cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Substructure and the cusp and fold relations

Gravitational lensing of a background source by a foreground galaxy lens occasionally produces four images of the source. The cusp and the fold relations impose conditions on the ratios of magnifications of these four-image lenses. In this theoretical investigation, we explore the sensitivity of these relations to the presence of substructure in the lens. Starting with a smooth lens potential, we add varying amounts of substructure, while keeping the source position fixed, and find that the fold relation is a more robust indicator of substructure than the cusp relation for the images. This robustness is independent of the detailed spatial distribution of the substructure, as well as of the ellipticity of the lensing potential and the presence of external shear.
The shape of incomplete preferences

Incomplete preferences provide the epistemic foundation for models of imprecise subjective probabilities and utilities that are used in robust Bayesian analysis and in theories of bounded rationality. This paper presents a simple axiomatization of incomplete preferences and characterizes the shape of their representing sets of probabilities and utilities. Deletion of the completeness assumption from the axiom system of Anscombe and Aumann yields preferences represented by a convex set of state-dependent expected utilities, of which at least one must be a probability/utility pair. A strengthening of the state-independence axiom is needed to obtain a representation purely in terms of a set of probability/utility pairs.
Legal institutions and high-growth aspiration entrepreneurship

Abstract Entrepreneurship is crucial for economic growth, yet comparatively little research has examined the relationship between institutions and new firm formation. I test the impact of property rights institutions and contracting institutions on high-growth-aspiration (HGA) entrants using the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey data for 2000–2005. I find that property rights are more significant for profound market expansion and rule of law is more significant for high job growth. The number of procedures to enforce a contract, the number of procedures to start a business, and the number of days to start a business are negatively correlated with all types of HGA entrepreneurship. A common law legal system is negatively correlated with entrepreneurship combining high job growth and market expansion. These findings add nuance to prior studies that tout the importance of property rights and rule of law for entrepreneurship.
Designing sticky knowledge networks

Much of any organization's experience and expertise remains underused and underexploited simply because it resides not in databases, repositories, or manuals but in the minds of its employees. Attempting to harness such distributed expertise, organizations have begun implementing collaborative knowledge networks---peer-to-peer digital networks connecting individuals with relevant expertise to their peers who need it [10, 11]. Unfortunately, however, successful knowledge networks represent the occasional island dotting a sea of failures. While many organizations are eager adopters of knowledge network systems, individual users frequently abandon them, leaving a trail of million- dollar paperweights. To be self-sustaining, knowledge networks must be sticky, though stickiness is an elusive design objective.
The Enumeration of Permutations with a Prescribed Number of “Forbidden” Patterns

We initiate a general approach for the fast enumeration of permutations with a prescribed number of occurrences of “forbidden” patterns that seems to indicate that the enumerating sequence is always P-recursive. We illustrate the method completely in terms of the patterns “abc,” “cab,” and “abcd.”
Reinventing international law: Women's rights as human rights in the international community †

(1997). Reinventing international law: Women's rights as human rights in the international community. Commonwealth Law Bulletin: Vol. 23, No. 3-4, pp. 1249-1262.
Kinematics of the cervical spine: Effects of multiple total laminectomy and facet wiring

The effect of multiple-level total laminectomies followed by stabilization on the load-deformation behavior of the cervical spine is described. Fresh human ligamentous cervical spines (C2-T2) were potted and clinically relevant load types applied via a loading frame attached to the C-2 vertebra of the specimen. A set of three infrared light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were attached rigidly to each of five vertebrae (C3-7) to record their spatial locations after each load step application, using a Selspot II system. The specimen was tested again after total laminectomy performed on C5. The supraspinous, interspinous, and flavum ligaments between the C4-5 and C5-6 motion segments were cut; thereafter, the vertebral arch was removed. The specimen testing was resumed after inducing injury at C-6 in a similar fashion. The specimen was stabilized, using a facet wiring construct, across the C4-7 segment before testing for the final time. The load-deformation data of the injured and stabilized tests were normalized with regard to the corresponding results of the intact test. In flexion-extension mode, an increase in motion of about 10% after laminectomies was observed. Facet wiring was found to be an effective technique to stabilize injured cervical spines (approximately equal to 80% reduction in motion, compared with intact spines, was observed.
Dislocation Core Structures in NiAl

