cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Small banks and consumer satisfaction

Abstract This paper examines the impact of the composition of local banking markets on customer satisfaction. I measure customer satisfaction at the county level using complaint data filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from 2012 to 2017. I find that there are fewer customer complaints in counties where there is a larger presence of small banks, holding constant the level of bank competition. This effect holds for various complaint types, market types, market demographics, and alternative econometric specifications. Additionally, I provide a detailed description of the CFPB complaint data.
Probabilistic Data Structures in Adversarial Environments

Probabilistic data structures use space-efficient representations of data in order to (approximately) respond to queries about the data. Traditionally, these structures are accompanied by probabilistic bounds on query-response errors. These bounds implicitly assume benign attack models, in which the data and the queries are inputs are chosen non-adaptively, and independent of the randomness used to construct the representation. Yet probabilistic data structures are increasingly used in settings where these assumptions may be violated. This work provides a provable security treatment of probabilistic data structures in adversarial environments. We give a syntax that captures a wide variety of in-use structures, and our security notions support development of error bounds in the presence of powerful attacks. Concretely, we primarily focus on examining the widely used Bloom filter, but also consider counting (Bloom) filters and count-min sketch data structures. For the traditional version of these, our security findings are largely negative; however, we show that simple embellishments (e.g., using salts, or secret keys) yields structures that provide provable security, and with little overhead.
Magic Identities for the Conformal Four-Point Integrals; the Minkowski Metric Case

Abstract The original “magic identities” are due to J. M. Drummond, J. Henn, V. A. Smirnov and E. Sokatchev; they assert that all n-loop box integrals for four scalar massless particles are equal to each other [3] . The authors give a proof of the magic identities for the Euclidean metric case only and claim that the result is also true in the Minkowski metric. However, the Minkowski case is much more subtle and requires specification of the relative positions of cycles of integration to make these identities correct. In this article we prove the magic identities in the Minkowski metric case and, in particular, specify the cycles of integration. Our proof of magic identities relies on previous results from [7] , [8] , where we give a mathematical interpretation of the n-loop box integrals in the context of representations of a Lie group U ( 2 , 2 ) and quaternionic analysis. The main result of [7] , [8] is a (weaker) operator version of the “magic identities”. No prior knowledge of physics or Feynman diagrams is assumed from the reader. We provide a summary of all relevant results from quaternionic analysis to make the article self-contained.
Npas1+-Nkx2.1+ Neurons Are an Integral Part of the Cortico-pallido-cortical Loop

Within the basal ganglia circuit, the external globus pallidus (GPe) is critically involved in motor control. Aside from Foxp2+ neurons and ChAT+ neurons that have been established as unique neuron types, there is little consensus on the classification of GPe neurons. Properties of the remaining neuron types are poorly defined. In this study, we leverage new mouse lines, viral tools, and molecular markers to better define GPe neuron subtypes. We found that Sox6 represents a novel, defining marker for GPe neuron subtypes. Lhx6+ neurons that lack the expression of Sox6 were devoid of both parvalbumin and Npas1. This result confirms previous assertions of the existence of a unique Lhx6+ population. Neurons that arise from the Dbx1+ lineage were similarly abundant in the GPe and displayed a heterogeneous makeup. Importantly, tracing experiments revealed that Npas1+-Nkx2.1+ neurons represent the principal noncholinergic, cortically-projecting neurons. In other words, they form the pallido-cortical arm of the cortico-pallido-cortical loop. Our data further show that pyramidal-tract neurons in the cortex collateralized within the GPe, forming a closed-loop system between the two brain structures. Overall, our findings reconcile some of the discrepancies that arose from differences in techniques or the reliance on preexisting tools. Although spatial distribution and electrophysiological properties of GPe neurons reaffirm the diversification of GPe subtypes, statistical analyses strongly support the notion that these neuron subtypes can be categorized under the two principal neuron classes: PV+ neurons and Npas1+ neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The poor understanding of the neuronal composition in the external globus pallidus (GPe) undermines our ability to interrogate its precise behavioral and disease involvements. In this study, 12 different genetic crosses were used, hundreds of neurons were electrophysiologically characterized, and >100,000 neurons were histologically- and/or anatomically-profiled. Our current study further establishes the segregation of GPe neuron classes and illustrates the complexity of GPe neurons in adult mice. Our results support the idea that Npas1+-Nkx2.1+ neurons are a distinct GPe neuron subclass. By providing a detailed analysis of the organization of the cortico-pallidal-cortical projection, our findings establish the cellular and circuit substrates that can be important for motor function and dysfunction.
A Data-Driven Model to Identify Fatigue Level Based on the Motion Data from a Smartphone

