cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple objective energy operation problem using Z utility theory

In this paper, we introduce an energy operation model using three objectives of cost, environmental impact, and failure rate. Developed model increases the flexibility of energy systems in coping with changes in demands and energy prices while satisfying operational constraints. We use the Midwest Independent Systems Operator as a case study to show the efficient frontier for these objectives. We apply Z utility theory to choose the best alternative in our case study. Computational results and complexity analysis show that problems with extensive number of entities can be solved efficiently in reasonable time.
Underutilization of aspirin persists in US ambulatory care for the secondary and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Background Despite the proven benefits of aspirin therapy in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), utilization rates of aspirin remain suboptimal in relation to recommendations. We studied national trends of aspirin use among intermediate- to high-risk patients in the US ambulatory care settings and compared the priority given to aspirin versus statins for CVD risk reduction. We also examined patient and health care provider contributors to the underuse of aspirin. Methods and Findings We used the 1993–2003 US National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to estimate aspirin use by cardiovascular risk. Physician-noted cardiovascular diseases defined high risk. Intermediate risk was defined as having diabetes mellitus or multiple major risk factors. The proportion of patient visits in which aspirin was reported increased from 21.7% (95% confidence interval: 18.8%–24.6%) in 1993–1994 to 32.8% (25.2%–40.4%) in 2003 for the high-risk category, 3.5% (2.0%–5.0%) to 11.7% (7.8%–15.7%) for visits by patients diagnosed with diabetes, and 3.6% (2.6%–4.6%) to 16.3% (11.4%–21.2%) for those with multiple CVD risk factors. Beginning in 1997–1998, statins were prioritized over aspirin as prophylactic therapy for reducing CVD risk, and the gaps remained wide through 2003. In addition to elevated CVD risk, greater aspirin use was independently associated with advanced age, male gender, cardiologist care, and care in hospital outpatient departments. Conclusion Improvements in use of aspirin in US ambulatory care for reducing risks of CVD were at best modest during the period under study, particularly for secondary prevention, where the strongest evidence and most explicit guidelines exist. Aspirin is more underused than statins despite its more favorable cost-effectiveness. Aggressive and targeted interventions are needed to enhance provider and patient adherence to consensus guidelines for CVD risk reduction.
Case-based path planning for autonomous underwater vehicles

Case-based reasoning is reasoning based on specific instances of past experience. A new solution is generated by retrieving and adapting an old one which approximately matches the current situation. In this paper, we outline a case-based reasoning scheme for path planning in autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) missions. An annotated map database is employed to model the navigational environment. Routes which are used in earlier missions are represented as objects in the map. When a new route is to be planned, the path planner retrieves a matching route from the database and modifies it to suit to the current situation. Whenever a matching route is not available, a new route is synthesized based on past cases that describe similar navigational environments. Case-based approach is thus used not only to adapt old routes but also to synthesize new ones. Since the proposed scheme is centered around reuse of old routes, it would be fast especially when long routes need to be generated. Moreover, better reliability of paths can be expected as they are adapted from earlier missions. The scheme is novel and appropriate for AUV mission scenarios. In this paper, we describe the representation of navigation environment including past routes and objects in the navigational space. Further, we discuss the retrieval and repair strategies and the scheme for synthesizing new routes. Sample results of both synthesis and reuse of routes and system performance analysis are also presented. One major advantage of this system is the facility to enrich the map database with new routes as they are generated.
Electrochemical and surface science investigations of PtCr alloy electrodes

Abstract Electrodes of supported Pt, modified with Cr, have shown an increase in electrochemical activity for oxygen reduction in phosphoric acid fuel cells over supported Pt only electrodes. To clarify the role of chromium and its chemical nature at the electrode surface, we have characterized a series of Pt x Cr( 1- x ) bulk alloys ( x = 0.9, 0.65, 0.5, 0.2) by electrochemical and ex-situ surface science methods. In this paper we report the surface characterization of native and post-electrochemical electrodes by XPS, cyclic voltammetry in 0.05 M H 2 SO 4 and 85% H 3 PO 4 , and analysis of 0.05 M H 2 SO 4 electrolyte following electrochemical treatment. The surface Cr(1 to 2 nm) was oxidized to Cr 3+ oxide for surfaces at open circuit and those exposed to potentials M H 2 SO 4 and 2 PO 4 . In 0.05 M H 2 SO 4 the Cr component was electrooxidized to solube Cr 6+ species at potentials > +1.3 V with the extent of Cr dissolution dependent on initial alloy stoichiometry. Alloys with Cr content ⪖ 0.5 are capable of producing (dependent on time spent at potentials above +1.3 V in 0.05 M H 2 SO 4 ) very porous Pt-rich surfaces. Loss of Cr was also observed in 85% H 3 PO 4 for the alloys with Cr content ≧ 0.5, although at the more positive potential limit of +1.55 V. For the Pt 0.2 Cr 0.8 , treatment in 85% H 3 PO 4 at +1.4 V and above led to the appearance of Pt 4+ and Cr 6+ species, apparently stabilized in a porous phosphate overlayer up to 5 nm thick (dependent on time spent at potentials above this limit). The enhancement reported for supported Pt+Cr oxygen cathodes is discussed in the light of these results.
Inducamides A-C, chlorinated alkaloids from an RNA polymerase mutant strain of Streptomyces sp.

