cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Grover Mixers for QAOA: Shifting Complexity from Mixer Design to State Preparation

We propose GM-QAOA, a variation of the Quantum Alternating Operator Ansatz (QAOA) that uses Grover-like selective phase shift mixing operators. GM-QAOA works on any NP optimization problem for which it is possible to efficiently prepare an equal superposition of all feasible solutions; it is designed to perform particularly well for constraint optimization problems, where not all possible variable assignments are feasible solutions. GM-QAOA has the following features: (i) It is not susceptible to Hamiltonian Simulation error (such as Trotterization errors) as its operators can be implemented exactly using standard gate sets and (ii) Solutions with the same objective value are always sampled with the same amplitude. We illustrate the potential of GM-QAOA on several optimization problem classes: for permutation-based optimization problems such as the Traveling Salesperson Problem, we present an efficient algorithm to prepare a superposition of all possible permutations of $n$ numbers, defined on O (n 2) qubits; for the hard constraint k-Vertex-Cover problem, and for an application to Discrete Portfolio Rebalancing, we show that GM-QAOA outperforms existing QAOA approaches.
Validation of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator Decontamination Methods Available at a Large University Hospital

Background Due to unprecedented shortages in N95 filtering facepiece respirators, healthcare systems have explored N95 reprocessing. No single, full-scale reprocessing publication has reported an evaluation including multiple viruses, bacteria, and fungi along with respirator filtration and fit. Methods We explored reprocessing methods using new 3M 1860 N95 respirators, including moist (50%-75% relative humidity [RH]) heat (80-82°C for 30 minutes), ethylene oxide (EtO), pulsed xenon UV-C (UV-PX), hydrogen peroxide gas plasma (HPGP), and hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV). Respirator samples were analyzed using 4 viruses (MS2, phi6, influenza A virus [IAV], murine hepatitis virus [MHV)]), 3 bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores, and vegetative bacteria), and Aspergillus niger. Different application media were tested. Decontaminated respirators were evaluated for filtration integrity and fit. Results Heat with moderate RH most effectively inactivated virus, resulting in reductions of >6.6-log10 MS2, >6.7-log10 Phi6, >2.7-log10 MHV, and >3.9-log10 IAV and prokaryotes, except for G stearothermohphilus. Hydrogen peroxide vapor was moderately effective at inactivating tested viruses, resulting in 1.5- to >4-log10 observable inactivation. Staphylococcus aureus inactivation by HPV was limited. Filtration efficiency and proper fit were maintained after 5 cycles of heat with moderate RH and HPV. Although it was effective at decontamination, HPGP resulted in decreased filtration efficiency, and EtO treatment raised toxicity concerns. Observed virus inactivation varied depending upon the application media used. Conclusions Both moist heat and HPV are scalable N95 reprocessing options because they achieve high levels of biological indicator inactivation while maintaining respirator fit and integrity.
The threshold for the square of a Hamilton cycle

Resolving a conjecture of K\"uhn and Osthus from 2012, we show that $p= 1/\sqrt{n}$ is the threshold for the random graph $G_{n,p}$ to contain the square of a Hamilton cycle.
Structured ambiguity and model misspecification

Abstract A decision maker is averse to not knowing a prior over a set of restricted structured models (ambiguity) and suspects that each structured model is misspecified. The decision maker evaluates intertemporal plans under all of the structured models and, to recognize possible misspecifications, under unstructured alternatives that are statistically close to them. Likelihood ratio processes are used to represent unstructured alternative models, while relative entropy restricts a set of unstructured models. A set of structured models might be finite or indexed by a finite-dimensional vector of unknown parameters that could vary in unknown ways over time. We model such a decision maker with a dynamic version of variational preferences and revisit topics including dynamic consistency and admissibility.
Discussion of Professor Bradley Efron’s Article on “Prediction, Estimation, and Attribution”

By noting the rapid growing trend of “pure prediction algorithms,” Professor Efron compares and bridges the statistics of the 20th Century (estimation and attribution) to that of the current fast g...
Moving horizon-based optimal scheduling of EV charging: A power system-cognizant approach

The rapid escalation in plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and their uncoordinated charging patterns pose several challenges in distribution system operation. Some of the undesirable effects include overloading of transformers, rapid voltage fluctuations, and over/under voltages. While this compromises the consumer power quality, it also puts on extra stress on the local voltage control devices. These challenges demand for a well coordinated and power network-aware charging approach for PEVs in a community. This paper formulates a real-time electric vehicle charging scheduling problem as an mixed-integer linear program (MILP). The problem is to be solved by an aggregator, that provides charging service in a residential community. The proposed formulation maximizes the profit of the aggregator, enhancing the utilization of available infrastructure. With a prior knowledge of load demand and hourly electricity prices, the algorithm uses a moving time horizon optimization approach, allowing the number of vehicles arriving unknown. In this realistic setting, the proposed framework ensures that power system constraints are satisfied and guarantees desired PEV charging level within stipulated time. Numerical tests on a IEEE 13-node feeder system demonstrate the computational and performance superiority of the proposed MILP technique.
Epigenetic Modulation of SPCA2 Reverses Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer Cells

