cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emotional reactivity to incentive downshift as a correlated response to selection of high and low alcohol preferring mice and an influencing factor on ethanol intake.

Losing a job or significant other are examples of incentive loss that result in negative emotional reactions. The occurrence of negative life events is associated with increased drinking (Keyes, Hatzenbuehler, & Hasin, 2011). Further, certain genotypes are more likely to drink alcohol in response to stressful negative life events (Blomeyer et al., 2008; Covault et al., 2007). Shared genetic factors may contribute to alcohol drinking and emotional reactivity, but this relationship is not currently well understood. We used an incentive downshift paradigm to address whether emotional reactivity is elevated in mice predisposed to drink alcohol. We also investigated if ethanol drinking is influenced in High Alcohol Preferring mice that had been exposed to an incentive downshift. Incentive downshift procedures have been widely utilized to model emotional reactivity, and involve shifting a high reward group to a low reward and comparing the shifted group to a consistently rewarded control group. Here, we show that replicate lines of selectively bred High Alcohol Preferring mice exhibited larger successive negative contrast effects than their corresponding replicate Low Alcohol Preferring lines, providing strong evidence for a genetic association between alcohol drinking and susceptibility to the emotional effects of negative contrast. These mice can be used to study the shared neurological and genetic underpinnings of emotional reactivity and alcohol preference. Unexpectedly, an incentive downshift suppressed ethanol drinking immediately following an incentive downshift. This could be due to a specific effect of negative contrast on ethanol consumption or a suppressive effect on consummatory behavior in general. These data suggest that either alcohol intake does not provide the anticipated negative reinforcement, or that a single test was insufficient for animals to learn to drink following incentive downshift. However, the emotional intensity following incentive downshift provides initial evidence that this type of emotional reactivity may be a predisposing factor in alcoholism.
Transport of heparan sulfate into the nuclei of hepatocytes.

Monolayer cultures of a rat hepatocyte cell line shown previously to accumulate a nuclear pool of free heparan sulfate chains that are enriched in sulfated glucuronic acid (GlcA) residues (Fedarko, N.S., and Conrad, H.E., (1986) J. Cell Biol. 587-599) were incubated with 35SO4(2-), and the rate of appearance of heparan [35S]sulfate in the nuclei was measured. Heparan [35S]sulfate began to accumulate in the nuclei 2 h after the administration of 35SO4(2-) to the cells and reached a steady state level after 20 h. Heparan [35S]sulfate was lost from the nuclei of prelabeled cells with a t1/2 of 8 h. Chloroquine did not inhibit the transport of heparan sulfate into the nucleus, but increased the t1/2 for the exit of heparan sulfate from the nucleus to 20 h and led to a doubling of the steady state level of nuclear heparan sulfate. Heparan [35S]sulfate which was obtained from the medium or from the cell matrix of a labeled culture and which contained only low levels of GlcA-2-SO4 residues was incubated with cultures of unlabeled cells, and the uptake of the exogenous heparan [35S]sulfate was studied. At 37 degrees C the cells took up proteoheparan [35S]sulfate and transported about 10% of the internalized heparan [35S]sulfate into the nucleus, where it appeared as free chains. The heparan [35S]sulfate isolated from the nucleus was enriched in GlcA-2-SO4 residues, whereas the heparan [35S]sulfate remaining in the rest of the intracellular pool showed a corresponding depletion in GlcA-2-SO4 residues. At 16 degrees C, where endocytosed materials do not enter the lysosomes, the cells also transported exogenous proteoheparan [35S]sulfate to the nucleus with similar processing. Thus, the metabolism of exogenous heparan sulfate by hepatocytes follows the same pathway observed in continuously labeled cells and does not involve lysosomal processing of the internalized heparan sulfate.
Dynamic rate allocation in fading multiple access channels

We consider the problem of rate allocation in a fading Gaussian multiple-access channel (MAC) with fixed transmission powers. Our goal is to maximize a general concave utility function of transmission rates over the throughput capacity region. In contrast to earlier works in this context that propose solutions where a potentially complex optimization problem must be solved in every decision instant, we propose a low-complexity approximate rate allocation policy and analyze the effect of temporal channel variations on its utility performance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that studies the tracking capabilities of an approximate rate allocation scheme under fading channel conditions. We build on an earlier work to present a new rate allocation policy for a fading MAC that implements a low-complexity approximate gradient projection iteration for each channel measurement, and explicitly characterize the effect of the speed of temporal channel variations on the tracking neighborhood of our policy. We further improve our results by proposing an alternative rate allocation policy for which tighter bounds on the size of the tracking neighborhood are derived. These proposed rate allocation policies are computationally efficient in our setting since they implement a single gradient projection iteration per channel measurement and each such iteration relies on approximate projections which has polynomial-complexity in the number of users.
Mobile Healthcare Infrastructure with Qos and Security