Since the early studies on bcc materials, computer simulation of dislocation core structures has been recognized as a valid means of understanding yield behavior with temperature. Many of today's high temperature ordered alloys do have yield anomalies and computer simulation of core structures is a basic ingredient in the current theories for the anomalous yield behavior in L12 alloys. In the case of B2 type alloys there are very few of these studies. The present work deals with computer simulation of core structures in B2 NiAl. An embedded atom type potential is used to simulate interactions and several slip systems are considered, particularly those having 100 and 111 slip vectors that are the experimentally observed.
Raw Materials, Processing Incentives and Foreign Ownership

The effect of foreign ownership on trade policy outcomes has long been a topic of interest, but only recently have the consequences of multiple levels of production been considered. We examine processing incentives in a simplified general equilibrium framework with foreign ownership of a primary factor. Second-best considerations mean non-intervention is sub-optimal, but multiple levels of production can lead to an investment terms-of-trade effect of indeterminate sign, depending critically on the production structure. We illustrate how this may change standard conclusions regarding the effect of trade restrictions where there is foreign ownership, and optimal intervention to achieve specific policy objectives.
Determining the Probability of Default of Agricultural Loans in a French Bank

Recently, financial institutions have developed improved internal risk rating systems and emphasized the probability of default and loss given default. The default characteristics are studied for 756 loans from a French bank: CIC- Banque SNVB. A binomial logit regression is used to estimate several models of the probability of default of agribusiness loans based on information available at loan origination. The results show that leverage, profitability and liquidity at loan origination are statistically significant indicators of the probability of default. As leverage increases, profitability decreases, or liquidity decreases, the probability of default increases. As the length of loan increases, the probability of default also increases. Finally, it is more accurate to develop a model for each type of collateral (activity). By developing more quantitative credit scoring models, banks may benefit from lower capital requirements while borrowers may see better rates where the risk of loans is appropriately priced.
OPTIMAL INVESTMENT WITH INTERMEDIATE CONSUMPTION AND RANDOM ENDOWMENT

We consider an optimal investment problem with intermediate consumption and random endowment, in an incomplete semimartingale model of the financial market. We establish the key assertions of the utility maximization theory, assuming that both primal and dual value functions are finite in the interiors of their domains and that the random endowment at maturity can be dominated by the terminal value of a self-financing wealth process. In order to facilitate the verification of these conditions, we present alternative, but equivalent conditions, under which the conclusions of the theory hold.
Entropy and Inference, Revisited

We study properties of popular near–uniform (Dirichlet) priors for learning undersampled probability distributions on discrete nonmetric spaces and show that they lead to disastrous results. However, an Occam–style phase space argument expands the priors into their infinite mixture and resolves most of the observed problems. This leads to a surprisingly good estimator of entropies of discrete distributions.
Proportions: Inferences and Comparisons

This article selectively reviews asymptotic, exact, and Bayesian methods for inference about one proportion, or for comparing two proportions from separate samples. For a single proportion, interval estimation is emphasized, and coverage properties of Wald, Jeffreys, Wilson, Agresti–Coull, and Clopper–Pearson (exact) confidence intervals are compared. Hypothesis testing is also discussed, primarily in the context of inverting interval estimates. For comparing proportions between two samples, we consider tests including the power-divergence family (which incorporates all asymptotic tests commonly used); both conditional and unconditional exact tests; Bayesian tests; and several interval estimates. Some general aspects of power computation and sample size determination are discussed briefly in both contexts. Keywords: binomial; Boschloo; Clopper–Pearson; Fisher's exact; hypergeometric; Jeffreys; mid-P; odds ratio; power divergence; Wald; Wilson
Identifying the Effect of Changing the Policy Threshold in Regression Discontinuity Models

Regression discontinuity models are commonly used to nonparametrically identify and estimate a local average treatment effect (LATE). We show that the derivative of the treatment effect with respect to the running variable at the cutoff, referred to as TED, is nonparametrically identified, easily estimated, and has implications for testing external validity and extrapolating the estimated LATE away from the cutoff. Given a local policy invariance assumption, we further show this TED equals the change in the treatment effect that would result from a marginal change in the threshold, which we call the marginal threshold treatment effect (MTTE). We apply these results to Goodman (2008), who estimates the effect of a scholarship program on college choice. MTTE in this case identifies how this treatment effect would change if the test score threshold to qualify for a scholarship were changed, even though no such change in threshold is actually observed.
SAM-MAC: An efficient channel assignment scheme for multi-channel ad hoc networks