The secretory pathway Ca2+-ATPase SPCA2 is a tumor suppressor in triple receptor negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly aggressive molecular subtype that lacks tailored treatment options. Low expression of SPCA2 in TNBC confers poor survival prognosis in patients. Previous work has established that re-introducing SPCA2 to TNBC cells restores basal Ca2+ signaling, represses mesenchymal gene expression, mitigates tumor migration in vitro and metastasis in vivo. In this study, we examined the effect of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) in TNBC cell lines. We show that the pan-HDACi vorinostat and the class I HDACi romidepsin induce dose-dependent upregulation of SPCA2 transcript with concurrent downregulation of mesenchymal markers and tumor cell migration characteristic of epithelial phenotype. Silencing SPCA2 abolished the ability of HDACi to reverse epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Independent of ATPase activity, SPCA2 elevated resting Ca2+ levels to activate downstream components of non-canonical Wnt/Ca2+ signaling. HDACi treatment led to SPCA2-dependent phosphorylation of CAMKII and β-catenin, turning Wnt signaling off. We conclude that SPCA2 mediates the efficacy of HDACi in reversing EMT in TNBC by a novel mode of non-canonical Wnt/Ca2+ signaling. Our findings provide incentive for screening epigenetic modulators that exploit Ca2+ signaling pathways to reverse EMT in breast tumors.
Application of Evolutionary Algorithms and Criticality Metrics for the Verification and Validation of Automated Driving Systems at Urban Intersections

This paper proposes an approach to identify relevant parameter combinations within Logical Scenarios for the verification and validation (V&V) of automated driving systems (ADS). One approach to potentially reach the goal of safe ADS is scenario-based testing. This faces the challenge of which scenarios are relevant for a safety argument. Based on previous work, an evolutionary algorithm (EA) is used to identify safety critical scenario parameter combinations. This approach is now adopted with multiple safety metrics in an urban setting and is evaluated in a simulation environment. An automated driving function is virtually tested in an exemplary Logical Scenario including dynamic objects at a recreated intersection in the city of Hamburg. Based on this application, capabilities and limitations of the used search method and criticality metrics are analyzed. Furthermore, the benefits of this approach to identify critical combinations of parameters in Logical Scenarios are discussed.
Determinants of Board Size and Composition: A Theory of Corporate Boards

This paper models the interaction of firm insiders and outsiders on a corporate board and addresses the question of the board's ideal size and composition. In the model, the board is responsible for monitoring projects and making CEO succession decisions. Inside directors are better informed regarding the quality of firm investment projects, but outsiders can use CEO succession to motivate insiders to reveal their superior information and help the board implement higher value projects. The optimal board structure is determined by the trade-off between maximizing the incentive for insiders to reveal their private information, minimizing coordination costs among outsiders and maximizing the ability of outsiders to reject inferior projects. I show that optimal board size and composition are functions of the directors' and the firm's characteristics. I also develop testable implications for cross sectional variations in the optimal board structure across firms.
Social divisions in school participation and attainment in India: 1983–2004

This study documents the size and nature of “Hindu-Muslim” and “boy-girl” gaps in children’s school participation and attainments in India. Individual-level data from two successive rounds of the National Sample Survey suggest that considerable progress has been made in decreasing the Hindu-Muslim gap. Nonetheless, the gap remains sizable even after controlling for numerous socio-economic and parental covariates, and the Muslim educational disadvantage in India today is greater than that experienced by girls and Scheduled Caste Hindu children. A gender gap still appears within as well as between communities, though it is smaller within Muslim communities. While differences in gender and other demographic and socio-economic covariates have recently become more important in explaining the Hindu-Muslim gap, those differences altogether explain only 25 percent to 45 percent of the observed schooling gap.
THE NORTH AMERICAN BLACKOUT AND ELECTRICITY POLICY: ALTERNATIVES TO TRANSMISSION CONSTRUCTION

It is time to stop regulating the electricity industry as if it were a natural monopoly. Technology has moved on and competition must not be discouraged by regulation. Competition is not only necessary for lower prices to consumers: the particular technological developments that have taken place in recent years mean that competition can diversify supply sources and contribute to increased security of supply.
Using multi-agent simulation to understand trading dynamics of a derivatives market