This paper proposes a security framework with quality of service (QoS) mechanisms embedded in a Next Generation Internet architecture to support healthcare infrastructure with mobile wireless sensors. The framework shields the complexity of internetworking with a policy management system to subscribe quality of service and level of security. The framework also hides the intricacy of mobile wireless-networked sensors with a middle ware component to deliver sensing data and retrieve patient monitoring information. Complying with the Internet Design Philosophy, the complexity is pushed to the end processing nodes for healthcare information comprehension and manipulation. Both security and service requirements for healthcare infrastructure are achieved with the established architecture of Next Generation Internet.
Semialgebraic graphs having countable list-chromatic numbers

The set of semialgebraic graphs having countable list-chromatic numbers is characterized. Some other related sets of graphs having countable list-chromatic numbers also are.
Extracting Thermodynamic Data From Equilibrium Melting Curves for Oligonucleotide Order-Disorder Transitions

Publisher Summary This chapter presents general forms of the equations required to extract thermodynamic data from equilibrium transition curves on oligomeric and polymeric nucleic acids of any molecularity. The reason that the equations and protocols are general, they also can be used to characterize thermodynamically equilibrium processes in systems other than nucleic acids. This work reviews how the reduced forms of the general equations have been used by many investigators to evaluate mono-and bimolecular transitions and then explains how these equations can be generalized to calculate thermodynamic parameters from common experimental observables for transitions of higher molecutarities. The strengths and weaknesses of each method of data analysis are emphasized, so that investigators can select the approach most appropriate for their experimental circumstances. This work also describes how to analyze calorimetric heat capacity curves and non-calorimetric differentiated melting curves to extract both model-independent and model-dependent thermodynamic data for transitions of any molecularity. The general equations and methods of analysis described should be of that are investigating association and dissociation processes in nucleic acids that exhibit molecularities greater than 2.
Primum non nocere (first do no harm): symptom worsening and improvement in female assault victims after prolonged exposure for PTSD.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy is an efficacious treatment for PTSD; despite this, many clinicians do not utilize it due to concerns it could cause patient decompensation. METHOD: Data were pooled from four published well-controlled studies of female assault survivors with chronic PTSD (n = 361) who were randomly assigned to PE, waitlist (WL), or another psychotherapy, including cognitive processing therapy (CPT), Eye Movement and Desensitization Retraining (EMDR), or the combination of PE plus stress inoculation training (SIT) or PE plus cognitive restructuring. PTSD and depression severity scores were converted to categorical outcomes to evaluate the proportion of participants who showed reliable symptom change (both reliable worsening and reliable improvement). RESULTS: The majority of participants completing one of the active treatments showed reliable improvement on both PTSD and depression compared to WL. Among treatment participants in general, as well as those who received PE, reliable PTSD worsening was nonexistent and the rate of reliable worsening of depression was low. There were no differences on any outcome measures among treatments. By comparison, participants in WL had higher rates of reliable symptom worsening for both PTSD and depression. Potential alternative explanations were also evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: PE and a number of other empirically supported therapies are efficacious and safe treatments for PTSD, reducing the frequency of which symptom worsening occurs in the absence of treatment. Language: en
Local Currency Sovereign Risk

We introduce a new measure of emerging market sovereign credit risk: the local currency credit spread, defined as the spread of local currency bonds over the synthetic local currency risk-free rate constructed using cross-currency swaps. We find that local currency credit spreads are positive and sizable. Compared with credit spreads on foreign-currency-denominated debt, local currency credit spreads have lower means, lower cross-country correlations, and lower sensitivity to global risk factors. We discuss several major sources of credit spread differentials, including positively correlated credit and currency risk, selective default, capital controls, and various financial market frictions.
Stabilizing inverse problems by internal data. II: non-local internal data and generic linearized uniqueness