Inducamides A–C (1–3), three new chlorinated alkaloids featuring an amide skeleton generated by a tryptophan fragment and a 6-methylsalicylic acid unit, were isolated from a chemically induced mutant strain of Streptomyces sp. with the inducamides only being produced in the mutant strain. Their structures, including stereochemistry, were determined by spectroscopic analysis, Marfey’s method, and CD spectroscopy.
A GROUP WITH DEEP POCKETS FOR ALL FINITE GENERATING SETS

We show that the discrete Heisenberg group has unbounded dead-end depth with respect to every finite generating set. We also show that, in contrast, it has bounded retreat depth.
Subway tunnel design using a ground surface settlement profile to characterize an acceptable configuration

Abstract Tunneling induced settlement is often a controlling factor in the design of a subway or underground facility due to the impact on adjacent or overhead infrastructure. A method is proposed that uses an acceptable ground surface settlement profile to generate a tunnel system configuration that reproduces the acceptable/tolerable settlement profile. A brief discussion of existing methods of tunnel settlement analysis and two (2) case studies illustrating the proposed method are presented. The chosen case studies are urban subgrade rail tunnels (subways) constructed in Istanbul, Turkey and Bangkok, Thailand. Each case study is used to illustrate the use of the bifurcated static back calculation – iterative finite element model prediction/solution method. The initial settlement profiles used for both case histories were measured settlement profiles obtained from the literature ( Ercelbi et al., 2005 , Suwansawat, 2002 ). These settlement profiles were assumed to be the tolerable settlement profiles for the subway systems. For each case history, the iterative static back calculation – finite element model ingested the individual literature obtained design settlement profile to identify an optimum tunnel configuration (depth and size) that will reproduce the design settlement profile. Comparisons were made between the as-built tunnel configuration and the tunnel configuration predicted using the proposed method.
INITIAL IONIZATION OF COMPRESSIBLE TURBULENCE

We study the effects of the initial conditions of turbulent molecular clouds on the ionization structure in newly formed H II regions, using three-dimensional, photon-conserving, radiative transfer in a density field precomputed from three-dimensional compressible turbulence. Our results show that the initial density structure of the gas cloud can play an important role in the resulting structure of the H II region. The propagation of the ionization fronts, the shape of the resulting H II region, and the total mass ionized depend on the properties of the turbulent density field. Cuts through the ionized regions generally show "butterfly" shapes rather than spherical ones, while emission-measure maps are more spherical if the turbulence is driven on scales small compared to the size of the H II region. The ionization structure can be described by an effective clumping factor ζ = nn2/n2, where n is the number density of the gas. The larger the value of ζ, the less mass is ionized, and the more irregular are the H II region shapes. Because we do not follow dynamics, our results apply only to the early stage of ionization when the speed of the ionization fronts remains much larger than the sound speed of the ionized gas, or the Alfven speed in magnetized clouds if that is larger, so that the dynamical effects can be negligible.
Magnetically recoverable supported ruthenium catalyst for hydrogenation of alkynes and transfer hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds

Abstract A ruthenium (Ru) catalyst supported on magnetic nanoparticles (NiFe 2 O 4 ) has been successfully synthesized and used for hydrogenation of alkynes at room temperature as well as transfer hydrogenation of a number of carbonyl compounds under microwave irradiation conditions. The catalyst shows excellent selectivity toward the desired products with very high yield even after five repeated uses.
Reduced-complexity sphere decoding with dimension-dependent sphere radius design

A modified sphere decoding (SD) scheme is proposed for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems in this paper. The conventional SD goes from the lower dimension to the higher dimension to examine whether a lattice point lies inside the sphere of some radius, which remains fixed for all dimensions. Since the sphere radius directly affects the search range and thus the complexity, it is an important parameter to design. The proposed scheme employs a set of dimension-dependent sphere radii, which performs more aggressive search-space reduction in low dimensions. The proposed method is shown by computer simulation to offer substantial complexity benefits with little symbol error rate (SER) performance loss (0.5 dB), compared to the optimal maximum likelihood (ML) decoding. The contribution of this paper includes the complexity advantage yielded by the proposed scheme as well as the introduction of a systematic approach to sphere radius design and control.
Lymphoma Caused by Intestinal Microbiota

