cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Majorana fermions in semiconductor nanowires: fundamentals, modeling, and experiment.

After a recent series of rapid and exciting developments, the long search for the Majorana fermion?the elusive quantum entity at the border between particles and antiparticles?has produced the first positive experimental results, but is not over yet. Originally proposed by E?Majorana in the context of particle physics, Majorana fermions have a condensed matter analogue in the zero-energy bound states emerging in topological superconductors. A promising route to engineering topological superconductors capable of hosting Majorana zero modes consists of proximity coupling semiconductor thin films or nanowires with strong spin?orbit interaction to conventional s-wave superconductors in the presence of an external Zeeman field. The Majorana zero mode is predicted to emerge above a certain critical Zeeman field as a zero-energy state localized near the order parameter defects, namely, vortices for thin films and wire ends for the nanowire. These Majorana bound states are expected to manifest non-Abelian quantum statistics, which makes them ideal building blocks for fault-tolerant topological quantum computation. This review provides an update on the current status of the search for Majorana fermions in semiconductor nanowires by focusing on the recent developments, in particular the period following the first reports of experimental signatures consistent with the realization of Majorana bound states in semiconductor nanowire?superconductor hybrid structures. We start with a discussion of the fundamental aspects of the subject, followed by considerations on the realistic modeling, which is a critical bridge between theoretical predictions based on idealized conditions and the real world, as probed experimentally. The last part is dedicated to a few intriguing issues that were brought to the fore by the recent encouraging experimental advances.
Study towards construction and operations of large lunar telescopes

Abstract In this paper the construction of a large lunar south pole infrared telescope will be discussed and analyzed. The important issues that arose during this study will be addressed and the devised construction strategy will be shown, starting with the foundation and ending with the operation of the telescope with possible expansion, upgrading and maintenance. The roles of humans and robots in the different construction phases will be discussed and briefly described. Finally an overview of the most important unsolved issues is given, including the temperature environment in permanently shadowed craters, dust contamination and mitigation, and human-robot interactions. It appears possible to construct a 25 meter segmented single aperture infrared telescope on the lunar south pole. Modest advances in many technology areas and the filling of certain gaps of data are necessary before this telescope can become a reality.
Isolated Low HDL Cholesterol Emerges as the Most Common Lipid Abnormality Among Obese Adolescents

A 12-hour fasting lipid profile was obtained from 88 otherwise healthy obese (BMI > or = 95%) adolescents (age 16 +/- 1 years, BMI 36 +/- 1 kg/m(2), 55 males, 33 females, 57% Hispanic, 23% African American, 19% Caucasian, 1% Asian American). About 56% of the obese adolescents exhibited lipid abnormalities based on cutoff points established by American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines, and about 57% exhibited lipid abnormalities based on percentile values established by the Lipid Research Clinic Pediatric Prevalence Study. Isolated low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was the most common abnormality (43% based on AHA, 36% based on the Lipid Research Clinic Pediatric Prevalence Study) among the obese adolescents with lipid disorders. While there was no significant statistical difference (SSD) between genders in the levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG) levels were significantly higher (P = .003) in males (120 +/- 11 mg/dL) than in females (81 +/- 7 mg/dL), and levels of HDL-C were significantly higher (P = .006) in females (42 +/- 2 mg/dL) than in males (35 +/- 1 mg/dL). There was no SSD between races in total cholesterol and LDL-C levels. TG levels were significantly lower in African-American participants (81 +/- 9 mg/ dL) compared with levels in Caucasian participants (117 +/- 15 mg/dL, P </= .05) and with levels in Hispanic participants (112 +/- 11 mg/dL, P = .03). HDL-C levels were significantly higher in African-American participants (43 +/- 3 mg/dL) compared with levels in Hispanic participants (36 +/- 1 mg/dL, P = .03), but there was no SSD when compared with HDL-C levels in Caucasian participants (37 +/- 2 mg/dL).
The fine structure of cockroach campaniform sensilla.

Campaniform sensilla on cockroach legs provide a good model system for the study of mechanoreceptive sensory transduction. This paper describes the structure of campaniform sensilla on the cockroach tibia as revealed by light- and electron-microscopy. Campaniform sensilla are proprioceptive mechanoreceptors associated with the exoskeleton. The function of each sensillum centers around a single primary sense cell, a large bipolar neuron whose 40 µ-wide cell body is available for electrophysiological investigation with intracellular microelectrodes. Its axon travels to the central nervous system; its dendrite gives rise to a modified cilium which is associated with the cuticle. The tip of the 20 µ-long dendrite contains a basal body, from which arises a 9 + 0 connecting cilium. This cilium passes through a canal in the cuticle, and expands in diameter to become the sensory process, a membrane-limited bundle of 350–1000 parallel microtubules. The tip of the sensory process is firmly attached to a thin cap of exocuticle; mechanical depression of this cap, which probably occurs during walking movements, effectively stimulates the sensillum. The hypothesis is presented that the microtubules of the sensory process play an important role in mechanoelectric transduction in cockroach campaniform sensilla.
The taxane diterpenoids.

