cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CHANDRA SPECTRA OF THE SOFT X-RAY DIFFUSE BACKGROUND

We present an exploratory Chandra ACIS-S3 study of the diffuse component of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB) in the 0.3–7 keV band for four directions at high Galactic latitudes, with emphasis on details of the ACIS instrumental background modeling. Observations of the dark Moon are used to model the detector background. A comparison of the Moon data and the data obtained with ACIS stowed outside the focal area showed that the dark Moon does not emit significantly in our band. Point sources down to 3 � 10 � 16 ergs s � 1 cm � 2 in the 0.5–2 keV band are excluded in our two deepest observations. We estimate the contribution of fainter, undetected sources to be less than 20% of the remaining CXB flux in this band in all four pointings. In the 0.3–1 keV band, the diffuse signal varies strongly from field to field and contributes between 55% and 90% of the total CXB signal. It is dominated by emission lines that can be modeled by a kT ¼ 0:1 0:4 keV plasma. In particular, the two fields located away from bright Galactic features show a prominent line blend at E � 580 eV (O vii+O viii) and a possible line feature at E � 300 eV. The two pointings toward the North Polar Spur exhibit a brighter O blend and additional bright lines at 730–830 eV (Fe xvii). We measure the total 1–2 keV flux of 1:0 1:2 � 0:2 ðÞ �10 � 15 ergs s � 1 cm � 2 arcmin � 2 (mostly resolved) and the 2–7 keV flux of 4:0 4:5 � 1:5 ðÞ �10 � 15 ergs s � 1 cm � 2 arcmin � 2 .A tE > 2 keV, the diffuse emission is consistent with zero, to an accuracy limited by the short Moon exposure and systematic uncertainties of the S3 background. Assuming Galactic or local origin of the line emission, we put an upper limit of � 3 � 10 � 15 ergs s � 1 cm � 2 arcmin � 2 on the 0.3–1 keV extragalactic diffuse flux. Subject headings: intergalactic medium — ISM: general — methods: data analysis — X-rays: diffuse background — X-rays: ISM
Initial Validation of SMOS Vegetation Optical Thickness in Iowa

The European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite mission provides microwave L-band measurements of vegetation optical thickness over the Earth. Optical thickness is related to water held in vegetation. The water content of crops varies over the growing season from a minimum during planting to a maximum during reproduction and back to a minimum during senescence. We found that in Iowa in 2010 the change in SMOS optical thickness over the growing season can be related to crop yields. However, there are inconsistencies in the optical thickness data, particularly high-frequency variation and unexpected changes outside of the growing season. We hypothesize that the unexpected changes during the dormant periods are due to changes in soil surface roughness caused by land management activities and show a relationship between changes in roughness and changes in optical thickness, which may be confusing the SMOS retrieval algorithm.
CP-ODD PHASES IN SLEPTON PAIR PRODUCTION

The effect of CP-odd supersymmetric phases on slepton pair production are considered. It is shown that CP-even observables in e+e- and e-e- collisions, such as the total selectron cross section, can depend on CP-odd supersymmetric phases through interference between different tree level amplitudes. Left handed selectron pair production in e-e- collisions is particularly sensitive to the relative phase between the bino and wino masses. This sensitivity is not limited to any kinematic regime and extends over all of neutralino parameter space. The relative phase between the bino and wino masses is a renormalization group invariant at one-loop, and therefore provides a clean probe for operators which violate gaugino universality at the messenger scale.
Golgi Associated HIF1a Serves as a Reserve in Melanoma Cells

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF1a) is a key transcriptional regulator that enables cellular metabolic adaptation to low levels of oxygen. Multiple mechanisms, including lysosomal degradation, control the levels of HIF1a protein. Here we show that HIF1a protein degradation is resistant to lysosomal inhibition and that HIF1a is associated with the Golgi compartment in melanoma cells. Although pharmacological inhibitors of prolyl hydroxylation, neddylation and the proteasome inhibited degradation of HIF1a, attenuation of lysosomal activity with chloroquine did not alter the levels of HIF1a or its association with Golgi. Pharmacological disruption of Golgi resulted in nuclear accumulation of HIF1a. However, blockade of ER-Golgi protein transport in hypoxia reduced the transcript levels of HIF1a target genes. These findings suggest a possible role for the oxygen-dependent protein folding process from the ER-Golgi compartment in fine-tuning HIF1a transcriptional output.
Portfolio Composition and the Investment Horizon Revisited

Many articles show how portfolio composition depends on the investment horizon. Typically, they conclude that portfolio composition changes in a simple way as the investment horizon lengthens. Gunthorpe and Levy [1994] is a superior example. It presents the case for a simple relationship clearly, and the authors express concern that the relationship may not always be as simple as they represent it. The authors' concern is well-founded. There is no reliable simple relationship. The real message is that portfolio composition depends on the investment horizon, not how. This article builds on the Gunthorpe and Levy work to show how treacherous is any simple characterization of the relationship.
Phase-Transfer Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylacetate Alkylation