The intestinal microbiota and gut immune system must constantly communicate to maintain a balance between tolerance and activation: on the one hand, our immune system should protect us from pathogenic microbes and on the other hand, most of the millions of microbes in and on our body are innocuous symbionts and some can even be beneficial. Since there is such a close interaction between the immune system and the intestinal microbiota, it is not surprising that some lymphomas such as mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma have been shown to be caused by the presence of certain bacteria. Animal models played an important role in establishing causation and mechanism of bacteria-induced MALT lymphoma. In this review we discuss different ways that animal models have been applied to establish a link between the gut microbiota and lymphoma and how animal models have helped to elucidate mechanisms of microbiota-induced lymphoma. While there are not a plethora of studies demonstrating a connection between microbiota and lymphoma development, we believe that animal models are a system which can be exploited in the future to enhance our understanding of causation and improve prognosis and treatment of lymphoma.
Modified Sagnac experiment for measuring travel-time difference between counter-propagating light beams in a uniformly moving fiber

Abstract A fiber optic conveyor has been developed for investigating the travel-time difference between two counter-propagating light beams in uniformly moving fiber. Our finding is that there is a travel-time difference Δt=2vΔl/c2 in a fiber segment of length Δl moving with the source and detector at a speed v, whether the segment is moving uniformly or circularly.
A multi-threaded version of MCFM

We report on our findings modifying MCFM using OpenMP to implement multi-threading. By using OpenMP, the modified MCFM will execute on any processor, automatically adjusting to the number of available threads. We modified the integration routine VEGAS to distribute the event evaluation over the threads, while combining all events at the end of every iteration to optimize the numerical integration. Special care has been taken that the results of the Monte Carlo integration are independent of the number of threads used, to facilitate the validation of the OpenMP version of MCFM.
Robust Hypothesis Testing With a Relative Entropy Tolerance

This paper considers the design of a minimax test for two hypotheses where the actual probability densities of the observations are located in neighborhoods obtained by placing a bound on the relative entropy between actual and nominal densities. The minimax problem admits a saddle point which is characterized. The robust test applies a nonlinear transformation which flattens the nominal likelihood ratio in the vicinity of one. Results are illustrated by considering the transmission of binary data in the presence of additive noise.
Violence, Gender, and Subjectivity

This review examines the interlocking of violence, gender, and subjectivity within the overarching framework of the sexualization of the social contract. Tracking the question of gendered belonging to the nation state, the article discusses the anthropological literature along with feminist and critical theory to shed light on the relation between reproduction and death as a way of giving life to the nation-state. Sexual and reproductive violence are closely linked to the social and cultural imaginaries of order and disorder; and violence, far from being an interruption of the ordinary, is folded into the ordinary.
Socrates with a cane

Key to Gadamer\'s theory of hermeneutics are notions of translation, conversation, and openness. What is often not known is just how much Gadamer himself embodied those notions in his own practice as a teacher and a friend. In what follows, I speak of how the man I knew Hans-Georg Gadamer to be, illustrated some of the traits of hermeneutic theory that show that such a theory is always a practice of life and an ethical practice. Not a theoretical text but a recollection follows. S. Afr. J. Philos. Vol.21(4) 2002: 223–227
Water and Economic Growth

Several hydrological studies forecast a global problem of water scarcity. This raises the question as to whether increasing water scarcity may impose constraints on the growth of countries. The influence of water utilisation on economic growth is depicted through a growth model that includes this congestible nonexcludable good as a productive input for private producers. Growth is negatively affected by the government's appropriation of output to supply water but positively influenced by the contribution of increased water use to capital productivity, leading to an inverted-U relationship between economic growth and the rate of water utilisation. Cross-country estimations confirm this relationship and suggest that for most economies current rates of fresh water utilisation are not yet constraining growth. However, for a handful of countries, moderate or extreme water scarcity may adversely affect economic growth. Nevertheless, even for water-scarce countries, there appears to be little evidence that there are severe diminishing returns to allocating more output to provide water, thus resulting in falling income per capita. These results suggest caution over the claims of some hydrological-based studies of a widespread global ‘water crisis’.
Corrupt Organizational Hierarchies in the Former Soviet Bloc

Increasing scale and scope of corruption in the former Soviet Bloc, as well as numerous other countries, urges better understanding of the problem within the context of socio-economic transformations as it touches upon issues of organizational structures. This paper presents an overview of the research on corruption in organizations and develops models of corrupt organizations, including the vertical structure, the horizontal structure, and the hierarchy, as applied to transition economies.
Grand Unification and Intermediate Scale Supersymmetry

