cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time-varying liquidity in foreign exchange

Abstract This paper addresses whether currency trades have greater price impact when public information is flowing rapidly. We develop an optimizing model to account for why public news should increase the price impact of trades. Using transaction data made available by electronic trading, we test whether trades following macroeconomic news have higher price impact. They do: price impact per dollar traded is about 10 percent higher per news announcement in the previous hour. After controlling for public information flow, we do not find evidence that liquidity depends on trading volume and return volatility. The findings provide policy makers with guidance for the timing and magnitude intervention.
Encumbering harvest rights to protect marine environments: a model of marine conservation easements*

We adapt the concept of a conservation easement to a marine environment and explore its use to achieve conservation goals. Although marine environments generally are not owned, those who use them for commercial fishing often are regulated. These regulations grant harvesters rights to use marine environments in specified ways, and the possibility of encumbering these rights to achieve conservation goals creates a potential role for marine easements. We examine this potential under alternative fishery management regimes and find, generally, that marine easements tend to be most effective when harvest rights are delineated most fully. Our analysis suggests ways that marine easements can have flexibility and transactions cost advantages over other approaches to achieving marine conservation goals. We also propose ways in which the design of laws allowing marine easements should follow, or depart from, the design of laws authorizing conservation easements on land.
Filamentary condensations in a young cluster

New models are presented for star-forming condensations in clusters. In each model, the condensation mass increases linearly with radius on small scales, and more rapidly on large scales, as in "thermal-nonthermal" models. Spherical condensations with this structure form protostars which match the initial mass function if their infall is subject to equally likely stopping. However, such spherical models do not match the filamentary nature of cluster gas, and they are too extended to form protostars having high mass and short spacing. Two hybrid models are presented, which are spherical on small scales and filamentary on large scales. In and around clusters, cores embedded in linear filaments match the elongation of cluster gas, and the central concentration of low-mass stars. In cluster centers, condensations require a low volume-filling factor to produce massive stars with short spacing. These may have stellate shape, where cores are nodes of filamentary networks, as seen in some simulations of colliding flows and collapsing turbulent clumps. A dense configuration of such stellate condensations may be indistinguishable from a clump forming multiple protostars via filamentary flow paths.
Discovering functional DNA elements using population genomic information: a proof of concept using human mtDNA.

Identifying the complete set of functional elements within the human genome would be a windfall for multiple areas of biological research including medicine, molecular biology, and evolution. Complete knowledge of function would aid in the prioritization of loci when searching for the genetic bases of disease or adaptive phenotypes. Because mutations that disrupt function are disfavored by natural selection, purifying selection leaves a detectable signature within functional elements; accordingly, this signal has been exploited for over a decade through the use of genomic comparisons of distantly related species. While this is so, the functional complement of the genome changes extensively across time and between lineages; therefore, evidence of the current action of purifying selection in humans is essential. Because the removal of deleterious mutations by natural selection also reduces within-species genetic diversity within functional loci, dense population genetic data have the potential to reveal genomic elements that are currently functional. Here, we assess the potential of this approach by examining an ultradeep sample of human mitochondrial genomes (n = 16,411). We show that the high density of polymorphism in this data set precisely delineates regions experiencing purifying selection. Furthermore, we show that the number of segregating alleles at a site is strongly correlated with its divergence across species after accounting for known mutational biases in human mitochondrial DNA (ρ = 0.51; P < 2.2 × 10−16). These two measures track one another at a remarkably fine scale across many loci—a correlation that is purely the result of natural selection. Our results demonstrate that genetic variation has the potential to reveal with surprising precision which regions in the genome are currently performing important functions and likely to have deleterious fitness effects when mutated. As more complete human genomes are sequenced, similar power to reveal purifying selection may be achievable in the human nuclear genome.
Intrinsic linking and knotting of graphs in arbitrary 3–manifolds

are intrinsically linked, and used these two results to provethat any graph with a minor in the Petersen family (Figure 1) is intrinsically linked.Conversely, Sachs conjectured that any graph which is intrinsically linked contains aminor in the Petersen family. In 1995, Robertson, Seymour and Thomas [10] provedSachs’ conjecture, and thus completely classiﬁed intrinsically linked graphs.Examples of intrinsically knotted graphs other than K
Why Do Mothers Breastfeed Girls Less than Boys? Evidence and implications for Child Health in India

Breastfeeding is negatively correlated with future fertility because nursing temporarily reduces fecundity and because mothers usually wean on becoming pregnant again. We model breastfeeding under son-biased fertility preferences and show that breastfeeding duration increases with birth order, especially near target family size; is lowest for daughters and children without older brothers because their parents try again for a son; and exhibits the largest gender gap near target family size, when gender is most predictive of subsequent fertility. Data from India confirm each prediction. Moreover, child survival exhibits similar patterns, especially in settings where the alternatives to breastmilk are unsanitary.
Studies Aimed at the Total Synthesis of the Antitumor Antibiotic Cochleamycin A. An Enantioselective Biosynthesis-Based Pathway to the AB Bicyclic Core