Abstract Phenethyl arylacetates are alkylated under phase-transfer conditions with cinchona catalysts with alkyl halides in high yield with excellent enantioselectivity (84–99% ee) following recrystallization. Cinchonidine (CD) derived catalyst gave the ( R )-product and cinchonine (CN) catalyst produced the ( S )-product. The phenethyl (PE) ester group is removed, using ammonium formate and catalytic Pd/C, to give alkylated carboxylic acid products in high selectivity. The utility of the approach is demonstrated by a direct synthesis of ( S )-naproxen ™ .
Links Between Nonfarm Income and Farm Investment in African Households: Adding the Capital Market Perspective

Farm household surveys in the 1970s and 1980s showed that nonfarm activities provide an important share of household income, contrasting with the conventional image of rural African households as deriving their food entitlement almost exclusively from the land (e.g., Matlon; Collier and Lal; Low; Reardon et al.; Haggblade, Hazell, and Brown). Much of the literature on nonfarm income has concentrated
Estimating the Impact of The Hajj: Religion and Tolerance in Islam's Global Gathering

We estimate the impact on pilgrims of performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Our method compares successful and unsuccessful applicants in a lottery used by Pakistan to allocate Hajj visas. Pilgrim accounts stress that the Hajj leads to a feeling of unity with fellow Muslims, but outsiders have sometimes feared that this could be accompanied by antipathy toward non-Muslims. We find that participation in the Hajj increases observance of global Islamic practices, such as prayer and fasting, while decreasing participation in localized practices and beliefs, such as the use of amulets and dowry. It increases belief in equality and harmony among ethnic groups and Islamic sects and leads to more favorable attitudes toward women, including greater acceptance of female education and employment. Increased unity within the Islamic world is not accompanied by antipathy toward non-Muslims. Instead, Hajjis show increased belief in peace, and in equality and harmony among adherents of different religions. The evidence suggests that these changes are likely due to exposure to and interaction with Hajjis from around the world, rather than to a changed social role of pilgrims upon return.
Genetic Assessment of the Population Connectivity of the Red Urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus )

Abstract A set of five microsatellite genetic markers was used to examine connectivity among populations of the red urchin, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, collected from five locations in California and two locations in British Columbia, Canada. Consistent with previous studies, there was little evidence of differentiation among the California populations. However, significant divergence (FST = 0.039), as well as isolation by distance (IBD) (R2 = 0.2815, p = 0.024), was observed between the California and British Columbia populations. These results show for the first time that, on a range wide scale, populations of red urchins are genetically divergent. Although the detected differentiation is low, it suggests that even the estimated 7–19 month planktonic larval duration of this species fails to homogenize the gene pool across the species range.
No Open or Flat Bouncing Cosmologies in Einstein Gravity

We show that, to first approximation, strings cannot propagate in bouncing open or flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universes. Specifically, the Virasoro constraint translates to the Ricci convergence condition in spacetime at leading order in the alpha-prime expansion. Thus one must go beyond minimally-coupled classical Einstein gravity in order to find bounce solutions that could be consistent with string theory. We map out some remaining possibilities for finding string-compatible cosmological bounces.
Multiplicative Measurement Model

This paper introduces the Multiplicative Measurement Model for observed vectors where the error is modeled as a rigid rotation of the true direction about an axis orthogonal to it. Motivation comes from the fact that the linear additive model, b = Cr + v, where ${\rm v} \sim {cal N}(0,R)$ , is in contradiction with nonlinear rotational mechanics. The resulting true-to-nature multiplicative error model highlights a small effect (due to the spherical geometry) affecting any vector observation in space. The consequence of this effect is that the angle between unbiased measurements is biased. This three-dimensional effect, which increases when the sensor accuracy decreases, is here quantified in two direction-based observation systems: a) attitude estimation and b) positioning estimation systems. The multiplicative measurement covariance matrix is derived. Preliminary calculations suggest that the problem of attitude estimation is affected to a small extent because attitude optimality indirectly compensates for the 3D effect. On the other hand, this 3D effect is shown to affect positioning estimation from direction measurements. A comparison between the precision provided by multiplicative and additive models is given for a simple two-measurement case.
Scaling of Degree Correlations and Its Influence on Diffusion in Scale-Free Networks

Connectivity correlations play an important role in the structure of scale-free networks. While several empirical studies exist, there is no general theoretical analysis that can explain the largely varying behavior of real networks. Here, we use scaling theory to quantify the degree of correlations in the particular case of networks with a power-law degree distribution. These networks are classified in terms of their correlation properties, revealing additional information on their structure. For instance, the studied social networks and the Internet at the router level are clustered around the line of random networks, implying a strongly connected core of hubs. On the contrary, some biological networks and the WWW exhibit strong anticorrelations. The present approach can be used to study robustness or diffusion, where we find that anticorrelations tend to accelerate the diffusion process.
Occupation laws for some time-nonhomogeneous Markov chains