A fundamental question that arises in derivative pricing is why investors trade in a particular derivative at a "fair" price supplied by Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT). APT establishes a price that is fair for a disinterested investor with a particular set of beliefs about market evolution and attributes trading to differences in those beliefs entertained by the opposite sides of the transaction. We present a model for an investor in a frictionless market that combines investors' incentives in the form of pre-existing liability structures with derivatives pricing procedure tailored for a particular investor. This model enables us to show, through a series of experiments, that investors trade even when their belief structures are identical and accurate. More generally, our study suggests that multi-agent simulation of a financial market can provide a mechanism for conducting experiments that shed light on fundamental properties of the market. As all processes in financial markets (including decision making) become automated, it becomes crucial to have a mechanism by which we can observe the patterns that emerge from a variety of possible investor behaviors. Our simulator, designed as a dealer's market, provides such a mechanism within a certain range of models.
Stealth compensation: Do CEOs increase their pay by influencing dividend policy?

Abstract Companies can increase executive compensation by allowing dividends to be paid on unvested restricted stocks grants, also known as stealth compensation. Examining all S&P 500 firms over the period 2003–2007, we find that more than half of the dividend paying firms allow this practice. We look at whether this form of compensation reduces agency costs or decreases value for shareholders. We find that CEOs' stealth compensation amounts to an average of $180,000 in additional income, which increases the CEOs' cash compensation and total compensation by 9% and 2% respectively. Firms engaging in stealth compensation have higher dividend payout ratios than those not allowing stealth compensation. For all firms using stealth compensation, there is a reduction in average ROA and Tobin's Q over the long run. However, stealth compensation companies with potential agency issues see a meaningful improvement in their long run performance. For weakly governed companies, stealth compensation may act as a bonding mechanism which may serve to reduce agency costs and therefore increase shareholder value.
Judicial Roles in Nonjudicial Functions

Judges perform nonjudicial functions in many contexts. Most jurisdictions regulate these functions in multiple ways, by statute and by custom. We provide a theory of judicial demand and judicial supply for nonjudicial functions. By teasing out the determinants of judicial involvement in nonjudicial functions, we show the potential market failures and the need for regulation. We suggest that some limitations on the judicial exercise of nonjudicial functions seem justified. However, these limits might vary across jurisdictions depending on institutional and
Optimal Ordering Policies for Inventory Problems With Dynamic Information Delays

Information delays exist when the most recent inventory information available to the Inventory Manager (IM) is dated. In other words, the IM observes only the inventory level that belongs to an earlier period. Such situations are not uncommon, and they arise when it takes a while to process the demand data and pass the results to the IM. We introduce dynamic information delays as a Markov process into the standard multiperiod stochastic inventory problem with backorders. We develop the concept of a reference inventory position. We show that this position along with the magnitude of the latest observed delay and the age of this observation are sufficient statistics for finding the optimal order quantities. Furthermore, we establish that the optimal ordering policy is of state-dependent base-stock type with respect to the reference inventory position (or state-dependent (s, S) type if there is a fixed ordering cost). The optimal base stock and (s, S) levels depend on the magnitude of the latest observed delay and the age of this observation. Finally, we study the sensitivity of the optimal base stock and the optimal cost with respect to the sufficient statistics.
A meta-analysis of the determinants of organic sales growth

Abstract We present the results of a meta-analysis on drivers of organic sales growth conducted using a Hierarchical Bayes estimation technique. Based on a comprehensive review of a diverse set of literatures on organic sales growth, we identify eleven drivers of organic sales growth performance of firms: (i) innovation, (ii) marketing orientation (iii) advertising (iv) interorganizational networks, (v) entrepreneurial orientation, (vi) management capacity, (vii) firm age, (viii) firm size, (ix) competition, (x) munificence, and (xi) dynamism. Among the variables under a manager's control, innovation, advertising, market orientation, interorganizational networks, entrepreneurial orientation and managerial capacity serve as positive drivers of organic growth. Older firms and firms operating in dynamic and competitive environments face constraints in terms of organic growth. We find that the omission of marketing variables in empirical models biases the elasticities of eight of the drivers of organic growth. Three study design characteristics impact the magnitude of elasticity of organic growth drivers: using cross-sectional data instead of panel data, using growth rates instead of absolute change as operationalization of growth and using market share instead of sales as a measure of revenues.
The Long War, the Federal Courts, and the Necessity / Legality Paradox

