cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Outer Bound and the Noisy-Interference Sum–Rate Capacity for Gaussian Interference Channels

A new outer bound on the capacity region of Gaussian interference channels is developed. The bound combines and improves existing genie-aided methods and is shown to give the sum-rate capacity for noisy interference as defined in this paper. Specifically, it is shown that if the channel crosstalk coefficient magnitudes lie below thresholds defined by the power constraints then single-user detection at each receiver is sum-rate optimal, i.e., treating the interference as noise incurs no loss in performance. This is the first capacity result for the Gaussian interference channel with weak to moderate interference. Furthermore, for certain mixed (weak and strong) interference scenarios, the new outer bounds give a corner point of the capacity region.
A trend between cold debris disk temperature and stellar type: Implications for the formation and evolution of wide-orbit planets

Cold debris disks trace the limits of planet formation or migration in the outer regions of planetary systems, and thus have the potential to answer many of the outstanding questions in wide-orbit planet formation and evolution. We characterized the infrared excess spectral energy distributions of 174 cold debris disks around 546 main-sequence stars observed by both the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph and the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. We found a trend between the temperature of the inner edges of cold debris disks and the stellar type of the stars they orbit. This argues against the importance of strictly temperature-dependent processes (e.g., non-water ice lines) in setting the dimensions of cold debris disks. Also, we found no evidence that delayed stirring causes the trend. The trend may result from outward planet migration that traces the extent of the primordial protoplanetary disk, or it may result from planet formation that halts at an orbital radius limited by the efficiency of core accretion.
Adaptive Limited Feedback for Sum-Rate Maximizing Beamforming in Cooperative Multicell Systems

Base station cooperation improves the sum-rates that can be achieved in cellular systems. Conventional cooperation techniques require sharing large amounts of information over finite-capacity backhaul links and assume that base stations have full channel state information (CSI) of all the active users in the system. In this paper, a new limited feedback strategy is proposed for multicell beamforming where cooperation is restricted to sharing only the CSI of active users among base stations. The system setup considered is a linear array of cells based on the “soft hand-off model,” where each cell contains single-antenna users and multi-antenna base stations. Beamforming vectors are designed using a generalized eigenvector approach to maximize the sum-rate in a single-interferer scenario, at high signal to noise ratio. Users are assumed to feedback quantized CSI of the desired and interfering channels using a finite-bandwidth feedback link. An upper bound on the mean loss in sum rate due to random vector quantization is derived. A new feedback-bit allocation strategy, to partition the available bits between the desired and interfering channels, is developed to reduce the mean loss in sum-rate due to quantization for the soft hand-off model. The proposed feedback-bit partitioning algorithm is shown, using simulations, to yield sum-rates close to the those obtained using full CSI at base station.
Magtrieve™ an efficient, magnetically retrievable and recyclable oxidant

Abstract Magtrieve™ is a mild and selective oxidant for a variety of alcohols and, in addition to being magnetically retrievable, is superior to activated MnO 2 in most cases - particularly for less active alcohols such as simple alkanes.
Stabilization in the braid groups II: Transversal simplicity of knots

The main result of this paper is a negative answer to the question: are all transversal knot types transversally simple? An explicit infinite family of examples is given of closed 3-braids that define transversal knot types that are not transversally simple. The method of proof is topological and indirect.
Weld quality evaluation using a high-temperature SQUID array

This paper presents preliminary data for evaluating weld quality using high-temperature SQUIDs. The SQUIDs are integrated into an instrument known as the SQUID Array Microscope, or SAMi. The array consists of 11 SQUIDs evenly distributed over an 7.5 mm baseline. Welds are detected using SAMi by using an on board coil to induce eddy currents in a conducting sample and measuring the resulting magnetic fields. The concept is that the induced magnetic fields will differ in parts of varying weld quality. The data presented here was collected from three stainless steel parts using SAMi. Each part was either solid, included a good weld, or included a bad weld. The induced magnetic field's magnitude and phase relative to the induction signal were measured. For each sample considered, both the magnitude and phase data were measurably different than the other two samples. These results indicate that it is possible to use SAMi to evaluate weld quality.
Self-Preserving Theory for the Volume Distribution of Particles Undergoing Brownian Coagulation

In this paper, the self-preserving theory of coagulating aerosols is presented in a new way: the logarithmic volume (or mass) distribution of an aerosol undergoing coagulation stays invariant in shape at long times. This is shown for both the free molecular and continuum regime collision frequency functions as well as the constant collision frequency function. In addition, new simple approximate forms are presented for the self-preserving distributions, based on numerical solutions to the discrete coagulation equation.
Intended and unintended consequences of democracy promotion assistance to Georgia after the Rose Revolution

