cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Bioeconomics of Spatial-Dynamic Systems in Natural Resource Management

We synthesize literature on the spatial aspects of coupled natural-human systems across a variety of natural resource contexts and introduce a framework that can be used to compare modeling approaches and findings across applications. The important components of these systems include spatial heterogeneity in benefits and costs and connectivity of the network. One or more of these components is necessary for spatial policies to be the efficient solution. We highlight the importance of these components by identifying their role in previous work that shows that spatial differentiation in policy implementation is optimal. We pay particular attention to research highlighting the difference between spatial and aspatial policies and the presence of optimal boundary solutions. Finally, we develop a stylized metapopulation model to relate findings in the spatial bioeconomic literature to the theory of second best in public economics and suggest areas for future analysis.
Masking of antibiotic-resistance upon recovery of endophytic bacteria

During studies on internal plant colonization by rhizosphere bacteria and endophytic bacteria over several years, we frequently observed lack of growth of rifampicin-resistant mutants (rif+) on tryptic soy agar amended with rifampicin (RTSA). Following seed treatment of cucumber with 6 species of rif+ rhizosphere bacteria in one experiment, all strains were recoverable on RTSA when external root colonization was monitored. Following trituration of surface-disinfested roots, only one strain grew directly on RTSA; however colonies isolated on tryptic soy agar (TSA) grew within 18 h after transfer to RTSA. We term this temporary loss of the antibiotic-resistant phenotype 'antibiotic masking'. Antibiotic masking was also observed with isolation of 7 rif+ endophytic bacterial strains from inside stems of cotton and with isolation of mutants of bacterial endophytes resistant to polymyxin B sulfate from cotton plants. Rifampicin-masking was not accounted for in vitro by inhibitory compounds from cotton plant extracts, by bacterial growth on low nutrient agar, or by competition with other bacteria. Collectively, these results suggest that expression of antibiotic-resistance may be altered in planta, although causes for this antibiotic-masking remain to be elucidated, methods for quantifying internal plant colonization by rif+ bacteria should account for this possibility.
Effect of double layers on magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

The Earth's auroral zone contains dynamic processes occurring on scales from the length of an auroral zone field line which characterizes Alfven wave propagation to the scale of microscopic processes which occur over a few Debye lengths. These processes interact in a time-dependent fashion since the current carried by the Alfven waves can excite microscopic turbulence which can in turn provide dissipation of the Alfven wave energy. This review will first describe the dynamic aspects of auroral current structures with emphasis on consequences for models of microscopic turbulence. A number of models of microscopic turbulence will be introduced into a large-scale model of Alfven wave propagation to determine the effect of various models on the overall structure of auroral currents. In particular, the effects of a double layer electric field which scales with the plasma temperature and Debye length is compared with the effect of anomalous resistivity due to electrostatic ion cyclotron turbulence in which the electric field scales with the magnetic field strength. It is found that the double layer model is less diffusive than in the resistive model leading to the possibility of narrow, intense current structures.
Empirical analysis of predictive algorithms for collaborative filtering

Collaborative filtering or recommender systems use a database about user preferences to predict additional topics or products a new user might like. In this paper we describe several algorithms designed for this task, including techniques based on correlation coefficients, vector-based similarity calculations, and statistical Bayesian methods. We compare the predictive accuracy of the various methods in a set of representative problem domains. We use two basic classes of evaluation metrics. The first characterizes accuracy over a set of individual predictions in terms of average absolute deviation. The second estimates the utility of a ranked list of suggested items. This metric uses an estimate of the probability that a user will see a recommendation in an ordered list. Experiments were run for datasets associated with 3 application areas, 4 experimental protocols, and the 2 evaluation metr rics for the various algorithms. Results indicate that for a wide range of conditions, Bayesian networks with decision trees at each node and correlation methods outperform Bayesian-clustering and vector-similarity methods. Between correlation and Bayesian networks, the preferred method depends on the nature of the dataset, nature of the application (ranked versus one-by-one presentation), and the availability of votes with which to make predictions. Other considerations include the size of database, speed of predictions, and learning time.
Retrieval of Italian legal literature: a case of semantic search using legal vocabulary

Retrieval of legal information, in particular legal literature, is examined in conjunction with the creation of a Portal to Italian legal doctrine. Subject searching is a major requirement for Italian legal literature users and a solution is described for the retrieval of legal literature's resources. Such solution is based on the exploitation of Dublin Core (DC) metadata for both data coming from structured repositories and for web documents, as well as the use of a controlled vocabulary list prepared for accessing indexed papers of the DoGi database. Technical specifications are illustrated, as well as benefits and limitations of such solution.
The effect of low temperature cryocoolers on the development of low temperature superconducting magnets