The taxane diterpenoids form a unique class of natural products containing the unusual taxane skeleton (1.1) or closely related skeletons and occurring in various members of the genus Taxus (Taxaceae) and closely related genera. Initial interest in the constituents of Taxus species was sparked by the known toxicity of T. baccata, or the English yew, since human fatalities due to ingestion of this plant were recorded as long ago as the first century B.C.. Thus Julius Caesar, speaking of his wars against the Gallic tribes, writes “Catuvolcus, who was king of half of the Eburones and had joined Ambiorix in the conspiracy, was now old and weak, unable to endure the hardships of war or flight. He solemnly cursed Ambiorix for instigating the conspiracy, and then poisoned himself with yew, a tree which is very common in Gaul and in Germany” (27).
Nano-catalysts with magnetic core: sustainable options for greener synthesis

Author’s perspective on nano-catalysts with magnetic core is summarized with recent work from his laboratory. Magnetically recyclable nano-catalysts and their use in benign media is an ideal blend for the development of sustainable methodologies in organic synthesis. Water or polyethylene glycol (PEG) provides good medium to perform such chemical reactions with magnetic nano-catalysts, as this combination adds exceptional value to the overall sustainable process development. In this mini-review, the uses of magnetically recyclable nano-catalysts for a variety of organic reactions are described in conjunction with activation via microwave irradiation.
Tax exporting, federal deductibility, and state tax structure

This paper studies the interaction between the federal and state tax systems during the 1980s and, in particular, considers how the Tax Reform Act of 1986 affected state tax structure. Using a panel data set on state governments over a nine-year period, I estimate tax share equations for six categories of taxes. I find that the state personal income tax is sensitive to changes in its tax price, but find a much smaller sensitivity to changes in tax prices for the general sales tax. I then consider various reasons why the sales tax does not exhibit a sensitivity to changes in tax price and consider the implications of these results for policymakers. The regression results suggest that different income groups are concerned with different tax instruments. Moreover, the results motivate a possible benefit approach to taxation at the state level. Linking taxes, about which a particular income group is most concerned, to services received by that group might generate additional political support for state tax systems during a time when many states are facing fiscal crisis.
Multiterminal Source Coding Under Logarithmic Loss

We consider the classical two-encoder multiterminal source coding problem where distortion is measured under logarithmic loss. We provide a single-letter description of the achievable rate distortion region for all discrete memoryless sources with finite alphabets. By doing so, we also give the rate distortion region for the m-encoder CEO problem (also under logarithmic loss). Several applications and examples are given.
Single-cell photoacoustic thermometry

A novel photoacoustic thermometric method is presented for simultaneously imaging cells and sensing their temperature. With 3 seconds per frame imaging speed, a temperature resolution of 0.2 °C was achieved in a photo-thermal cell heating experiment. Compared to other approaches, the photoacoustic thermometric method has the advantage of not requiring custom-developed temperature-sensitive biosensors. This feature should facilitate the conversion of single-cell thermometry into a routine lab tool and make it accessible to a much broader biological research community.
Pyrrolidine and piperidine formation via copper(II) carboxylate-promoted intramolecular carboamination of unactivated olefins: diastereoselectivity and mechanism.

An expanded substrate scope and in-depth analysis of the reaction mechanism of the copper(II) carboxylate-promoted intramolecular carboamination of unactivated alkenes is described. This method pro...
Development of no-flow underfill materials for lead-free solder bumped flip-chip applications

No-flow underfill process in flip-chip assembly has become a promising technology toward a smaller, faster and more cost-efficient packaging technology. The current available no-flow underfill materials are mainly designed for eutectic tin-lead solders. With the advance of lead-free interconnection due to the environmental concerns, a new no-flow underfill chemistry needs to be developed for lead-free solder bumped flip-chip applications. Many epoxy resin/hexahydro-4-methyl phthalic anhydride/metal acetylacetonate material systems have been screened in terms of their curing behavior. Some potential base formulations with curing peak temperatures higher than 200/spl deg/C (based on differential scanning calorimetry at a heating rate of 5/spl deg/C/min) are selected for further study. The proper fluxing agents are developed and the effects of fluxing agents on the curing behavior and cured material properties of the potential base formulations are studied using differential scanning calorimetry, thermomechanical analysis, dynamic-mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and rheometer. Fluxing capability of the developed no-flow formulations is evaluated using the wetting test of lead-free solder balls on a copper board. The developed no-flow underfill formulations show sufficient fluxing capability and good potential for lead-free solder bumped flip-chip applications.
Differential stability and robust control of nonlinear systems