In the previous paper (Kuchment and Steinhauer in Inverse Probl 28(8):084007, 2012), the authors introduced a simple procedure that allows one to detect whether and explain why internal information arising in several novel coupled physics (hybrid) imaging modalities could turn extremely unstable techniques, such as optical tomography or electrical impedance tomography, into stable, good-resolution procedures. It was shown that in all cases of interest, the Frechet derivative of the forward mapping is a pseudo-differential operator with an explicitly computable principal symbol. If one can set up the imaging procedure in such a way that the symbol is elliptic, this would indicate that the problem was stabilized. In the cases when the symbol is not elliptic, the technique suggests how to change the procedure (e.g., by adding extra measurements) to achieve ellipticity. In this article, we consider the situation arising in acousto-optical tomography (also called ultrasound modulated optical tomography), where the internal data available involves the Green’s function, and thus depends globally on the unknown parameter(s) of the equation and its solution. It is shown that the technique of (Kuchment and Steinhauer in Inverse Probl 28(8):084007, 2012) can be successfully adopted to this situation as well. A significant part of the article is devoted to results on generic uniqueness for the linearized problem in a variety of situations, including those arising in acousto-electric and quantitative photoacoustic tomography.
A Simple Language for Novel Visualizations of Information

While information visualization tools support the representation of abstract data, their ability to enhance one’s understanding of complex relationships can be hindered by a limited set of predefined charts. To enable novel visualization over multiple variables, we propose a declarative language for specifying informational graphics from first principles. The language maps properties of generic objects to graphical representations based on scaled interpretations of data values. An iterative approach to constraint solving that involves user advice enables the optimization of graphic layouts. The flexibility and expressiveness of a powerful but relatively easy to use grammar supports the expression of visualizations ranging from the simple to the complex.
Mathematical Tools for Calculation of the Effective Action in Quantum Gravity

We review the status of covariant methods in quantum field theory and quantum gravity, in particular, some recent progress in the calculation of the effective action via the heat kernel method. We study the heat kernel associated with an elliptic second-order partial differential operator of Laplace type acting on smooth sections of a vector bundle over a Riemannian manifold without boundary. We develop a manifestly covariant method for computation of the heat kernel asymptotic expansion as well as new algebraic methods for calculation of the heat kernel for covariantly constant background, in particular, on homogeneous bundles over symmetric spaces, which enables one to compute the low-energy non-perturbative effective action.
Managing Infrastructure Reliability, Safety, and Security

Infrastructure reliability, in its most general sense, refers to whether a system performs as expected. Reliability is relative, depending on the perspective of the infrastructure user. Safety and security are key components for the concept of reliability, since they pertain to basic survival, and are prerequisites for others. Safety and security are defined, and their emergence as core concepts in infrastructure reliability is described. Infrastructure security now relates to a set of critical infrastructures. Factors that potentially compromise infrastructure security include how infrastructure is spatially distributed and interrelated or interdependent with other infrastructures. Risk-based analytical approaches, and alternatives to these approaches, have arisen to address the likelihood and form of attacks as well as the consequences of attacks on infrastructure. Selected examples of these methodologies are presented. Resource allocation at the federal level emphasizes a risk-based approach, though the nature of risks faced by critical infrastructures, how these risks should be quantified, what analytical tools should be used to produce such estimates, at what geographic scale, and how they are to be incorporated into prioritization schemes are still a subject of considerable debate. Keywords: critical infrastructure; reliability; security; safety; game theory; statistical modeling; economic analysis; risk-based resource allocation; risk prioritization
The Combinatorial Nullstellensätze Revisited

We revisit and further explore the celebrated Combinatorial Nullstellensatze of N. Alon in several different directions.
Sampling-based coverage path planning for inspection of complex structures

We present several new contributions in sampling-based coverage path planning, the task of finding feasible paths that give 100% sensor coverage of complex structures in obstacle-filled and visually occluded environments. First, we establish a framework for analyzing the probabilistic completeness of a sampling-based coverage algorithm, and derive results on the completeness and convergence of existing algorithms. Second, we introduce a new algorithm for the iterative improvement of a feasible coverage path; this relies on a sampling-based subroutine that makes asymptotically optimal local improvements to a feasible coverage path based on a strong generalization of the RRT* algorithm. We then apply the algorithm to the real-world task of autonomous in-water ship hull inspection. We use our improvement algorithm in conjunction with redundant roadmap coverage planning algorithm to produce paths that cover complex 3D environments with unprecedented efficiency.
8Be Nuclear Data Evaluation