The commercial development of reliable 4 K cryocoolers improves the future prospects for magnets made from low temperature superconductors (LTS). The hope of the developers of high temperature superconductors (HTS) has been to replace liquid helium cooled LTS magnets with HTS magnets that operate at or near liquid nitrogen temperature. There has been limited success in this endeavor, but continued problems with HTS conductors have greatly slowed progress toward this goal. The development of cryocoolers that reliably operate below 4 K will allow magnets made from LTS conductor to remain very competitive for many years to come. A key enabling technology for the use of low temperature cryocoolers on LTS magnets has been the development of HTS leads. This report describes the characteristics of LTS magnets that can be successfully melded to low-temperature cryocoolers. This report also shows when it is not appropriate to consider the use of low-temperature cryocoolers to cool magnets made with LTS conductor. A couple of specific examples of LTS magnets where cryocoolers can be used are given.
Color-Based multiple agent tracking for wireless image sensor networks

This paper presents an implementation of a color-based multiple agent tracking algorithm targeted for wireless image sensor networks. The proposed technique is based on employing lightweight algorithms and low-bandwidth data communication between multiple network nodes to track the path of autonomous agents moving across the fields of view (FOV) of the sensors. Segmentation techniques are applied to find the agents within the FOV, and a color histogram is constructed using the hue values of the pixels corresponding to agents. This histogram is used as a means of identification within the network. As such, the algorithm is able to reliably track multi-colored agents of irregular shapes and sizes and can resolve identities after collisions. The proposed algorithm has low computational requirements and its complexity scales linearly with the size of the network, so it is feasible in low-power, large-scale wireless sensor networks.
ASTROMETRIC JITTER OF THE SUN AS A STAR

The daily variation of the solar photocenter over some 11 yr is derived from the Mount Wilson data reprocessed by Ulrich et al. to closely match the surface distribution of solar irradiance. The standard deviations of astrometric jitter are 0.52 μAU and 0.39 μAU in the equatorial and the axial dimensions, respectively. The overall dispersion is strongly correlated with solar cycle, reaching 0.91 μAU at maximum activity in 2000. The largest short-term deviations from the running average (up to 2.6 μAU) occur when a group of large spots happen to lie on one side with respect to the center of the disk. The amplitude spectrum of the photocenter variations never exceeds 0.033 μAU for the range of periods 0.6-1.4 yr, corresponding to the orbital periods of planets in the habitable zone. Astrometric detection of Earth-like planets around stars as quiet as the Sun is not affected by star spot noise, but the prospects for more active stars may be limited to giant planets.
On the Choice of Average Solar Zenith Angle

Idealized climate modeling studies often choose to neglect spatiotemporal variations in solar radiation, but doing so comes with an important decision about how to average solar radiation in space and time. Since both clear-sky and cloud albedo are increasing functions of the solar zenith angle, one can choose an absorptionweighted zenith angle that reproduces the spatial- or time-mean absorbed solar radiation. Calculations are performed for a pure scattering atmosphere and with a more detailed radiative transfer model and show that theabsorption-weightedzenithangleisusuallybetweenthedaytime-weightedandinsolation-weightedzenith angles but much closer to the insolation-weighted zenith angle in most cases, especially if clouds are responsiblefor much of the shortwave reflection.Use of daytime-averagezenith angle may lead to ahigh biasin planetary albedo of approximately 3%, equivalent to a deficit in shortwave absorption of approximately 10Wm 22 in the global energy budget (comparable to the radiative forcing of a roughly sixfold change in CO2 concentration). Other studies that have used general circulation models with spatially constant insolation have underestimated the global-mean zenith angle, with a consequent low bias in planetary albedo of approximately 2%‐6% or a surplus in shortwave absorption of approximately 7‐20Wm 22 in the global energy budget.
THE AMBITIONS OF POLICY DESIGN

There is no shortage of warnings concerning the hazards of excessive ambition in consciously-pursued public policy. In the light of these cautions, this paper considers the appropriate ambitions for policy design. The critics have missed the target. There is no need to fear ambition in policy design, provided that openness in communications about policy is secured.
Contracts, Biases, and Consumption of Access Services

We study theoretically and empirically the consumption of access services. We demonstrate that consumption is affected by contract structure pay-per-use versus three-part tariffs even if the optimal consumption plans are identical. We find that, although there is extensive individual heterogeneity, on average, consumers' choices follow a structure that is similar to a nearly optimal heuristic and correctly react to imbalances between the number of free calls and call opportunities remaining. However, consumers use the free units too quickly, leading to overconsumption and lost surplus. These errors are partially driven by mistaken beliefs about the value distribution. We also measure subjects' willingness to pay for a contract with free access units, and we find that nearly half of subjects are willing to pay at least the full per-unit price, with a substantial fraction willing to overpay. In response, the optimal firm strategy offers a three-part tariff at a very small discount, which increases revenue by 8%--14% compared to only offering a pay-per-use contract. Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2013.1889 . This paper was accepted by Teck-Hua Ho, behavioral economics.
Extrusion of pyrophosphate into extracellular media by osteoarthritic cartilage incubates.