Using multi-channel MAC protocols in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) is a promising way to improve the throughput performance. Channel assignment, which directly determines the efficiency of the frequency utilization, is the critical part of multi-channel schemes. Current 802.11-like schemes of multi-channel MAC do not efficiently use the multiple channels due to the overhead caused by channel assignment. Moreover, the control channel saturation problem limits the number of channels of these previous schemes. In this paper, we propose a new scheme called SAM-MAC (Self-Adjustable Multi-channel MAC), which features with one common channel and two half-duplex transceivers for each node. A method called self-adjustment is used to reassign the channels and balance the traffic on different channels. Due to less contention in common channel and smaller channel assignment overhead, this scheme increases the throughput compared with previous approaches. Control channels are free from saturation problem and can furthermore be used for data transmission.
A Tobit Analysis of WIC Children's Consumption of Pyramid Group Foods

This paper develops and estimates an econometric model for children's consumption of the Pyramid Group foods using the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII) for the years 1994-96, 1998. This analysis is accomplished using a Tobit model (censored dependent variable) and by appropriately incorporating the survey design characteristics. Results of the regression analysis indicate that participation in the WIC program significantly affects the consumption patterns of children, for certain types of Pyramid Group foods. After controlling for other factors, WIC children consumed more milk, fruit and whole grain and less of added sugar than the group of eligible nonparticipating children.
Oxidative Tritium Decontamination System

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Tritium Systems Group has developed and fabricated an Oxidative Tritium Decontamination System (OTDS), which is designed to reduce tritium surface contamination on various components and items. The system is configured to introduce gaseous ozone into a reaction chamber containing tritiated items that require a reduction in tritium surface contamination. Tritium surface contamination (on components and items in the reaction chamber) is removed by chemically reacting elemental tritium to tritium oxide via oxidation, while purging the reaction chamber effluent to a gas holding tank or negative pressure HVAC system. Implementing specific concentrations of ozone along with catalytic parameters, the system is able to significantly reduce surface tritium contamination on an assortment of expendable and non-expendable items. This paper will present the results of various experimentation involving employment of this system.
An Epiphyte Architecture to Enrich Content in an Existing Educational Website

The work we will explain you in this paper deals with enriching contents a user normally gets from existing e-learning platforms on the Web. The new approach we propose is based on proxy-like architecture server that doesnpsilat integrate client settings browser. Indeed, we intercept userpsilas requests and all Web site answers to analyze and dynamically generate a marker on source view only. To illustrate our work, the described approach has been implemented with an example from Embodied Conversational Agents (ECA) for a Moodle Web site developed by the University of Maine, France.
Thiocardenolides II: Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of 3β-Thioacetyl-14β-hydroxy-5β-card-20(22)-enolide

Abstract The synthesis of a 3 β -thioacetylcardenolide is described. The thioacetate exhibited effects similar to those seen with digitoxigenin acetate on the isolated frog and guinea pig hearts at 1 × 10 − 7 dilution. In the intact rat heart, the lethal dose was 5 mg/kg for the thioacetate and 2.5 mg/kg for digitoxigenin acetate. The thioacetate inhibited sodium- and potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase to the same extent as digitoxigenin, but it was somewhat less inhibitory than digitoxigenin acetate.
White matter buckling: CT sign of extraaxial intracranial mass

The resolution of present day computed tomography (CT) scanners routinely permits discrimination of gray from white matter with delineation of a gray-white matter interface. Superficially situated extraaxial masses usually preserve the gray-white interface and tend to compress and/or buckle adjacent edematous white matter. This does not occur with superficially situated intraaxial lesions and is, therefore, essentially diagnostic of an extraaxial mass. It is postulated that this sign reflects the relative resistance of gray matter to edema in conjunction with the destruction of th gray-white interface by the infiltration of intraaxial lesions. White matter buckling is almost invariably associated with extracerebral fluid collections. White matter buckling is almost invariably associated with extracerebral fluid collections. It is less often discernible in association with meningioma. In a series of 100 consecutive proven meningioma cases, compression and/or buckling of centra white matter was demonstrated in 28, and in 28 (40%) of 70 superficially situated lesions. White matter buckling is diagnostically significant when it occurs. It has been especially helpful in the diagnosis of otherwise atypical superficial masses.
A new sphere-packing bound for maximal error exponent for multiple-access channels

In this work, a new lower bound for the maximal error probability of a two-user discrete memoryless (DM) multiple-access channel (MAC) is derived. This is the first bound of this type that explicitly imposes independence of the userspsila input distributions (conditioned on the time-sharing auxiliary variable) and thus results in a tighter sphere-packing exponent when compared to the tightest known exponent derived by Haroutunian.
Scattering analysis of a large body with deep cavities