We consider finite-state time-nonhomogeneous Markov chains whose transition matrix at time $n$ is $I+G/n^z$ where $G$ is a ``generator'' matrix, that is $G(i,j)>0$ for $i,j$ distinct, and $G(i,i)= -\sum_{k\ne i} G(i,k)$, and $z>0$ is a strength parameter. In these chains, as time grows, the positions are less and less likely to change, and so form simple models of age-dependent time-reinforcing schemes. These chains, however, exhibit a trichotomy of occupation behaviors depending on parameters. We show that the average occupation or empirical distribution vector up to time $n$, when variously $0 1$ or $z=1$, converges in probability to a unique ``stationary'' vector $n_G$, converges in law to a nontrivial mixture of point measures, or converges in law to a distribution $m_G$ with no atoms and full support on a simplex respectively, as $n$ tends to infinity. This last type of limit can be interpreted as a sort of ``spreading'' between the cases $0 1$. In particular, when $G$ is appropriately chosen, $m_G$ is a Dirichlet distribution, reminiscent of results in Polya urns.
Building Secure Elections: E-Voting, Security, and Systems Theory

The increased use of information technology promises to revolutionize both the provision of government services and the vibrancy of democracy. In the aftermath of the Florida voting controversy during the 2000 presidential election, governments have placed their faith in technology, adopting e-voting machines that offer enhanced voter convenience and eliminate the need for subjective recounts. However, the same underlying assumptions that apply to e-government theory do not apply to e-voting because of the severity of consequences if failure occurs and the loss of transparency traditionally associated with the voting process. A more useful theoretical guide is systems theory, which deals with complex, high-risk systems. This literature has been largely overlooked by adopters of e-voting technology, even though the practical criticisms of e-voting made by computer security specialists reflect an essentially systems theory perspective.
A Case for August Wilhelm Hofmann as the Originator of the Field of Organophosphorus Chemistry

August Wilhelm Hofmann, 1818–1892, discovered many of the functional groups of organophosphorus chemistry, including primary, secondary, and tertiary phosphines, oxides and sulfides of the latter, phosphonic and phosphinic acids and their chloro derivatives, dithiophosphinic acids, tetraalkyl phosphonium hydroxides, and Lewis salts from both tertiary phosphines and their oxides. Some of his procedures are still in use today. Some fundamental properties of these groups were also discovered. In spite of these contributions, much current literature fails to recognize him as the founder of the field, generally giving credit to Carl Arnold August Michaelis and sometimes to Alexander E. Arbuzov, both of whom followed Hofmann chronologically. The contributions of Michaelis and Arbusov were indeed most impressive and extensive. However, the case made in this paper, established by studying the original German literature, will be that August W. Hofmann deserves recognition as the originator of the field of organophosphorus chemistry, indeed as the founding father of the field.
Some Novel Diagnostic Techniques for Plasma Chemistry

Abstract In order to probe the mechanisms of chemical transformations in electric discharges it is most useful to monitor concentrations of reactants, products and reactive intermediates as a function of discharge parameters. Mass spectrometry, a popular technique for observing intermediates in chemical reactions, meets with particular difficulty when applied to discharges, due to the presence of excited molecules as well as free radicals in such systems. Molecular beam analysis, a synthesis of mass spectrometry with molecular beam measurements of electric and magnetic moments and velocity distributions, is a technique developed in our laboratory which offers distinct advantages for the analysis of intermediates in electric discharges. In low pressure discharges, end-product analysis can be facilitated by sample compression. A chromatographic sampling system which employs compression in order to achieve high sensitivity has been developed and evaluated. There is some question concerning the appropriate discharge parameters to be employed in correlating measured variations in concentrations. We are investigating the use of discharge “actinometers” as a means of measuring the intensity of electric discharges. In discharges the intensity (number and energy of the electrons) and the chemistry are strongly coupled. Thus, it is necessary that the actinometer be present in the reactor; it is not permissible to substitute vessels as is customary in photochemical investigations. Since the actinometer is to measure only the discharge intensity, it must not participate in any chemical reactions with molecules and intermediates in the discharge. Finally, the ratio of the rates of the primary interactions of the actinometer and reactant with the discharge must be independent of discharge parameters.
Tolls, exchange rates, and northbound international bridge traffic from Mexico

Although there have been a small number of empirical studies that analyze northbound border crossings between Mexico and the United States, very few examine the potential impacts of both tolls and exchange rates on the various traffic categories. This effort attempts to partially fill that gap in the applied economics literature by modeling northbound traffic flows at one of the largest regional economies along the border. Results indicate that business cycle fluctuations, variations in the real exchange rate, and changes in real toll tariffs all influence cross border traffic volumes. Tolls on northbound traffic into the United States are assessed by Mexico. The results also indicate that tolls can provide a reliable revenue stream for international bridge infrastructure finance in Mexico.
Do Institutions Matter More for Services