A convergent, highly enantioselective synthesis of the fully functionalized AB sector of cochleamycin A is described. A pair of building blocks, crafted from l-malic and l-ascorbic acids, are conjo...
Synthesis of o-acylarylcarboxylic esters: A new replacement of phenolic hydroxyl by a carbonyl group

Abstract A wide variety of the title esters are prepared in good yields via a new two step replacement of phenolic hydroxyl by an ethaxycarbonyl group.
Why Some Companies Seek Shareholder Ratification on Auditor Selection

Federal and state laws do not currently require companies to seek ratification from shareholders on auditor selection, but some companies do so. Previous studies document the determinants of voting behavior when such voting is solicited by the management, but do not examine why some companies seek shareholder approval on auditor selection while others do not. We examine whether companies avoid seeking ratification when they are likely to face nonratification. We find no strong evidence that this is the case. In fact, companies that pay higher total fees to auditors are more likely to ask shareholders to vote on auditor selection. Andersen clients are less likely to seek ratification, which we attribute to the fact that our sample time period coincides with the Enron‐Andersen crisis. The only other indication that companies may shy away from shareholder ratification is a negative association between shareholder dissatisfaction with the board and the likelihood of seeking ratification. Finally, we find that...
Subsidized Contraception, Fertility, and Sexual Behavior

Abstract We examine the impact of recent state-level Medicaid policy changes that expanded eligibility for family planning services to higher-income women and to Medicaid clients whose benefits would expire otherwise. We show that the income-based policy change reduced overall births to non-teens by about 2% and to teens by over 4%; estimates suggest a decline of 9% among newly eligible women. The reduction in fertility appears to have been accomplished via greater use of contraception. Our calculations indicate that allowing higher-income women to receive federally funded family planning cost on the order of $6,800 for each averted birth.
Ring‐Contraction Strategy for the Practical, Scalable, Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Versatile γ‐Quaternary Acylcyclopentenes

Contraction action! A simple protocol for the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of highly functionalized γ-quaternary acylcyclopentenes (see schematic) in up to 91 % overall yield and 92 % ee has been developed. The reaction sequence employs a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective alkylation reaction and exploits the unusual stability of β-hydroxy cycloheptanones to achieve a general and robust method for performing two-carbon ring contractions.
Optical properties of silicon carbide for astrophysical applications - I. New laboratory infrared reflectance spectra and optical constants

Aims. The SiC optical constants are fundamental inputs for radiat ive transfer (RT) models of astrophysical dust environments. However, previously published values contain errors and do not adequately represent the bulk physical properties of th e cubic (β) SiC polytype usually found around carbon stars. We provide new, uncompromised optical constants forβ- andα-SiC derived from single-crystal reflectance spectra ⋆ and investigate quantitatively (i) whether there is any difference betweenα- andβ-SiC that can be seen in infrared (IR) spectra and optical functions and (ii) whether weak features fromλ∼ 12.5‐13.0� m need to be fitted. Methods. We measured mid- and far-IR reflectance spectra for two sampl es of 3C (β-)SiC and four samples of 6H (α-)SiC. For the latter group, we acquired polarized data ( E⊥c, Ek c orientations). We calculated the real and imaginary parts o f the complex refractive index (n(λ) + ik(λ)) and the ideal absorption coeffi cients via classical dispersion fits to our reflectance spect ra. Results. We find that β-SiC and E⊥cα-SiC have almost identical optical functions but that n(λ) and k(λ) for Ek cα-SiC are shifted to lower frequency. Peak positions determined for both 3C (β-) and 6H (α-)SiC polytypes agree with Raman measurements and show that a systematic error of 4 cm −1 exists in previously published IR analyses, attributable t o inadequate resolution of older instruments for the steep, sharp modes of SiC. Weak modes are present for samples with impurities. Our calculated absorption coeffi cients are much higher than laboratory measurements. Whereas astrophysical dust grain sizes remain fairly unconstrained, SiC gr ains larger than about 1� m in diameter will be opaque at frequencies near the peak center. Conclusions. Previous optical constants for SiC do not reflect the true bul k properties, and they are only valid for a narrow grain size range. The new optical constants presented here will allow narrow constraints to be placed on the grain size and shape dis tribution that dominate in astrophysical environments.
Inter-relating hardware and software in computer science education

