and Borgwardt. In some cases we manage to compute the sharp approximation threshold for this problem assuming the Unique Games Conjecture (UGC). In particular, when $B$ is the $3\times 3$ identity matrix the UGC hardness threshold of this problem is exactly $\frac{16\pi}{27}$. We present and study a geometric conjecture of independent interest which we show would imply that the UGC threshold when $B$ is the $k\times k$ identity matrix is $\frac{8\pi}{9}(1-\frac{1}{k})$ for every $k\ge 3$.
Electric routing and concurrent flow cutting

We investigate an oblivious routing scheme, amenable to distributed computation and resilient to graph changes, based on electrical flow. Our main technical contribution is a new rounding method which we use to obtain a bound on the @?"1->@?"1 operator norm of the inverse graph Laplacian. We show how this norm reflects both latency and congestion of electric routing.
SMARTies: Sentiment Models for Arabic Target Entities

We consider entity-level sentiment analysis in Arabic, a morphologically rich language with increasing resources. We present a system that is applied to complex posts written in response to Arabic newspaper articles. Our goal is to identify important entity “targets” within the post along with the polarity expressed about each target. We achieve significant improvements over multiple baselines, demonstrating that the use of specific morphological representations improves the performance of identifying both important targets and their sentiment, and that the use of distributional semantic clusters further boosts performances for these representations, especially when richer linguistic resources are not available.