Recent empirical research has focused on the role of institutions in overall economic performance. This paper examines the impact of institutions on the relative performance of the service sector. Through cross-country level and growth regressions it establishes the following stylized fact: countries with better institutions have relatively larger and more dynamic service sectors. It suggests that regulatory and contract enforcing institutions play a key role in the development of service sectors because these sectors enter into a more complex web of transactions with the rest of the economy and are more prone to market failure due to asymmetric information.
A three-dimensional viscoelastic model of a strike slip fault

An analytic approximation to the Green's function for the displacements due to a strike slip point source in an elastic layer over a viscoelastic half-space is developed. This approximate Green's function is useful because it can be analytically integrated over the fault surface. Comparison with a numerical integration of the exact solution integral indicates that the approximation is quite good. The approximate Green's function is integrated analytically to obtain the displacements due to a finite rectangular strike slip fault in an elastic layer over a viscoelastic half-space. Ground displacements and angle changes from a model survey net are computed to illustrate the viscoelastic relaxation which follows a fracture in the elastic region.
The localization sequence for the algebraic K -theory of topological K -theory

We verify a conjecture of Rognes by establishing a localization cofiber sequence of spectra \(K(\mathbb{Z})\to K(ku)\to K(KU) \to\Sigma K(\mathbb{Z})\) for the algebraic K-theory of topological K-theory. We deduce the existence of this sequence as a consequence of a devissage theorem identifying the K-theory of the Waldhausen category of finitely generated finite stage Postnikov towers of modules over a connective \(A_\infty\) ring spectrum R with the Quillen K-theory of the abelian category of finitely generated \(\pi_{0}R\)-modules.
Synthesis and Catalyst Issues Associated with ADMET Polymerization

Acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) is a flexible approach for the production of diverse polymeric materials. The advent of well-defined catalysts and the simplification of laboratory techniques has made the ADMET reaction useful for many applications, such as polyolefin model studies and the synthesis of organic/inorganic hybrid polymers, telechelics, copolymers, conjugated polymers, liquid crystalline polymers, and amino acid-based chiral polymers. Many of the polymer architectures that have been produced using ADMET cannot be made by other means.
Biosynthetic studies on taxol

The biosynthesis of the plant antitumor agent, taxol, was studied by feeding radioactive or stable isotope-labeled precursors to cut stems or to inner bark tissue of Taxus brevifolia. The labeled taxol was purified to radiochemical purity and subjected to chemical degradation or was analyzed by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. It was demonstrated that in the plant taxol is synthesized from baccatin-111, containing the fully functionalized diterpene moiety, and a precursor of the phenylpropanoid side chain. The latter arises from phenylalanine not via cinnamic acid, but via B-phenylalanine and phenylisoserine. Benzoylation of the side chain occurs only after its attachment to the diterpene moiety. The benzoate moiety is also formed from phenylalanine via B-phenylalanine and phenylisoserine, not via cinnamic acid. Our studies focused initially on the origin of the phenylpropanoid side chain and its mode of attachment to the diterpene moiety. Feeding experiments with radiolabeled precursors were carried out with cut twigs of Taxus brevifolia to which the radioactive material was administered through the cut stem in a small volume of water. Extensive purification of the resulting taxol, first by repeated HPLC and then by co-crystallization with non-labeled carrier material was found necessary to achieve constant specific radioactivity or, in other cases, to remove traces of radioactive impurities. Under these conditions incorporation of (7-14C)benzoic acid, as its N-acetylcysteamine thioester (0.09%), and ( 13-3Hlbaccatin-III (0.12%) was obtained. Degradation of the radioactive taxol from the benzoate feeding experiment showed that 88% of the radioactivity was recovered in the side chain fragment and only 1 1 % in the baccatin-111, suggesting that under the conditions of the experiment relatively little of the diterpene moiety was synthesized de novo. Upon degradation of the taxol from the baccatin-I11 feeding experiments, all the radioactivity was recovered in the baccatin-111 moiety, none in the side chain fragment.
FINDINGS OF PRICING-TO-MARKET: MARKET SEGMENTATION OR PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION?