The major portion of graduates from curricula in computer science will be professionally involved in the design, specification, implementation or theoretical foundations of computer-based information systems. They will participate in the selection of computer hardware, or will be called on to judge the merits of proposals from suppliers. To be competent in exercising these responsibilities, it is essential that students of computer science thoroughly understand the relationship between computer organization and the implementation of programming languages and information systems.
THE TIMING OF FACIAL MOTION IN POSED AND SPONTANEOUS SMILES

Almost all work in automatic facial expression analysis has focused on recognition of prototypic expressions rather than dynamic changes in appearance over time. To investigate the relative contribution of dynamic features to expression recognition, we used automatic feature tracking to measure the relation between amplitude and duration of smile onsets in spontaneous and deliberate smiles of 81 young adults of Euro- and African-American background. Spontaneous smiles were of smaller amplitude and had a larger and more consistent relation between amplitude and duration than deliberate smiles. A linear discriminant classifier using timing and amplitude measures of smile onsets achieved a 93% recognition rate. Using timing measures alone, recognition rate declined only marginally to 89%. These findings suggest that by extracting and representing dynamic as well as morphological features, automatic facial expression analysis can begin to discriminate among the message values of morphologically similar expressions.
The Effect of Taxes on Acquisition Price and Transaction Structure

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the target's tax status on the structure of taxable corporate acquisitions. Specifically, we examine how the taxes imposed on the parties to the transaction are shared. Our results suggest the acquirer bears target tax costs through higher acquisition prices. In addition, our results also suggest that the acquirer pays little, if anything, to the target for the use of target net operating losses. Finally, we find that the target's tax status affects the transaction structure since targets with higher marginal tax rates are more likely to desire contingent payments in the contract.
Mix-and-Heat Benzylation of Alcohols Using a Bench-Stable Pyridinium Salt

2-Benzyloxy-1-methylpyridinium triflate (1) is a stable, neutral organic salt that converts alcohols into benzyl ethers upon warming. The synthesis and reactivity of 1 are described herein. Benzylation of a wide range of alcohols occurs in good to excellent yield.
Many-body chaos at weak coupling

The strength of chaos in large N quantum systems can be quantified using λ L , the rate of growth of certain out-of-time-order four point functions. We calculate λ L to leading order in a weakly coupled matrix Φ4 theory by numerically diagonalizing a ladder kernel. The computation reduces to an essentially classical problem.
Site 48SH312: An Early Middle Period Bison Kill In the Powder River Basin of Wyoming

Site 48SH312 is part of an Early Middle Period complex in which at least part of the economy was oriented toward small-scale trapping of bison, utilizing the natural badland topography of the Powde...
Intraoperative Spinal Sonography of Soft-Tissue Masses of the Spinal Cord and Spinal Canal

Intraoperative spinal sonography (lOSS) was used to evaluate and monitor the progress of surgery in 18 patients with soft-tissue masses of the spinal canal and spinal cord. With intramedullary masses, lOSS showed not only the site of maximum cord enlargement so that a precise biopsy could be performed but also was able to demonstrate the zone of transition between the mass and normal cord tissue. With extradural masses and intradural extramedullary masses, lOSS showed the exact size and location of the masses and confirmed their removal and/or adequate spinal cord decompression. lOSS indicated the extent of bone removal necessary to give adequate exposure to accomplish total removal of these masses or to localize the proper level for tissue biopsy. lOSS also indicated the need to open the dura when there had been unsuspected transdural tumor spread or when bony decompression had not been sufficient to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord in tonsillar ectopia. Intraoperative spinal sonography is recommended in all cases of spinal surgery performed to resect or biopsy soft-tissue masses of the spinal canal or spinal cord.
Molecular Techniques Applied to Polyploids

We have learned a great deal about the patterns of evolution through examination of species differences at the phenotypic level: isozyme patterns, secondary metabolic products, morphological changes, karyotype, or other criteria. Such studies are inherently limited to studying those changes visible to us; many changes in the genome of a particular species may not result in visible phenotypic change. In the last 10 years many innovations in examining the average composition of genomes by reassociation analysis, thermal denaturation of interspecific hybrid DNA molecules, and other procedures have provided a means for examining the total divergence between related genomes. Such procedures can be used to chart the general trends of species-specific changes in genome composition over time, including both individual base changes and phenomena such as loss or amplification of sequences. DNA reassociation procedures necessarily give information on typical patterns, but new methods developed over the last five years can yield information on the evolution of specific gene sequences. These new methods include restriction enzyme digestion patterns and DNA sequencing; in order to accomplish these analyses it is usually necessary to clone a specific sequence of eukaryotic DNA in a phage or plasmid vector.
Machine recognition of navel orange worm damage in X-ray images of pistachio nuts