With minimal field content and for an interesting range of the supersymmetric Higgs mixing parameter, 0.5 ≲ tan2 β ≲ 2, the superpartner mass scale, $ \tilde{m} $ , is found to be at the intermediate scale, ~ 1010±1 GeV, near where the Standard Model Higgs quartic coupling passes through zero. For any 4d supersymmetric grand unified symmetry spontaneously broken by a vacuum expectation value 〈Σ〉, if superpotential interactions for Σ are forbidden e.g. by R symmetries, the uneaten color octet, Σ8, and weak triplet, Σ3, have masses of order m. The combination of superpartner and Σ8,3 states leads to successful gauge coupling unification, removing the disastrously high proton decay rate of minimal Standard Model unification. Proton decay could be seen in future experiments if $ \tilde{m} $ ~ 1011 GeV,but not if it is lower. If there heating temperature after inflation, T R , is less than $ \tilde{m} $ dark matter may be axions. If T R > $ \tilde{m} $ , thermal LSP dark matter may lead to the environmental selection of a TeV-scale LSP, either wino or Higgsino, which could comprise all or just one component of dark matter. In the Higgsino case, the dark matter is found to behave inelastically in direct detection experiments, and gauge coupling unification occurs accurately without the need of any threshold corrections.
A Monte Carlo comparison of traditional and Stein-rule estimators under squared error loss

Abstract This paper reports the results of using an orthonormal regression model, a squared error loss measure and Monte Carlo procedures, to compare the risk functions of traditional and Stein-rule pre-test estimators under a variety of conditions. The results of the sampling experiment indicate that the Stein-rule estimators not only dominate the sampling theory estimators used in applied econometric work but that in contrast to conventional wisdom thegains from using members of the Stein-rule family may be quite significant over a large range of the parameter space.
Entity linking for biomedical literature

The Entity Linking (EL) task links entity mentions from an unstructured document to entities in a knowledge base. Although this problem is well-studied in news and social media, this problem has not received much attention in the life science domain. One outcome of tackling the EL problem in the life sciences domain is to enable scientists to build computational models of biological processes with more efficiency. However, simply applying a news-trained entity linker produces inadequate results. Since existing supervised approaches require a large amount of manually-labeled training data, which is currently unavailable for the life science domain, we propose a novel unsupervised collective inference approach to link entities from unstructured full texts of biomedical literature to 300 ontologies. The approach leverages the rich semantic information and structures in ontologies for similarity computation and entity ranking. Without using any manual annotation, our approach significantly outperforms state-of-the-art supervised EL method (9% absolute gain in linking accuracy). Furthermore, the state-of-the-art supervised EL method requires 15,000 manually annotated entity mentions for training. These promising results establish a benchmark for the EL task in the life science domain. We also provide in depth analysis and discussion on both challenges and opportunities on automatic knowledge enrichment for scientific literature. In this paper, we propose a novel unsupervised collective inference approach to address the EL problem in a new domain. We show that our unsupervised approach is able to outperform a current state-of-the-art supervised approach that has been trained with a large amount of manually labeled data. Life science presents an underrepresented domain for applying EL techniques. By providing a small benchmark data set and identifying opportunities, we hope to stimulate discussions across natural language processing and bioinformatics and motivate others to develop techniques for this largely untapped domain.
k-Independent Gaussians Fool Polynomial Threshold Functions

We show that limited independence suffices to fool polynomial threshold functions of arbitrary degree.
Sliding Windows and Persistence: An Application of Topological Methods to Signal Analysis

We develop in this paper a theoretical framework for the topological study of time series data. Broadly speaking, we describe geometrical and topological properties of sliding window embeddings, as seen through the lens of persistent homology. In particular, we show that maximum persistence at the point-cloud level can be used to quantify periodicity at the signal level, prove structural and convergence theorems for the resulting persistence diagrams, and derive estimates for their dependency on window size and embedding dimension. We apply this methodology to quantifying periodicity in synthetic data sets and compare the results with those obtained using state-of-the-art methods in gene expression analysis. We call this new method SW1PerS, which stands for Sliding Windows and 1-Dimensional Persistence Scoring.
The (2 + 1)-dimensional black hole

I review the classical and quantum properties of the (2 + 1)-dimensional black hole of Banados, Teitelboim and Zanelli. This solution of the Einstein field equations in three spacetime dimensions shares many of the characteristics of the Kerr black hole: it has an event horizon, an inner horizon, and an ergosphere; it occurs as an endpoint of gravitational collapse; it exhibits mass inflation; and it has a non-vanishing Hawking temperature and interesting thermodynamic properties. At the same time, its structure is simple enough to allow a number of exact computations, particularly in the quantum realm, that are impractical in 3 + 1 dimensions.
Positioning and Pricing in a Variety Seeking Market