What are the political consequences of democratization assistance to regimes transitioning from authoritarian rule? By exploiting the downstream effects of a field experiment designed to encourage citizen monitoring of Georgia’s 2008 parliamentary elections, we evaluate the political consequences of one type of democracy promotion aid. The intervention increased citizen activism, but it also had the unanticipated effect of suppressing overall voter turnout by approximately 5%. We hypothesize that the civic education campaign was interpreted as a sign of increased political attention to a selected voting precinct, which suppressed opposition turnout. Two additional experiments provide additional evidence for the hypothesis.
Prosecuting Torture: The Strategic Ethics of Slavery in Pre-Revolutionary Saint-Domingue (Haiti)

In the spring and summer of 1788, a master was prosecuted for the torture of two female slaves in the French Caribbean colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). The exceptional nature of the case was immediately obvious to the participants who lived through it. The governor and intendant of Saint-Domingue—in essence, the colony's chief military and administrative officers, respectively—described it as a “unique opportunity to arrest, by means of a single example, the course of so many cruelties.” In 1788, the most recent victims of this long eighteenth-century history of cruelties included two slaves known only as Zabeth and Marie-Rose, ostensibly tortured because they were suspected of having administered poison to their master and fellow slaves. This article tells the story of the prosecution of the master who tortured them, Nicolas Lejeune.
Photocurrent imaging and efficient photon detection in a graphene transistor

We measure the channel potential of a graphene transistor using a scanning photocurrent imaging technique. We show that at a certain gate bias, the impact of the metal on the channel potential profile extends into the channel for more than one-third of the total channel length from both source and drain sides; hence, most of the channel is affected by the metal. The potential barrier between the metal-controlled graphene and bulk graphene channel is also measured at various gate biases. As the gate bias exceeds the Dirac point voltage, VDirac, the original p-type graphene channel turns into a p-n-p channel. When light is focused on the p-n junctions, an impressive external responsivity of 0.001 A/W is achieved, given that only a single layer of atoms are involved in photon detection.
Shared intention and personal intentions

This article explores the question: what is it for two or more people to intend to do something in the future? In a technical phrase, what is it for people to share an intention? Extending and refining earlier work of the author’s, it argues for three criteria of adequacy for an account of shared intention (the disjunction, concurrence, and obligation criteria) and offers an account that satisfies them. According to this account, in technical terms explained in the paper, people share an intention when and only when they are jointly committed to intend as a body to do such-and-such in the future. This account is compared and contrasted with the common approach that treats shared intention as a matter of personal intentions, with particular reference to the work of Michael Bratman.
Limits to value in electronic commerce-related IT investments

We extend the limits to the value model of Davern and Kauffman to explore market and process-level factors that impact value flows to firms for their information technology (IT) investments. We characterize IT value in terms of potential value and realized value, and show how each is subject to different effects-limits to value-that diminish the benefits of the investment. Our typology identifies barriers specific to the valuation process (industry and organizational barriers), and to the conversion process (resource, knowledge and usage barriers). Following the development of our analytical framework from existing economic and organizational theories of IT valuation and technology adoption and diffusion, we analyze a series of case studies of Internet-based travel reservation systems in electronic commerce (EC). These cases provide evidence in support of the usefulness of the framework, and illustrate the extent of the difficulties faced by travel industry firms in making their investments in EC systems pay off.
The development of gravity and magnetic studies, emphasizing articles published in the Geological Society of America Bulletin

Gravity and magnetic studies have been published in the GSA Bulletin during most of its history. As demonstrated in the pages of the Bulletin , these techniques have evolved from crude measurements of only regional significance into mature research tools useful at any scale. Gravity and magnetic data have contributed to our understanding of geologic problems and features around the world. The equipment, data processing, and interpretation techniques, and, in many cases, the actual data needed to employ gravity and magnetic data in integrated studies are readily available. Thus, it is appropriate to anticipate that these techniques will find even greater use in the future. It is disappointing, however, to note that papers in the Bulletin involving gravity and magnetic data have decreased in number in recent years.
A Brouwer fixed-point theorem for graph endomorphisms

We prove a Lefschetz formula for graph endomorphisms , where G is a general finite simple graph and ℱ is the set of simplices fixed by T. The degree of T at the simplex x is defined as , a graded sign of the permutation of T restricted to the simplex. The Lefschetz number is defined similarly as in the continuum as , where is the map induced on the k th cohomology group of G. The theorem can be seen as a generalization of the Nowakowski-Rival fixed-edge theorem (Nowakowski and Rival in J. Graph Theory 3:339-350, 1979). A special case is the identity map T, where the formula reduces to the Euler-Poincare formula equating the Euler characteristic with the cohomological Euler characteristic. The theorem assures that if is nonzero, then T has a fixed clique. A special case is the discrete Brouwer fixed-point theorem for graphs: if T is a graph endomorphism of a connected graph G, which is star-shaped in the sense that only the zeroth cohomology group is nontrivial, like for connected trees or triangularizations of star shaped Euclidean domains, then there is clique x which is fixed by T. If is the automorphism group of a graph, we look at the average Lefschetz number . We prove that this is the Euler characteristic of the chain and especially an integer. We also show that as a consequence of the Lefschetz formula, the zeta function is a product of two dynamical zeta functions and, therefore, has an analytic continuation as a rational function. This explicitly computable product formula involves the dimension and the signature of prime orbits. MSC:58J20, 47H10, 37C25, 05C80, 05C82, 05C10, 90B15, 57M15, 55M20.
Some analyses of interval data