The fatigue due to repetitive and physically challenging jobs may result in workers' poor performance and Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WMSD). Thus, it is imperative to frequently monitor fatigue and take necessary recovery actions. Our purpose was to develop a methodology to objectively classify subjects' fatigue level in the workplace utilizing the motion sensors embedded in the smartphones. An experiment consisting of twenty-four participants (12 M, 12 F) with a smartphone attached to their right shank was conducted using a fatiguing exercise (squatting), targeted mainly the lower extremity musculature. After each set of an exercise (2-min squatting), participants were asked about their ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), then a reference gait data were collected during a straight walk of 20–32 steps. This process was continued until they reported strong fatigue (≥17). Using the RPE to label the gait data, we have developed machine learning algorithms (i.e., binary and multi-class SVM models) to classify the individuals' gait into two (no-vs. strong-fatigue) and four levels (no-, low-, medium-, and strong-fatigue). The models reached the accuracies of 91 % and 61 % for two and four-level classification, respectively. The outcomes of this study may facilitate the implementation of a proactive approach in continuous monitoring of operators' fatigue level, which may subsequently increase the workers' performance and reduce the risk of WMSDs.
Degradation of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 with an EED-Targeted Bivalent Chemical Degrader

Summary Protein degradation via the use of bivalent chemical degraders provides an alternative strategy to block protein function and assess the biological roles of putative drug targets. This approach capitalizes on the advantages of small-molecule inhibitors while moving beyond the restrictions of traditional pharmacology. Here, we report a chemical degrader (UNC6852) that targets polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). UNC6852 contains an EED226-derived ligand and a ligand for VHL which bind to the WD40 aromatic cage of EED and CRL2VHL, respectively, to induce proteasomal degradation of PRC2 components, EED, EZH2, and SUZ12. Degradation of PRC2 with UNC6852 blocks the histone methyltransferase activity of EZH2, decreasing H3K27me3 levels in HeLa cells and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells containing EZH2 gain-of-function mutations. UNC6852 degrades both wild-type and mutant EZH2, and additionally displays anti-proliferative effects in this cancer model system.
Vibrio cholerae OmpR represses the ToxR regulon in response to membrane intercalating agents that are prevalent in the human gastrointestinal tract.

ABSTRACT Multidrug efflux systems belonging to the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) superfamily are ubiquitous in Gram-negative bacteria. RND efflux systems are often associated with multiple antimicrobial resistance and also contribute to the expression of diverse bacterial phenotypes including virulence, as documented in the intestinal pathogen Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera. Transcriptomic studies with RND efflux-negative V. cholerae suggested that RND-mediated efflux was required for homeostasis, as loss of RND efflux resulted in the activation of transcriptional regulators, including multiple environmental sensing systems. In this report, we investigated six RND efflux-responsive regulatory genes for contributions to V. cholerae virulence factor production. Our data showed that the V. cholerae gene VC2714, encoding a homolog of Escherichia coli OmpR, was a virulence repressor. The expression of ompR was elevated in an RND-null mutant, and ompR deletion partially restored virulence factor production in the RND-negative background. Virulence inhibitory activity in the RND-negative background resulted from OmpR repression of the key ToxR regulon virulence activator aphB, and ompR overexpression in wild-type cells also repressed virulence through aphB. We further show that ompR expression was not altered by changes in osmolarity but instead was induced by membrane-intercalating agents that are prevalent in the host gastrointestinal tract and which are substrates of the V. cholerae RND efflux systems. Our collective results indicate that V. choleraeompR is an aphB repressor and regulates the expression of the ToxR virulence regulon in response to novel environmental cues.
Learning Physics-Based Reduced-Order Models for a Single-Injector Combustion Process

This paper presents a physics-based data-driven method to learn predictive reduced-order models (ROMs) from high-fidelity simulations and illustrates it in the challenging context of a single-injec...
Radial Evolution of Coronal Mass Ejections Between MESSENGER, Venus Express, STEREO, and L1: Catalog and Analysis

Our knowledge of the properties of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) in the inner heliosphere is constrained by the relative lack of plasma observations between Sun and 1 AU. In this work, we present a comprehensive catalog of 47 CMEs measured in situ measurements by two or more radially aligned spacecraft (MESSENGER, Venus Express, STEREO or Wind/ACE). We estimate the CME impact speeds at Mercury and Venus using a drag-based model and present an average propagation profile of CMEs (speed and deceleration/acceleration) in the inner heliosphere. We find that CME deceleration continues past Mercury's orbit but most of the deceleration occurs between the Sun and Mercury. We examine the exponential decrease of the maximum magnetic field strength in the CME with heliocentric distance using two approaches: a modified statistical method and analysis from individual conjunction events. Findings from both the approaches are on average consistent with previous studies but show significant event-to-event variability. We also find the expansion of the CME sheath to be well fit by a linear function. However, we observe the average sheath duration and its increase to be fairly independent of the initial CME speed, contradicting commonly held knowledge that slower CMEs drive larger sheaths. We also present an analysis of the 3 November 2011 CME observed in longitudinal conjunction between MESSENGER, Venus Express, and STEREO-B focusing on the expansion of the CME and its correlation with the exponential fall-off of the maximum magnetic field strength in the ejecta.
Data-Driven Inventory Control with Shifting Demand