This paper is a solicited review of Ben Wittes's book "Law and the Long War: The Future of Justice in the Age of Terror," which rightly suggests that there would be far less legal uncertainty today vis-a-vis the conduct of the war on terrorism had the Bush Administration sought - and had Congress provided - framework legislation governing issues ranging from the detention of "enemy combatants" to surveillance and even interrogation.Nevertheless, the review takes issue with Wittes's critique of the role of the courts thus far, especially his contention that the Supreme Court's decisions to date may be seen as "positioning itself for a veritable sea change in the relationship between the federal branches in wartime." As I argue, Wittes's critique of the courts suffers from two flaws: First, as a descriptive matter, he unconvincingly dismisses (even while noting) a competing narrative of the role of the courts (and the Supreme Court in particular) in the war on terrorism - as a model of judicial restraint, characterized by denials of review in most terrorism-related cases, narrow holdings on the merits, and implicit guidance to the political branches on how to avoid more serious confrontations.Second, and more deeply, Wittes suggests that such aggressive judicial review is dangerous, because it will lead to the courts having to pass upon programs that may be necessary, albeit illegal. In his words, "Judges are exactly the wrong people to ask permission to break the rules, either because they will refuse (as Taney did) in situations in which the president cannot honor the refusal or because they will acquiesce to steps that the judiciary ought not permit and certainly ought not cloak in the respectability of law." In this vein, Wittes's concerns powerfully mirror those articulated by Justice Jackson in his dissent in Korematsu - of the dangers that courts will conflate necessity with legality. While I share in those concerns, the review argues that Wittes (like Justice Jackson before him) is wrong to conclude that the optimal solution in those situations is for the courts to stay out of such disputes altogether.
Empirical Asset Pricing and Statistical Power in the Presence of Weak Risk Factors

The risk factors in many consumption-based asset pricing models display statistically weak correlation with the returns being priced. Some GMM-based procedures used to test these models have very low power to reject proposed stochastic discount factors (SDFs) when they are mis-specified and the covariance matrix of the asset returns with the risk factors has less than full column rank. Consequently, these estimators provide potentially misleading positive assessments of the SDFs. Working with SDFs specified in terms of demeaned risk factors improves the performance of GMM but the power to reject mis-specified SDFs may remain low. Two summary tests for failure of the rank condition have reasonable power, and lead to no Type I errors in Monte Carlo experiments
A cost-effective maize ear phenotyping platform enables rapid categorization and quantification of kernels.

High-throughput phenotyping systems are powerful, dramatically changing our ability to document, measure, and detect biological phenomena. Here, we describe a cost-effective combination of a custom-built imaging platform and deep-learning-based computer vision pipeline. A minimal version of the Maize Ear Scanner (MES) was built with low-cost and readily available parts. The scanner rotates a maize ear while a digital camera captures a video of the surface of the ear, which is then digitally flattened into a two-dimensional projection. Segregating GFP and anthocyanin kernel phenotypes are clearly distinguishable in ear projections and can be manually annotated and analyzed using image analysis software. Increased throughput was attained by designing and implementing an automated kernel counting system using transfer learning and a deep learning object detection model. The computer vision model was able to rapidly assess over 390,000 kernels, identifying male-specific transmission defects across a wide range of GFP-marked mutant alleles. This includes a previously undescribed defect putatively associated with mutation of Zm00001d002824, a gene predicted to encode a vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE). Thus, by using this system, the quantification of transmission data and other ear and kernel phenotypes can be accelerated and scaled to generate large datasets for robust analyses.
Benefits of International Bond Diversification

Despite suggestions that diversification benefits have fallen in the recent decade, currency-hedged bonds provided U.S. investors significant diversification benefits over January 1992-September 2002. U.S. bond returns have become increasingly correlated with U.K. and German bond returns, but correlations have declined with Japanese bonds. The changing correlations are consistent with more synchronized business cycles, but correlations have not become high enough to threaten the gains from diversification. Nor are gains on a currency-hedged basis diminished during periods of weakness or increased volatility in U.S. or foreign bond markets. Risk-reward trade-offs for each bond market vary in a predictable manner, which underscores the potential benefits of international bond investing.
The international regulation of genetically modified organisms: importing caution into the U.S. food supply.