Information concerning fundamental biochemical defects which would explain the deposition of the mineral phase, calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CaPPi) (7) found in articular cartilage of patients with chondrocalcinosis is meager. McCarty has proposed that the articular cartilage is the most likely site of initial mineral deposition (8). This view with minor reservations implicates some error in local cartilage metabolism specifically which predispose it to deposit calcium pyrophosphate (CaPPi) — even when hydroxyapatite in the same person is deposited ectopically in the aorta or other non-articular sites (7).
Uncertainty principles, extractors, and explicit embeddings of l2 into l1

We give an explicit construction of a constant distortion embedding F of l2n into l1m, with m=n1+o(1).As a bonus, our embedding also has good computational properties: for any input x, Fx can be computed in n1+o(1) time.The previously known mappings required Ω(n2) evaluation time.
Poverty, development, and environment

This paper examines the complex relationship that exists between poverty and natural resource degradation in developing countries. The rural poor are often concentrated in fragile, or less favorable, environmental areas. Consequently, their livelihoods can be intimately dependent on natural resource use and ecosystem services. The relationship between poverty and natural resource degradation may depend on a complex range of choices and tradeoffs available to the poor, which in the absence of capital, labor, and land markets, is affected by their access to outside employment and any natural resource endowments. The paper develops a poverty-environment model to characterize some of these linkages, and concludes by discussing policy implications and avenues for further research.
Men's violence against women and men are inter-related: recommendations for simultaneous intervention

Men are more likely than women to perpetrate nearly all types of interpersonal violence (e.g. intimate partner violence, murder, assault, rape). While public health programs target prevention efforts for each type of violence, there are rarely efforts that approach the prevention of violence holistically and attempt to tackle its common root causes. Drawing upon theories that explain the drivers of violence, we examine how gender norms, including norms and social constructions of masculinity, are at the root of most physical violence perpetration by men against women and against other men. We then argue that simply isolating each type of violence and constructing separate interventions for each type is inefficient and less effective. We call for recognition of the commonalities found across the drivers of different types of violence and make intervention recommendations with the goal of seeking more long-standing solutions to violence prevention.
Changes in the Federal Reserve's Inflation Target: Causes and Consequences

This paper estimates a New Keynesian model to draw inferences about the behavior of the Federal Reserve’s unobserved inflation target. The results indicate that the target rose from 1 1/4 percent in 1959 to over 8 percent in the mid-to-late 1970s before falling back below 2 1/2 percent in 2004. The results also provide some support for the hypothesis that over the entire postwar period, Federal Reserve policy has systematically translated short-run price pressures set off by supply-side shocks into more persistent movements in inflation itself, although considerable uncertainty remains about the true source of shifts in the inflation target. JEL: E31, E32, E52.
RIP: An Efficient Hybrid Repeater Insertion Scheme for Low Power

This paper presents a novel repeater insertion algorithm for interconnect power minimization. The novelty of our approach is in the judicious integration of an analytical solver and a dynamic programming based method. Specifically, the analytical solver chooses a concise repeater library and a small set of repeater location candidates such that the dynamic programming algorithm can be performed fast with little degradation of the solution quality. In comparison with previously reported repeater insertion schemes, within comparable runtimes, our approach achieves up to 37% higher power savings. Moreover, for the same design quality, our scheme attains a speedup of two orders of magnitude.
Robust autofocus algorithm for ISAR imaging of moving targets

A robust autofocus approach, referred to as AUTOCLEAN (AUTOfocus via CLEAN), is proposed for the motion compensation in ISAR (inverse synthetic aperture radar) imaging of moving targets. It is a parametric algorithm based on a very flexible data model which takes into account arbitrary range migration and arbitrary phase errors across the synthetic aperture that may be induced by unwanted radial motion of the target as well as propagation or system instability. AUTOCLEAN can be classified as a multiple scatterer algorithm (MSA), but it differs considerably from other existing MSAs in several aspects: (1) Dominant scatterers are selected automatically in the 2D image domain; (2) scatterers may not be well isolated or very dominant; (3) phase and RCS information from each selected scatterer are combined in an optimal way; (4) the troublesome phase unwrapping step is avoided. AUTOCLEAN is computationally efficient and involves only a sequence of FFTs. Another good feature associated with AUTOCLEAN is that its performance can be progressively improved by assuming a larger number of dominant scatterers for the target. Numerical and experimental results have shown that AUTOCLEAN is a very robust autofocus tool for ISAR imaging.
Calabi-Yau duals of torus orientifolds