We consider an inventory control problem with lost-sales in a shifting demand environment. Over a planning horizon of T periods, demand distributions can change up to O(log T) times, but the firm does not know the demand distributions before or after each change, the time periods when changes occur, or the number of changes. Therefore, the firm needs to detect changes and learn the demand distributions only from historical sales data. We show that with censored demand, active exploration in the inventory space is needed for a reasonable detecting and learning algorithm. We provide a theoretical lower bound by partitioning all admissible policies into either exploration-heavy or exploitation-heavy, and for both categories we prove that the convergence rate cannot be better than Ω(√T). We then develop a nonparametric learning algorithm for this problem and prove that it achieves a convergence rate that (almost) matches the theoretical lower bound.
SUPERSTRUCTURES AND MULTIJUNCTION CELLS FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY ENERGY CONVERSION.

Potential applications of superlattices to photovoltaic structures are discussed. A single-bandgap, multijunction cell with selective electrodes for lateral transport of collected carriers is proposed. The concept is based on similar doping superlattice (NIPI) structures. Computer simulations show that by reducing bulk recombination losses, the spectral response of such cells is enhanced, particularly for poor quality materials with short diffusion lengths. Dark current contributions of additional junctions result in a trade-off between short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage as the number of layers is increased. One or two extra junctions appear to be optimal.
Equilibrium microstructures of diblock copolymers under 3D confinement

Abstract We investigate equilibrium microstructures exhibited by diblock copolymers in confined 3D geometries. We perform Self-Consistent Field Theory (SCFT) simulations using a finite-element based computational framework (Ackerman et al., 2017), that provides the flexibility to compute equilibrium structures under arbitrary geometries. We consider a sequence of 3D geometries (tetrahedron to sphere) that have the same volume but exhibit varying curvature. This allows us to study the interplay between edge and curvature effects of the 3D geometries on the equilibrium microstructures. We observe that beyond a length scale, the equilibrium structure changes from an interconnected network to a multi-layered concentric shell as the curvature of the 3D geometry is reduced. However, below this length scale the equilibrium structure remains a multi-layered concentric shell independent of curvature. We additionally explore variations in the equilibrium microstructures at a few discrete volume fractions. This study provides insight into possible frustrated phases that can arise in AB diblock systems while varying the shape of confinement geometry.
Microwave Filtering Using Forward Brillouin Scattering in Photonic-Phononic Emit-Receive Devices

Microwave photonic systems are compelling for their ability to process signals at high frequencies and over extremely wide bandwidths as a basis for next generation communication and radar technologies. However, many applications also require narrow-band $(\sim\!\text{MHz})$ filtering operations that are challenging to be implemented using optical filtering techniques, as this requires reliable integration of ultra-high quality factor $(\sim\!10^8)$ optical resonators. One way to address this challenge is to utilize long-lived acoustic resonances, taking advantage of their narrow-band frequency response to filter microwave signals. In this article, we examine new strategies to harness a narrow-band acoustic response within a microwave-photonic signal processing platform through the use of light-sound coupling. Our signal processing scheme is based on a recently demonstrated photon-phonon emitter-receiver device, which transfers information between the optical and acoustic domains using Brillouin interactions, and produces narrow-band filtering of a microwave signal. To understand the best way to use this device technology, we study the properties of a microwave-photonic link using this filtering scheme. We theoretically analyze the noise characteristics of this microwave-photonic link, and explore the parameter space for the design and optimization of such systems.
On the tractability of public persuasion with no externalities

Persuasion studies how a principal can influence agents' decisions via strategic information revelation --- often described as a signaling scheme --- in order to yield the most desirable equilibrium outcome. A basic question that has attracted much recent attention is how to compute the optimal public signaling scheme, a.k.a., public persuasion, which is motivated by various applications including auction design, routing, voting, marketing, queuing, etc. Unfortunately, most algorithmic studies in this space exhibit quite negative results and are rifle with computational intractability. Given such background, this paper seeks to understand when public persuasion is tractable and how tractable it can be. We focus on a fundamental multi-agent persuasion model introduced by Arieli and Babichenko [3]: many agents, no inter-agent externalities and binary agent actions, and identify well-motivated circumstances under which efficient algorithms are possible. En route, we also develop new algorithmic techniques and demonstrate that they can be applicable to other public persuasion problems or even beyond. We start by proving that optimal public persuasion in our model is fixed parameter tractable. Our main result here builds on an interesting connection to a basic question in combinatorial geometry: how many cells can n hyperplanes divide Rd into? We use this connection to show a new characterization of public persuasion, which then enables efficient algorithm design. Second, we relax agent incentives and show that optimal public persuasion admits a bi-criteria PTAS for the widely studied class of monotone submodular objectives, and this approximation is tight. To prove this result, we establish an intriguing "noise stability" property of submodular functions which strictly generalizes the key result of Cheraghchi et al. [15], originally motivated by applications of learning submodular functions and differential privacy. Finally, motivated by automated application of persuasion, we consider relaxing the equilibrium concept of the model to coarse correlated equilibrium. Here, using a sophisticated primal-dual analysis, we prove that optimal public persuasion admits an efficient algorithm if and only if the combinatorial problem of maximizing the sender's objective minus any linear function can be solved efficiently, thus establishing their polynomial-time equivalence.
Strengthening the SDP Relaxation of AC Power Flows With Convex Envelopes, Bound Tightening, and Valid Inequalities