Contemporary computers bring us very large datasets, datasets which can be too large for those same computers to analyse properly. One approach is to aggregate these data (by some suitably scientific criteria) to provide more manageably-sized datasets. These aggregated data will perforce be symbolic data consisting of lists, intervals, histograms, etc. Now an observation is a p-dimensional hypercube or Cartesian product of p distributions in Rp, instead of the p-dimensional point in in Rp of classical data. Other data can be naturally symbolic. We give a brief overview of interval-valued data and show briefly that it is important to use symbolic analysis methodology since, e.g., analyses based on classical surrogates ignore some of the information in the dataset.
Online artificial neural network model-based nonlinear model predictive controller for the meridian UAS

SUMMARY A worldwide accident survey of manned and unmanned aircraft shows in-flight loss of control remains a major contributor to aircraft accidents. Operation outside the normal fight envelope is usually subject to failure of components, inappropriate crew response, and environmental conditions. The aerodynamic model of aircraft associated with hazardous weather and abnormal conditions is inherently nonlinear and unsteady. A novel adaptive nonlinear model predictive controller is proposed and conceptually proven to ensure safe control of the Meridian unmanned aerial system in off-nominal conditions. Nonlinear model predictive controllers are capable of handling input and output constraints that directly satisfy safety and performance requirements in off-nominal conditions. The performance of a nonlinear model predictive controller relies heavily on the physics-based model. Controller performance is improved by updating the physics-based model by using real-time nonlinear estimation of aerodynamic forces. Real-time nonlinear estimation of aerodynamic forces is obtained utilizing artificial neural networks with time-varying adaptive parameters. The adaptive nonlinear model predictive controller, coupled with real-time parameter identification, is shown to exhibit robust characteristics and to successfully mitigate the impact of nonlinear and unsteady aerodynamics while preventing loss of control. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predicting Advertising success beyond Traditional Measures: New Insights from Neurophysiological Methods and Market Response Modeling:

In the past decade, there has been a tremendous increase in the use of neurophysiological methods to better understand marketing phenomena among academics and practitioners. However, the value of these methods in predicting advertising success remains underresearched. Using a unique experimental protocol to assess responses to 30-second television ads, the authors capture many measures of advertising effectiveness across six commonly used methods (traditional self-reports, implicit measures, eye tracking, biometrics, electroencephalography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging). These measures have been shown to reliably tap into higher-level constructs commonly used in advertising research: attention, affect, memory, and desirability. Using time-series data on sales and gross rating points, the authors attempt to relate individual-level response to television ads in the lab to the ads' aggregate, market-level elasticities. The authors show that functional magnetic resonance imaging measures explain ...
Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)-Gliocladin C

The first total synthesis of gliocladin C, a fungal-derived marine alkaloid containing a rare trioxopiperazine fragment, is reported. This asymmetric synthesis establishes the absolute configuration of this structurally novel natural product.
An unexpected ring-opening of a 2-pyrone ring at low temperatures. A mild and expeditious synthesis of novel coumarins

When the iminium salts of ortho-hydroxy arylaldehydes were condensed with a 4-hydroxy-2-pyrone at room temperature or well below, a series of unique coumarins were isolated via a translactonization at the expense of an unexpected ring-opening of the 2-pyrone nucleus.
On the formation of interaction networks in social coordination games

There are many situations where two interacting individuals can benefit from coordinating their actions. We examine the endogenous choice of partners in such social coordination games and the implications for resulting play. We model the interaction pattern as a network where individuals periodically have the discretion to add or sever links to other players. With such endogenous interaction patterns we see multiple stochastically stable states of play, including some that involve play of equilibria in the coordination game that are neither efficient nor risk-dominant. Thus the endogenous network structure not only has implications for the interaction pattern that emerges, but it also has a significant impact on the play in the coordination game relative to what would arise if the same interaction network were exogenous.
Sea Contributions to Hadron Electric Polarizabilities through Reweighting