An R‐matrix analysis of experimental nuclear data on the reactions 4He(α,α), 4He(α,p), 4He(α,d), 7Li(p,α), 7Li(p,p), 7Li(p,n), 7Be(n,p), 6Li(d,α), 6Li(d,p), 6Li(d,n), and 6Li(d,d), leading to the 8Be intermediate state, has been completed in the last two years. About 4700 data points from 69 experimental references are included. The excitation energy above the 8Be ground state is 25 – 26 MeV for all reactions except 4He(α,α) and 7Be(n,p). The data for the reactions 4He(α,α) and 6Li(d,d) do not fit well, but the other reactions fit with a χ2/(point) of less than the overall value of 7.9. Most of the 19 resonances found in the R‐matrix analysis correspond to resonances formerly known from experiment. Evaluated integrated 4He(α,p), 4He(α,d), 7Li(p,α), 7Li(p,n), 7Be(n,p), 6Li(d,α), 6Li(d,p) and 6Li(d,n) reaction cross sections are presented. Evaluated cross‐section and angular dependence files in ENDF format were prepared for the twelve reactions p7Li, n7Be, d6Li → α4He, p7Li, n7Be, d6Li.
Can Banks Learn to Be Rational

Can banks learn to be rational in their lending activities? The answer depends on the institutionally bounded constraints to learning. From an evolutionary perspective the functionality (for survival) of "learning to be rational" creates strong incentives for such learning without, however, guaranteeing that each member of the particular economic species actually achieves increased fitness. I investigate this issue for a particular economic species, namely, commrercial banks. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the key issues related to learning in an economic model by proposing a new screening model for bank commercial loans that uses the neuro fuzzy technique. The technical modeling aspect is integrally connected in a rigorous way to the key conceptual and theoretical aspects of the capabilities for learning to be rational in a broad but precise sense. This paper also compares the relative predictability of loan default among three methods of prediction--- discriminant analysis, logit type regression, and neuro fuzzy--- based on the real data obtained from one of the banks in Taiwan.The neuro fuzzy model, in contrast with the other two, incorporates recursive learning in a real world, imprecise linguistic environment. The empirical results show that in addition to its better screening ability, the neuro fuzzy model is superior in explaining the relationship among the variables as well. With further modifications,this model could be used by bank regulatory agencies for loan examination and by bank loan officers for loan review. The main theoretical conclusion to draw from this demonstration is that non-linear learning in a vague semantic world is both possible and useful. Therefore the search for alternatives to the full neoclassical rationality and its equivalent under uncertainty---rational expectations--- is a plausible and desirable search, especially when the probability for convergence to a rational expectations equilibrium is low.
CompostBin: a DNA composition-based algorithm for binning environmental shotgun reads

A major hindrance to studies of microbial diversity has been that the vast majority of microbes cannot be cultured in the laboratory and thus are not amenable to traditional methods of characterization. Environmental shotgun sequencing (ESS) overcomes this hurdle by sequencing the DNA from the organisms present in a microbial community. The interpretation of this metagenomic data can be greatly facilitated by associating every sequence read with its source organism. We report the development of CompostBin, a DNA composition-based algorithm for analyzing metagenomic sequence reads and distributing them into taxon-specific bins. Unlike previous methods that seek to bin assembled contigs and often require training on known reference genomes, CompostBin has the ability to accurately bin raw sequence reads without need for assembly or training. CompostBin uses a novel weighted PCA algorithm to project the high dimensional DNA composition data into an informative lower-dimensional space, and then uses the normalized cut clustering algorithm on this filtered data set to classify sequences into taxon-specific bins. We demonstrate the algorithm's accuracy on a variety of low to medium complexity data sets.
Independent zero-knowledge sets