A numerical scheme is presented for simulating electromagnetic scattering from a large and arbitrarily shaped body, coated with inhomogeneous composite materials, with large and deep cavities. This numerical scheme employs the higher order vector finite-element method (FEM) to discretize the fields inside the cavities and coatings and the higher order boundary integral (BI) method to terminate the FEM computational domain. A highly efficient special solver is designed to eliminate the unknowns inside the cavities, which yields a computed relation (CR) matrix over the cavity's aperture between the tangential electric and magnetic fields. This CR matrix is then combined with the finite element-boundary integral (FE-BI) matrix equation to form a complete linear system for the discrete fields everywhere in the computational domain. The resulting system is solved iteratively using a novel preconditioner derived by replacing the BI with a corresponding absorbing boundary condition (ABC).
Sliding Mode Control of Mechanical Systems Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy

This paper presents a model-based sliding mode control law for mechanical systems, which use shape memory alloys (SMAs) as actuators. The systems under consideration are assumed to be fully actuated and represented by unconstrained equations of motion. A system model is developed by combining the equations of motion with SMA heat convection, constitutive law, and phase transformation equations, which account for hysteresis. The control law is introduced using asymptotically stable second-order sliding surfaces. Robustness is guaranteed through the inclusion of modeling uncertainties in the controller development. The control law is developed assuming only positions are available for measurement. The unmeasured states, which include velocities and SMA temperatures and stresses, are estimated using an extended Kalman filter based on the nonlinear system model. The control law is applied to a three-link planar robot for position control problem. Simulation and experimental results show good agreement and verify the robustness of the control law despite significant modeling uncertainty.
Sorbitol Can Fuel Mouse Sperm Motility and Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation via Sorbitol Dehydrogenase

Energy sources that can be metabolized to yield ATP are essential for normal sperm functions such as motility. Two major monosaccharides, sorbitol and fructose, are present in semen. Furthermore, sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD) can convert sorbitol to fructose, which can then be metabolized via the glycolytic pathway in sperm to make ATP. Here we characterize Sord mRNA and SORD expression during mouse spermatogenesis and examine the ability of sorbitol to support epididymal sperm motility and tyrosine phosphorylation. Sord mRNA levels increased during the course of spermatogenic differentiation. SORD protein, however, was first detected at the condensing spermatid stage. By indirect immunofluorescence, SORD was present along the length of the flagella of caudal epididymal sperm. Furthermore, immunoelectron microscopy showed that SORD was associated with mitochondria and the plasma membranes of sperm. Sperm incubated with sorbitol maintained motility, indicating that sorbitol was utilized as an energy source. Sorbitol, as well as glucose and fructose, were not essential to induce hyperactive motility. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation increased in a similar manner when sorbitol was substituted for glucose in the incubation medium used for sperm capacitation. These results indicate that sorbitol can serve as an alternative energy source for sperm motility and protein tyrosine phosphorylation.
Cluster Structure and Reactions: Gaining Insights into Catalytic Processes

To many researchers outside the field of cluster science it may come as a surprise that much can be learned of its relevance to catalysis, even restricting the discussion to ionized systems. This perspective is largely focused on catalytic oxidation reactions in which oxygen radical centers on transition metal oxides play a dominant role. The objective is to present how fundamental insights into reaction mechanisms can be gained through employing alternative approaches that complement rather than supersede more conventional methods in t he field of catalysis. In view of the well acknowledged role of defect centers in effecting reactivity, and the preponderance of recent papers presenting evidence of the importance of charged sites, the need/desire to conduct repetitive experiments is clear. Presented herein are approaches using clusters to accomplish this in order to unravel fundamental catalytic reaction mechanisms, and to use identified superatoms and the concepts of element mimics to tailor catalysts with desired functionality.
Synthesis of quantum-logic circuits

The pressure of fundamental limits on classical computation and the promise of exponential speedups from quantum effects have recently brought quantum circuits (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, Math. Phys. Sci., vol. 425, p. 73, 1989) to the attention of the electronic design automation community (Proc. 40th ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conf., 2003), (Phys. Rev. A, At. Mol. Opt. Phy., vol. 68, p. 012318, 2003), (Proc. 41st Design Automation Conf., 2004), (Proc. 39th Design Automation Conf., 2002), (Proc. Design, Automation, and Test Eur., 2004), (Phys. Rev. A, At. Mol. Opt. Phy., vol. 69, p. 062321, 2004), (IEEE Trans. Comput.-Aided Des. Integr. Circuits Syst., vol. 22, p. 710, 2003). Efficient quantum-logic circuits that perform two tasks are discussed: 1) implementing generic quantum computations, and 2) initializing quantum registers. In contrast to conventional computing, the latter task is nontrivial because the state space of an n-qubit register is not finite and contains exponential superpositions of classical bitstrings. The proposed circuits are asymptotically optimal for respective tasks and improve earlier published results by at least a factor of 2. The circuits for generic quantum computation constructed by the algorithms are the most efficient known today in terms of the number of most expensive gates [quantum controlled-NOTs (CNOTs)]. They are based on an analog of the Shannon decomposition of Boolean functions and a new circuit block, called quantum multiplexor (QMUX), which generalizes several known constructions. A theoretical lower bound implies that the circuits cannot be improved by more than a factor of 2. It is additionally shown how to accommodate the severe architectural limitation of using only nearest neighbor gates, which is representative of current implementation technologies. This increases the number of gates by almost an order of magnitude, but preserves the asymptotic optimality of gate counts
Neutrinos: theory and phenomenology