As part of our ongoing lattice study of the electric polarizabilities of hadrons using the background field approach, we use reweighting to examine the effect of the field on the sea quarks. As with other reweighting studies, the chief difficulty lies in the construction of a stochastic estimate of the ratio of the fermion determinants. In contrast to the case of reweighting in the quark mass, these estimators converge extremely slowly, and are resistant to common variance-reduction techniques such as low-mode subtraction. However, it is possible to construct an alternate estimator, taking advantage of the fact that we are interested in only perturbatively small fields; this estimator is susceptible to a variance-reduction technique based on a hopping parameter expansion.
Wormholes admitting conformal Killing vectors and supported by generalized Chaplygin gas

When Morris and Thorne first proposed that traversable wormholes may be actual physical objects, they concentrated on the geometry by specifying the shape and redshift functions. This mathematical approach necessarily raises questions regarding the determination of the required stress-energy tensor. This paper discusses a natural way to obtain a complete wormhole solution by assuming that the wormhole (1) is supported by generalized Chaplygin gas and (2) admits conformal Killing vectors.
Distinguished Lecture on Economics in Government Exchange Rate Regimes: Is the Bipolar View Correct?

“…. the choice of appropriate exchange rate regime, which, for economies with access to international capital markets, increasingly means a move away from the middle ground of pegged but adjustable fixed exchange rates towards the two corner regimes of either flexible exchange rates or a fixed exchange rate supported, if necessary, by a commitment to give up altogether an independent monetary policy.” Lawrence H. Summers (2000), p. 8.
Design aspects for a pulsed-mode, high-intensity, heavy negative ion source

A high-intensity, plasma-sputter, negative ion source which utilizes multi-cusp, magnetic-field, plasma-confinement techniques has been designed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The source is an axial-geometry version of the radial-geometry source which has demonstrated pulsed-mode peak intensity levels of several milliamperes for a wide spectrum of heavy negative ion species. The mechanical design features include provisions for fast interchange of sputter samples, ease of maintenance, direct cooling of the discharge chamber, and the use of easily replaced coaxial LaB/sub 6/ cathodes. >
Resource allocation with interlock detection in a multi-task system

In a multiprogramming environment, special care must be taken to insure that, for a given physical record on a data set, only one task at a time is involved in the following sequence:1) Read the physical record (with update in mind);2) Find the logical record to be changed;3) Change the logical record;4) Write the "new" physical record.
A linear programming algorithm to test for jamming in hard-sphere packings

Jamming in hard-particle packings has been the subject of considerable interest in recent years. In a paper by Torquato and Stillinger [J. Phys. Chem. B 105 (2001)], a classification scheme of jammed packings into hierarchical categories of locally, collectively and strictly jammed configurations has been proposed. They suggest that these jamming categories can be tested using numerical algorithms that analyze an equivalent contact network of the packing under applied displacements, but leave the design of such algorithms as a future task. In this work, we present a rigorous and practical algorithm to assess whether an ideal hard-sphere packing in two or three dimensions is jammed according to the aforementioned categories. The algorithm is based on linear programming and is applicable to regular as well as random packings of finite size with hard-wall and periodic boundary conditions. If the packing is not jammed, the algorithm yields representative multi-particle unjamming motions. Furthermore, we extend the jamming categories and the testing algorithm to packings with significant interparticle gaps. We describe in detail two variants of the proposed randomized linear programming approach to test for jamming in hard-sphere packings. The first algorithm treats ideal packings in which particles form perfect contacts. Another algorithm treats the case of jamming in packings with significant interparticle gaps. This extended algorithm allows one to explore more fully the nature of the feasible particle displacements. We have implemented the algorithms and applied them to ordered as well as random packings of circular disks and spheres with periodic boundary conditions. Some representative results for large disordered disk and sphere packings are given, but more robust and efficient implementations as well as further applications (e.g., non-spherical particles) are anticipated for the future.
Facile generation of aziridines from the reaction of α-diazoamides with tethered oximino-ethers

Abstract In an attempt to prepare azomethine ylide intermediates for cycloaddition reactions with electron deficient olefins, oximino-ethers with tethered α-diazoamide moieties were reacted in the presence of metal catalyst. The reaction resulted in aziridine formation preferentially.
Life Satisfaction Over Time Among Rural Low-income Mothers

The satisfaction with life (SWL) among rural low-income mothers was assessed using a sample of 163 mothers who participated in a multi-state, three-year longitudinal study. Dependent variables included those that represented various forms of capital (health, human, personal and social) as well as the mothers’ levels of life satisfaction from prior years. Nearly two-thirds of the rural mothers were satisfied with their life in all three years. Their level of satisfaction appeared to be constant, however, such persistence had a time frame of only one year. In all three years, their depression score and the adequacy of their income had a significant effect on SWL. Their confidence as a parent and home ownership affected their life satisfaction during two years. Finally, their satisfaction with social relationships, age of the youngest child, and total number of children had an impact on their life satisfaction for one year.
The application of solid fluoride electrolytes in chemical sensors