This paper introduces a notion of distance between nonlinear dynamical systems which is suitable for a quantitative description of the robustness of stability in a feedback interconnection. This notion is one of several possible generalizations of the gap metric, and applies to dynamical systems which possess a differential graph. It is shown that any system which is stabilizable by output feedback, in the sense that the closed-loop system is input-output incrementally stable and possesses a linearization about any operating trajectory (i.e., about any admissible input-output pair), has a differential graph. A system which possesses a differentiable graph is globally differentiably stabilizable if the linearized model about any admissible input-output trajectory is stabilizable. It follows that if a nonlinear dynamical system is globally incrementally stabilizable, then it is (globally incrementally) stabilizable by a linear (possibly time-varying) controller. A suitable notion of a minimal opening between nonlinear differential manifolds is introduced and sufficient conditions guaranteeing robustness of stability are provided.
Global Synchronization of Moving Agent Networks with Time-Varying Topological Structure

The synchronization of moving agent networks with linear coupling in a two dimensional space is investigated. Base on the Lyapunov stability theory, a criterion for the synchronization is achieved via designed decentralized controllers. And, an example of typical moving agent network, having the Rossler system at each node, has been used to demonstrate and verify the design proposed. And, the numerical simulation results show the effectiveness of proposed synchronization approaches.
Analysis and design of latch-controlled synchronous digital circuits

The authors present a succinct formulation of the timing constraints for latch-controlled synchronous digital circuits. It is shown that the constraints are mildly nonlinear. The equivalence of the nonlinear optimal cycle time calculation problem to an associated and simpler linear programming (LP) problem is proved. A LP-based algorithm which is guaranteed to obtain the optimal cycle time for arbitrary circuits controlled by a general class of multiphase overlapped clocks is presented. The formulation and an initial implementation of the algorithm on some example circuits are illustrated. >
Equilibrium circulation and stress distribution in viscoelastic creeping flow

Abstract An analytic, asymptotic approximation of the nonlinear steady-state equations for viscoelastic creeping flow, modeled by the Oldroyd-B equations with polymer stress diffusion, is derived. Near the extensional stagnation point the flow stretches and aligns polymers along the outgoing streamlines of the stagnation point resulting in a stress-island, or birefringent strand. The polymer stress diffusion coefficient is used, both as an asymptotic parameter and a regularization parameter. The structure of the singular part of the polymer stress tensor is a Gaussian aligned with the incoming streamline of the stagnation point; a smoothed δ-distribution whose width is proportional to the square-root of the diffusion coefficient. The amplitude of the stress island scales with the Wiessenberg number, and although singular in the limit of vanishing diffusion, it is integrable in the cross stream direction due to its vanishing width; this yields a convergent secondary flow. The leading order velocity response to this stress island is constructed and shown to be independent of the diffusion coefficient in the limit. The secondary circulation counteracts the forced flow and has a vorticity jump at the location of the stress islands, essentially expelling the background vorticity from the location of the birefringent strands. The analytic solutions are shown to be in excellent quantitative agreement with full numerical simulations, and therefore, the analytic solutions elucidate the salient mechanisms of the flow response to viscoelasticity and the mechanism for instability.
Broad Spectrum Enolate Equivalent for Catalytic Chemo-, Diastereo-, and Enantioselective Addition to N-Boc Imines

Alkynyl ketones are attractive but challenging nucleophiles in enolate chemistry. Their susceptibility to other reactions such as Michael additions and the difficulty of controlling the enolate geometry make them difficult substrates. Mannich-type reactions, which previously have not been reported using N-carbamoyl-imines with simple ketone enolates, became our objective. In this report, we describe the first direct catalytic Mannich-type reaction between various ynones and N-Boc imines, whose stereocontrol presumably derives from catalyst control of enolate geometry. This method produces α-substituted β-amino ynones with excellent chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivity. The products can be readily transformed into a broad range of molecular scaffolds upon further one-step transformations, demonstrating the utility of ynones as masked synthetic equivalents for a variety of unsymmetrically substituted acyclic ketones. In particular, alkynyl alkyl ketones resolve the long-standing problem of the inability to use the enolates of unsymmetrical dialkyl ketones lacking α-branching for regio- and stereoselective reactions.
A Perspective on the Revival of Structural (In)Stability With Novel Opportunities for Function: From Buckliphobia to Buckliphilia

Buckling of slender structures is traditionally regarded as a first route toward failure. Here, we provide an alternative perspective on a burgeoning movement where mechanical instabilities are exploited to devise new classes of functional mechanisms that make use of the geometrically nonlinear behavior of their postbuckling regimes. Selected examples are highlighted across length-scales to illustrate some of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
Nanocrystalline iron oxide based electroactive materials in lithium ion batteries: the critical role of crystallite size, morphology, and electrode heterostructure on battery relevant electrochemistry