Biotechnology in the food industry has developed rapidly in recent years. In the United States, Genetically Modified Organisms in food have increased exponentially, while these products are largely banned and strictly regulated overseas. After examining the scientific issues, including unintended risks to human health and the environment, this article explores the rigorous regulatory scheme of the EU and international community in contrast to the relatively unrestrictive approach of the United States. This article proposes an expanded model of mandatory positive labeling, in combination with voluntary negative labeling, along with a system of pre-market and post-market testing, monitoring, and tracking of GM components. In responding to the concerns of its citizens and giving greater weight to unknown risks, the U.S. government would increase consumer confidence and strengthen the long-term viability of the biotechnology industry. Moreover, by implementing more stringent standards, the United States can regain entry for its agricultural products into the global marketplace.
Optimal Control and Hedging of Operations in the Presence of Financial Markets

We consider the problem of dynamically hedging the profits of a corporation when these profits are correlated with returns in the financial markets. In particular, we consider the general problem of simultaneously optimizing over both the operating policy and the hedging strategy of the corporation. We discuss how different informational assumptions give rise to different types of hedging and solution techniques. Finally, we solve some problems commonly encountered in operations management to demonstrate the methodology.
Financial Markets and Stochastic Growth

In this paper, we study the effect of financial markets on the investment of a two-good two-country economy with stochastic production in a dynamic framework. Each country produces and invests only one good and, therefore, makes decisions as a central planner in an optimal growth model. Trade between consumers of both countries, however, takes place on competitive (spot or financial) markets. Wencompare the investment-consumption decisions of both `market' models with the benchmark-case of an integrated world-equilibrium. In the log-linear case, we can uniquely characterize the state-dependent preferences of consumers that lead to dynamically efficient investment decisions. We show that the investment decisions in both `market' models are, in general, inefficient as compared with the efficient, ornintegrated world economy, case.n
Dual Resident Voting: Traditional Disenfranchisement and Prospects for Change

In modern times, a large and growing number of Americans qualify as bona fide residents of two or more locales. These dual residents are subject to local taxes and ordinances and are profoundly affected by policies that concern their second-home community. Yet, in most states, individuals are prohibited from voting in more than one location through voting statutes that equate residence with domicile. Recently, the Second Circuit upheld a New York election law that prevents second-home owners from voting in both of their residential districts. This Note argues that extending the franchise in local elections to individuals who qualify as bona fide residents of a community, regardless of whether they already qualify to vote in another community, is required under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Such an extension is also supported by normative arguments arising from the democratic tradition of government by the consent of the governed and against taxation without representation.
Creative destruction: Identifying its geographic origins

Abstract The fate of regions and industries are often intertwined. When industries thrive, regions and their constituents benefit. However, when industries decline, regions often require new paradigms to replace the old paradigms, and infuse new economic life into the region. This study enhances understanding of the regional characteristics that hinder or promote creative destruction. It enlightens the field on the geographic origins of creative destruction by theorizing about a region's structural (determined by industry clustering and regional knowledge), social demography and political economy attributes, and their influence on the region's capacity to incubate creative destruction.
Further Assessment of the Efficiency Effects of Internet Use in Home Search

This paper examines Internet usage and the effect on buyer search efficiency using a two-stage Heckman procedure. Results indicate that as Internet usage increased, search duration increased, which...
Promoting World Peace Through the Use of the "Good Book": Implementing Foreign Policy Through the Tax Code

The Democratic Republic of Congo is renowned for its plethora of natural resources. Therefore, one would assume that the country would be thriving. However, the converse has ensued: the people of the DRC are subjected to both unremitting violence and rampant poverty. Counter-intuitively, the DRC’s resource abundance seems to exacerbate both the discord and ensuing atrocities.Why should the global community care? After all, this is not a world problem. Or is it? The current humanitarian crisis in the DRC is appalling, with thousands dying daily. Members of the international community must be made aware of the tragedy that is occurring in the DRC and support efforts to end the crisis there. Additionally, virtually all consumers have a direct hand in the ongoing crisis, as the minerals that are fueling the conflict are regularly found in components of many commonplace products. Thus, the situation in the DRC is not a Congolese or African issue, but truly a global issue. This Note explains why the current U.S. approach intending to control the flow of the “Conflict Minerals” outlined in § 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, is having the opposite effects than what was intended by the U.S. Congress in enacting such legislation. It also examines global steps that have been taken to alleviate this problem which are triggering a negative outcome as well. The Note further analyzes constitutional challenges faced by current U.S. legislation. Finally, the Note suggests an ideal method of dealing with Conflict Minerals using tax codes, thereby reducing violence and saving lives.
Forms of constitution making and theories of democracy

On the basis of a typology of forms of constitution making and with emphasis on the constitutionalization process a set of basic principles for linking constitution making with the demands of democracy is put forward. The analysis deals both with the reconstruction of historical cases and with the critical examination of relevant theories. Special attention is given to the claims concerning the exemplary character of the American model. The ongoing processes of constitutional change in Eastern Europe are also discussed.
Heterogeneous Explore-Exploit Strategies on Multi-Star Networks