We study a duality that relates the T^6/Bbb Z_2 orientifold with N = 2 flux to standard fluxless Calabi-Yau compactifications of type IIA string theory. Using the duality map, we show that the Calabi-Yau manifolds that arise are abelian surface (T^4) fibrations over Bbb P^1. We compute a variety of properties of these threefolds, including Hodge numbers, intersection numbers, discrete isometries, and H_1(X,Bbb Z). In addition, we show that S-duality in the orientifold description becomes T-duality of the abelian surface fibers in the dual Calabi-Yau description. The analysis is facilitated by the existence of an explicit Calabi-Yau metric on an open subset of the geometry that becomes an arbitrarily good approximation to the actual metric (at most points) in the limit that the fiber is much smaller than the base.
TELEGRAM: A GRAMMAR. FORMALISM FOR LANGUAGE PLANNING

Planning provides the basis for a theory of language generation that considers the communicative goals of the speaker when producing utterances. One central problem in designing a system based on such a theory is specifying the requisite linguistic knowledge in a form that interfaces well with a planning system and allows for the encoding of discourse information. The TELEGRAM (TELEological GRAMmar) system described in this paper solves this problem by annotating a unification grammar with assertions about how grammatical choices are used to achieve various goals, and by enabling the planner to augment the functional description of an utterance as it is being unified. The control structures of the planner and the grammar unifier are then merged in a manner that makes it possible for general planning to be guided by unification of a particular functional description.
HIGGS FACTORY μ+μ- COLLIDER AND THE SCALAR ELECTROWEAK SECTOR

We describe the concept of a Higgs factory μ+μ- collider and the process that will measure the particle width, particle spectrum, and normal and rare decay branching fractions. Such a factory would be able to distinguish between the standard, minimal supersymmetric, and nonminimal supersymmetric models. A μ+μ- collider with appropriate luminosity and energy spread will provide the Higgs factory. We describe the current design of such a collider and the higher energy multi-TeV collider development as well.
Neuronal expression of the DNA repair protein Ku 70 after ischemic preconditioning corresponds to tolerance to global cerebral ischemia.

Background and Purpose Oxidative stress after ischemia/reperfusion has been shown to induce DNA damage and subsequent DNA repair activity. Ku 70/86, multifunctional DNA repair proteins, bind to broken DNA ends and trigger a DNA repair pathway. We investigated the involvement of these proteins in the development of neuronal tolerance to global cerebral ischemia after ischemic preconditioning. Methods Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to either 5 minutes of lethal global ischemia with or without 3 minutes of sublethal ischemic preconditioning or 3 minutes of ischemia only. Neuronal injury was histologically assessed, and DNA damage was visualized by in situ labeling of DNA fragmentation and DNA gel electrophoresis. Ku expression was also examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Results Hippocampal CA1 neurons underwent DNA-fragmented cell death 3 days after 5 minutes of ischemia. However, these neurons showed a strong tolerance to 5 minutes of ischemia 1 to 3 days after ischemic preconditioning. Immunohistochemistry showed virtually no constitutive expression of Ku proteins in CA1 neurons; however, ischemic preconditioning induced neuronal Ku 70 expression 1 to 3 days later. Western blot confirmed an increase in Ku 70 in this region at the same time. Conclusions The temporal and spatial expression of Ku 70 corresponded to tolerance of the hippocampal CA1 neurons to subsequent ischemia, suggesting the involvement of Ku proteins in the development of neuronal tolerance after ischemic preconditioning.
Structural relaxations in a simple model molten salt

The structural relaxations of a dense, binary mixture of charged hard spheres are studied using the Mode Coupling Theory (MCT). Qualitative differences to non-ionic systems are shown to result from the long-range Coulomb interaction and charge ordering in dense molten salts. The presented non-equilibrium results are determined by the equilibrium structure, which is input using the well studied Mean Spherical Approximation.
Construction of M-QAM STCC Based on QPSK STCC

Space-time convolutional code (STCC) is a technique that combines transmit diversity and coding to improve reliability in wireless fading channels. In this paper, we demonstrate a technique to design MQAM STCCs with high spectral efficiencies utilizing QPSK STCC as component code. The approach is based on a unique construction of M-QAM signal from several QPSK signals. The upper bound on the pairwise block error probability of the new scheme is derived. Simulation result demonstrates that the new technique outperforms existing M-QAM STCC design for M = 16.
Is the banking and payments system fragile