The importance of crystallite size control and direct synthesis of materials with desirable properties is broadly applicable for the rational design and development of new active materials for energy storage. Recently, the use of nanoparticles and crystallite size control has redefined electrode design strategies, due in part to the large surface area/volume ratios providing more pathways for ion movement within the bulk electrode. This review is structured primarily as a case study, where reports involving a specific densely structured iron oxide, magnetite, Fe3O4, and its use as an electrode in LIBs are used as examples. Due to the high theoretical capacity (924 mA h g−1), and opportunity for implementation of a low cost electrode material, magnetite was selected as the model material for this review. Notably, crystallite size, morphology, and electrode heterostructure can all play a critical role in battery relevant electrochemistry, particularly for crystallographically dense materials such as Fe3O4. Several examples of Fe3O4 based composites are described, incorporating different types of conductive materials such as carbons as part of the structure. Additionally, this review also provides a brief introduction to a newer iron oxide based material with a 2D layered structure, silver ferrite, where crystallite size control was synthetically achieved. By focusing on two specific iron oxide based nanoscale inorganic materials, this review highlights and distinguishes the contributions of electroactive material crystallite size, morphology and electrode heterostructure to electrochemical behavior, facilitating the future development of next generation of battery electrodes.
Time Preferences Predict Mortality among HIV-Infected Adults Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Identifying characteristics of HIV-infected adults likely to have poor treatment outcomes can be useful for targeting interventions efficiently. Research in economics and psychology suggests that individuals intertemporal time preferences which indicate the extent to which they trade-off immediate vs. future cost and benefits can influence various health behaviors. While there is empirical support for the association between time preferences and various non-HIV health behaviors and outcomes the extent to which time preferences predict outcomes of those receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) has not been examined previously. METHODS: HIV-infected adults initiating ART were enrolled at a health facility in Kenya. Participants time preferences were measured at enrollment and used to classify them as having either a low or high discount rate for future benefits. At 48 weeks we assessed mortality and ART adherence as measured by Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS). Logistic regression models adjusting for socio-economic characteristics and risk factors were used to determine the association between time preferences and mortality as well as MEMS adherence >/=90%. RESULTS: Overall 44% (96/220) of participants were classified as having high discount rates. Participants with high discount rates had significantly higher 48-week mortality than participants with low discount rates (9.3% vs. 3.1%; adjusted odds ratio 3.84; 95% CI 1.03 14.50). MEMS adherence >/=90% was similar for participants with high vs. low discount rates (42.3% vs. 49.6% AOR 0.70; 95% CI 0.40 1.25). CONCLUSION: High discount rates were associated with significantly higher risk of mortality among HIV-infected patients initiating ART. Greater use of time preference measures may improve identification of patients at risk of poor clinical outcomes. More research is needed to further identify mechanisms of action and also to build upon and test the generalizability of this finding.
Market Structure as a Determinant of Patient Care Quality

Understanding how market structure affects health outcomes is difficult because of the nonrandom nature of where patients receive care. I develop a control function approach that is robust not just to selection on unobservable differences in patients’ condition severity, but also to selection on unobservable variation in how patients respond to different treatments. I apply the approach to data from 2004 to 2008 for all hemodialysis patients in Atlanta, Georgia. The results indicate that a one-facility acquisition by the average provider in the average market would lead the average patient to spend 28 percent more days in the ICU/CCU. Estimates that do not control for the role of idiosyncratic matching would predict smaller, though still economically and statistically significant, effects on the affected patients. I interpret the results as indicating the importance of idiosyncratic matching in this market, which multifacility firms address by differentiating their operations.
Regularity of pure strategy equilibrium points in a class of bargaining games

We develop an index theory for the Stationary Subgame Perfect (SSP) equilibrium set in a class of n-player $(n\ge 2)$ sequential bargaining games with probabilistic recognition rules. For games with oligarchic voting rules (a class that includes unanimity rule), we establish conditions on individual utilities that ensure that for almost all discount factors, the number of SSP equilibria is odd and the equilibrium correspondence lower-hemicontinuous. For games with general, monotonic voting rules, we show generic (in discount factors) determinacy of SSP equilibria under the restriction that the agreement space is of dimension one. For non-oligarchic voting rules and agreement spaces of higher finite dimension, we establish generic determinacy for the subset of SSP equilibria in pure strategies. The analysis also extends to the case of fixed delay costs. Lastly, we provide a sufficient condition for uniqueness of SSP equilibrium in oligarchic games.
Pay for Performance and Compensation Inequality: Evidence from the ECEC

This article examines the relationship between performance-based pay and widening wage inequality using data from the Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC). The results suggest that jobs ...
El Farol revisited: A note on emergence, game theory, and society