This work revisits the semi-define programming (SDP) relaxation of the ac power flow equations in light of recent results illustrating the benefits of bounds propagation, valid inequalities, and the convex quadratic relaxation. By integrating all of these results into the SDP model a new hybrid relaxation is proposed, which combines the benefits from all of these recent works. This strengthened SDP formulation is evaluated on 71 AC Optimal Power Flow test cases from the NESTA archive and is shown to have an optimality gap of less than 1% on 63 cases. This new hybrid relaxation closes 50% of the open cases considered, leaving only eight for future investigation.
Machine-learning enables image reconstruction and classification in a “see-through” camera

We demonstrate that image reconstruction can be achieved via a convolutional neural network for a “see-through” computational camera comprised of a transparent window and CMOS image sensor. Furthermore, we compared classification results using a classifier network for the raw sensor data against those with the reconstructed images. The results suggest that similar classification accuracy is likely possible in both cases with appropriate network optimizations. All networks were trained and tested for the MNIST (6 classes), EMNIST, and the Kanji49 datasets.
Bogolyubov invariant via relative spectral invariants on manifolds

We introduce and study a new spectral invariant of two elliptic partial differential operators of Laplace and Dirac types on compact smooth manifolds without boundary that depends on both the eigenvalues and the eigensections of these operators, which is equal in some approximation to the regularized number of created particles from the vacuum when the dynamical operator depends on time. We study the asymptotic expansion of this invariant for small adiabatic parameter and compute explicitly the first two coefficients of the asymptotic expansion.We introduce and study a new spectral invariant of two elliptic partial differential operators of Laplace and Dirac types on compact smooth manifolds without boundary that depends on both the eigenvalues and the eigensections of these operators, which is equal in some approximation to the regularized number of created particles from the vacuum when the dynamical operator depends on time. We study the asymptotic expansion of this invariant for small adiabatic parameter and compute explicitly the first two coefficients of the asymptotic expansion.
Energy Minimising Configurations of Pre-strained Multilayers

We investigate energetically optimal configurations of thin structures with a pre-strain. Depending on the strength of the pre-strain we consider a whole hierarchy of effective plate theories with a spontaneous curvature term, ranging from linearised Kirchhoff to von Karman to linearised von Karman theories. While explicit formulae are available in the linearised regimes, the von Karman theory turns out to be critical and a phase transition from cylindrical (as in linearised Kirchhoff) to spherical or saddle-shaped (as in linearised von Karman) configurations is observed there. We analyse this behaviour with the help of a whole family $(\mathcal{I}^{\theta }_{\mathrm{vK}})_{\theta \in (0,\infty )}$ of effective von Karman functionals which interpolates between the two linearised regimes. We rigorously show convergence to the respective explicit minimisers in the asymptotic regimes $\theta \to 0$ and $\theta \to \infty $ . Numerical experiments are performed for general $\theta \in (0,\infty )$ which indicate a stark transition in a critical region of parameters $\theta $ .
Reaction kinetics of O(3P) and OH with diamine rocket fuels

Abstract : The gas phase kinetics of O((sup 3)P) and OH reactions with the three diamine fuels; N2H4, CH3NHNH2 and (CH3)2NNH2 has been studied in a discharge flow-tube apparatus. The reactions were studied in 2 torr of He under pseudo-first-order conditions in the transient species concentration with a known excess of diamine concentration. The steady-state concentration temporal profiles of the transient species were directly monitored by fluorescence techniques to deduce the absolute second-order reaction rate coefficients. The Arrhenius expressions; (7.35 +/- 2.16) x 10(exp -13) e(640 +/- 60)/T, (2.71 +/- 0.04) x 10(exp -11) e-(190 +/- 50)/T and (1.96 +/- 0.29) x 10(exp -11) e(20 +/- 40)/T cu cm/molec/s in the temperature range 252-640 K were obtained for reactions of O((sup 3)P) with N2H4, CH3NHNH2 and (CH3)2NNH2, respectively. The corresponding expressions; (1.25 +/- 0.19) x 10 (exp -11) e(315 +/- 55)/T, (2.88 +/- 0.04) x 10(exp -11) e(210 +/- 55)/T and (2.00 +/- 0.30) x 10(exp -11) e(330 +/- 80)/T cu cm/molec/s in the range 232-374 K were determined for the OH reactions. Our recent measurement of the total yield of OH(X(sup 2)II) formation in the O +/- N2H4 reaction of (0.15 +/- 0.05) at 298 K (of which ^50% was found to be produced hot with vibrational excitation up to the limit of reaction exothermicity) and the present observed experimental kinetic trends suggest that the initial addition of O((sup 3)P) and OH to the hydrazine molecule followed by rapid dissociation to products is an important process. Alkylation in the diamine molecule also allows direct H-abstraction mechanism to operate in these reaction systems.
Macrophages use a bet-hedging strategy for antimicrobial activity in phagolysosomal acidification