We investigate the benefits of heterogeneity in multi-agent explore-exploit decision making where the goal of the agents is to maximize cumulative group reward. To do so we study a class of distributed stochastic bandit problems in which agents communicate over a multi-star network and make sequential choices among options in the same uncertain environment. Typically, in multi-agent bandit problems, agents use homogeneous decision-making strategies. However, group performance can be improved by incorporating heterogeneity into the choices agents make, especially when the network graph is irregular, i.e., when agents have different numbers of neighbors. We design and analyze new heterogeneous explore-exploit strategies, using the multi-star as the model irregular network graph. The key idea is to enable center agents to do more exploring than they would do using the homogeneous strategy, as a means of providing more useful data to the peripheral agents. In the case all agents broadcast their reward values and choices to their neighbors with the same probability, we provide theoretical guarantees that group performance improves under the proposed heterogeneous strategies as compared to under homogeneous strategies. We use numerical simulations to illustrate our results and to validate our theoretical bounds.
Managing Underwriters and the Marketing of Seasoned Equity Offerings

Using a sample of 2,281 seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) from 1995 to 2004, we show that the marketing of securities is important to issuers. The number of managing underwriters for an SEO is negatively related to the offer price discount, especially when the relative offer size is large and the stock return volatility is high. Larger investor networks of comanaging underwriters also lower offer price discounts. We argue that the evidence is supportive of the marketing hypothesis: The underwriters’ marketing efforts can lower the offer price discount by shifting up and flattening the demand curve of an SEO.
Are Capital Inflows Expansionary or Contractionary? Theory, Policy Implications, and Some Evidence

The workhorse open economy macromodel suggests that capital inflows are contractionary because they appreciate the currency and reduce net exports. Emerging market policy makers, however, believe that inflows lead to credit booms and rising output, and the evidence appears to go their way. To reconcile theory and reality, we extend the set of assets included in the Mundell–Fleming model to include both bonds and non-bonds. At a given policy rate, inflows may decrease the rate on non-bonds, reducing the cost of financial intermediation, potentially offsetting the contractionary impact of appreciation. We explore the implications theoretically and empirically and find support for the key predictions in the data.
Impedance-matched low-pass stripline filters

We have constructed several impedance-matched low-pass filters using a stripline geometry with a dissipative dielectric. The filters are compact, simple to construct, and operate in cryogenic environments. The dissipative dielectric consists of magnetically-loaded silicone or epoxy, which is commercially available under the trade name Eccosorb. For a stripline length of 32 mm, the filters have a passband that extends from dc to a 3 dB bandwidth between 0.3 and 0.8 GHz. The 3 dB bandwidth can be adjusted beyond this range by changing the filter length. An extremely broad stopband at higher frequencies, with attenuation exceeding 100 dB, is achieved along with a return loss greater than 10 dB measured up to 40 GHz. This combination of high attenuation and low reflected power across a broad stopband ensures that spurious or unwanted signals outside the passband do not reach or return to the device under test. This type of filter has applications in microwave frequency measurements of sensitive nonlinear devices such as superconducting heterodyne mixers, quantum tunneling devices and quantum computing elements.
The effectiveness and valuation of political tax minimization

Abstract We find evidence suggesting that corporate lobbying for tax purposes over the period 1999–2009 is one method by which firms managed corporate taxes. Furthermore, tax management strategies employed by these politically active firms were valued by shareholders. Firms lobbying on tax issues have lower book effective taxes and greater discretionary permanent differences in GAAP and IRS taxable income. Investors place a premium on lobbying activities for tax purposes unless the firm already has a low effective tax rate or very high book-tax differences. We conclude that lobbying political officials is one method by which firms manage risks attendant an aggressive tax strategy.
What's in a Name? The Letterhead Impact Project

What is in a name? A widespread deeply held belief by law professors is that law reviews are unfairly prejudiced and biased in favor of papers from authors at higher ranked, or more prestigious, institutions. A visit by a colleague to a ‘‘top-tier’’ law school provided an opportunity to see if this intuitive assumption was true or just urban legend. A simple experiment tested whether the rank of an author’s institution would affect how the paper was reviewed, and whether or not an author at a higher ranked institution would receive better or more preferential treatment than an author at a lower ranked institution. A colleague of mine visited for a semester at George Mason University School of
Social Security, Retirement and Wealth: Theory and Implications