The El Farol paper examined the evolution of behavior of visits to a potentially crowded facility, providing an insightful view of how independent agents can coordinate in a “good enough” manner in many situations. This view is extended to considering the interaction between rules and behavior. The context may be such that the importance of the outcome is sufficiently high to merit an extra layer of complexity in the guidance of the emergent behavior and that behavior may signal the need for the additional complexity. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2011 © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
What do candidates maximize (and why should anyone care)

Much empirical work on Congressional elections implicitly assumesthat candidates are vote-maximizers; this may be a fairassumption for challengers, but it is not a good description ofincumbent behavior. I present a general intertemporal utilitymaximizing model of candidate behavior, which includes vote-maximization as a special case. I then demonstrate that thesemodels have important consequences for both the design andinterpretation of empirical work.
Intent to purchase a plug-in electric vehicle: A survey of early impressions in large US cites

Abstract This paper examines consumer stated intent to purchase plug-in electric vehicles and assesses the factors that increase or decrease interest. We surveyed adult drivers in large US cities in early fall 2011, before vehicle manufacturers and dealers began marketing campaigns. The survey responses thus document early impressions of this transport technology. We find that, given current battery technology and public perceptions, overall stated intent to purchase or lease electric vehicles is low. Interest in plug-in hybrid technology is somewhat greater than interest in all-electric technology. Consumers who express early interest in adopting electric vehicles are typically highly educated, previous owners of conventional hybrids, environmentally sensitive, and concerned about dependence on foreign oil. Enhanced fuel economy, the primary tangible advantage of plug-in technology, is recognized as favorable by respondents but fails to exert a strong influence on purchasing intentions. Interest in plug-in electric vehicles is shaped primarily by consumers’ perceptions of electric vehicle disadvantages.
The power of sensory marketing in advertising

This article discusses the role of sensory marketing in driving advertisement effectiveness. First focusing on vision, we discuss the effect of mental simulation and mental imagery evoked by ad visuals on ad effectiveness. Second, we review findings on gustation, zooming in on the effect of multi-sensory stimulation on taste perceptions. Third, we elaborate on the role of actual and imagined touch in shaping consumer evaluations and behaviors. Fourth, we discuss olfaction as a driver of ad recall and responses to ads. Finally, we review the role of auditory sense in advertising, focusing on the effect of music on consumers’ memory for and evaluations of ads. Directions for future research in the domain of sensory marketing and product advertising are discussed.
Flexible Variable Selection for Recovering Sparsity in Nonadditive Nonparametric Models

Summary Variable selection for recovering sparsity in nonadditive and nonparametric models with high-dimensional variables has been challenging. This problem becomes even more difficult due to complications in modeling unknown interaction terms among high-dimensional variables. There is currently no variable selection method to overcome these limitations. Hence, in this article we propose a variable selection approach that is developed by connecting a kernel machine with the nonparametric regression model. The advantages of our approach are that it can: (i) recover the sparsity; (ii) automatically model unknown and complicated interactions; (iii) connect with several existing approaches including linear nonnegative garrote and multiple kernel learning; and (iv) provide flexibility for both additive and nonadditive nonparametric models. Our approach can be viewed as a nonlinear version of a nonnegative garrote method. We model the smoothing function by a Least Squares Kernel Machine (LSKM) and construct the nonnegative garrote objective function as the function of the sparse scale parameters of kernel machine to recover sparsity of input variables whose relevances to the response are measured by the scale parameters. We also provide the asymptotic properties of our approach. We show that sparsistency is satisfied with consistent initial kernel function coefficients under certain conditions. An efficient coordinate descent/backfitting algorithm is developed. A resampling procedure for our variable selection methodology is also proposed to improve the power.
Labor Reallocation and Business Cycles

We provide new and robust evidence that labor reallocation affects the duration and severity of recessions, and the recovery. To circumvent the small number of national recessions, we study the effects of labor reallocation in broadly defined local labor markets in the United States.
Synthesis, Structure, and Complex Magnetism of MIr2In8 (M = Eu, Sr)

We report the synthesis, crystal structure, and physical properties of two new polar intermetallic compounds, EuIr2In8 and SrIr2In8. Both were synthesized in good yield using In metal as a reactive flux medium, enabling the growth of large crystals for physical property measurements. They crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Pbam with the CeFe2Al8 structure type, which is sometimes also referred to as the CaCo2Al8 structure type. The two analogues have unit cell parameters of a = 13.847(3) A, b = 16.118(3) A, and c = 4.3885(9) A for M = Eu and a = 13.847(3) A, b = 16.113(3) A, and c = 4.3962(9) A for M = Sr at room temperature. SrIr2In8 is a diamagnetic metal with no local magnetic moments on either the Sr or Ir sites, and the diamagnetic contribution from core electrons overwhelms the expected Pauli paramagnetism normally seen in intermetallic compounds. Magnetism in EuIr2In8 is dominated by the local Eu moments, which order antiferromagnetically at 5 K in low applied fields. Increasing the field ...
Estimating Adoption of Cover Crops Using Preferences Revealed by a Dynamic Crop Choice Model