Microbial ingestion by a macrophage results in the formation of an acidic phagolysosome but the host cell has no information on the pH susceptibility of the ingested organism. This poses a problem for the macrophage and raises the fundamental question of how the phagocytic cell optimizes the acidification process to prevail. We analyzed the dynamical distribution of phagolysosomal pH in murine and human macrophages that had ingested live or dead Cryptococcus neoformans cells, or inert beads. Phagolysosomal acidification produced a range of pH values that approximated normal distributions, but these differed from normality depending on ingested particle type. Analysis of the increments of pH reduction revealed no forbidden ordinal patterns, implying that the phagosomal acidification process was a stochastic dynamical system. Using simulation modeling, we determined that by stochastically acidifying a phagolysosome to a pH within the observed distribution, macrophages sacrificed a small amount of overall fitness to gain the benefit of reduced variation in fitness. Hence, chance in the final phagosomal pH introduces unpredictability to the outcome of the macrophage-microbe, which implies a bet-hedging strategy that benefits the macrophage. While bet hedging is common in biological systems at the organism level, our results show its use at the organelle and cellular level.
Impurity-Induced Anomalous Thermal Hall Effect in Chiral Superconductors.

Chiral superconductors exhibit novel transport properties that depend on the topology of the order parameter, topology of the Fermi surface, the spectrum of bulk and edge Fermionic excitations, and the structure of the impurity potential. In the case of electronic heat transport, impurities induce an anomalous (zero-field) thermal Hall conductivity that is easily orders of magnitude larger than the quantized edge contribution. The effect originates from branch-conversion scattering of Bogoliubov quasiparticles by the chiral order parameter, induced by potential scattering. The former transfers angular momentum between the condensate and the excitations that transport heat. The anomalous thermal Hall conductivity is shown to depend to the structure of the electron-impurity potential, as well as the winding number $\ensuremath{\nu}$ of the chiral order parameter $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}(p)=|\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}(p)|{e}^{i\ensuremath{\nu}{\ensuremath{\phi}}_{\stackrel{^}{\mathbf{p}}}}$. The results provide quantitative formulas for interpreting heat transport experiments seeking to identify broken $T$ and $P$ symmetries, as well as the topology of the order parameter for chiral superconductors.
Chapter 1 – Fundamentals of Lasers

This chapter provides fundamental information about lasers. It describes the basic principles of laser operation, and defines some of the terminology encountered in the laser work. The light emitted by a laser is the electromagnetic radiation. It includes a continuous range of many different types of radiant energy. The complete range of the wavelengths covered by operating lasers runs from 0.01 to 1000 μm. The region in which useful devices for industrial applications operate is about 0.2 to 10 μm. Lasers can be fabricated using a variety of materials as the active medium. Each such material has its own distinctive wavelength. Some of these materials occur in relation to each other, and to the electromagnetic spectrum as a whole. Few of these useful lasers include: the CO 2 laser, the neodymium glass laser, the aluminum gallium arsenide laser, the ruby laser, and the helium–neon laser. The laser beams are often linearly polarized. Inserting a polarizer in the beam path can test the polarization of a beam. Polarization effects are used to eliminate losses when light passes from vacuum, or a gas into a transparent solid.
Chapter 10 – Exergy Analysis Applied to Geothermal Power Systems

This chapter discusses the energy analysis applied to the geothermal power systems. It examine the systems usually found in geothermal plants and apply both energy definitions to each of them. The basic concept of energy is that it is the maximum work output that can theoretically be obtained from a substance at specified thermodynamic conditions relative to its surroundings. A system may receive fluids from the surroundings and exchange heat and work with the surroundings. The maximum power output from the operation of the system can be achieved by two major thermodynamic conditions that are discussed in this chapter. An introduction to the fundamental principles of energy analysis based on the second law of thermodynamics is also provided. The numerical examples are used to illustrate their use. Although it is also grounded in the First Law that energy is conserved during any process while it is transformed from one form to another. The energy efficiencies and applications to geothermal plants for turbines, flash vessels, and compressors are explained in the chapter. Therefore, the basic principles presented in this chapter are applied to specific geothermal binary plants operating at low-temperature resources.
Intergenerational and International Trade