The theory and phenomenology of neutrinos will be addressed, especially that relating to the observation of neutrino flavor transformations. The current status and implications for future experiments will be discussed with special emphasis on the experiments that will determine the neutrino mass ordering, the dominant flavor content of the neutrino mass eigenstate with the smallest electron neutrino content and the size of CP violation in the neutrino sector. Beyond the neutrino standard model, the evidence for and a possible definitive experiment to confirm or refute the existence of light sterile neutrinos will be briefly discussed.
Power Saving Techniques for Wireless LANs

Fast wireless access has rapidly become commonplace. Wireless access points and hotspot servers are sprouting everywhere. Battery lifetime continues to be a critical issue in mobile computing. This paper first gives an overview of WLAN energy saving strategies, followed by an illustration of a system-level methodology for saving power in heterogeneous wireless environments.
Why Do New Technologies Complement Skills? Directed Technical Change and Wage Inequality

A high proportion of skilled workers in the labor force implies a large market size for skill-complementary technologies, and encourages faster upgrading of the productivity of skilled workers. As a result, an increase in the supply of skills reduces the skill premium in the short run, but then it induces skill-biased technical change and increases the skill premium, possibly even above its initial value. This theory suggests that the rapid increase in the proportion of college graduates in the United States labor force in the 1970s may have been a causal factor in both the decline in the college premium during the 1970s and the large increase in inequality during the 1980s.
Caching in the Sprite network file system

The Sprite network operating system uses large main-memory disk block caches to achieve high performance in its file system. It provides non-write-through file caching on both client and server machines. A simple cache consistency mechanism permits files to be shared by multiple clients without danger of stale data. In order to allow the file cache to occupy as much memory as possible, the file system of each machine negotiates with the virtual memory system over physical memory usage and changes the size of the file cache dynamically. Benchmark programs indicate that client caches allow diskless Sprite workstations to perform within O-12 percent of workstations with disks. In addition, client caching reduces server loading by 50 percent and network traffic by 90 percent.
Parametric and Nonparametric Volatility Measurement

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a unified continuous-time, frictionless, no-arbitrage framework for systematically categorizing the various volatility concepts, measurement procedures, and modeling procedures. Volatility has been one of the most active areas of research in empirical finance and time series econometrics during the past decade. It defines different volatility concepts; the notional volatility corresponding to the sample-path return variability over a fixed time interval; the expected volatility over a fixed time interval; and the instantaneous volatility corresponding to the strength of the volatility process at a point in time. The parametric procedures rely on explicit functional form assumptions regarding the expected and/or instantaneous volatility. In the discrete-time ARCH class of models, the expectations are formulated in terms of directly observable variables, while the discrete and continuous-time stochastic volatility models involve latent state variable(s). The nonparametric procedures are generally free from such functional form assumptions and hence afford estimates of notional volatility that are flexible yet consistent (as the sampling frequency of the underlying returns increases). The nonparametric procedures include ARCH filters and smoothers designed to measure the volatility over infinitesimally short horizons, as well as the recently popularized realized volatility measures for fixed-length time intervals.
Subspaces of non-commutative spaces

This paper concerns the closed points, closed subspaces, open subspaces, weakly closed and weakly open subspaces, and effective divisors, on a non-commutative space.
CUSTOMER OR COMPLEMENTOR? Intercarrier Compensation with Two-Sided Benefits

Both senders and receivers of telecommunications messages derive benefits, creating the possibility of externalities. We explore whether intercarrier compensation (i.e., access charges) can induce carriers to internalize these external effects. In important settings, access charges are irrelevant. Where they are relevant, access charges can induce an efficient ratio of off-net send and receive prices--taking their sum as given--but cannot induce the correct sum. The latter requires a mechanism for cross-carrier internalization, such as repeat play or pricing policies contingent on one another. Lastly, non-zero access charges can be efficient even in highly symmetrical situations.
Tamm-Horsfall Protein is a Critical Renal Defense Factor Protecting Against Calcium Oxalate Crystal Formation