In this paper, we propose a framework based on micro-level dynamic land use models to predict the adoption of cover crops in the Upper-Mississippi River Basin. We use preferences recovered using a dynamic discrete model of crop choice to build a dynamic optimization framework to evaluate a range of scenarios based on the cover crops’ effect on cash crop yields, costs of cover crop operations, and government support. We use a conditional choice probability method to estimate the dynamic crop choice model based on field-scale panel data and value function iteration method to assess counterfactual cover crop scenarios. The framework is expected to be applicable to modeling decisions to adopt conservation technologies in the absence of individual-level adoption data or for cases when conservation technology is new. The dynamic crop choice model yields expected results and reveals preferences for net revenues in line with previous literature. Simulation results predict baseline cover crop adoption rates which, although in line with some recent farmer surveys, are quite a bit higher than rates reported in 2012 Census of Agriculture. We attribute these results to substitution patterns implied by a dynamic logit model estimated, and suggest using aggregated Census of Agriculture data on state-wide adoption of cover crops to calibrate the constants in the the estimated dynamic logit model as a possible remedy under paucity of data related to individual decisions on cover crops adoption.
The random packing density of nearly spherical particles

Obtaining general relations between macroscopic properties of random assemblies, such as density, and the microscopic properties of their constituent particles, such as shape, is a foundational challenge in the study of amorphous materials. By leveraging existing understanding of the random packing of spherical particles, we estimate the random packing density for all sufficiently spherical shapes. Our method uses the ensemble of random packing configurations of spheres as a reference point for a perturbative calculation, which we carry to linear order in the deformation. A fully analytic calculation shows that all sufficiently spherical shapes pack more densely than spheres. Additionally, we use simulation data for spheres to calculate numerical estimates for nonspherical particles and compare these estimates to simulations.
Infrared Spectra of Polybutadienes

It is shown, by analytical resolutions of the spectra of isomerized cis-1,4-polybutadienes, that the band due to hydrogen out-of-plane vibrations of cis-CHCH groups appears at 740 cm.−1 and that the apparent shift of this band to lower frequencies, as the amount of cis-CHCH decrease in a polybutadiene, is due to the presence of other bands in this region. Some possibilities as to the origins of these other bands are discussed. It is also shown that there are some bands in the 10–11 μ region of polybutadiene spectra which are probably connected with vibrations of cis-CHCH groups and that there probably are others which are not due to either cis-CHCH or trans-CHCH or CH2CH. Some possibilities regarding the origins of these bands are discussed. The bands found here explain in large measure the appearance of polarization spectra of high-cis 1,4-polybutadienes.
Managerial Incentives and Stock Price Manipulation

We present a rational expectations model of optimal executive compensation in a setting where managers are in a position to manipulate short-term stock prices and the manipulation propensity is uncertain. We analyze the tradeoffs involved in conditioning pay on long- versus short-term performance and show how manipulation, and investors' uncertainty about it, affects the equilibrium pay contract and the informativeness of prices. Firm and manager characteristics determine the optimal compensation scheme: the strength of incentives, the pay horizon, and the use of options. We consider how corporate governance and disclosure regulations can help create an environment that enables better contracting.
Synthesis and Characterization of Antimony-Doped Tin Oxide Nanophase materials for Electrochromic Applications

Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanophase materials containing up to 43 mole% antimony have been synthesized by a wet-chemistry method. These ATO materials exhibit enhanced electrochromic properties for display devices. The performance of the display devices is related to the nanostructure of the synthesized ATO materials. The average sizes of the ATO nanocrystallites depend on dopant level, annealing conditions, and synthesis processes. Antimony inhibits the growth of tin dioxide nanocrystallites during annealing at moderate temperatures. At higher annealing temperatures, however, antimony segregates to form separate oxide phases and ATO nanocrystallites grow significantly. A systematic study of the structural evolution of the synthesized ATO materials is presented and the relationship between the nanostructure of the ATO materials and the enhanced performance of the corresponding electrochromic devices is discussed.
Some remarks on the $n$-linear Hilbert transform for $n\geq 4$