In his introduction to The Risk of Economic Crisis, a compilation of papers presented at a conference sponsored by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Martin Feldstein (1991, p. 1) recognizes that, despite the inability of less developed countries to service their debts, the massive collapse of savings and loan associations in the United States, wide swings in currency exchange rates, the increase in corporate and personal debt, and the stock market crash of 1987, we have not suffered an economic crisis in recent years. Nevertheless, he asserts: But the risk of such an economic collapse remains. As Charles Kindleberger’s distinguished and fascinating book (Manias, Panics and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises [Basic Books,19781) has ably demonstrated, economic crises have been with us as long as the market economy. At some point, greed overcomes fear and individual investors take greater risks in the pursuit of greater returns. A shock occurs and the market prices of assets begin to collapse. Bankruptcies of leveraged individuals and institutions follow. Banks and other financial institutions fail in these circumstances because they are inherently leveraged. The resulting failure of the payments mechanism and the inability to create credit bring on an economic collapse (Feldstein, 1991, pp. 1–2).
In Memoriam, Dr. E. Chester Ridgway, 1942–2014

The Endocrine Society, the world of endocrinology, and the family and innumerable friends and colleagues of Chip Ridgway were immensely saddened to learn of his very untimely death on July 31, 2014. Chip was a graduate of Dartmouth College and an AOA graduate of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, magna cum laude. His internship, medicine residency, and endocrinology fellowship were all at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He served two years in the Navy as Chief of Endocrinology at San Diego prior to returning to Massachusetts General, where he served as Chief of the Thyroid Unit and Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, until 1985. He moved back to the University of Colorado in 1985 to become the Frederic C. Hamilton Professor of Medicine and Division Head of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes. Chip received the high honor of Distinguished Professor at the University of Colorado in 2011 and remained at the University until his death. Chip relinquished the role of Division Director in 2007 but continued to serve as interim Chair of Medicine and Executive Vice Chair of Medicine. He has been Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for nearly 20 years. Peer recognition of his stellar career led to early election to membership in the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, and Mastership in the American College of Physicians. Chip generously shared his professional life as a physician-scientist between his associates at the University of Colorado, numerous international colleagues and collaborators, and his two favorite professional societies, the Endocrine Society and the American Thyroid Association (ATA). He served as member and chairman of many committees in both societies and on the Council of the Endocrine Society and on the Executive Board of the ATA. He was elected President of the ATA in 1996–1997 and President of the Endocrine Society in 2003–2004. His welldeserved honors and awards were many, including the Distinguished Service Award, Paul Starr Award, Stanbury Thyroid Pathophysiology Medal, and Lewis Braverman Lectureship Award from the ATA, and the Robert H. Williams Distinguished Leadership Award from the Endocrine Society. Chip founded and directed a “Fellows Day” conference dedicated to thyroid disease at the ATA annual meeting for the past 20 years, touching the careers of over 100 fellows each year. Indeed, his dedication to both education and the growth, development, and mentorship of his fellows and junior colleagues was legend-
Insertion of an alkene into an ester: intramolecular oxyacylation reaction of alkenes through acyl C-O bond activation.

Notable features of the title process are the use of [Rh(cod)2]BF4/dppe catalyst system as well as the quinoline chelating group to suppress the competitive decarbonylation reaction.
Toward a Framework of the Process of Open Innovation — Case of Acclarent in the Medical Device Industry

Using a case study of Acclarent, a medical device company, this paper attempts to propose a framework to further illustrate the process of open innovation in the medical device industry. We examined five elements in the mechanism of the open innovation process. Our paper shows how the success of Acclarent — a medical device start-up — depends on effective management of the flow of knowledge to satisfy unmet needs, while integrating in-depth knowledge of FDA regulations and third-party payers' reimbursement policies into the product innovation process.
A Decreased Probability of Habitable Planet Formation around Low-Mass Stars

Smaller terrestrial planets (P0.3 M⊕) are less likely to retain the substantial atmospheres and ongoing tectonic activity probably required to support life. A key element in determining whether sufficiently massive sustainably habitable planets can form is the availability of solid planet-forming material. We use dynamical simulations of terrestrial planet formation from planetary embryos and simple scaling arguments to explore the implications of correlations between terrestrial planet mass, disk mass, and the mass of the parent star. We assume that the protoplanetary disk mass scales with stellar mass as M-disk ∝ fMh*(h), where f measures the relative disk mass and 1/2 0.3 M⊕ habitable planets decreases for low-mass stars for every realistic combination of parameters. This habitable fraction is small for stellar masses below a mass in the interval 0.5-0.8 M☉, depending on disk parameters, an interval that excludes most M stars. Radial mixing and therefore water delivery are inefficient in the lower mass disks commonly found around low-mass stars, such that terrestrial planets in the habitable zones of most low-mass stars are likely to be small and dry.
Manganese‐Mediated Intermolecular Arylation of H‐Phosphinates and Related Compounds

The intermolecular radical functionalization of arenes with aryl and alkyl H-phosphinate esters, as well as diphenylphosphine oxide and H-phosphonate diesters, is described. The novel catalytic Mn(II) /excess Mn(IV) system is a convenient and inexpensive solution to directly convert Csp2 H into CP bonds. The reaction can be employed to functionalize P-stereogenic H-phosphinates since it is stereospecific. With monosubstituted aromatics, the selectivity for para-substitution increases in the order (RO)2 P(O)H<R(1) P(O)(OR)H<Ph2 P(O)H, a trend that may be explained by steric effects.
Organic chemistry of noble gases