Abstract The potential of chemical sensors for improving the quality control and efficiency of industrial processes has resulted in considerable research activity in the development of chemical sensors. Due to the combination of good ionic conductivity with low electronic conductivity, a number of solid metal fluorides are excellent electrolytes and thus have been used in chemical sensors for numerous applications ranging from room temperature oxygen gas sensors to sensors for use in the processing of molten metals. The most studied metal fluorides are those which form the cubic fluorite crystal structure, such as CaF2 and PbF2. However, recent research activity has shown that fluorides which form other crystal structures, such as tysonite (e.g. LaF3) and rutile (e.g. MgF2), have promising applications in chemical sensors. In this paper, the application of solid fluoride electrolytes in chemical sensors will be reviewed.
Curve fitting and error modeling for the digitization process near the Nyquist rate

Model-based parametric estimation (MBPE) techniques are used to numerically examine the limits of waveform digitization errors. MBPE has proven very successful for the effective bits test of digitizer accuracy, and it is shown that it is a strong candidate for reconstruction whenever some a priori information is available. The numerical results aid in the optimum use of modern transient recorders to their full analog bandwidth capability. The model may be used either as a tool in understanding absolute performance capability for the highly nonlinear space near the Nyquist limit or as a practical experimental aid when setting specifications for a real measurement. >
Alternative Dual Exchange Market Regimes: Some Steady-State Comparisons

Two dual exchange rate regimes are compared. Under one, the official market clears through changes in international reserves. Under the other, the central bank implements a rationing scheme so as to keep international reserves constant. The paper discusses the effects on inflation, the balance of payments, the real exchange rate, and the spread between the free and the official exchange rate of various economic policies, including exchange rate policy, fiscal policy, and unification of the exchange markets. It concludes that the steady-state effects for most of those policies are qualitatively the same under both regimes.
Dynamic Assortment with Demand Learning for Seasonal Consumer Goods

Companies such as Zara and World Co. have recently implemented novel product development processes and supply chain architectures enabling them to make more product design and assortment decisions during the selling season, when actual demand information becomes available. How should such retail firms modify their product assortment over time in order to maximize overall profits for a given selling season? Focusing on a stylized version of this problem, we study a finite horizon multiarmed bandit model with several plays per stage and Bayesian learning. Our analysis involves the Lagrangian relaxation of weakly coupled dynamic programs (DPs), results contributing to the emerging theory of DP duality, and various approximations. It yields a closed-form dynamic index policy capturing the key exploration versus exploitation trade-off and associated suboptimality bounds. In numerical experiments its performance proves comparable to that of other closed-form heuristics described in the literature, but this policy is particularly easy to implement and interpret. This last feature enables extensions to more realistic versions of the motivating dynamic assortment problem that include implementation delays, switching costs, and demand substitution effects.
Soft-decision multistage decoding of multilevel-coded quaternary partial-response signals

This paper deals with multilevel coding and concatenated soft-decision multistage decoding for quaternary partial-response class-IV (PRIV) systems. Time-interleaved multilevel-coded quaternary symbols are transmitted with precoding over the PRIV channel. In the receiver, an inner decoder computes approximate log-likelihood ratios for the less significant bits of the quaternary symbols input to the precoded PRIV channel by a new reduced two-state soft-output Viterbi decoding algorithm. An outer multistage decoder employs the obtained log-likelihood ratios which, with sufficient interleaving, represent appropriate metrics for soft-decision decoding. Real coding gains over uncoded transmission with maximum-likelihood sequence decoding are determined by simulation. Results are presented for various multilevel codes that employ a single level of convolutional or Reed-Muller block coding. The scheme considered here exhibits low decoding complexity and allows for high-rate codes that achieve real coding gains of 3 to 4 dB. >
The Instrument Variable Approach to Correct for Endogeneity in Finance

The endogeneity problem has received a mixed treatment in corporate finance research. Although many studies implicitly acknowledge its existence, the literature does not consistently account for endogeneity using formal econometric methods. This chapter reviews the instrumental variables approach to endogeneity from the point of view of a finance researcher who is implementing instrumental variable methods in empirical studies. This review is organized into two parts. Part I discusses the general procedure of the instrumental variables approach, the related diagnostic statistics for assessing the validity of instruments, which are important but not frequently used in finance applications, and some recent advances in econometrics research on weak instruments. Part II surveys corporate finance applications of instrumental variables. We found that the instrumental variables used in finance studies are often chosen arbitrarily and very few diagnostic statistics are performed to assess the adequacy of IV estimation. The resulting IV estimates are thus questionable.
The Visible Hand: Race and Online Market Outcomes