We study competitive positioning and pricing strategies in markets where consumers seek variety. Variety seeking behavior is modeled as a decrease in the willingness to pay for the product purchased on the previous purchase occasion. Using a three-stage Hotelling-type model, we show that the presence of variety seeking consumers reduces product differentiation offered in equilibrium, thereby explaining some otherwise counterintuitive findings in empirical research. We find that firms charge higher prices in Period 1 and lower prices in Period 2. The lower price in Period 2 represents the price incentive that firms need to offer to prevent the variety seeking consumers from switching. Furthermore, we find that the observed switching in a market may not fully capture the true magnitude of the underlying variety seeking tendencies among consumers. Finally, we show that the presence of variety seeking consumers leads to lower firm profits and a higher consumer surplus. Surplus increases for variety seeking consumers as well as regular consumers. Therefore, the presence of variety seeking consumers benefits everyone in the market.
Mutagenesis approaches to deduce structure–function relationships in terpene synthases

This review highlights mutagenesis studies of terpene synthases, specifically sesquiterpene synthases and oxidosqualene cyclases. Mutagenesis studies of these enzymes have provided mechanistic insights, structure-function relationships for specific enzymatic residues, novel terpene structures and enzymes with novel activities. The literature through 2002 is reviewed and 113 references cited.
Lewis Base Activation of Lewis Acids. Vinylogous Aldol Reactions

A highly regioselective vinylogous aldol reaction catalyzed by SiCl4 and a chiral phosphoramide (R,R)-5, providing delta-hydroxy enones for a variety of aldehyde and dienol ether structures, has been developed. Low catalyst loadings (1 mol %) can be employed, giving the products in good yields, excellent enantioselectivities, and in some cases excellent anti diastereoselectivities. Both simple ester-derived dienol ethers as well as dioxanone-derived dienol ethers are employed. The observed regioselectivity is rationalized in terms of the sensitivity of the catalyst to the steric demands of the nucleophile.
CFO/CEO-Board Social Ties, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Earnings Management

SYNOPSIS Prior research suggests that the efficacy of a formally independent member of the board of directors could be undermined by social ties with the CEO. In this study, we examine the relation between CFO/CEO-board social ties and earnings management over the 2000–2007 time period. Our results suggest that CFOs/CEOs picked more socially connected directors in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) time period (possibly as a way out of the mandated independence requirements). Our results also suggest a positive relation between CFO/CEO-board social ties and earnings management. Still, the increase in managerial/board risk aversion since SOX appears to have negated the effect of social ties on earnings management in the post-SOX period. Board independence and financial reporting quality remain topics of ongoing interest. The study is important in advancing our understanding of the role of social ties in earnings management.
Quantizations of some Poisson-Lie groups: The bicrossed product construction

Abstract By working with several specific Poisson–Lie groups arising from Heisenberg Lie bialgebras and by carrying out their quantizations, a case is made for a useful but simple method of constructing locally compact quantum groups. The strategy is to analyze and collect enough information from a Poisson–Lie group, and using it to carry out a “cocycle bicrossed product construction”. Constructions are done using multiplicative unitary operators, obtaining C ∗ -algebraic, locally compact quantum (semi-)groups.
Catalytic Enantioselective Approach to the Eudesmane Sesquiterpenoids: Total Synthesis of (+)-Carissone

A catalytic enantioselective approach to the eudesmane sesquiterpenoids is reported. The strategic use of a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective alkylation of vinylogous ester substrates forged the C(10) all-carbon quaternary center. This key transformation enabled a diastereoselective olefin hydrogenation to create the syn stereochemistry at C(7). The devised synthetic strategy allowed for the preparation of the antibacterial agent (+)-carissone and a formal synthesis of the P/Q-type calcium channel blocker (-)-α-eudesmol.
Highly Functional Group Compatible Rh-Catalyzed Addition of Arylboroxines to Activated N-tert-Butanesulfinyl Ketimines

The rhodium-catalyzed addition of readily accessible arylboroxines to N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines derived from oxetan-3-one, N-Boc-azetidin-3-one, and isatins proceeds in high yields with excellent functional group compatibility. Moreover, high diastereoselectivities are observed for the additions to the N-sulfinyl ketimines derived from isatins.
Ion-Acoustic Waves in the Solar Wind.