Tamm-Horsfall protein is a critical renal defense factor protecting against calcium oxalate crystal formation. Background The tubular fluid of the mammalian kidney is often supersaturated with mineral salts, but crystallization rarely occurs under normal conditions. The unique ability of the kidney to avoid harmful crystal formation has long been attributed to the inhibitory activity of the urinary macromolecules, although few in vivo studies have been carried out to examine this hypothesis. Here we examined the role of Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP), the principal urinary protein, in urinary defense against renal calcium crystal formation, using a THP knockout model that we recently developed. Methods Wild-type and THP knockout mice were examined for the spontaneous formation of renal calcium crystals using von Kossa staining. The susceptibility of these mice to experimentally induced renal crystal formation was evaluated by administering mice with ethylene glycol, a precursor of oxalate, and vitamin D 3 , which increases calcium absorption. Renal calcium crystals were visualized by von Kossa stain, dark field microscopy with polarized light and scanning electron microscopy. Results Inactivating the THP gene in mouse embryonic stem cells results in spontaneous formation of calcium crystals in adult kidneys. Excessive intake of calcium and oxalate, precursors of the most common type of human renal stones, dramatically increases both the frequency and the severity of renal calcium crystal formation in THP-deficient, but not in wild-type mice. Under high calcium/oxalate conditions, the absence of THP triggers a marked, adaptive induction in renal epithelial cells of osteopontin (OPN), a potent inhibitor of bone mineralization and vascular calcification. Thus, OPN may serve as an inducible inhibitor of calcium crystallization, whereas THP can serve as a constitutive and apparently more effective inhibitor. Conclusion These results provide the first in vivo evidence that THP is a critical urinary defense factor and suggest that its deficiency could be an important contributing factor in human nephrolithiasis, a condition afflicting tens of millions of people in the world annually.
Diode-pumped grazing incidence slab lasers

Diode-pumped grazing incidence slab (GISL) lasers, and materials which may be used with this configuration, are discussed. Of the materials investigated so far, Nd:YVO/sub 4/ has been shown to yield high efficiency and high small-signal gain, and a compact, 1-kHz repetition rate laser, using a Nd:YVO/sub 4/ slab has generated 3-ns duration, millijoule pulses with high beam quality. A numerical model for GISL lasers has been developed and used to simulate a hybrid Nd:YVO/sub 4//Nd:YAG oscillator. A preliminary, experimental investigation of such a hybrid system has yielded results that are consistent with the model predictions.
Savings, Volume of Trade, and Growth

This paper develops a two-country dynamic general equilibrium model with endogenous growth to analyze the effects of international trade on steady-stage growth. The two countries differ both in preferences and in technologies. It is shown first that both countries cannot simultaneously experience increases in consumption growth from trade. It is then shown that trade can increase output growth for both countries if the attitude towards saving matches the change in the terms of trade in each country. A country facing a decline (rise) in its output price grows faster if its intertemporal elasticity of substitution is sufficiently low (high).
Lorentz violation in warped extra dimensions

Higher dimensional theories which address some of the problematic issues of the Standard Model (SM) naturally involve some form of D = 4+ n-dimensional Lorentz invariance violation (LIV). In such models the fundamental physics which leads to, e.g., field localization, orbifolding, the existence of brane terms and the compactification process all can introduce LIV in the higher dimensional theory while still preserving 4-d Lorentz invariance. In this paper, attempting to capture some of this physics, we extend our previous analysis of LIV in 5-d UED-type models to those with 5-d warped extra dimensions. To be specific, we employ the 5-d analog of the SM Extension of Kostelecky et al. which incorporates a complete set of operators arising from spontaneous LIV. We show that while the response of the bulk scalar, fermion and gauge fields to the addition of LIV operators in warped models is qualitatively similar to what happens in the flat 5-d UED case, the gravity sector of these models reacts very differently than in flat space. Specifically, we show that LIV in this warped case leads to a non-zero bulk mass for the 5-d graviton and so the would-be zero mode, which we identify as the usual 4-d graviton, must necessarily become massive. The origin of this mass term is the simultaneous existence of the constant non-zero AdS5 curvature and the loss of general co-ordinate invariance via LIV in the 5-d theory. Thus warped 5-d models with LIV in the gravity sector are not phenomenologically viable.
The kinked demand curve revisited