We examine the effect of race on market outcomes by selling iPods through local online classified advertisements throughout the US. Each advertisement features a photograph including a dark or light-skinned hand, or one with a wrist tattoo. Black sellers receive fewer and lower offers than white sellers, and the correspondence with black sellers indicates lower levels of trust. Black sellers’ outcomes are particularly poor in thin markets (suggesting that discrimination may not ‘survive’ competition among buyers) and those with the most racial isolation and property crime (consistent with channels through which statistical discrimination might operate). Economic outcomes in the US are highly correlated with race but the causal mechanisms underlying these correlations are not well understood. In particular, it remains unclear how much of the correlation is due to discrimination and how much is due to other characteristics that are correlated with race, such as education. There is an extensive literature on the effect of race on market outcomes, focusing on both labour and goods (including housing) markets. However, ‘discrimination’ is not a monolithic phenomenon, and it is important to investigate its extent and causes in a variety of different contexts (across which they may differ). Our study asks the following question: When the typical person engages in a consumer transaction (usually as a buyer) does he or she try to avoid dealing with minority sellers, and does she treat minority sellers differently?
Role of Leukotrienes in Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness and Cellular Responses in Airways

Among constitutively present cells, bronchoactive leukotrienes are produced predominantly by mast cells (1) and macrophages (2). A unique characteristic of asthmatic inflammation is the migration of leukocytes from the peripheral blood to the conducting airways of the lung. This is especially true of the eosinophil, which is not present in the airways of normal individuals, but may be found in massive numbers during periods of airway hyperresponsiveness in asthmatic individuals [Figure 1 (3)] (4-6). Most experimental models indicate that eosinophils are an invariable component of asthmatic hyperresponsiveness, although some studies suggest that bronchoconstriction can occur in the relative absence of these cells. For the purposes of this discussion, the eosinophil is viewed as a leukotriene transport system capable of providing a substantial reservoir of bronchoactive leukotrienes to airways in a relatively short time. They may be delivered to conducting airways in large numbers and have the capacity to produce cysteinyl-leukotriene C 4 (Cys-LTC 4 ), which cannot be produced by neutrophils, but also migrate into conducting airways in some circumstances (7, 8). This discussion deals first with the mechanism by which eosinophils, a minority constituent of the circulating blood, are homed selectively to the conducting airways of the lung in human asthma. The mechanism by which the recruitment process of cellular adhesion primes migrating eosinophils for augmented leukotriene synthesis is discussed with particular reference to interactions between surface integrins on eosinophils and their counterligands, the immunoglobulin supergenes on the endothelial surface (9, 10) and fibronectin within the airway wall (11). The potential physiological significance of augmented secretion caused by adhesive interactions is suggested by experiments elucidated in this discussion. Finally, some new preliminary evidence for an autocrine mechanism of eosinophil recruitment that is mediated through the secretion of Cys-leukotrienes is considered.
Entropy estimate for high-dimensional monotonic functions

We establish upper and lower bounds for the metric entropy and bracketing entropy of the class of d-dimensional bounded monotonic functions under L^p norms. It is interesting to see that both the metric entropy and bracketing entropy have different behaviors for pd/(d-1). We apply the new bounds for bracketing entropy to establish a global rate of convergence of the MLE of a d-dimensional monotone density.
Intramolecular addition of acyl radicals to α-substituted vinylogous carbonates: demonstrating the effect of ring size on acyclic stereocontrol

The level of stereocontrol obtained in the reduction of the free radical derived from the intramolecular addition of an acyl radical to an α-branched vinylogous carbonate is dependent upon the ring-size of the cyclic ether.
Schooling and Parental Death

Loss of a parent is one of the most traumatic events a child can face. If loss of a parent reduces investments in children, it can also have long-lasting implications. This study uses parametric and semi-nonparametric matching techniques to estimate how one human capital investment, school enrollment, is affected by a parent's recent death. We analyze data from 600,000 households from Indonesia’s National Socioeconomic Survey (SUSENAS) during 1994-96. We find a parent's recent death has a large effect on a child's enrollment. We also use this shock to test several theories of intra-household allocation and find little differential treatment based on the gender of the child or the deceased parent.
Daily precipitation distributions over the intra-Americas sea and their interannual variability

The seasonal (March to October) and interannual variability of the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of precipitation is examined for Meso-America, the eastern Pacific and western Atlantic, commonly re ferred to as the intra-Americas sea (IAS). Large-area precipitation CDFs were constructed over land and temperature pools greater than 28.5o C and between 26.5o and 28.5o C. The cooler waters tend to have their precipitation distributions shifted to lower values as compared to land and the western hemisphere warm
The Antenna Properties of Optical Heterodyne Receivers