Plasma wave measurements on the Helios 1 and 2 spacecraft have revealed the occurrence of electric field turbulence in the solar wind at frequencies between the electron and ion plasma frequencies. Wavelength measurements with the Imp 6 spacecraft now provide strong evidence that these waves are shortwavelength ion acoustic waves which are Doppler-shifted upward in frequency by the motion of the solar wind. Comparison of the Helios results with measurements from the earth-orbiting Imp 6 and 8 spacecraft shows that the ion acoustic wave turbulence detected in interplanetary space has characteristics essentially identical to those of bursts of electrostatic turbulence generated by protons streaming into the solar wind from the earth's bow shock. In a few cases, enhanced ion acoustic wave intensities have been observed in direct association with abrupt increases in the anisotropy of the solar wind electron distribution. This relationship strongly suggests that the ion acoustic waves detected by Helios far from the earth are produced by an electron heat flux instability, as was suggested by Forslund. Possible related mechanisms which could explain the generation of ion acoustic waves by protons streaming into the solar wind from the earth's bow shock are also considered.
Panel Flutter Constraints: Analytic Sensitivities and Approximations Including Planform Shape Design Variables

Analytical sensitivities of panel flutter constraints with respect to panel shape as well as thickness and material properties are derived and numerically tested. Cases of fixed in-plane loads and cases in which in-plane loads are variable (depending on panel and overall wing shape as well as material and sizing design variables) are considered. Accuracy of approximations and range of move limits required are studied in preparation for integration with nonlinear programming/approximation concept aeroelastic design synthesis methodology.
The Flat-Rate Pricing Paradox: Conflicting Effects of “All-You-Can-Eat” Buffet Pricing

Abstract Are price and consumption independent in flat-rate price service contexts? A field experiment at an all-you-can-eat pizza restaurant shows that a 50% discount on the price of the meal led customers to consume 27.9% less pizza (2.95 versus 4.09 pieces). A second analysis indicated that individual taste ratings of this pizza tended to be inversely related to how much is consumed. One possible interpretation of these two findings is that individuals in a flat-rate (or fixed-price) context may consume the amount that enables them to get their money's worth rather than consuming until their marginal utility of consumption is 0.
Coalitional games on graphs: core structure, substitutes and frugality

We study mechanisms that can be modelled as coalitional games with transferable utilities, and apply ideas from mechanism design and game theory to problems arising in a network design setting. We establish an equivalence between the game-theoretic notion of agents being substitutes and the notion of frugality of a mechanism. We characterize the core of the network design game and relate it to outcomes in a sealed bid auction with VCG payments. We show that in a game, agents are substitutes if and only if the core of the forms a complete lattice. We look at two representative games – Minimum Spanning Tree and Shortest Path – in this light.
Effects of Forward Flight on Jet Mixing Noise from Fine-Scale Turbulence

It is known experimentally that a jet in forward flight radiates less noise than the samejetin a static environment. At a forward flight Mach number of 0.2, the noise reduction, depending on the jet operating conditions, could be as large as 4-5 dB in the sideline directions. In the past, a way to predict flight effects was to use the method of relative velocity exponent. Another method was to extrapolate measured static jet noise to the flight condition by means of scaling formulas. Both methods are semi-empirical. The fine scale turbulence jet mixing noise theory of Tam and Auriault (Tam, C. K. W., and Auriault, L., Jet Mixing Noise from Fine Scale Turbulence, AIAA Journal, Vol. 37, No. 2, 1999, pp. 145-153) is extended for application to jets in simulated forward flight. It will be shown that the calculated noise spectra at different simulated forward flight Mach numbers for both supersonic and subsonic jets compare well with experiments. The effects of forward flight on the sources of fine-scale turbulent jet mixing noise is also investigated. It is found that in the presence of forward flight the dominant noise sources move downstream. The turbulence intensity and the size of turbulent eddies responsible for noise emission are reduced.
A quasi-three-dimensional blade surface boundary layer analysis for rotating blade rows

A quasi-three-dimensional approximation has been developed for a blade boundary layer which involves the calculation of the effect of nonzero pressure gradients, turbulent flow, and blade twist, but includes only a simple coupling between streamlines. The resulting set of equations is solved using Keller's box scheme. The solution scheme is checked against available incompressible flow solutions and then applied to a NASA low aspect ratio transonic compressor stage for which extensive experimental and computational data are available. It is found that the three-dimensional boundary layer separates significantly sooner and has a much larger influence on rotor performance than would be expected from a two-dimensional analysis.
Role of framework sodium versus local framework structure in determining the hydrothermal stability of MCM-41 mesostructures.

Two mesostructured MCM-41 silicas that differ dramatically in hydrothermal stability have been examined by 29 Si MAS NMR spectroscopy and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of synchrotron X-ray scattering data. The less stable mesostructure assembled from sodium silicate and the substantially more stable derivative made from fumed silica possess equivalent local framework wall structures, as judged by NMR and PDF methods. Approximately 80% of the SiO4 tetrahedra are fully cross-linked as Q 4 (Si- (OSi)4) units in both calcined samples. Additionally, the structural correlation distances for the two materials are nearly identical, having values of 1.62(1), 2.60, and 3.09(1) A for the Si -O, O-O, and nearest neighbor Si-Si distances in the framework. Sodium ions in the framework play a crucial role in limiting the hydrothermal stability of the mesostructure. Residual sodium (0.05-0.10% Na2O) is retained in the MCM- 41 made from sodium silicate, even after two ion exchange reactions with ammonium ions in more than 300 - fold excess. The entrapped framework sodium ions catalyze the collapse of the mesopores upon exposure to 20% steam at 800 °C for 5 h. The sodium - free mesostructure assembled from fumed silica retains an open framework under the same hydrothermal conditions. The stability of the fumed silica derivative, however, is greatly compromised when doped with as little as 0.10% Na2O, thus confirming the deleterious effect of sodium on hydrothermal stability.
Compressive Structured Light for Recovering Inhomogeneous Participating Media