Pricing to market (PTM) has been examined extensively in the recent trade literature using Knetter’s (1989) model. The technique is typically applied using export unit values that aggregate dierentiated products. We examine the potential bias in PTM results when using export unit values using a vertical dierentiation model. We find that: i) false evidence of PTM (“pseudo PTM”) is always found due to aggregation when calculating export unit values, whether the law of one price (LOP) holds or not; ii)when markets are segmented, the fraction of pseudo PTM increases with the level of product dierentiation. Correspondingly, our simulation results suggest that: i) it is possible to get a statistically significant estimate of the exchange rate coecient, even when there is no real PTM; ii) the significance of the estimate increases with product dierentiation.
Calixarene-encapsulated nanoparticles: self-assembly into functional nanomaterials

Calixarenes are excellent surfactants for enhancing the dispersion and self-assembly of metal nanoparticles into well-defined structures, particularly those with unit length scales in the 10–100 nm size range. Particles within these ensembles are strongly coupled, giving rise to unique collective optical or magnetic properties. The self-assembled nanostructures described in this feature article include 2D arrays of colloidal Au nanoparticles with size-dependent plasmonic responses, and sub-100 nm Co nanoparticle rings with chiral magnetic states. These nanoparticle assemblies may be further developed for applications in chemical sensing based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and as binary elements for nonvolatile memory, respectively.
On The Structure and Representations of the Insertion–Elimination Lie Algebra

We examine the structure of the insertion–elimination Lie algebra on rooted trees introduced in Connes and Kreimer (Ann. Henri Poincar 3(3):411–433, 2002). It possesses a triangular structure \({\mathfrak{g} = \mathfrak{n}_+ \oplus \mathbb{C}\cdot d \oplus \mathfrak{n}_-}\) , like the Heisenberg, Virasoro, and affine algebras. We show in particular that it is simple, which in turn implies that it has no finite-dimensional representations. We consider a category of lowest-weight representations, and show that irreducible representations are uniquely determined by a “lowest weight” \({\lambda \in \mathbb{C}}\) . We show that each irreducible representation is a quotient of a Verma-type object, which is generically irreducible.
A novel theory of experiential avoidance in generalized anxiety disorder: A review and synthesis of research supporting a contrast avoidance model of worry

An important emphasis of the literature on generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has been to achieve a greater understanding of the function of emotion (e.g., avoidance, dysregulation) in the etiology and maintenance of this disorder. The purpose of the following paper is to propose a new way of conceptualizing emotional sequelae in GAD by detailing the Contrast Avoidance Model of Worry. In presenting this model, we review theory and data that led to our current position, which is that individuals with GAD are more sensitive to feeling emotionally vulnerable to unexpected negative events, and that worry (the key pathological feature of GAD) is employed to prolong and maintain a negative emotional state thereby avoiding an unexpected negative emotional shift, or contrast experience. We also discuss implications for treatment given the presence of a new target for emotional exposure techniques. Finally, we establish the Contrast Avoidance Model within the framework of extant theories and models of pathogenic processes of GAD.
A further comparison of some models of duopoly

Abstract : The author attempts to present an exhaustive examination of the models that can be constructed by considering price and/or quantity at the strategic variables. These included the Cournot, Edgeworth and Bertrand cases as well as two further models reflecting the effect of inventory costs and penalties for failure to supply. Each model had a different noncooperative solution. The difference between Bertrand and Edgeworth hinged upon capacity conditions. Given limited capacity the price, price-quantity and stock penalty models all gave rise to an instability manifested by the existence of the Edgeworth cycle (which is of the same length for both the price and price-quantity models) and the somewhat different 'stockout cycles' when the stock penalty is sufficiently low in the stock penalty model. It is of interest to note that when the stockout penalty is large the resultant equilibria yield higher payoffs to the firms than they would obtain noncooperatively without the penalty. One may regard the penalty as providing an extra threat available to help enforce the equilibrium. The power of competitive price-cutting becomes so great that neither wishes to risk using the weapon too much.
Characteristics and Implications of Chinese Macroeconomic Data Revisions

Abstract The research examining macroeconomic data for developed economies suggests that an understanding of the nature of data revisions is important both for the production of accurate macroeconomic forecasts and for forecast evaluation. This paper focuses on Chinese data, for which there has been substantial debate about data quality for some time. The key finding in this paper is that, while it is true that the Chinese macroeconomic data revisions are not well-behaved, they are not very different from similarly-timed U.S. macroeconomic data revisions. The positive bias in Chinese real GDP revisions is a result of the fast-growing service sector, which is notably hard to measure in real time. A better understanding of the revisions process is particularly helpful for studies of the forecast errors from surveys of forecasters, where the choice of the vintage for outcomes may have an impact on the estimated forecast errors.
Photorefractive Nonlinear Optics And Optical Computing

This paper describes various nonlinear optical phenomena in photorefractive media and selected applications in optical computing. These phenomena include optical phase conjugation, two- and four-wave mixing, and real-time holography. The applications include image amplification and subtraction, logic and matrix operations, and optical interconnection.
A phase I/II study of combined cisplatin and hyperthermia treatment for refractory malignancy.