Abstract This paper investigates an economy with one good and a single asset which is a real consol. The term structure of interest rates is established under conditions of perfect foresight. It is shown that in an overlapping generations setting the presence of consols implies a lower level of steady state welfare than would be attainable with an optimal supply of short-term debt. The open economy model maintains the assumption of one good and one real consol and thus focuses on the gains from intertemporal trade. It is shown that opening economies to trade leads to Pareto welfare improvement provided present and all future generations are included in the required compensations. But even if only the current generation participates in compensation, trade may still be welfare improving. Comparative static applications include issue of debt and income growth. Deficit finance leads to increased interest rates and anticipated future deficits affect the term structure of interest. It is shown that increased current income must benefit the country where income grows but will also unambiguously lower steady state welfare abroad.
Multi-scale geometric analysis of Lagrangian structures in isotropic turbulence

We report the multi-scale geometric analysis of Lagrangian structures in forced isotropic turbulence and also with a frozen turbulent field. A particle backward-tracking method, which is stable and topology preserving, was applied to obtain the Lagrangian scalar field φ governed by the pure advection equation in the Eulerian form t φ + u • ∇φ = 0. The temporal evolution of Lagrangian structures was first obtained by extracting iso-surfaces of φ with resolution 1024 3 at different times, from t = 0 to t = T e , where T e is the eddy turnover time. The surface area growth rate of the Lagrangian structure was quantified and the formation of stretched and rolled-up structures was observed in straining regions and stretched vortex tubes, respectively. The multi-scale geometric analysis of Bermejo-Moreno & Pullin (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 603, 2008, p. 101) has been applied to the evolution of φ to extract structures at different length scales and to characterize their non-local geometry in a space of reduced geometrical parameters. In this multi-scale sense, we observe, for the evolving turbulent velocity field, an evolutionary breakdown of initially large-scale Lagrangian structures that first distort and then either themselves are broken down or stretched laterally into sheets. Moreover, after a finite time, this progression appears to be insensible to the form of the initially smooth Lagrangian field. In comparison with the statistical geometry of instantaneous passive scalar and enstrophy fields in turbulence obtained by Bermejo-Moreno & Pullin (2008) and Bermejo-Moreno et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 620, 2009, p. 121), Lagrangian structures tend to exhibit more prevalent sheet-like shapes at intermediate and small scales. For the frozen flow, the Lagrangian field appears to be attracted onto a stream-surface field and it develops less complex multi-scale geometry than found for the turbulent velocity field. In the latter case, there appears to be a tendency for the Lagrangian field to move towards a vortex-surface field of the evolving turbulent flow but this is mitigated by cumulative viscous effects.
Active Vibration Control Using Fixed Order Dynamic Compensation With Frequency Shaped Cost Functionals

A novel approach for the design of controllers for active suppression of helicopter vibration is presented. The new approach is a result of combining the recent developments in the design of fixed order dynamic compensators with the frequency shaped cost functional approach. A robust compensator which provides loop shaping at the plant input is used in conjuncton with frequency shaped cost functionals in order to arrive at a controller for vibration reduction. The effectiveness of this technique is demonstrated by a detailed case study for the design of an active vibration controller.
Chapter 3 – Physiology of Lactation

Abstract Lactation represents the completion of the reproductive cycle and occurs as one of the major stages of mammary gland development: embryogenesis; mammogenesis; lactogenesis, or secretory differentiation (stage 1 lactogenesis) and secretory activation (stage II lactogenesis); lactation (or stage III lactogenesis), or full milk secretion; and involution. Hormones play a central role in mammary gland development and lactation (estrogen and progesterone, prolactin, insulin, hydrocortisone, human placental lactogen, human growth hormone, oxytocin). Milk ejection is both a neural and endocrinologic process, whereby suckling stimulates sensory nerve endings in the areola and nipple, which activates the afferent neural reflexes leading to secretion and release of prolactin and oxytocin. Lactation changes the mother’s metabolism greatly, redistributing the blood supply and increasing the demand for nutrients. Milk synthesis and secretion in the mammary alveolus include four major transcellular pathways and one paracellular pathway: exocytosis of milk protein and lactose; milk-fat secretion via the milk-fat globule; secretion of ions and water across the apical membrane; pinocytosis/exocytosis of immunoglobulins; and the paracellular pathway for plasma components and leukocytes.
Local solutions of the Landau equation with rough, slowly decaying initial data

Abstract We consider the Cauchy problem for the spatially inhomogeneous Landau equation with soft potentials in the case of large (i.e. non-perturbative) initial data. We construct a solution for any bounded, measurable initial data with uniform polynomial decay in the velocity variable, and that satisfies a technical lower bound assumption (but can have vacuum regions). For uniqueness in this weak class, we have to make the additional assumption that the initial data is Holder continuous. Our hypotheses are much weaker, in terms of regularity and decay, than previous large-data well-posedness results in the literature. We also derive a continuation criterion for our solutions that is, for the case of very soft potentials, an improvement over the previous state of the art.
On the Theory and Design of Cold Resistors