Abstract Insect infestation increases the probability of aflatoxin contamination in pistachio nuts. A non destructive test is currently not available to determine the insect content of pistachio nuts. This paper presents the use of film X-ray images of various types of pistachio nut to assess the possibility of machine recognition of insect-infested nuts. Histogram parameters of four derived images are used in discriminant functions to select insect-infested nuts from specific processing streams.
Uniqueness for some higher‐order geometric flows

We show that solutions to certain higher-order intrinsic geometric flows on a compact manifold, including some flows generated by the ambient obstruction tensor, are unique. With the goal of providing a complete self-contained proof, details surrounding map covariant derivatives and a careful application of the DeTurck trick are provided.
Case-Based Decision Theory

This paper suggests that decision-making under uncertainty is, at least partly, case-based. We propose a model in which cases are primitive, and provide a simple axiomatization of a decision rule that chooses a "best" act based on its past performance in similar cases. Each act is evaluated by the sum of the utility levels that resulted from using this act in past cases, each weighted by the similarity of that past case to the problem at hand. The formal model of case-based decision theory naturally gives rise to the notions of satisficing decisions and aspiration levels.
Comparative responsiveness of the PROMIS pain interference short forms, brief pain inventory, PEG, and SF-36 bodily pain subscale

Purpose To compare the sensitivity to change and the responsiveness to intervention of the PROMIS Pain Interference short forms, Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), 3-item PEG scale, and SF-36 Bodily Pain subscale in a sample of patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain of moderate severity. Methods Standardized response means, standardized effect sizes, and receiver operating curve analyses were used to assess change between baseline and 3-month assessments in 250 participants who participated in a randomized clinical effectiveness trial of collaborative telecare management for moderate to severe and persistent musculoskeletal pain. Results The BPI, PEG, and SF-36 Bodily Pain measures were more sensitive to patient-reported global change than the PROMIS Pain Interference short forms, especially for the clinically improved group, for which the change detected by the PROMIS short forms was not statistically significant. The BPI was more responsive to the clinical intervention than the SF-36 Bodily Pain and PROMIS Pain Interference measures. Post hoc analyses exploring these findings did not suggest that differences in content or rating scale structure (number of response options or anchoring language) adequately explained the observed differences in the detection of change. Conclusions In this clinical trial, the BPI and PEG measures were better able to detect change than the SF-36 Bodily Pain and PROMIS Pain Interference measures.
Management Quality, Firm Organization and International Trade

The quality of management technology that is used to monitor and incentivize workers varies substantially across countries. To understand the impact of this on economic activities, I develop a two-sector model in which firms facing heterogeneous demands set up hierarchies to manage the production processes in a monopolistically competitive sector. Entrepreneurs decide the number of hierarchical layers, the effort level of each worker, and the span of control of supervisors. I then use the theory to explain two empirical findings established in the literature. First, a common improvement in this type of management technology across all firms intensifies competition in the monopolistically competitive sector. As a result, the smallest firms are forced to leave the market; the most efficient firms thrive; the average firm size increases. Second, firms are less decentralized in economies with ineffective management technology. In an extended two-country model incorporating international trade, I show that firms facing increasing import competition flatten their hierarchies and use more incentive-based pay. Furthermore, I find that countries with superior management technology experience larger welfare gains from opening up to trade and have larger trade shares.
A Punctured Programming Approach to Adaptively Secure Functional Encryption

We propose the first construction for achieving adaptively secure functional encryption (FE) for poly-sized circuits (without complexity leveraging) from indistinguishability obfuscation (\(i\mathcal {O}\)). Our reduction has polynomial loss to the underlying primitives. We develop a “punctured programming” approach to constructing and proving systems where outside of obfuscation we rely only on primitives realizable from pseudo random generators.
Language and cooperation in hominin scavenging

Abstract Bickerton (2009, 2014) hypothesizes that language emerged as the solution to a scavenging problem faced by proto-humans. We design a virtual world to explore how people use words to persuade others to work together for a common end. By gradually reducing the vocabularies that the participants can use, we trace the process of solving the hominin scavenging problem. Our experiment changes the way we think about social dilemmas. Instead of asking how does a group overcome the self-interest of its constituents, the question becomes, how do constituents persuade one another to work together for a common end that yields a common benefit?
Can wage subsidies boost employment in the wake of an economic crisis ? evidence from Mexico

The rise in unemployment during an economic crisis poses a significant concern to policy makers. This paper measures the effect of a program in Mexico that granted firms in certain industries wage subsidies if they decided to keep their workers instead of letting them go during the recent economic crisis. The analysis uses monthly administrative data on employment at the industry level, along with propensity score matching to construct groups of eligible and ineligible durable goods manufacturing industries that display statistically identical pre-program trends in employment. Difference-in-difference results show a positive but not statistically significant effect of the wage subsidies on employment during the program’s eight-month duration, ranging from 5.7 to 13.2 percent in magnitude, depending on the specification. The size of the effect increases to 24 percent after the program ended and the results indicate that employment after the program recovered faster in eligible industries than in ineligible industries.
Efficient polyhedral enclosures for the reachable set of nonlinear control systems