We define and construct Independent Zero-Knowledge Sets (ZKS) protocols. In a ZKS protocols, a Prover commits to a set S, and for any x, proves non-interactively to a Verifier if x ∈S or x ∉S without revealing any other information about S. In the independent ZKS protocols we introduce, the adversary is prevented from successfully correlate her set to the one of a honest prover. Our notion of independence in particular implies that the resulting ZKS protocol is non-malleable On the way to this result we define the notion of independence for commitment schemes. It is shown that this notion implies non-malleability, and we argue that this new notion has the potential to simplify the design and security proof of non-malleable commitment schemes Efficient implementations of ZKS protocols are based on the notion of mercurial commitments. Our efficient constructions of independent ZKS protocols requires the design of new commitment schemes that are simultaneously independent (and thus non-malleable) and mercurial
COLD-SAT: A technology satellite for cryogenic experimentation

NASA’s Lewis Research Center (LeRC) is involved in the development and validation of analytical models which describe the fluid dynamic and thermodynamic processes associated with the storage, acquisition and transfer of subcritical cryogenic fluids in low-gravity. These technologies are considered enabling for future NASA space missions. Four concurren studies, including one in-house at LeRC, are underway to determine the feasibility of performing model validation experiments aboard a free-flying spacecraft (S/C) called Cryogenic On-Orbit Liquid Depot — Storage, Acquisition and Transfer (COLD-SAT), using liquid hydrogen as the cryogen. This paper describes the technology requirements for the experiments, and presents the initial LeRC concepts for the S/C and an experiment subsystem comprising of cryogenic tankage (a supply dewar and three receiver tanks), gas pressurization bottles (both helium and autogenous hydrogen), their associated plumbing, and instrumentation for data collection. Experiments have been categorized into enabling/high priority Class I technologies and component/system Class II demonstrations. As initially envisioned by LeRC, COLD-SAT would have had a 1997 launch aboard a Delta-II for a six month active lifetime in a 925 km orbit with a pseudo-inertial attitude.
The Attractor Mechanism in Five Dimensions

We give a pedagogical introduction to the attractor mechanism. We begin by developing the formalism for the simplest example of spherically symmetric black holes in five dimensions which preserve supersymmetry. We then discuss the refinements needed when spherical symmetry is relaxed. This is motivated by rotating black holes and, especially, black rings. An introduction to non-BPS attractors is included, as is a discussion of thermodynamic interpretations of the attractor mechanism.
Modeling object characteristics of dynamic Web content

Requests for dynamic and personalized content have increasingly become a significant part of Internet traffic, driven both by a growth in dynamic Web services and a "trickle-down" effect stemming from the effectiveness of caches and content-distribution networks at serving static content. To efficiently serve this trend, several server-side and cache-side techniques have recently been proposed. Although such techniques, which exploit different forms of reuse at the sub-document level, appear promising, a significant impediment to their widespread deployment is (1) the absence of good models describing characteristics of dynamic Web content and (2) the lack of effective synthetic content generators, which reduce the effort involved in verifying the effectiveness of a proposed solution.This paper addresses both of these shortcomings. Its primary contribution is a set of models that capture the characteristics of dynamic content both in terms of independent parameters such as the distributions of object sizes and their freshness, times, as well as derived parameters such as content reusability across time and linked documents. These models are derived from an analysis of the content from six representative news and e-commerce sites, using both size-based and level-based splitting techniques to infer document objects. A secondary contribution is a Java-based dynamic content emulator, which uses these models to generate edgeside include-based dynamic content and serve requests for whole documents as well as separate objects.
The role of regulatory governance in driving PPPs in electricity transmission and distribution in developing countries : a cross-country analysis

This paper presents new global evidence on the key determinants of public-private partnership investment in electricity transmission and distribution, based on a panel data analysis of 105 developing countries over a period of 16 years from 1993 to 2008. It aims to identify the key factors affecting the private investor's decision to enter electricity transmission and distribution, through a probit analysis and the amount of investment sunk in this market segment, based on Heckman's sample selection analysis. One of the key results of the analysis is that sector regulatory governance affects only the entry of private investors in electricity transmission and distribution. It is not significantly linked to higher investment in transmission and distribution. The result implies that the power of the incentive has not been so strong as to affect the volume of investment. Similarly, economy-wide governance factors, including control for corruption and degree of political competition, are factored in by private investors only in the initial stage of the game when the decision to enter into the transmission and distribution market is taken. This reinforces the expectation that private investors seem to be adequately protected against risks, so that once they have entered the market, they can accommodate the governance environment. Finally, the introduction of renewables in the power system enhanced overall public-private partnership investment in transmission and distribution. Renewable-based energy also requires technical and regulatory certainty about the availability of renewable-ready transmission resources.
Grid-Enabled Virtual Organization Based Dynamic Firewall