The effect of Social Security rules on the age people choose to retire can be critical in evaluating proposed changes to those rules. This research derives a theory of retirement that views retirement as a special type of labor supply decision. This decision is driven by wealth and substitution effects on labor supply, interacting with a fixed cost of working that makes low hours of work unattractive. The theory is tractable analytically, and therefore well-suited for analyzing proposals that affect Social Security. This research examines how retirement age varies with generosity of Social Security benefits. A ten-percent reduction in the value of benefits would lead individuals to postpone retirement by between one-tenth and one-half a year. Individuals who are relatively buffered from the change—because they are wealthier or because they are younger and therefore can more easily increase saving to offset the cut in benefits— will have smaller changes in their retirement ages. Authors’ Acknowledgements This work was supported by a grant from the Social Security Administration through the Michigan Retirement Research Center (Grant #10-P-98358-5). The opinions and conclusions are solely those of the authors and should not be considered as representing the opinions or policy of the Social Security Administration or any agency of the Federal Government. The authors gratefully acknowledge this support.
When Leviathan Speaks: Reining in the Government-Speech Doctrine Through A New and Restrictive Approach

“When the government speaks for itself, it may take legitimate and appropriate steps to ensure that its message is neither garbled nor distorted.” This is the essential premise of the government-speech doctrine. But the distinction between government speech and private speech is not always clear, and granting the government extensive speech powers could have a devastating effect on private speech rights. Furthermore, while the Supreme Court has laid out the broad contours of the doctrine, it has provided little — and often conflicting — insight into how courts should distinguish between what is government speech and what is private speech. Without much guidance by the Court, the circuit courts‘ attempts at fashioning a functioning government-speech test have led to inconsistent results, most evident in the context of specialty license plates. In this Comment, I argue that current government-speech tests lead to inconsistent results, do not sufficiently focus on the concerns that led to the creation of the doctrine and, most importantly, do not ensure political accountability and provide adequate safeguards for private speech rights. To remedy these flaws, I propose a reasonable-observer test similar to the endorsement test used in Establishment Clause jurisprudence and identical to the test used by Justice Souter in his recent concurrence in Pleasant Grove City v. Summum. I further propose that courts guard against inappropriate use of the government-speech defense by assessing certain factors before permitting the government to use the defense. Part I will examine the history of the government-speech doctrine as it arose through key Supreme Court cases and how it has been applied by the circuit courts in the specialty license plate cases. Part II will analyze the current tests used to determine whether certain contested speech is governmental or private and the effectiveness and consistency of these tests. After showing that these current tests lead to inconsistent results and unnecessarily infringe on private speech rights, Part III will propose a stricter and more focused reasonable-observer test that will better ensure political accountability. Furthermore, Part III concludes that inquiries into both the interests involved and whether there are less intrusive means to protect governmental interests are necessary to protect First Amendment speech rights from abuse flowing from the government-speech defense.
Species pluralism does not imply species eliminativism

Marc Ereshefsky argues that pluralism about species suggests that the species concept is not theoretically useful. It is to be abandoned in favor of several concrete species concepts that denote real categories. While accepting species pluralism, the present paper rejects eliminativism about the species category. Based on the idea that the species concept is a so‐called investigative kind concept, it is argued that the species concept is important and that it is possible to make sense of a general species concept despite the existence of different concrete species concepts.
Fuel stacking in India: Changes in the cooking and lighting mix, 1987–2010☆

Abstract In the developing world, households often stack multiple fuels. In the case of India, they use both kerosene and electricity for lighting while cooking with both LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and traditional biomass. Existing scholarship on fuel stacking largely relies on small surveys and does not investigate change over time. We leverage the nationally representative NSS (National Sample Survey) of India in 1987 and 2010, finding that fuel stacking is decreasing in lighting, as people substitute electricity for kerosene, but increasing in cooking, as LPG does not replace traditional biomass. We also exploit a two-stage statistical model to analyze individual household's decision of fuel stacking. The most important finding is that, while a high household income reduces fuel stacking for lighting, it no longer does so in 2010 for cooking. The main policy implication of the study is that much more aggressive efforts are needed to deal with problems associated with biofuels, such as indoor air pollution, than to induce the switch from kerosene to electricity. The statistical model offers a considerable improvement over existing alternatives in the literature on household energy access.
Tax Shelter Malpractice Cases and Their Implications for Tax Compliance

In malpractice lawsuits, taxpayers prevailed in courtrooms, around arbitration tables, and in settlement negotiations against peddlers of abusive tax shelters. This analysis illustrates how the tax shelter malpractice experience embodies many virtues that yield tax compliance. From these virtues emerge several important lessons on how to curb aggressive tax planning. Evident from these virtues and lessons is that malpractice litigation is a powerful tool in the sphere of tax compliance, and, where possible, reforms should be instituted to further promote its use.
Quantitative Notes On The Extent Of Governmental Regulations In Various OECD Nations