This work presents a general theory for the construction of a polyhedral outer approximation of the reachable set (“polyhedral bounds”) of a dynamic system subject to time-varying inputs and uncertain initial conditions. This theory is inspired by the efficient methods for the construction of interval bounds based on comparison theorems. A numerically implementable instance of this theory leads to an auxiliary system of differential equations which can be solved with standard numerical integration methods. Meanwhile, the use of polyhedra provides greater flexibility in defining tight enclosures on the reachable set. These advantages are demonstrated with a few examples, which show that tight bounds can be efficiently computed for general, nonlinear systems. Further, it is demonstrated that the ability to use polyhedra provides a means to meaningfully distinguish between time-varying and constant, but uncertain, inputs.
India's gradualist road to economic liberalization : achievements and challenges

Since the 1991 balance of payments crisis, India has embarked on an ambitious program of economic liberalization. Over the past decade the Indian government has introduced a series of far-reaching reforms that have transformed the once closed economy. This paper examines the policy reforms and its impact on the economy. Overall, it argues that the reforms have been beneficial. However, major challenges remain. While the first-generation reforms have taken root, the authorities will have to carry out the more-difficult second-generation reforms, if India is to benefit fully from its liberalization program.
The fat C2: a sign of fracture

Rotational and lateral bending injuries may cause oblique fractures of the centrum (body) of the second cervical vertebra below the odontoid and plane of the superior articular facets. These fractures are often obscure because the fracture lines are frequently not perpendicular to the plane of the radiograph on either anteroposterior or lateral views. The fracture fragments may shift in relation to one another, causing the body of C2 to appear enlarged or “fat” in relation to C3. We discuss the basis of the “fat” C2 sign and illustrate a variety of fractures that can produce this change.
Elastic Constants and Viscosity of Amorphous PdSi/PdSiFe Multilayers

The biaxial elastic constants and viscosity between 100 and 300 °C of amorphous PdSi/PdSiFe multilayered thin films with repeat lengths between 2.0 and 4.9 nm have been determined using substrate curvature measurements. No dependence on repeat length has been seen for either property. Linear increases of the multilayer viscosities with time are observed. An analysis of the viscous flow of multilayers shows that in the present case this regime is reached after a very short transient period.
Ca2LiC3H: a new complex carbide hydride phase grown in metal flux.

The reaction of carbon and CaH2 in a calcium/lithium flux mixture produces crystals of the new compound Ca2LiC3H. This phase forms with a new structure type in tetragonal space group P4/mbm (a = 6.8236(1) A, c = 3.7518(1) A, Z = 2, R1 = 0.0151). This is a stuffed variant of the Cs2(NH2)N3 structure, containing hydride anions in octahedral sites; the structure determination by single-crystal X-ray diffraction surprisingly allowed the hydrogen to be detected. The Ca2LiC3H structure also features the rarely seen C34− carbide anion; the protolysis reaction of this compound with ammonium chloride produces C3H4. The electronic properties of Ca2LiC3H were studied by quantum-chemical calculations including band structure and electron localization function (ELF) analysis; the phase is a charge-balanced semiconductor with a calculated band gap of 0.48 eV. This is in agreement with 7Li, 13C, and 1H MAS NMR data, which show resonances in the ionic region instead of the Knight shifted region. ELF analysis of the theor...
High Temperature Hardness of WC, TiC, TaC, NbC and Their Mixed Carbides

High temperature hardness of various carbides was measured to analyse the hardness of camented carbides at high temperatures. Sintered carbide specimens which have the grain size of about 100 microns, were made. The hardness was measured up to 1200°C by a micro-Vickers hardness tester. Titanium carbide showed lower hardness at elevated temperatures in spite of high hardness at room temperature, tungsten carbide showed low hardness, and tantalum and niobium carbide showed high hardness at elevated temperatures. Mixed carbides, (WTiTa)C, showed higher hardness not only at room temperature but also at elevated temperatures. However the mixed carbides were much more brittle than single carbides. These phenomena were discussed in some"detail, comparing them with the properties of cemented carbides.
The distribution and extent of lunar swirls