We prove that for every integer $n\geq 4$, the $n$-linear operator whose symbol is given by a product of two generic symbols of $n$-linear Hilbert transform type, does not satisfy any $L^p$ estimates similar to those in H\"{o}lder inequality. Then, we extend this result to multi-linear operators whose symbols are given by a product of an arbitrary number of generic symbols of $n$-linear Hilbert transform kind. As a consequence, under the same assumption $n\geq 4$,these immediately imply that for any $1< p_1, ..., p_n \leq \infty$ and $0<p<\infty$ with $1/p_1 + ... + 1/p_n = 1/p$, there exist non-degenerate subspaces $\Gamma\subseteq \mathbb{R}^n$ of maximal dimension $n-1$, and Mikhlin symbols $m$ singular along $\Gamma$, for which the associated $n$-linear multiplier operators $T_m$ do not map $L^{p_1}\times ... \times L^{p_n}$ into $L^p$. These counterexamples are in sharp contrast with the bi-linear case, where similar operators are known to satisfy many such $L^p$ estimates.
A Combinatorial, Primal-Dual Approach to Semidefinite Programs

Semidefinite programs (SDPs) have been used in many recent approximation algorithms. We develop a general primal-dual approach to solve SDPs using a generalization of the well-known multiplicative weights update rule to symmetric matrices. For a number of problems, such as Sparsest Cut and Balanced Separator in undirected and directed weighted graphs, Min UnCut and Min 2CNF Deletion, this yields combinatorial approximation algorithms that are significantly more efficient than interior point methods. The design of our primal-dual algorithms is guided by a robust analysis of rounding algorithms used to obtain integer solutions from fractional ones. Our ideas have proved useful in quantum computing, especially the recent result of Jain et al. [2011] that QIP = PSPACE.
MID-TERM RESULTS OF FIXED BEARING UNICOMPARTMENTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY (ZIMMER), A DGH EXPERIENCE

To evaluate prospectively the mid-term results of the Zimmer Unicondylar Knee arthoplasty (UKA). Between 2005 and 2012, 187 unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (UKA) were performed by a single surgeon using a fixed-bearing prosthesis (Zimmer). 37 cases were excluded as either were lost to follow-up or had less than six months follow-up. The study included 150 UKAs. Deformity, if present, was correctable. Patellofemoral joint (PFJ) disease was not considered as an absolute contraindication. The average patient age at the time of surgery was 66 years (range 42–88 years); 78 of which were male. Mean follow-up time was 3.6 years (range 7–81 months). Mean Body Mass Index (BMI) was 29 (range 21–41). Clinical and conventional radiological evaluations were carried out at six months, one, two and five years postoperatively. 147 cases were medial compartment replacement and three were lateral. 86 patients had grade III OA and 64 had grade IV (Kellgren and Lawrence). 113 patients had an element of PFJ disease. The mean Knee Society knee and function scores had an improvement from 55 and 54 points pre-operatively to 95 and 94 points respectively at time of most recent evaluation. The average flexion improved from 116 degrees pre-operatively to 127 degrees. Two cases were revised, one due to progression of osteoarthritis in the lateral compartment of the knee and the other was due to arthrofibrosis. The Zimmer unicompartmental knee arthroplasty provided excellent pain relief and restoration of function in carefully selected patients. However, long-term studies are necessary to investigate the survival rate for this prothesis.
The Regulatory Determinants of Railroad Safety

The dramatic improvement in railroad safety since the 1970s has been accompanied by a substantial increase in safety regulation and a substantial reduction in economic regulation after 1980. We assess the effects of both regulatory changes on railroad safety with the use of RegData: a new data set that was developed by one of the authors that measures the amount of regulation that is imposed by specific regulatory agencies on specific industries. We find that partial economic deregulation is associated with improved safety. Safety regulation was most closely associated with improved railroad safety during the period when economic regulation curtailed railroads’ incentives to operate safely.
Predictive value and clinical validation of the “on-track” vs. “off-track” concept in bipolar bone loss in anterior glenohumeral instability

Objectives: Bone loss is a well-described risk factor for failure with arthroscopic stabilization. The isolated importance of bone loss on both the glenoid and humeral side has been increasingly studied. A more recent evolution considers how both the glenoid and humeral bone loss interact to determine whether their combination results in an “on-track” or “off-track” lesion, which may be more predictive of recurrent instability than looking at either side individually. While the biomechanics of this concept have been elucidated, no study has tested this theory in a clinical population. The purpose of this study is to compare a series of arthroscopic Bankart reconstructions stratified by whether they are “on-track” or “off-track” with regard to bipolar bone loss and to compare their rates of recurrence and functional outcome scores.
The great trilemma: are globalization, democracy, and sovereignty compatible?

Current economic and political developments spotlight the relationship between domestic and global governance and the impact of globalization on both. A key question is whether a sovereign state system, democratic governments, and an integrated global marketplace can coexist. The paper assesses analytic materialist arguments for their incompatibility and the key assumptions on which they rest. The paper describes the extant pressures operating to limit each of the three: how sovereignty and democracy work to constrain globalization, how globalization and sovereignty generate a democratic deficit, and how globalization and democracy lead to limitations upon, and even the transcendence of, sovereignty. How to make the three compatible, and failing that, which facet to restrain, characterizes political contestation in a globalizing age. Global and domestic governance reflect the need to reconcile the combined implications of globalization, sovereignty, and democracy, and to do so by restraining, limiting, or transforming one or more of these features.
Municipal activism v. federal law: why ERISA preempts San Francisco-style domestic partner ordinances.