The preparation and chemistry of organic derivatives of xenon and other noble gases are reviewed.
Low Pressure Diamond Growth Using a Secondary Radical Source

A novel method for chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer epitaxyusing radical precursors under medium vacuum conditions is being developed. Fluorine atoms are generated by thermal dissociation in a hot tube and abstract hydrogen atoms from precursor molecules injected immediately downstream of the source, generating radicals with completechemical specificity. The radical precursors are then transported to the growing substrate surface under nearly collision-free conditions. To date we have grown diamond films from CCl 3 or CH 3 radicals together with atomic hydrogen, generated by injecting CHCI 3 or CH 4 and H 2 into the F atom stream at reactor pressures between 10 −4 and 10 −2 Torn This approach should be ideal for low-temperature growth and atomic layer epitaxy: growth rates remain relatively high because activation energies for radical reactions are typically small and because the cycle times for atomic layer epitaxy can be reduced to die msec range by fast gas-stream switching, and contamination and segregation are minimized by keeping the surface “capped” by chemisorbed intermediates.
Noise in hospital intensive care units—a critical review of a critical topic

Abstract Purpose The aims of the study were to examine the studies related to hospital noise in intensive care units (ICUs) to understand the sources and effects of noise and to describe best practices and common problems in the varying methods commonly applied to reduce the noise level. Materials and Methods The ISI Web of Knowledge and PubMed were used to search original research articles to obtain articles related to hospital ICU noise analysis. Result This review article analyzes the 29 extant studies related to noise in ICUs. Conclusion Significant opportunities exist to improve methodologies to study noise levels to reduce noise in hospital ICUs. Many previous studies have used inconsistent methodologies with poorly defined parameters that make it difficult to compare results. Our work points out common pitfalls in the recording and sharing of hospital acoustic parameters and also points to the paucity of important economic considerations in extant studies. These results can be helpful for future research in this area. Many past salutary interventions—including educational noise reduction programs, behavioral modification using sound detection equipment, and low- as well as high-cost environmental alterations—do not generally appear to be adequate to minimize noise to levels for hospital rooms specified by international agencies. But a potentially important clue for future work involves the finding that as the number of patients and staff of the ICU increases, noise levels appear to also increase.
PAM Pulse Generation Using Binary Transversal Filters

Modern narrow-band pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) and pulse-code modulation (PCM) systems require the generation of precisely shaped pulses in order to avoid intersymbol interference. It is not a simple matter to design analog filters having pulse responses with the requisite carefully positioned zeros, and this has led researchers to study other approaches. It is shown that the use of a binary transversal filter (BTF) coupled with a simple low-pass filter can generate extremely good pulses with small bandwidths. A BTF consists of a digital shift register and weighting resistor network to construct a staircase approximation to the desired pulse. The attendant circuitry is very simple, such that a highquality pulse generator can be built and adjusted with remarkable ease. The problem of pulse design using BTF's is considered in some generality, and a computational procedure is developed for adjusting the weighting network in the BTF to generate optimum pulse shapes. This method is then applied to several practical cases, and the circuitry required to generate excellent pulses is discussed. Test results on an implementation of such a generator using only five taps are presented, revealing the inherent simplicity and quality of the approach.
Three-dimensional simulation of free-electron laser harmonics with Fred

FRED3D, a single-mode three-dimensional version of the free-electron laser (FEL) simulation code FRED, is being modified to follow the growth of signal components at the fundamental frequency and at even and odd harmonics. The wiggle-averaged particle and field equations for this multimode formulation are derived here, and their implementation in FRED3D is discussed.
Foreign Investment and the Mediation of Trade Flows

How does foreign direct investment affect the trade between nations? While many theories of the multinational firm are based on the notion that foreign production and trade are substitutes, most empirical studies of foreign investment and trade uncover a complementary relationship. By analyzing the unique country-industry patterns of foreign investment in the U.S. between 1974 and 1994 I find that difficulties in identifying substitution effects arise when foreign investment data are insufficiently disaggregated. Disaggregation reveals that substitution effects are present at the product level, while complementary effects are identified at higher levels of aggregation. I also find that the empirical estimates of substitution and complementary linkages are dramatically underestimated if one fails to control for simultaneity between trade and investment.
Streak camera temporal resolution improvement using a time-dependent field

Streak camera is an important diagnostic device in the studies of laser plasma interaction, the detailed structure of photo reaction from material science to biochemistry, and in the measurement of the longitudinal distribution of a beam in accelerators. In this paper, we report on a new method which can potentially improve the temporal resolution of a streak camera down to femtoseconds. This method uses a time-dependent acceleration field to defocus the photo electrons longitudinally. This not only reduces the time dispersion distortion caused by initial energy spread but also mitigates the effects from the space- charge forces of photo electrons. An illustration of the method shows significant improvement of the modulation transfer function (MFT) compared with the conventional design.
Model analysis of the Raman spectrum from fused silica optical fibers.