Abstract The mysterious high-reflectance loops and ribbons known as swirls are not uncommon on the Moon, but are apparently unique to this body. We mapped their distribution and extent using ultraviolet–visible images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. We find two main geographic groupings of swirls (South Pole–Aitken Basin and Marginis–King) and a host of smaller features including swirls near craters Abel, Crozier, Dewar, and Dufay X. All mapped swirls are associated with magnetic anomalies and swirls have magnetic field strengths shifted to higher values than their background, though there is not a 1:1 correspondence between the locations of swirls and magnetic anomalies. Swirls are also found in regions with iron abundances shifted to higher-than-background values, which could indicate that their formation is inhibited by low iron content. The most distinguishing characteristic of swirls is a low 321/415 nm ratio coupled with moderate to high reflectance, and swirls generally have high optical maturity (OMAT) parameter values, stronger 1-µm bands, and shallower normalized continuum slopes than their surroundings, consistent with a surface that has experienced less space weathering. However, some swirls cannot be discerned in OMAT or band-depth images. Areas with low 321/415 nm ratios but non-distinct visible–near-infrared properties could be related to the presence of fresh silicates or a glassy component that does not have a substantial abundance of embedded large submicroscopic iron grains (i.e., a difference in the agglutinate fraction of the soil). Swirl color properties vary with distance from Copernican and some Eratosthenian craters; their association with Eratostheninan craters suggests fresh material may be preserved longer in swirls than in non-swirl regions.
Significance analysis for pairwise variable selection in classification

The goal of this article is to select important variables that can distinguish one class of data from another. A marginal variable selection method ranks the marginal effects for classification of individual variables, and is a useful and efficient approach for variable selection. Our focus here is to consider the bivariate effect, in addition to the marginal effect. In particular, we are interested in those pairs of variables that can lead to accurate classification predictions when they are viewed jointly. To accomplish this, we propose a permutation test called Significance test of Joint Effect (SigJEff). In the absence of joint effect in the data, SigJEff is similar or equivalent to many marginal methods. However, when joint effects exist, our method can significantly boost the performance of variable selection. Such joint effects can help to provide additional, and sometimes dominating, advantage for classification. We illustrate and validate our approach using both simulated example and a real glioblastoma multiforme data set, which provide promising results.
Local models for spatial analysis, by Christopher D. Lloyd

I was very pleased to see that CRC Press has published a Second Edition of Dr. Christopher D. Lloyd's book Local Models for Spatial Analysis (2011). I liked the original edition very much and I lik...
Towards Extracting Supporting Information About Predicted Protein-Protein Interactions

One of the goals of relation extraction is to identify protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in biomedical literature. Current systems are capturing binary relations and also the direction and type of an interaction. Besides assisting in the curation PPIs into databases, there has been little real-world application of these algorithms. We describe UPSITE, a text mining tool for extracting evidence in support of a hypothesized interaction. Given a predicted PPI, UPSITE uses a binary relation detector to check whether a PPI is found in abstracts in PubMed. If it is not found, UPSITE retrieves documents relevant to each of the two proteins separately, and extracts contextual information about biological events surrounding each protein, and calculates semantic similarity of the two proteins to provide evidential support for the predicted PPI. In evaluations, relation extraction achieved an Fscore of 0.88 on the HPRD50 corpus, and semantic similarity measured with angular distance was found to be statistically significant. With the development of PPI prediction algorithms, the burden of interpreting the validity and relevance of novel PPIs is on biologists. We suggest that presenting annotations of the two proteins in a PPI side-by-side and a score that quantifies their similarity lessens this burden to some extent.
Bracken: estimating species abundance in metagenomics data

We describe a new, highly accurate statistical method that computes the abundance of species in DNA sequences from a metagenomics sample. Bracken (Bayesian Reestimation of Abundance after Classification with KrakEN) uses the taxonomy labels assigned by Kraken, a highly accurate metagenomics classification algorithm, to estimate the number of reads originating from each species present in a sample. Kraken classifies reads to the best matching location in the taxonomic tree, but does not estimate abundances of species. We use the Kraken database itself to derive probabilities that describe how much sequence from each genome is shared with other genomes in the database, and combine this information with the assignments for a particular sample to estimate abundance at the species level, the genus level, or above. Combined with the Kraken classifier, Bracken produces accurate species- and genus-level abundance estimates even when a sample contains multiple near-identical species.
Adiabatic corrections to holographic entanglement in thermofield doubles and confining ground states

We study entanglement in states of holographic CFTs defined by Euclidean path integrals over geometries with slowly varying metrics. In particular, our CFT space-times have S 1 fibers whose size b varies along one direction (x) of an $$ {\mathbb{R}}^{{{}^d}^{-1}} $$ base. Such examples respect an $$ {\mathbb{R}}^{{{}^d}^{-2}} $$ Euclidean symmetry. Treating the S 1 direction as time leads to a thermofield double state on a spacetime with adiabatically varying redshift, while treating another direction as time leads to a confining ground state with slowly varying confinement scale. In both contexts the entropy of slab-shaped regions defined by |x − x 0| ≤ L exhibits well-known phase transitions at length scales L = L crit characterizing the CFT entanglements. For the thermofield double, the numerical coefficients governing the effect of variations in b(x) on the transition are surprisingly small and exhibit an interesting change of sign: gradients reduce L crit for d ≤ 3 but increase L crit for d ≥ 4. This means that, while for general L > L crit they significantly increase the mutual information of opposing slabs as one would expect, for d ≥ 4 gradients cause a small decrease near the phase transition. In contrast, for the confining ground states gradients always decrease L crit, with the effect becoming more pronounced in higher dimensions.
Taming the flying cable monster: a topology design and optimization framework for data-center networks