An optical heterodyne receiver is, in effect, both a receiver and an antenna. As an antenna it has an effective aperture or capture cross section AR(Ω) for plane wave signals arriving from any direction Ω. The wavefront alignment between signal and local-oscillator (LO) beams required for effective optical heterodyning may be summarized in the “antenna theorem” ∬AR(Ω)dΩ=[η2¯/η¯2]λ2 where the moments of the quantum efficiency η are evaluated over the photosensitive surface. Thus, an optical heterodyne having effective aperture AR for signals arriving within a single main antenna lobe or field of view of solid angle ΩR is limited by the constraint ARΩR≈λ2. Optical elements placed in the signal and/or LO beam paths can vary the trade-off between AR and ΩR but cannot change their product.It is also noted that an optical heterodyne is an insensitive detector for thermal radiation, since a thermal source filling the receiver’s field of view must have a temperature T≈[ln (1+ η¯)]−1hf/k to be detected with S/N≈1. Optical heterodyning can be useful in practical situations, however, for detecting Doppler shifts in coherent light scattered by liquids, gases, or small particles. Another antenna theorem applicable to this problem says that in a scattering experiment the received power will be ≲Nσλ/4π times the transmitted power, where N is the density of scatterers and σ is the total scattering cross section of a single scatterer. The equality sign is obtained only when a single aperture serves as both transmitting and receiving aperture, or when two separate apertures are optimally focused at short range onto a common volume.
Efficient three-dimensional imaging from a small cylindrical aperture

Small-diameter cylindrical imaging platforms, such as those being considered in the development of in vivo ultrasonic microprobes, pose unique image formation challenges. The curved apertures they provide are incompatible with many of the commonly used frequency-domain synthetic aperture imaging algorithms. At the same time, their frequently small diameters place limits on the available aperture and the angular resolution that may be achieved. We obtain a three-dimensional, frequency-domain imaging algorithm for this geometry by making suitable approximations to the point spread function for wave propagation in cylindrical coordinates and obtaining its Fourier transform by analogy with the equivalent problem in Cartesian coordinates. For the most effective use of aperture, we propose using a focused transducer to place a virtual source a short distance from the probe. The focus is treated as a diverging source by the imaging algorithm, which then forms images on deeper cylindrical shells. This approach retains the simplicity and potential angular resolution of a single element, yet permits full use of the available probe aperture and a higher energy output. Computer simulations and experimental results using wire targets show that this imaging technique attains the resolution limit dictated by the operating wavelength and the transducer characteristics.
Financial Dependence and Growth Revisited

We revisit an earlier, highly influential paper on financial dependence and growth by Rajan and Zingales (1998). We re-examine their assumptions, and the robustness of their results to alternative theories and interpretations. We first show that they may be implicitly testing whether financial intermediaries allow firms to better respond to global shocks to growth opportunities, rather than the extent that financial intermediaries allow firms to grow in industries with an inherent (technological) financial dependence. We propose a more direct measure of growth opportunities: If U.S. capital markets are perfect, then actual growth in the U.S. is a good proxy for global growth opportunities. We test this directly, by including U.S. industry growth in Rajan and Zingales's original specification, and find that our direct growth measure outperforms their financial dependence measure and is less vulnerable to controlling for outliers and level of development. This still suggests an important role for finance in the allocation of resources, but shifts the emphasis from “financial dependence” to “global growth opportunities.” (JEL: F3, G1, O4)
Further results on Nakagami-m parameter estimation

Accurate and efficient estimation of fading parameters are of considerable interest in the design of adaptive radios since they provide an indication of the communication link quality. In this letter, we develop a few simple estimators for the Nakagami-m, parameter by approximating the transcendental equations that arise in the computation of maximum-likelihood and generalized moment based estimators as linear of quadratic polynomials using quasinewton optimization method. Statistical properties and efficacy of the new estimators are validated via Monte Carlo simulations.
Recent progress in lattice QCD at finite density

We review recent progress in lattice QCD at finite density. Th e phase diagram of QCD and the equation of state at finite temperature and density are di scussed. In particular, we focus on the critical point terminating a first order phase transitio n line in the high density region. The critical point is one of the most interesting features that m ay be discovered in heavy-ion collision experiments. We summarize the current discussion on the existence of a critical point in the QCD phase diagram and discuss some attempts to find the critical p oint by numerical simulations.
Refractory materials for high-temperature thermoelectric energy conversion

Theoretical work of two decades ago adequately explained the transport behavior and effectively guided the development of thermoelectric materials of high conversion efficiencies of conventional semiconductors (e.g., SiGe alloys). The more significant contributions involved the estimation of optimum doping concentrations, the reduction of thermal conductivity by solid solution doping and the development of a variety of materials with ZT approx. 1 in the temperature range 300 K to 1200 K. ZT approx. 1 is not a theoretical limitation although, experimentally, values in excess of one were not achieved. Work has continued with emphasis on higher temperature energy conversion. A number of promising materials have been discovered in which it appears that ZT 1 is realizable. These materials are divided into two classes: (1) the rare-earth chalcogenides which behave as itinerant highly-degenerate n-type semiconductors at room-temperature, and (2) the boron-rich borides, which exhibit p-type small-polaronic hopping conductivity.
Lithium treatment moderate-dose use study (LiTMUS) for bipolar disorder: a randomized comparative effectiveness trial of optimized personalized treatment with and without lithium.