Abstract : The Raman spectrum from pure silica optical fibers has been analyzed into a set of Gaussian components. Each component used is related to an observed feature of the spectrum, and a residual of about 1% resulted without the use of additional components. Both single- and multi-phonon peaks were fitted. These Gaussian components have analog in the infrared absorption spectrum, and hence they are of value in studying the fundamental and overtone infrared absorption of silica, as well as the infrared OH overtone and combination spectra. (Author)
Tools for inventing organizations: toward a handbook of organizational processes

The paper describes a new project intended to provide a firmer theoretical and empirical foundation for such tasks as enterprise modeling, enterprise integration, and process re-engineering. The project includes: (1) collecting examples of how different organizations perform similar processes, and (2) representing these examples in an on-line 'process handbook' which includes the relative advantages of the alternatives. The handbook is intended to help: (a) redesign existing organizational processes, (b) invent new organizational processes that take advantage of information technology, and perhaps (c) automatically generate software to support organizational processes. A key element of the work is a novel approach to representing processes at various levels of abstraction. This approach uses ideas from computer science about inheritance and from coordination theory about managing dependencies. Its primary advantage is that it allows users to explicity represent the similarities (and differences) among related processes and to easily find or generate sensible alternatives for how a given process could be performed. >
Fast soliton scattering by delta impurities

We study the Gross-Pitaevskii equation with a repulsive delta function potential. We show that a high velocity incoming soliton is split into a transmitted component and a reflected component. The transmitted mass (L 2 norm squared) is shown to be in good agreement with the quantum transmission rate of the delta function potential. We further show that the transmitted and reflected components resolve into solitons plus dispersive radiation, and quantify the mass and phase of these solitons.
Why the Return Notion Matters

Returns can be defined as log returns or as simple returns. Whereas on a numerical level the difference between these two terms is small as long as the return values are close to zero, there can be non-negligible differences if we look at expected values and (co)variances in a stochastic context. This paper examines the consequences of mixing up the two return terms when variances and convariances are considered. Three applications show that these consequences can be severe in the sense of suboptimal portfolio selection or invalid betas. The paper argues that more awareness of the suited return term is necessary.
Global Governance of Global Monetary Relations: Rationale and Feasibility

Is there a valid argument for international cooperation, and some form of international governance structure, in the international monetary realm? On the purely economic front, the argument is not strong. Yet a broader political economy approach concludes that national currency policy can in fact impose non-pecuniary externalities on partner nations. This is especially the case with major policy-driven misalignments, which cannot easily be countered by other governments. For example, one country’s substantially depreciated currency can provoke powerful protectionist pressures in its trading partners, so that exchange rate policy spills over into trade policy in potentially damaging ways. Inasmuch as one government’s policies create these sorts of costs for other countries, and for the world economy as a whole, there is a case for global governance. This might include some institutionalized mechanism to monitor and publicize substantial currency misalignments. While there appears to be little global political attention to such a mechanism now, there have been initiatives along these lines at the regional level, and the current crisis may have stimulated more general stirrings of interest. Special issue “Global Governance—Challenges and Proposals for Reform”
Contribution of hydrogen sulfide to the control of coronary blood flow.

Objective This study examined the mechanisms by which H2S modulates coronary microvascular resistance and myocardial perfusion at rest and in response to cardiac ischemia. Methods Experiments were conducted in isolated coronary arteries and in open-chest anesthetized dogs. Results We found that the H2S substrate l-cysteine (1–10 mM) did not alter coronary tone of isolated arteries in vitro or coronary blood flow in vivo. In contrast, intracoronary (ic) H2S (0.1–3 mM) increased coronary flow from 0.49 ± 0.08 to 2.65 ± 0.13 mL/min/g (p < 0.001). This increase in flow was unaffected by inhibition of Kv channels with 4-aminopyridine (p = 0.127) but was attenuated (0.23 ± 0.02–1.13 ± 0.13 mL/min/g) by the KATP channel antagonist glibenclamide (p < 0.001). Inhibition of NO synthesis (l-NAME) did not attenuate coronary responses to H2S. Immunohistochemistry revealed expression of CSE, an endogenous H2S enzyme, in myocardium. Inhibition of CSE with β-cyano-l-alanine (10 μM) had no effect on baseline coronary flow or responses to a 15-second coronary occlusion (p = 0.82). Conclusions These findings demonstrate that exogenous H2S induces potent, endothelial-independent dilation of the coronary microcirculation predominantly through the activation of KATP channels, however, our data do not support a functional role for endogenous H2S in the regulation of coronary microvascular resistance.
Beyond legal origin and checks and balances : political credibility, citizen information, and financial sector development