Data-center network designers now have many choices for high-bandwidth, multi-path network topologies. Some of these topologies also allow the designer considerable freedom to set parameters (for example, the number of ports on a switch, link bandwidths, or switch-to-switch wiring patterns) at design time. This freedom of choice, however, requires the designer to balance among bandwidth, latency, reliability, parts cost, and other real-world details.Designers need help in exploring this design space, and especially in finding optimal network designs. We describe the specific challenges that designers face, and we present Perseus, a framework for quickly guiding a network designer to a small set of candidate designs. We identify several optimization problems that can be accommodated within this framework, and present solution algorithms for many of these problems.
Medical student use of communication elements and association with patient satisfaction: a prospective observational pilot study.

Effective communication with patients impacts clinical outcome and patient satisfaction. We measure the rate at which medical students use six targeted communication elements with patients and association of element use with patient satisfaction. Participants included fourth year medical students enrolled in an emergency medicine clerkship. A trained observer measured use of six communication elements: acknowledging the patient by name, introducing themselves by name, identifying their role, explaining the care plan, explaining that multiple providers would see the patient, and providing an estimated duration of time in the emergency department. The observer then conducted a survey of patient satisfaction with the medical student encounter. A total of 246 encounters were documented among forty medical student participants. For the six communication elements evaluated, in 61 % of encounters medical students acknowledged the patient, in 91 % they introduced themselves, in 58 % they identified their role as a student, in 64 % they explained the care plan, in 80 % they explained that another provider would see the patient, and in only 6 % they provided an estimated duration of care. Only 1 encounter (0.4 %) contained all six elements. Patients’ likelihood to refer a loved one to that ED was increased when students acknowledged the patient and described that other providers would be involved in patient care (P = 0.016 and 0.015 respectively, Chi Square). Likewise, patients’ likelihood to return to the ED was increased when students described their role in patient care (P = 0.035, Chi Square). This pilot study demonstrates that medical students infrequently use all targeted communication elements. When they did use certain elements, patient satisfaction increased. These data imply potential benefit to additional training for students in patient communication.
Dynamics and control of phloem loading of indole-3-acetic acid in seedling cotyledons of Ricinus communis

During seed germination, sugars and auxin are produced from stored precursors or conjugates respectively, and transported to the seedling axis. To elucidate the mode of travel of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) into the phloem, a solution of [(3)H]IAA, together with [(14)C]sucrose, was injected into the endosperm cavity harboring the cotyledons of germinating seedlings of Ricinus communis Phloem exudate from the cut hypocotyl was collected and the radioactivity recorded. Sucrose loading into the phloem was inhibited at higher IAA levels, and the rate of filling of the transient pool(s) was reduced by IAA. IAA was detected within 10min, with the concentration increasing over 30min and reaching a steady-state by 60min. The kinetics indicated that phloem loading of IAA involving both an active, carrier-based, and a passive, diffusion-based component, with IAA traveling along a pathway containing an intermediary pool, possibly the protoplasts of mesophyll cells. Phloem loading of IAA was altered by sucrose, K(+), and a range of non-specific and IAA-specific analogs and inhibitors in a manner that showed that IAA moves into the phloem from the extra cotyledonary solution by multiple pathways, with a carrier-mediated pathway playing a principal role.
Do Constitutional Rights Make a Difference

Although the question of whether constitutional rights matter is of great theoretical and practical importance, little is known about whether constitutional rights impact government behavior. In this article, we test the effectiveness of six political rights. We hypothesize that a difference exists between organizational rights—most notably, the rights to unionize and form political parties—and individual rights. Specifically, we suggest that organizational rights increase de facto rights protection because they create organizations with the incentives and means to protect the underlying right, which renders these rights self-enforcing. Such organizations are not necessarily present to protect individual rights, which could make individual rights less effective. We test our theory using a variety of statistical methods on a data set of constitutional rights for 186 countries. The results support our theory: Organizational rights are associated with increased de facto rights protection, while individual rights are not.
Endoscopic ultrasound characteristics of pancreatic lymphoepithelial cysts: A case series from a large referral center.