Research in animal and human cell cultures has shown that some chemotherapeutic agents, cisplatin in particular, have cytotoxicity that is significantly potentiated at elevated temperatures. Concurrent administration of systemic cisplatin and local hyperthermia in human patients has not been previously reported. A phase I/II study was undertaken to assess the systemic and local toxicities and activity of concurrently administered local hyperthermia and systemic cisplatin in human tumours. Nine patients with histologically proven malignant tumours have been treated from March 1985 to July 1987. Their histologies were: breast, four; SCC of head and neck, two; SCC of skin, one; malignant melanoma, one; synovial cell sarcoma, one. Once-weekly hyperthermia was administered for 60 min by external microwave devices in an attempt to achieve minimum intratumoral temperatures of 42°C. Plastic catheters were placed intratumorally under CT guidance for thermometry purposes. Cisplatin 40–60 mg/m2 was given over 60 min...
The Transmission of Democracy: From the Village to the Nation-State

We provide evidence that a history of democracy at the local level is associated with contemporary democracy at the national level. Auxiliary estimates show that a tradition of local democracy is also associated with attitudes that favor democracy, with better quality institutions, and higher level of economic development.
Increasing Returns and the Design of Interest Rate Rules

We introduce increasing returns to scale into an otherwise standard New Keynesian model with capital, and study the determinacy and E-stability of equilibrium under Taylor-type interest rate rules. With very mild increasing returns supported by empirical research, the conventional wisdom regarding the design of interest rate rules can be overturned. In particular, the “Taylor principle” no longer guarantees either determinacy or E-stability of the rational expectations equilibrium.
Challenges for silicon technology scaling in the Nanoscale Era

The continuous and systematic increase in transistor density and performance, as described in “Moore's Law” [1] and guided by CMOS scaling theory [2], has been remarkably successful for the development of silicon technology for the past 40 years. As the silicon industry moves into sub-ten nanometer dimensions, significant technology challenges in device performance, power dissipation, and variability will be imposed by the approach toward atomistic and quantum-mechanical physics boundaries. These issues are frequently cited as the reason Moore's Law is “broken”, or why CMOS scaling is coming to an end. However, the infusion of new materials, device structures, and the exploitation of 3D-silicon integration, coupled with innovations in circuit design and system architecture, will ensure several more generations of continued CMOS development.
Trade with Labor Market Distortions and Heterogeneous Labor: Why Trade Can Hurt

This paper explains the differential impacts of trade on countries in terms of institutional differences which result in factor market distortions. Autors modify the Ricardian, Specific Factor and Hecksher Ohlin models of trade to capture these. Trade has both terms of trade effects and output effects. Both work to raise welfare in an undistorted economy. In a distorted economy, price effects work to improve welfare, while output effects work to reduce it. Large distorted countries are more likely to lose from trade as beneficial price effects are lower. In addition the greater the substitutability between goods, the more likely it is that welfare rises through trade.
Efficient Decoding With Steady-State Kalman Filter in Neural Interface Systems

The Kalman filter is commonly used in neural interface systems to decode neural activity and estimate the desired movement kinematics. We analyze a low-complexity Kalman filter implementation in which the filter gain is approximated by its steady-state form, computed offline before real-time decoding commences. We evaluate its performance using human motor cortical spike train data obtained from an intracortical recording array as part of an ongoing pilot clinical trial. We demonstrate that the standard Kalman filter gain converges to within 95% of the steady-state filter gain in 1.5 ± 0.5 s (mean ±s.d.). The difference in the intended movement velocity decoded by the two filters vanishes within 5 s, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 between the two decoded velocities over the session length. We also find that the steady-state Kalman filter reduces the computational load (algorithm execution time) for decoding the firing rates of 25±3 single units by a factor of 7.0±0.9. We expect that the gain in computational efficiency will be much higher in systems with larger neural ensembles. The steady-state filter can thus provide substantial runtime efficiency at little cost in terms of estimation accuracy. This far more efficient neural decoding approach will facilitate the practical implementation of future large-dimensional, multisignal neural interface systems.
The experiences of medically fragile adolescents who require respiratory assistance.

Aims. To report a study of the experiences of medically fragile adolescents who require respiratory assistance. Background. The population of medically fragile adolescents has grown in recent decades because of the sequelae of prematurity, injuries and chronic or terminal illnesses. Medically fragile adolescents who require respiratory assistance are part of this unique population, yet as nurses, we know little about their experiences and the best approaches to use in caring for them. Design. A qualitative design, interpretive phenomenology was used in this study. Methods. Interpretive phenomenology was used to describe and interpret the experience of 11 medically fragile adolescents (ages 13–18 years old) who required respiratory assistances of tracheostomies, ventilator support and Bi-level positive airway pressure. Between April 2010–September 2010, audiotaped semi-structured interviews were conducted with the adolescents. Data analysis was completed using a stepped approach to identify themes. Findings. Five themes were identified from the interviews with the adolescents: ‘Get to know me’, ‘Allow me to be myself’, ‘Being there for me’, ‘No matter what, technology helps’ and ‘I am an independent person’. Conclusions. Medically fragile adolescents have a clear view of who they are as a person. They want nurses to view them as a person, not just a patient. The adolescents said that friends were there for them when they needed support. Technology had meanings that enhanced daily living and existed as a part of their day, not their whole day. The adolescents were actively engaging in activities and strategies to achieve their goals of independence.
Inverse method for estimating respiration rates from decay time series