Abstract In a Stackelberg oligopoly with cost asymmetry and possibility of entry, the Stackelberg leader faces a kinked demand curve. For a robust interval of cost of the leader, the equilibrium price is rigid with respect to small changes in demand and costs of active firms.
Trellis codes, receptive fields, and fault tolerant, self-repairing neural networks

Relationships between locally interconnected neural networks that use receptive field representations and trellis or convolutional codes are explored. A fault tolerant neural network is described. It is patterned after the trellis graph description of convolutional codes and is able to tolerate errors in its inputs and failures of constituent neurons. This network incorporates learning, which adds failure tolerance; the network is able to modify its connection weights an internal representation so that spare neurons can replace neurons which fail. A brief review of trellis-coding concepts is included. >
China and the Knowledge Economy : Challenges and Opportunities

The rapid pace of economic growth in China has been unprecedented since the start of economic reforms in late 1970s. It has delivered higher incomes and made the largest single contribution to global poverty reduction. Measured by international poverty lines, from 1978-2004, the absolute poor population in rural areas has dropped from 250 million to 26.1 million. Such gains are impressive and have been driven largely by a set of market-oriented institutional reforms, strong investment, and effective adoption and application of various knowledge and technologies, especially foreign ones through trade and foreign direct investment. While enjoying tremendous success, China also faces many challenges that need to be addressed to sustain its long-term development. These include weak institutions, low overall educational attainment, weak indigenous innovation capacity, poor links between research and development and industries, and so on. This paper provides an analysis of some strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges to China's knowledge economy in the areas of economic incentives and institutional regime, human capital, innovation system, and information infrastructure.
Self-management in chaotic wireless deployments

Over the past few years, wireless networking technologies have made vast forays into our daily lives. Today, one can find 802.11 hardware and other personal wireless technology employed at homes, shopping malls, coffee shops and airports. Present-day wireless network deployments bear two important properties: they are unplanned, with most access points (APs) deployed by users in a spontaneous manner, resulting in highly variable AP densities; and they are unmanaged, since manually configuring and managing a wireless network is very complicated. We refer to such wireless deployments as being chaotic. In this paper, we present a study of the impact of interference in chaotic 802.11 deployments on end-client performance. First, using large-scale measurement data from several cities, we show that it is not uncommon to have tens of APs deployed in close proximity of each other. Moreover, most APs are not configured to minimize interference with their neighbors. We then perform trace-driven simulations to show that the performance of end-clients could suffer significantly in chaotic deployments. We argue that end-client experience could be significantly improved by making chaotic wireless networks self-managing. We design and evaluate automated power control and rate adaptation algorithms to minimize interference among neighboring APs, while ensuring robust end-client performance.
Addressing the Academic Needs of Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Secondary Education

The number of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who enter secondary school settings and access the general education curriculum continues to grow. Many educators may find they are not prepared to adapt their instruction to meet both state standards and the diverse needs of the full spectrum individuals with ASD, which has implications for postsecondary success. In this article, we present an overview of current knowledge around academic instruction for this population, specifically (a) how characteristics associated with ASD can impact academic performance, (b) academic profiles of individuals with ASD across content areas, and (c) interventions that have been successful in improving academic outcomes for this population, including special considerations for those individuals who take alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards. We conclude by offering suggestions for future research and considerations for professional development.
Security systems engineering overview

Crime prevention is on the minds of most people today. The concern for public safety and the theft of valuable assets are being discussed at all levels of government and throughout the public sector. There is a growing demand for security systems that can adequately safeguard people and valuable assets against the sophistication of those criminals or adversaries who pose a threat. The crime in this country has been estimated at 70 billion dollars in direct costs and up to 300 billion dollars in indirect costs. Health insurance fraud alone is estimated to cost American businesses 100 billion dollars. Theft, warranty fraud, and counterfeiting of computer hardware totaled 3 billion dollars in 1994. A threat analysis is a prerequisite to any security system design to assess the vulnerabilities with respect to the anticipated threat. Having established a comprehensive definition of the threat, crime prevention, detection, and threat assessment technologies can be used to address these criminal activities. This talk will outline the process used to design a security system regardless of the level of security. This methodology has been applied to many applications including: government high security facilities; residential and commercial intrusion detection and assessment; anti-counterfeiting/fraud detection technologies; industrial espionage detection and prevention; security barrier technology.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
CONSTRUCTION OF INTERACTING STRING AND SUPERSTRING FIELD THEORY

The formulation of Witten’s open string and superstring field theory is reviewed. It is based on the operator method in which the basic ingredients of the theory are constructed in the string Hilbert space and the symmetries and on-shell properties of the theory are established.
Detection of non-Gaussian signals using integrated polyspectrum