Background and Objectives: Lymphoepithelial cysts (LECs) of the pancreas are benign lesions that can mimic cystic neoplasms on imaging. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) features have not been well described. We aimed to describe the clinical and EUS characteristics of LECs and the present outcomes of management at a high-volume referral center. Materials and Methods: We identified patients who underwent EUS and were found to have LECs based on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology or surgical pathology from existing databases. EUS features, imaging characteristics, and pathology results were described. Results: Sixteen patients were found to have 17 LECs. The mean size was 33 mm ± 15 mm. Locations within the pancreas included 10 lesions in the tail, 3 in the body, 1 in the uncinate process; the remaining 3 were exophytic. Six lesions were anechoic, 6 were hypoechoic, and 5 had mixed echogenicity. Nine lesions had mixed solid/cystic components, 7 were purely cystic, and 1 was solid. Cyst fluid was thick or viscous in six cases and thin in three. Eleven patients had diagnostic cytopathology. Six patients ultimately underwent surgery due to symptoms, nondiagnostic FNA, or other clinical concerns for malignancy. Conclusions: Pancreatic LECs have variable morphology and echogenicity on EUS, but the appearance of a cyst with variable solid and cystic components combined with the appearance of thick, turbid, and viscous aspirate should raise suspicion for an LEC. The majority of patients with LECs at our center avoided surgery for LECs on the basis of diagnostic EUS-FNA.
Detection of Equipment Faults Before Beam Loss

High-power hadron accelerators have strict limits on fractional beam loss. In principle, once a high-quality beam is set up in an acceptable state, beam loss should remain steady. However, in practice, there are many trips in operational machines, owing to excessive beam loss. This paper deals with monitoring equipment health to identify precursor signals that indicate an issue with equipment that will lead to unacceptable beam loss. To this end, a variety of equipment and beam signal measurements are described. In particular, several operational examples from the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) of deteriorating equipment functionality leading to beam loss are reported.
Decomposing the Gender Wealth Gap in Ecuador

Abstract Unlike the gender earnings gap that has been amply studied, the gender wealth gap has only recently begun to receive attention. Studies of the gender wealth gap have been concentrated on developed countries and have been limited by the use of household-level data. Using individual-level and sex-disaggregated wealth data for Ecuador, this paper examines the pattern of wealth inequality across genders, at different points of the wealth distribution, for sole and then partnered household heads. We use a new Oaxaca-Blinder-type decomposition method based on unconditional quantile regression to investigate the sources of the gap at different quantiles. Our results show that among sole heads the gap favors men across the distribution and is largest at the lower tail. Among partnered heads, the gap is much less pronounced throughout the distribution, actually reverting at the lower tail. For both sole and partnered heads, at the lower tail of the distribution, the gender gap is primarily associated with differing returns to covariates. At the median and upper quantiles, gender differences in endowments (ownership of savings accounts, education, and age) drive the gap. Gender bias in inheritance plays a significant role only at lower and median wealth levels. Overall, our results show stark contrasts with results for developed countries and important differences between sole versus partnered heads. Our study also adds evidence to the long-standing debate over whether female household heads are poorer than male heads and calls for the pursuit of wealth-differentiated policies and social programs to increase women’s participation in the formal economy, as well as the returns to their participation.
Incorporating probabilistic reasoning in a reactive program debugging system

The authors are developing a system that takes a novel approach to the reactive analysis of assembly language programs that have abnormally terminated. The Dump Analysis and Consulting System (Daacs) integrates traditional compiler design, heuristic and logic-based techniques for program understanding, and probabilistic reasoning for diagnostic inference. Implemented as a belief network, the reasoner controls inference and works with incomplete and uncertain data to produce a ranked list of plausible (sometimes certain) diagnoses and supporting evidence. The use of a belief network allows diagnosis to continue past that which can be proven with certainty. Daacs determines an error's exact cause when possible. When it cannot establish the true cause with certainty, it provides plausible diagnoses and supporting evidence. The Sabre Computer Services Realtime Coverage group analyzes and resolves program errors in American Airlines' Sabre reservation system. The system executes on IBM mainframes running the Transaction Processing Facility operating system, and the programs are primarily written in assembly language. The use of Daacs for analyzing these programs is discussed. >
The Law and Corporate Disclosure

Today, organizations of all types and sizes increasingly recognize the value in being more transparent (DiStaso & Bortree, 2012; Rawlins, 2006b, 2008, 2009). This said, large corporations, particularly public companies, cannot simply say what they want, when they want, to whomever they want through whatever channel they so please. Business managers and strategic communicators must carefully follow the rules of the game, specifically the web of securities laws, rules, and regulations that guide the disclosure of mandatory and voluntary information about companies to investors and other stakeholders. Further, these same companies must guard against shareholder lawsuits and other litigation as a result of what they say and share (Lev, 2012).