We propose a new method named compressive structured light for recovering inhomogeneous participating media. Whereas conventional structured light methods emit coded light patterns onto the surface of an opaque object to establish correspondence for triangulation, compressive structured light projects patterns into a volume of participating medium to produce images which are integral measurements of the volume density along the line of sight. For a typical participating medium encountered in the real world, the integral nature of the acquired images enables the use of compressive sensing techniques that can recover the entire volume density from only a few measurements. This makes the acquisition process more efficient and enables reconstruction of dynamic volumetric phenomena. Moreover, our method requires the projection of multiplexed coded illumination, which has the added advantage of increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of the acquisition. Finally, we propose an iterative algorithm to correct for the attenuation of the participating medium during the reconstruction process. We show the effectiveness of our method with simulations as well as experiments on the volumetric recovery of multiple translucent layers, 3D point clouds etched in glass, and the dynamic process of milk drops dissolving in water.
Large Scale Structure of the Universe

How is the universe organized on large scales? How did this structure evolve from the unknown initial conditions of a rather smooth early universe to the present time? The answers to these questions will shed light on the cosmology we live in, the amount, composition and distribution of matter in the universe, the initial spectrum of density fluctuations that gave rise to this structure, and the formation and evolution of galaxies, lusters of galaxies, and larger scale structures.
The Second Electronic Revolution (It's All About Control)

Systems for ships, offshore platforms, chemical plants, foundries, and utilities are rapidly changing as a result of the second electronic revolution. The first revolution was with integrated circuits which gave us the microprocessor, PCs, cell phones, and MP3 players. The second electronic revolution started with power electronics, which give us motor controllers, switching power supplies, hybrid cars, and electric ships. Just as the first electronic revolution changed our concepts of information, the second electronic revolution is redefining control. This paper discusses these changes and the opportunities enabled by new technologies and levels of control. Most notably, this paper provides a logical argument for future controller abilities to control any system to near perfection-accurately, precisely, reliably, and safely. This paper also proposes the use of building block concepts with modeling and simulation to create new tools and methods for designing and building power systems.
Three-dimensional effects in turbulent bluff-body wakes

There has recently been a surge in activity concerning the development of three-dimensionality in the wakes of nominally two-dimensional bluff bodies, yielding the realization that end effects can influence the wake vortex shedding pattern over long spanlengths. Much of this work has been focused on low Reynolds numbers (Re), but virtually no studies have investigated to what extent it is possible to control shedding patterns at higher Reynolds numbers, through the use of end manipulation. In the present paper, we demonstrate that it is possible to induce parallel shedding, oblique shedding and vortex dislocations, by manipulation of the end conditions, over a large range of Reynolds number. Such patterns affect the frequency of primary wake instability and its amplitude of fluctuation, as they do at low Reynolds number, although distinct differences are found at the higher Reynolds numbers.We find that imposition of oblique shedding conditions at high Reynolds number leads to a spatial variation of both the oblique shedding angle and shedding frequency across the span, and to sparse dislocations which are not restricted to the spanwise end regions, as they are at low Reynolds numbers (under similar geometrical conditions). In the wake transition regime (Re=190–250), it is confirmed that the spontaneous appearance of vortex dislocations in mode-A shedding precludes the control of shedding patterns using end manipulation. However, it has proven possible to extend the regime of Reynolds number where dislocations ‘naturally’ exist to Re>250, by introducing them artificially through end control, where they would otherwise not occur. The possibility of introducing dislocations and of inducing oblique vortex shedding at higher Reynolds numbers has practical significance, if one can deliberately decorrelate the vortex shedding, and hence reduce the spanwise-integrated unsteady fluid forces on the body.We confirm the existence of a transition in the mode of shedding at Re≈5000 (originally found by Norberg 1987) under conditions where parallel shedding is attempted. This mode transition displays similarities to an inverse of the mode A→mode B transition that is found in the wake transition regime. It is clear that vortex dislocations occur beyond Re=5000, although it is not clear why the flow is unstable to such a mode. Furthermore, there appears to be some support for the suggestion that vortex dislocations may be a feature of the flow for Re at least up to 30×103, as evidenced by the work of Norberg (1994).
Data-Driven Problem Reduction for Image Reconstruction From Projections Using Gift Wrapping