Abstract. Long-term organic matter decomposition experiments typically measure the mass lost from decaying organic matter as a function of time. These experiments can provide information about the dynamics of carbon dioxide input to the atmosphere and controls on natural respiration processes. Decay slows down with time, suggesting that organic matter is composed of components (pools) with varied lability. Yet it is unclear how the appropriate rates, sizes, and number of pools vary with organic matter type, climate, and ecosystem. To better understand these relations, it is necessary to properly extract the decay rates from decomposition data. Here we present a regularized inverse method to identify an optimally-fitting distribution of decay rates associated with a decay time series. We motivate our study by first evaluating a standard, direct inversion of the data. The direct inversion identifies a discrete distribution of decay rates, where mass is concentrated in just a small number of discrete pools. It is consistent with identifying the best fitting "multi-pool" model, without prior assumption of the number of pools. However we find these multi-pool solutions are not robust to noise and are over-parametrized. We therefore introduce a method of regularized inversion, which identifies the solution which best fits the data but not the noise. This method shows that the data are described by a continuous distribution of rates, which we find is well approximated by a lognormal distribution, and consistent with the idea that decomposition results from a continuum of processes at different rates. The ubiquity of the lognormal distribution suggest that decay may be simply described by just two parameters: a mean and a variance of log rates. We conclude by describing a procedure that estimates these two lognormal parameters from decay data. Matlab codes for all numerical methods and procedures are provided.
On the list decodability of random linear codes with large error rates

It is well known that a random q-ary code of rate Ω(e2) is list decodable up to radius (1 - 1/q - e) with list sizes on the order of 1/e2, with probability 1 - o(1). However, until recently, a similar statement about random linear codes has until remained elusive. In a recent paper, Cheraghchi, Guruswami, and Velingker show a connection between list decodability of random linear codes and the Restricted Isometry Property from compressed sensing, and use this connection to prove that a random linear code of rate Ω( e2 /log3(1/e)) achieves the list decoding properties above, with constant probability. We improve on their result to show that in fact we may take the rate to be Ω(e2), which is optimal, and further that the success probability is 1 - o(1), rather than constant. As an added benefit, our proof is relatively simple. Finally, we extend our methods to more general ensembles of linear codes. As an example, we show that randomly punctured Reed-Muller codes have the same list decoding properties as the original codes, even when the rate is improved to a constant.
Designing the Payout Phase of Funded Pension Pillars in Central and Eastern European Countries

Over the past decade or so, most Central and Eastern European countries have reformed their pension systems, significantly downsizing their public pillars and creating private pillars based on capitalization accounts. Early policy attention was focused on the accumulation phase but several countries are now reaching the stage where they need to address the design of the payout phase. This paper reviews the complex policy issues that will confront policymakers in this effort and summarizes recent plans and developments in four countries (Poland, Hungary, Estonia, and Lithuania). The paper concludes by highlighting a number of options that merit detailed consideration.
Secondary Hawaiian volcanism formed by flexural arch decompression

[1] This paper explains two forms of secondary Hawaiian volcanism (rejuvenated onshore and Hawaiian Arch offshore) as a direct consequence of lithospheric flexural uplift that surrounds growing shield volcanoes. This uplift decompresses the underlying asthenosphere, which is assumed to be chemically and isotopically heterogeneous, near its solidus, and derived from the Hawaiian mantle plume. Lithospheric uplift is modeled as the axisymmetric response of an elastic plate to a (volcanic) point load that grows linearly in time. To model flow in the asthenosphere, the rate of flexure of the lithosphere is taken as the upper boundary condition on an isoviscous, incompressible, fluid half-space. This model successfully explains the majority of spatial gaps between secondary and active shield volcanism due to the flexing of a lithospheric plate with an effective elastic thickness of 25–35 km. Second, this work demonstrates that the flexural model can produce realistic magmatic fluxes if magma is focused toward individual eruption sites from the mantle over an area two to ten times the eruption area. Next, this model addresses the isotopic distinction between secondary and shield lavas. In this model, the same heterogeneous mantle plume feeds the secondary and shield lavas, but the compositional components are sampled by melting at rates that differ between the two settings. Flexural decompression mostly melts the component that begins melting shallowest, which we assume to be depleted in incompatible elements with relatively low 87Sr/86Sr and high 143Nd/144Nd. Melting in the center of a mantle plume is assumed to generate shield volcanism and is predicted to mostly melt components that begin melting deepest, which we assume to be enriched in incompatible elements with higher 87Sr/86Sr and lower 143Nd/144Nd. Thus the models successfully predict the observed mean 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotopic compositions of secondary and shield lavas to arise out of the melting process alone. The fourth feature addressed is that secondary lavas are alkalic, having formed from relatively low extents of partial melting, and shield lavas are dominantly tholeiitic, consistent with more extensive partial melting. Indeed, models predict lower mean extent of melting for secondary lavas compared to shield lavas if the source material, which is mostly peridotite, contains at least some pyroxenite. Results show that model predictions are consistent with the geochemical constraints for a range of reasonable starting mantle compositions, lithospheric thicknesses, and plume temperatures.
Simulation evaluation of Gibbs prior distributions for use in maximum a posteriori SPECT reconstructions