The concept of using special electrical circuit design to realize “cold resistors”, i.e., an active resistor circuitry with lower effective noise temperature, was first introduced about 80 years ag...
Functional Epsilon Entropy

We consider the problem of coding for computing with maximal distortion, where the sender communicates with a receiver, which has its own private data and wants to compute a function of their combined data with some fidelity constraint known to both agents. We show that the minimum rate for this problem is equal to the conditional entropy of a hypergraph and design practical codes for the problem. Further, the minimum rate of this problem may be a discontinuous function of the fidelity constraint. We also consider the case when the exact function is not known to the sender, but some approximate function or a class to which the function belongs is known and provide efficient achievable schemes.
Cities and Smoking

Abstract In 1956, 52 % of urban men and 42 % of rural men smoked cigarettes. By 2010, the disparity had flipped: 24.7 % of urban men and 30.6 % of rural men smoked. Smoking remains the greatest preventable cause of mortality in the United States, and understanding the underlying causes of place-specific differences in behavior is crucial for policy aimed at reducing regional inequality. Using geocoded data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Cohort, I estimate a dynamic model that captures smoking behavior, location decisions, and education over thirty years. Simulation of the estimated model demonstrates that selection on permanent unobserved variables that are correlated with smoking cessation, both in native populations and in those who migrate between rural and urban areas, explains 70.9 % of the urban/rural smoking disparity. Alternatively, differential tobacco control policies explain only 9.6 % of the urban/rural smoking disparity, which suggests that equalizing cigarette taxes across regions may fail to bridge gaps in behavior and health. This paper emphasizes that rural smoking disparities are largely driven by who selects into rural communities.
Do IPO Firms Misclassify Expenses? Implications for IPO Price Formation and Post-IPO Stock Performance

This study investigates whether initial public offering (IPO) firms inflate “core” earnings through classification shifting (i.e., misclassifying core expenses as income-decreasing special items) i...
Adam Smith, David Hume, liberalism, and esotericism: Introduction

Abstract This is the editors’ introduction to a special issue of Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization on Adam Smith, David Hume, liberalism, and esotericism, consisting altogether of 14 articles. Following the important work of Arthur Melzer, we offer a brief introduction to esotericism, understood broadly to mean discourse that involves both a more obvious meaning (exoteric) and a less obvious meaning (esoteric). We remark on how esotericism on the part of Smith and Hume relates to their liberalism. Topics treated by the eleven articles on Smith include his replacing of Antimachus with Parmenides, the dynamism of liberalism, interest-rate caps, reputation as something covered by commutative justice, his use of Solon, his apparent advancing of a labor theory of value, his favor for the interests of the poor, his presentation of possibilities on schooling, the dialectics of the parable of the poor man's son, three levels of objects to consider a correspondence between beneficialness and propriety, and the responsibility of social elites in their influencing of fashion. Topics treated by the two articles on Hume include moderation and the liberal state in History of England and the intimate alliance between reason and passions.
Teaching and Learning Schumpeter: A Dialogue Between Professor and Student

Joseph Schumpeter's contributions to economics, including theories about innovation and entrepreneurship, creative destruction, and the debate over capitalism versus socialism, all remain relevant today. There is evidence, however, that Schumpeter's ideas have long received less attention in the classroom than they deserve given the importance economists attach to them. This paper provides a description of a discussion-based course on Schumpeter. Using a dialogue between professor and student before, during, and after the course, we describe the structure of the course and specific details related to content. We also include a syllabus, sources for class materials, and a list of over forty discussion questions. The dialogue allows us to show the dynamic nature of a discussion-based class, something we think Schumpeter would approve.
Counting shellings of complete bipartite graphs and trees

A shelling of a graph, viewed as an abstract simplicial complex that is pure of dimension 1, is an ordering of its edges such that every edge is adjacent to some other edges appeared previously. In this paper, we focus on complete bipartite graphs and trees. For complete bipartite graphs, we obtain an exact formula for their shelling numbers. And for trees, we relate their shelling numbers to linear extensions of tree posets and bound shelling numbers using vertex degrees and diameter.
Monte Carlo Approximation of Bayes Factors via Mixing with Surrogate Distributions

By mixing the target posterior distribution with a surrogate distribution, of which the normalizing constant is tractable, we propose a method for estimating the marginal likelihood using the Wang–...
Geographic access to critical care obstetrics for women of reproductive age by race and ethnicity.