The existing literature emphasizes and contrasts the role of political checks and balances and legal origin in determining the pace of financial sector development. This paper expands substantially on one aspect of this debate: the fact that government actions that promote financial sector development, whether prudent financial regulation or secure property and contract rights, are public goods and sensitive to political incentives to provide public goods. Tests of hypotheses emanating from this argument yield four new conclusions. First, two key determinants of those incentives-the credibility of pre-electoral political promises and citizen information about politician decisions-systematically promote financial sector development. Second, these political factors, along with political checks and balances, operate in part through their influence on the security of property rights, an argument asserted but not previously tested. Third, contrary to findings elsewhere in the literature, the political determinants of financial sector development are significant even in the presence of controls for legal origin. Finally, and again in contrast to the literature, the evidence here suggests that legal origin primarily proxies for political phenomena. Legal origin is a largely insignificant determinant of financial sector development when those phenomena are fully taken into account.
Signal Recovery on Incoherent Manifolds

Suppose that we observe noisy linear measurements of an unknown signal that can be modeled as the sum of two component signals, each of which arises from a nonlinear submanifold of a high-dimensional ambient space. We introduce successive projections onto incoherent manifolds (SPIN), a first-order projected gradient method to recover the signal components. Despite the nonconvex nature of the recovery problem and the possibility of underdetermined measurements, SPIN provably recovers the signal components, provided that the signal manifolds are incoherent and that the measurement operator satisfies a certain restricted isometry property. SPIN significantly extends the scope of current recovery models and algorithms for low-dimensional linear inverse problems and matches (or exceeds) the current state of the art in terms of performance.
Does antiretroviral therapy prevent HIV transmission to sexual partners

The majority of HIV-1 infections are acquired sexually, and interventions to prevent sexual transmission are urgently needed to curb the growth of the HIV pandemic. The potential role of antiretroviral therapy in preventing sexual transmission of HIV is still emerging. Highly active antiretroviral therapy has been shown to decrease HIV RNA shedding in the genital tract, and its use among serodiscordant couples has been associated with reduced seroconversions in partners who are HIV negative. However, other studies have associated the use of antiretroviral therapy with increased HIV transmission risk behaviors. In this review, we explore the rationale for using highly active antiretroviral therapy to prevent sexual transmission of HIV including its role in prevention strategies at the population level, as well as the cost-effectiveness and potential limitations of this approach.
Efficiency of current drive by fast waves

The Rosenbluth form for the collision operator for a weakly relativistic plasma is derived. The formalism adopted by Antonsen and Chu can then be used to calculate the efficiency of current drive by fast waves in a relativistic plasma. Accurate numerical results and analytic asymptotic limits for the efficiencies are given.
Stable commutator length is rational in free groups

For any group, there is a natural (pseudo-)norm on the vector space B^H_1 of real homogenized (group) 1 -boundaries, called the stable commutator length norm. This norm is closely related to, and can be thought of as a relative version of, the Gromov (pseudo)-norm on (ordinary) homology. We show that for a free group, the unit ball of this pseudo-norm is a rational polyhedron. It follows that the stable commutator length in free groups takes on only rational values. Moreover every element of the commutator subgroup of a free group rationally bounds an injective map of a surface group. The proof of these facts yields an algorithm to compute the stable commutator length in free groups. Using this algorithm, we answer a well-known question of Bavard in the negative, constructing explicit examples of elements in free groups whose stable commutator length is not a half-integer.
VA Loans Outperform FHA Loans—Why? And What Can We Learn?

Veterans Administration (VA) loans have consistently performed better than Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. In this article, the authors take a closer look at both programs to identify why VA loans perform better. They conclude that the residual income test may be a critical differentiating factor and suggest that regulators evaluate whether the test might be a good supplement to the FHA’s current assessment of a borrower’s ability to pay.
Delegating Disclosure and Production Choices

ABSTRACT: We study how joint delegation of production and disclosure choices alters the incentives that firm owners offer to their managers. Our first set of results shows how the incentive weights that owners place on revenues are affected by firm characteristics and by whether their manager chooses ex ante voluntary disclosure. This arises because the owners choose how sensitive the manager's compensation is to her production choice and, because this sensitivity is naturally greater if the manager opts to disclose, owners substitute disclosure for direct contractual incentives. Owners also substitute a rival firm's disclosures for direct incentives. Finally, we show that joint delegation alters the information environment for competing firms by creating incentives to provide more information about the less aggressive competitor and less information about the more aggressive competitor. All of these effects are exacerbated in industries with less product differentiation.