Personalized treatment of bipolar I or II disorder that includes lithium does not appear to be superior to individualized care using other evidence-based treatments. In a 6-month comparison study, the overall remission rate was 27%, with no difference in remission or adverse events between the lithium and nonlithium groups.
Intrinsic Colors, Temperatures, and Bolometric Corrections of Pre-Main Sequence Stars

We present an analysis of the intrinsic colors and temperatures of 5-30 Myr old pre-main sequence (pre-MS) stars using the F0 through M9 type members of nearby, negligibly reddened groups: η Cha cluster, TW Hydra Association, β Pic Moving Group, and Tucana-Horologium Association. To check the consistency of spectral types from the literature, we estimate new spectral types for 52 nearby pre-MS stars with spectral types F3 through M4 using optical spectra taken with the SMARTS 1.5m telescope. Combining these new types with published spectral types, and photometry from the literature (Johnson-Cousins BV IC, 2MASS JHKS and WISE W1, W2, W3, and W4), we derive a new empirical spectral type-color sequence for 5-30 Myr old pre-MS stars. Colors for pre-MS stars match dwarf colors for some spectral types and colors, but for other spectral types and colors, deviations can exceed 0.3 mag. We estimate effective temperatures (Teff) and bolometric corrections (BCs) for our pre-MS star sample through comparing their photometry to synthetic photometry generated using the BT-Settl grid of model atmosphere spectra. We derive a new Teff and BC scale for pre-MS stars, which should be a more appropriate match for T Tauri stars than often-adopted dwarf star scales. While our new Teff scale for pre-MS stars is within ≃100 K of dwarfs at a given spectral type for stars <G5, for G5 through K6, the pre-MS stars are ∼250 K cooler than their main sequence counterparts. Lastly, we present (1) a modern Teff, optical/IR color, and bolometric correction sequence for O9V-M9V MS stars based on an extensive literature survey, (2) a revised Qmethod relation for dereddening UBV photometry of OB-type stars, and (3) introduce two candidate spectral standard stars as representatives of spectral types K8V and K9V. Subject headings: open clusters and associations: individual(η Cha cluster, TW Hydra Association, β Pic Moving Group, Tucana-Horologium Association); — stars: pre-main sequence — stars: fundamental parameters (colors, temperatures)
Learning GP-BayesFilters via Gaussian process latent variable models

GP-BayesFilters are a general framework for integrating Gaussian process prediction and observation models into Bayesian filtering techniques, including particle filters and extended and unscented Kalman filters. GP-BayesFilters have been shown to be extremely well suited for systems for which accurate parametric models are difficult to obtain. GP-BayesFilters learn non-parametric models from training data containing sequences of control inputs, observations, and ground truth states. The need for ground truth states limits the applicability of GP-BayesFilters to systems for which the ground truth can be estimated without significant overhead. In this paper we introduce GPBF-Learn, a framework for training GP-BayesFilters without ground truth states. Our approach extends Gaussian Process Latent Variable Models to the setting of dynamical robotics systems. We show how weak labels for the ground truth states can be incorporated into the GPBF-Learn framework. The approach is evaluated using a difficult tracking task, namely tracking a slotcar based on inertial measurement unit (IMU) observations only. We also show some special features enabled by this framework, including time alignment, and control replay for both the slotcar, and a robotic arm.
Dynamic bi-overlay rotation for streaming with heterogeneous devices

Recently Internet P2P/overlay streaming has gained increasing popularity. While plenty of research has focused on streaming performance study, it is not quite known yet on how to efficiently serve heterogeneous devices that have different limitations on display size, color depth, bandwidth capacities, CPU and battery power, than desktop computers. Although previous work1 proposes to reuse intermediate information (metadata) produced during transcoding to facilitate runtime content adaption to serve heterogeneous clients by reducing total computing load, unbalanced resource contribution may pre-maturely exhaust the limited power of mobile devices, and adversely affect the performance of participating nodes and subsequently threaten the robustness of the whole system. In this work, we propose a Dynamic Bi-Overlay Rotation (DOOR) scheme, in which, we further consider resource consumption of participating nodes to design a dynamic rotation scheme that reacts to dynamic situations and balances across multiple types of resources on individual nodes. Based on the computing load and transcoding quality parameters obtained through real transcoding sessions, we drive large scale simulations to evaluate DOOR. The results show clear improvement of DOOR over earlier work.