The effects of several of Gibbs prior distributions in terms of noise characteristics, edge sharpness, and overall quantitative accuracy of the final estimates obtained from an iterative maximum a posteriori (MAP) procedure applied to data from a realistic chest phantom are demonstrated. The effects of the adjustable parameters built into the prior distribution on these properties are examined. It is found that these parameter values influence the noise and edge characteristics of the final estimate and can generate reconstructions closer to the actual solution than maximum likelihood (ML). In addition, it is found that the choice of the shape of the prior distribution affects the noise characteristics and edge sharpness in the final estimate. >
A DUAL APPROACH TO BAYESIAN INFERENCE AND ADAPTIVE CONTROL

Probability updating via Bayes' rule often entails extensive informational and computational requirements. In consequence, relatively few practical applications of Bayesian adaptive control techniques have been attempted. This paper discusses an alternative approach to adaptive control, Bayesian in spirit, which shifts attention from the updating of probability distributions via transitional probability assessments to the direct updating of the criterion function, itself, via transitional utility assessments. Re- suits are illustrated in terms of an adaptive reinvestment two-armed bandit problem.
A Simplified Kinetic Element Formulation for the Rotation of a Perturbed Mass-Asymmetric Rigid Body

Euler’s equations, describing the rotation of an arbitrarily torqued mass asymmetric rigid body, are scaled using linear transformations that lead to a simplified set of first order ordinary differential equations without the explicit appearance of the principal moments of inertia. These scaled differential equations provide trivial access to an analytical solution and two constants of integration for the case of torque-free motion. Two additional representations for the third constant of integration are chosen to complete two new kinetic element sets that describe an osculating solution using the variation of parameters. The elements’ physical representations are amplitudes and either angular displacement or initial time constant in the torque-free solution. These new kinetic elements lead to a considerably simplified variation of parameters solution to Euler’s equations. The resulting variational equations are quite compact. To investigate error propagation behaviour of these new variational formulations in computer simulations, they are compared to the unmodified equations without kinematic coupling but under the influence of simulated gravity-gradient torques.
A type system for data-flow integrity on windows vista

The Windows Vista operating system implements an interesting model of multi-level integrity. We observe that in this model, trusted code must participate in any information-flow attack. Thus, it is possible to eliminate such attacks by statically restricting trusted code. We formalize this model by designing a type system that can efficiently enforce data-flow integrity on Windows Vista. Typechecking guarantees that objects whose contents are statically trusted never contain untrusted values, regardless of what untrusted code runs in the environment. Some of Windows Vista's runtime access checks are necessary for soundness; others are redundant and can be optimized away.
Two-channel IIR QMF banks with approximately linear-phase analysis and synthesis filters

Perfect linear-phase two-channel QMF banks require the use of finite impulse response (FIR) analysis and synthesis filters. Although they are less expensive and yield superior stopband characteristics, perfect linear phase cannot be achieved with stable infinite impulse response (IIR) filters. Thus, IIR designs usually incorporate a postprocessing equalizer that is optimized to reduce the phase distortion of the entire filter bank. However, the analysis and synthesis filters of such an IIR filter bank are not linear phase. In this paper, a computationally simple method to obtain IIR analysis and synthesis filters that possess negligible phase distortion is presented. The method is based on first applying the balanced reduction procedure to obtain nearly allpass IIR polyphase components and then approximating these with perfect allpass IIR polyphase components. The resulting IIR designs already have only negligible phase distortion. However, if required, further improvement may be achieved through optimization of the filter parameters. For this purpose, a suitable objective function is presented. Bounds for the magnitude and phase errors of the designs are also derived. Design examples indicate that the derived IIR filter banks are more efficient in terms of computational complexity than the FIR prototypes and perfect reconstruction FIR filter banks. Although the PR FIR filter banks when implemented with the one-multiplier lattice structure and IIR filter banks are comparable in terms of computational complexity, the former is very sensitive to coefficient quantization effects. >
Theoretical uncertainties in electroweak boson production cross sections at 7, 10, and 14 TeV at the LHC

We present an updated study of the systematic errors in the measurements of the electroweak boson cross-sections at the LHC for various experimental cuts for a center of mass energy of 7, 10 and 14 TeV. The size of both electroweak and NNLO QCD contributions are estimated, together with the systematic error from the parton distributions. The effects of new versions of the MSTW, CTEQ-TEA, and NNPDF PDFs are considered.