Abstract This essay attempts a quantitative evaluation of the extent of governmental regulation of industry in 21 OECD nations, using several business surveys as a data base. Employing this experimental measure, the essay then explores quantitatively three questions: Is government ownership complementary or a substitute to regulation? What are the determinants of the extent of government regulation? And what is the relationship between governmental effectiveness and the extent of governmental regulation.
What Does the Second Amendment Mean Today

A growing body of scholarship argues that the Second Amendment protects a right of individuals to possess firearms, regardless of whether those individuals are organized in state militias. Proponents of the individual right view do not merely disagree with those who champion the competing view that the Second Amendment poses few if any obstacles to most forms of gun control legislation by the state or federal governments. They appear to believe that the Second Amendment has been subject to uniquely shabby treatment by the courts and, until recently, academic commentators. This Article argues that the Second Amendment has not been unfairly orphaned. The courts and commentators that reject the individual right scholars' claims are justified in doing so by the application of the same criteria of interpretation commonly applied to other constitutional provisions, including: doctrine; text; original understanding; structural inference; post-adoption history; and normative considerations. In contrast to the individual right view, under the "collective right" interpretation, the Second Amendment protects some right of state militias against undue federal interference but no right of individuals against either federal or state regulation. This Article is sympathetic to the collective right view but acknowledges that the Second Amendment is, and has always been, somewhat puzzling. Motivated in large measure by the Founders' distrust of standing armies, even on the broadest reading, the Second Amendment does nothing to prevent the federal government from maintaining a standing army. So, too, the right of rebellion that has served as the principal normative justification for a right to possess firearms has been emphatically rejected by our constitutional history.
Merger Waves: Theory and Evidence

This paper presents a model that incorporates product market competition into the standard neoclassical framework. The model explains why value-maximizing firms conduct mergers that appear to lower shareholder value. In a Cournot setting, the model demonstrates a prisoners’ dilemma for merging firms in a merger wave. Consistent with the model’s implications, the paper empirically documents that horizontal mergers are followed by substantially worse performance when they occur during waves. Moreover, further empirical tests show that the empirical relation between performance and merger waves is independent of the method of payment and increasing in the acquirer’s managerial ownership. These findings are difficult to reconcile with alternative interpretations from existing theories.
Characteristics and Patterns of Intergenerational Poverty Traps and Escapes in Rural North India

The poverty status of all 4,198 households resident in 18 villages of Rajasthan, India, was examined at four points of time between 1977 and 2010 using a retrospective methodology known as Stages of Progress. Households that were consistently poor at all four points over the 33 years were regarded as the intergenerational poverty (IGP) group. Their characteristics and experiences were compared with those of other village households, which – after being consistently poor at the first three points in time – had overcome poverty before the fourth (and final) measurement. The article shows how an impoverished inheritance, made worse by a succession of adverse events (mostly of an everyday kind), has trapped households within IGP.
What's so bad about unilateral action to protect the environment?

National actions to protect the environment can be more or less unilateral, ranging from those that promote purely national policies at one extreme to those that promote international norms at the other. Although the preference for international action to protect the environment is understandable, sometimes unilateral action can play a catalytic role in the development of an international regime. Moreover, often effective multilateral action is impossible, so the choice is not between unilateralism and multilateralism, but between unilateralism and inaction. Rather than condemning unilateralism outright, we need to evaluate each particular unilateral action (or inaction) to determine whether, on balance, it advances or detracts from desired ends. Among international lawyers, unilateralism often seems tantamount to a dirty word. To characterize an action as 'unilateral' is to condemn it. Arrogance, disregard for others, domination, even illegality — these are qualities that the term 'unilateralism' evokes. If an action is unilateral, one need not even consider whether it is substantively right or wrong; the fact that it is undertaken by a single state rather than the 'international community', in itself, makes it illegitimate. In this article, I wish to question the common equation of 'unilateral' with 'improper'. In the environmental realm, this association is far too simple. 1 In many cases, effective multilateral action to protect the environment is impossible, so the choice is not between unilateralism and multilateralism, but between unilateralism and inaction. Moreover, unilateralism is not necessarily destabilizing. Sometimes, it
Using Matching, Instrumental Variables and Control Functions to Estimate Economic Choice Models

This paper investigates four topics. (1) It examines the different roles played by the propensity score (the probability of selection into treatment) in matching, instrumental variable, and control function methods. (2) It contrasts the roles of exclusion restrictions in matching and selection models. (3) It characterizes the sensitivity of matching to the choice of conditioning variables and demonstrates the greater robustness of control function methods to misspecification of the conditioning variables. (4) It demonstrates the problem of choosing the conditioning variables in matching and the failure of conventional model selection criteria when candidate conditioning variables are not exogenous in a sense defined in this paper.