A generic data-driven approach called focus of attention is presented that automatically segments first the projection data and then the image into object and background prior to reconstruction. This segmentation, which is based on the formation of convex hulls, subsequently allows the computational resources to be devoted to the object data while the background data is discarded from further consideration. Experimental results are presented for high-resolution reconstruction of a cone beam x-ray CT image of a laboratory mouse.
The effect of the tax reform act of 1986 on the location of assets in financial services firms

This paper examines the effects of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 on the international location decisions of U.S. financial services firms. The Act included rule changes that made it substantially more difficult for U.S. firms to defer U.S. taxes on overseas financial services income held in low-tax jurisdictions. We use information from the tax returns of U.S. corporations to examine how local taxes affect the allocation of financial assets held abroad by financial services firms. We find that, before the Act, the location of reported assets in financial subsidiaries was responsive to differences in host country tax rates across jurisdictions. However, after the Act, differences in host country tax rates no longer explain the distribution of assets held in financial services subsidiaries abroad. Our results suggest that the tightening of the anti-deferral provisions applicable to financial services companies has been successful in diminishing the effect of host country income taxes on asset location decisions.
Friends of Victims: Personal Experience and Prosocial Behavior

Why do different people give to different causes? We show that the sympathy inherent to a close relationship with a victim extends to other victims suffering from the same misfortunes that have afflicted their friends and loved ones. Both sympathy and donations are greater among those related to a victim, and they are greater among those in a communal relationship as compared to those in an exchange relationship. Experiments that control for information support causality and rule out the alternative explanation that any effect is driven by the information advantage possessed by friends of victims.
Reinforcement Learning of Morphing Airfoils with Aerodynamic and Structural Effects

This paper applies a Reinforcement Learning methodology to the problem of airfoil morphing. The reinforcement learning as it is applied to morphing is integrated with a computational model of an airfoil. The computational model utilizes a doublet panel method whose end yield is airfoil lift, drag, and moment coecients. An episodic unsuper
Switch and template pattern formation in a discrete reaction-diffusion system inspired by the Drosophila eye

We examine a spatially discrete reaction-diffusion model based on the interactions that create a periodic pattern in the Drosophila eye imaginal disc. This model is known to be capable of generating a regular hexagonal pattern of gene expression behind a moving front, as observed in the fly system. In order to better understand the novel “switch and template” mechanism behind this pattern formation, we present here a detailed study of the model's behavior in one dimension, using a combination of analytic methods and numerical searches of parameter space. We find that patterns are created robustly, provided that there is an appropriate separation of timescales and that self-activation is sufficiently strong, and we derive expressions in this limit for the front speed and the pattern wavelength. Moving fronts in pattern-forming systems near an initial linear instability generically select a unique pattern, but our model operates in a strongly nonlinear regime where the final pattern depends on the initial conditions as well as on parameter values. Our work highlights the important role that cellularization and cell-autonomous feedback can play in biological pattern formation.
Are We Reaching Peak Travel? Trends in Passenger Transport in Eight Industrialized Countries

Abstract Projections of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for industrialized countries typically show continued growth in vehicle ownership, vehicle use and overall travel demand. This growth represents a continuation of trends from the 1970s through the early 2000s. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of cross‐national passenger transport trends in eight industrialized countries, providing evidence to suggest that these trends may have halted. Through decomposing passenger transport energy use into activity, modal structure and modal energy intensity, we show that increases in total activity (passenger travel) have been the driving force behind increased energy use, offset somewhat by declining energy intensity. We show that total activity growth has halted relative to GDP in recent years in the eight countries examined. If these trends continue, it is possible that an accelerated decline in the energy intensity of car travel; stagnation in total travel per capita; some shifts back to rail a...
Strategy and Structure of U.S. Multinationals: An Exploratory Study

Large U.S. multinational companies are classified by the structure through which their foreign operations report to headquarters. Structural groups then are compared by the use of such variables as...
The Gaussian Many-to-One Interference Channel With Confidential Messages

The many-to-one interference channel has received interest by virtue of embodying the essence of an interference network while being more tractable than the general K-user interference channel. In this paper, we introduce information theoretic secrecy to this model and consider the many-to-one interference channel with confidential messages, in which each receiver, in particular, the one subject to interference, is also one from which the interfering users' messages need to be kept secret from. We derive the achievable secrecy sum rate for this channel using nested lattice codes, as well as an upper bound on the secrecy sum rate for all possible channel gain configurations. We identify several nontrivial cases where the gap between the upper bound and the achieved secrecy sum rate is only a function of the number of the users K, and is uniform over all possible channel gain configurations in each case. In addition, we identify the secure degrees of freedom for this channel and show it to be equivalent to its degrees of freedom, i.e., the secrecy in high SNR comes for free.