We consider the problem of detecting an unknown, random, stationary, non-Gaussian signal in Gaussian noise of unknown correlation structure. The same framework applies if one desires to determine whether the given random signal is non-Gaussian. The most commonly used method for detection of random signals is the so-called energy detector, which cannot distinguish between Gaussian and non-Gaussian signals and requires the knowledge of the noise power. Recently, the use of bispectrum and/or trispectrum of the signal has been suggested for detection of non-Gaussian signals. The higher order spectra-based detectors do not require the knowledge of the noise statistics if the noise is Gaussian. In this paper, we suggest the use of an integrated polyspectrum (bispectrum of trispectrum) to improve computational efficiency of the detectors based on polyspectrum and to possibly further enhance their detection performance. We investigate conditions under which use of the integrated polyspectrum is appropriate. The detector structure is derived, acid its performance is evaluated via simulations and comparisons with several other existing approaches. >
Ablation stability of laser-driven implosions

Perturbation analysis of the stability of ablative, laser-driven implosions of homogeneous spherical pellets shows stability of the ablation surface, a necessary condition for achieving the high densities required for laser fusion. This conclusion is supported by physical arguments.
Peak and tail scaling of breakthrough curves in hydrologic tracer tests

Abstract Power law tails, commonly observed in solute breakthrough curves, are notoriously difficult to measure with confidence as they typically occur at low concentrations. This leads us to ask if other signatures of anomalous transport can be sought. We develop a general stochastic transport framework and derive an asymptotic relation between the tail scaling of a breakthrough curve for a conservative tracer at a fixed downstream position and the scaling of the peak concentration of breakthrough curves as a function of downstream position, demonstrating that they provide equivalent information. We then quantify the relevant spatiotemporal scales for the emergence of this asymptotic regime, where the relationship holds, and validate our results in the context of a very simple model that represents transport in an idealized river.
Broadcasters vs MVPDs: economic effects of digital transition on television program supply

Purpose – Although FCC policy has mostly focused on broadcasters, the digital transition of television has involved a number of other players, notably cable television, DBS, and other multi‐channel video providers (MVPDs). What have been the economic effects of this transition on these various industry players and on viewers? The paper aims to answer this question.Design/methodology/approach – This paper assembles an historical database to compare changes over time in consumer spending, television advertising revenue and related economic data extending back to the 1950s.Findings – The authors show that non‐broadcast suppliers of TV programming, especially cable operators, have been able to take much greater economic advantage of the digital television transition than have broadcasters. Cable and DBS systems have used digital technology to greatly expand the amount of programming available and to more efficiently price discriminate on the basis of program quality – including the direct sale to consumers of...
Discovering shared cardiovascular dynamics within a patient cohort

Cardiovascular variables such as heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) are robustly regulated by an underlying control system. Time series of HR and BP exhibit distinct dynamical patterns of interaction in response to perturbations (e.g., drugs or exercise) as well as in pathological states (e.g., excessive sympathetic activation). A question of interest is whether “similar” dynamical patterns can be identified across a heterogeneous patient cohort. In this work, we present a technique based on switching linear dynamical systems for identification of shared dynamical patterns in the time series of HR and BP recorded from a patient cohort. The technique uses a mixture of linear dynamical systems, the components of which are shared across all patients, to capture both nonlinear dynamics and non-Gaussian perturbations. We present exploratory results based on a simulation study of the cardiovascular system, and real recordings from 10 healthy subjects undergoing a tilt-table test. These results demonstrate the ability of the proposed technique to identify similar dynamical patterns present across multiple time series.
ANALYTICAL MODELING OF A BUBBLE COLUMN DEHUMIDIFIER

Bubble column dehumidifiers are a compact, inexpensive alternative to conventional fin-tube dehumidifiers for humidification-dehumidification (HDH) desalination, a technology that has promising applications in small-scale desalination and industrial water remediation. In this paper, algebraic equations for relevant mean heat and mass transfer driving forces are developed for improved modeling of bubble column dehumidifiers. Because mixing in the column ensures a uniform liquid temperature, the bubble column can be modeled as two single stream heat exchangers in contact with the column liquid: the seawater side, for which a log-mean temperature difference is appropriate, and the gas side, which has a varying heat capacity and mass exchange. Under typical conditions, a log-mean mass fraction difference is shown to drive latent heat transfer, and an expression for the mean temperature difference of the moist gas stream is presented. These expressions will facilitate modeling of bubble column heat and mass exchangers.