This article addresses the conflict between ERISA and municipal attempts to require companies to provide the same benefits to domestic partners that they do to married spouses. The article focuses particularly on San Francisco’s Domestic Partner Ordinance that took effect on June 1, 1997. It asks whether ERISA preempts ordinances like San Francisco’s and renders them unenforceable.
Use of Treatment Algorithms for Depression.

Dr. Trivedi: The effectiveness of treatment algorithms rests on 3 principles. The 3 broad categories requiring special attention are (1) the determination of the need for sequential treatment algorithms; (2) what should be the placement of various treatment interventions in treatment algorithms with sequenced treatments, e.g., at what point should combination treatments and somatic treatments be included; and finally, (3) what the process or procedure is to implement algorithms in the clinical setting, e.g., the use of recently developed measurement-based care. Dr. Osser: It is clear to me that there are significant differences between the likely outcome of people receiving treatment as usual (TAU) as opposed to algorithm-driven treatment. In the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP), that difference was seen primarily in the first 3 months. An important factor in that difference was that the care coordinator identified patients who were not doing well and needed to move to the next step in the algorithm. For the next 9 months of the TMAP study, there was no widening of the difference between the algorithm group and the TAU group, suggesting that, from that point on, both groups did reasonably well (Figure 1). Dr. Trivedi: There is also evidence in primary care from Katon and colleagues, which showed that guideline-driven care produces better outcome than TAU. Unutzer and coworkers found similar results. All of these studies have used care coordinators in the algorithm-driven treatment groups. The question becomes whether the better outcomes are related to the use of the care coordinator. Dr. Shelton: Dr. Trivedi, according to your TMAP article from 2004, I agree that the first quarter is where the majority of change happens, but if you look at the end of a year of treatment, there still is a substantial difference between the TAU and the algorithm treatment patients. TAU patients did not catch up by the end of a year (see Figure 1), but the differences that are achieved are achieved primarily up front and then maintained throughout the year. Dr. Marangell: The data are fairly consistent in showing that algorithms result in not just better response rates, but improved patient satisfaction as well. Katon et al. found that response rates were 74% with the algorithm versus 44% with TAU and that patients who received algorithmdriven treatment were more likely than patients who received TAU to rate their quality of care as good or excellent (93% vs. 75%). Dr. Fava: If you ask me whether there is a need for treatment algorithms in depression, I would say absolutely, but I question if we truly Use of Treatment Algorithms for Depression
Synthesis of Polycyclic Nitrogen Heterocycles via Cascade Pd-Catalyzed Alkene Carboamination/Diels-Alder Reactions.

Cascade Pd-catalyzed alkene carboamination/Diels–Alder reactions between bromodienes and amines bearing two pendant alkenes are described. These transformations generate 4 bonds, 3 rings, and 3–5 stereocenters to afford polycyclic nitrogen heterocycles with high diastereoselectivity.
Molecular biology and genetics of prion diseases.

Scrapie was thought for many years to be caused by a virus. Enriching fractions from Syrian hamster (SHa) brain for scrapie infectivity led to the discovery of the prion protein (PrP). To date, no scrapie-specific nucleic acid has been found. As well as scrapie, prion diseases include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) of cattle, as well as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS) of humans. Transgenic (Tg) mice expressing both SHa and mouse (Mo) PrP genes were used to probe the molecular basis of the species barrier and the mechanism of scrapie prion replication. The prion inoculum was found to dictate which prions are synthesized de novo, even though the cells express both PrP genes. Discovery of mutations in the PrP genes of humans with GSS and familial CJD established that prion diseases are both genetic and infectious. Tg mice expressing MoPrP with the GSS point mutation spontaneously develop neurologic dysfunction, spongiform degeneration and astrocytic gliosis. Inoculation of brain extracts prepared from these Tg(MoPrP-P101L) mice produced neurodegeneration in many of the recipient animals after prolonged incubation times. These and other results suggest that prions are devoid of foreign nucleic acid and are thus different from viruses and viroids. Studies on the structure of PrPSc and PrPC suggest that the difference is conformational. Whether one or more putative alpha-helices in PrPC are converted into beta-sheets during synthesis of PrPSc is unknown. Distinct prion isolates or 'strains' exhibit different patterns of PrPSc accumulation which are independent of incubation times. Whether variations in PrPSc conformation are responsible for prion diversity remains to be established. Prion studies have given new insights into the etiologies of infectious, sporadic and inherited degenerative diseases.