Background The goal of risk-appropriate maternal care is for high-risk pregnant women to receive specialized obstetrical services in facilities equipped with capabilities and staffing to provide care or transfer to facilities with resources available to provide care. In the United States, geographic access to critical care obstetrics varies. It is unknown whether this variation in proximity to critical care obstetrics differs by race, ethnicity, and region. Objective We examined the geographic access, defined as residence within 50 miles of a facility capable of providing risk-appropriate critical care obstetrics services for women of reproductive age, by distribution of race and ethnicity. Study Design Descriptive spatial analysis was used to assess geographic distance to critical care obstetrics for women of reproductive age by race and ethnicity. Data were analyzed geographically: nationally, by the Department of Health and Human Services regions, and by all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Dot density analysis was used to visualize geographic distributions of women by residence and critical care obstetrics facilities across the United States. Proximity analysis defined the proportion of women living within an approximate 50-mile radius of facilities. Source data included the 2015 American Community Survey from the United States Census Bureau and the 2015 American Hospital Association Annual Survey. Results Geographic access to critical care obstetrics was the greatest for Asian and Pacific Islander women of reproductive age (95.8%), followed by black (93.5%), Hispanic (91.4%), and white women of reproductive age (89.1%). American Indian and Alaska Native women had more limited geographic access (66%) in all regions. Visualization of proximity to critical care obstetrics indicated that facilities were predominantly located in urban areas, which may limit access to women in frontier or rural areas of states including nationally recognized reservations where larger proportions of white women and American Indian and Alaska Native women reside, respectively. Conclusion Disparities in proximity to critical care obstetrics exist in rural and frontier areas of the United States, which affect white women and American Indian and Alaska Native women, primarily. Examining insurance coverage, interstate hospital referral networks, and transportation barriers may provide further insight into critical care obstetrics accessibility. Further exploring the role of other equity-based measures of access on disparities beyond geography is warranted.
Circular dichroism in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of topological insulators

United States. Dept. of Energy (Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Grant number DE-FG02-08ER46521)
Getting Tough on China:: Are Campaign Ads a Signal of Future Policy or Just Cheap Talk?

Is tough-on-China campaign rhetoric cheap talk or a signal of policy attention? Analyzing China-related campaign advertisements during the 2010 midterm elections and subsequent cosponsorship of China-related bills, we find that campaign ads are a noisy predictor of legislative attention. Challengers who attacked on China were more likely to cosponsor China-related legislation, while incumbents who were attacked for being soft on China took tougher positions on China after reelection. By demonstrating the correspondence between anti-China campaign appeals and subsequent legislative attention, our findings add to a growing body of evidence linking campaign rhetoric to members’ legislative agendas. This research note provides the first evidence demonstrating the connection between campaign appeals and legislative attention on a foreign policy issue like China.
Preferential trade agreements and global sourcing

We study how a preferential trade agreement (PTA) affects international sourcing decisions, aggregate productivity and welfare under incomplete contracting and endogenous matching. Contract incompleteness implies underinvestment. That inefficiency is mitigated by a PTA, because the agreement allows the parties in a vertical chain to internalize a larger return from the investment. This raises aggregate productivity. On the other hand, the agreement yields sourcing diversion. More efficient suppliers tilt the tradeoff toward the (potentially) beneficial relationship-strengthening effect; a high external tariff tips it toward harmful sourcing diversion. A PTA also affects the structure of vertical chains in the economy. As tariff preferences attract too many matches to the bloc, the average productivity of the industry tends to fall. When the agreement incorporates "deep integration" provisions, it boosts trade flows, but not necessarily welfare. Rather, "deep integration" improves upon "shallow integration" if and only if the original investment inefficiencies are serious enough. On the whole, we offer a new framework to study the benefits and costs from preferential liberalization in the context of global sourcing.
Tuning Fermi Levels in Intrinsic Antiferromagnetic Topological Insulators MnBi2Te4 and MnBi4Te7 by Defect Engineering and Chemical Doping

MnBi2Te4 and MnBi4Te7 are intrinsic antiferromagnetic topological insulators, offering a promising materials platform for realizing exotic topological quantum states. However, high densities of intrinsic defects in these materials not only cause bulk metallic conductivity, preventing the measurement of quantum transport in surface states, but may also affect magnetism and topological properties. In this paper, we show by density functional theory calculations that the strain induced by the internal heterostructure promotes the formation of large-size-mismatched antisite defect BiMn in MnBi2Te4; such strain is further enhanced in MnBi4Te7, giving rise to even higher BiMn density. The abundance of intrinsic BiMn donors results in degenerate n-type conductivity under the Te-poor growth condition. Our calculations suggest that growths in a Te-rich condition can lower the Fermi level, which is supported by our transport measurements. We further show that the internal strain can also enable efficient doping by large-size-mismatched substitutional NaMn acceptors, which can compensate BiMn donors and lower the Fermi level. Na doping may pin the Fermi level inside the bulk band gap even at the Te-poor limit in MnBi2Te4. Furthermore, facile defect formation in MnSb2Te4 and its implication in Sb doping in MnBi2Te4 as well as the defect segregation in MnBi4Te7 are discussed. The defect engineering and doping strategies proposed in this paper will stimulate further studies for improving synthesis and for manipulating magnetic and topological properties in MnBi2Te4, MnBi4Te7, and related compounds.