The development of heterogeneous grid infrastructure is in its infancy and the potential impact of unauthorized network connections and/or potential system corruption is a serious concern. This project addresses the need for the integration of a dynamic firewall into a grid-enabled application environment. By its very nature, a grid-computing environment consists of a dynamic collection of applications, resources, and services that require access to network ports. The focus of this paper is on developing a dynamic iptables-based firewall that is capable of automatically identifying valid grid user/application network port connection requests and satisfying these requests based on a Globus proxy. The dynamic firewall (Dyna-Fire) service has been integrated into the Western New York's ACDC-Grid.
Demographics and the Equity Premium

This paper studies the relation between demographics and the equity premium in a dynamic overlapping generations (OLG) equilibrium model. Investors have both labor and investment income. The labor income and the dividend processes are correlated. Investors trade stocks for consumption purposes and to hedge against the risk of their labor income. The per capita stock supply is normalized to unity, and the demographic structure is time varying. In equilibrium, the equity premium is linear in the real per capita stock price, the dividend yield and the dividend payout ratio, but the coeﬃcients of the linear relation are time varying because of demographic change. Proxying the coeﬃcients by linear functions of the change in the share of population in the age range 40-64, we derive a non-linear predictive regression for the equity premium, which is not only significant in the empirical tests using post-1947 data but also improves significantly on previous predictive relations.
Hadron Colliders, the Standard Model, and Beyond

Quantum field theory eombines the two great achievements of 20t h-century physies, quantum mechanies and relativity. The standard model is a partieular quantum field theory, based on the set of fields displayed in Table 1, and the gauge symmetries SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1) y . There are three generations of quarks and leptons, labeled by the index i = 1,2,3, and one Higgs field, φ.
Factors Influencing Hearing Aid Use in the Classroom: A Pilot Study

Purpose This pilot study examined factors influencing classroom hearing aid use in school-age children with hearing loss. Method The research team visited classrooms of 38 children with mild-to-moderate hearing loss (Grades 1–7) on 2 typical school days, twice per day, to document hearing aid use. In addition, parents reported the number of hours their children used hearing aids at school. Results Nearly 24% of children were observed not wearing their hearing aids in the classroom on either observation day. Both grade level and degree of hearing loss appeared to affect hearing aid use. Children in Grades 5–7 and those with milder hearing losses were less likely to wear hearing aids. Overall, parents accurately reported classroom hearing aid use; however, those with children in Grades 5–7 were less accurate than those with children in earlier grades. Conclusions These preliminary results suggest that children with milder hearing loss and those in Grades 5–7 are at increased risk for reduced hearing aid use...
Dry deposition of trace elements to the western North Atlantic

[1] Data for Al, Fe, Na, Sb, Se V, and Zn in aerosol particles from Bermuda are used in combination with parameterized dry deposition velocities to investigate trace element recycling on atmospheric sea salt. During July and August, which are in the high dust season, >10% of the monthly mean aerosol Na can be ascribed to crustal sources rather than sea salt, but in general the contribution of mineral dust to Na dry deposition is small (∼1%) relative to that from sea salt. In fall and winter, ∼10 to 20% of the aerosol Al, a commonly used indicator of mineral dust, is attributable to recycled sea salt, but the dust fluxes then are small, and longer-term averages show a recycling effect of only 1 to 5% on dry deposition. The percentage of recycled Fe appears to be even less than for Al. Noncrustal/non-sea-salt (NC/NSS) sources account for >70% of the aerosol Sb, Se, V, and Zn, but differences in the dry deposition velocities for three particle types strongly affect their air/sea exchange. Dust can account for more than half of the new dry deposition inputs of V and Zn while the amounts of Sb and Se recycled on sea spray approach or exceed their new inputs from dust and the NSS/NC sources.
Identification and Estimation of Dichotomous Latent Variables Models Using Panel Data

Identification conditions for binary choice errors-in-variables models are explored. Conditions for the consistency and asymptotic normality of the maximum likelihood estimators of binary choice models with unbounded explanatory variables are given. Two- or three-step estimators to simplify computation are also suggested. When variables enter into an equation non-linearly, and these variables are subject to measurement errors, complicated identification and estimation issues arise. Realizing that the usual large-sample theory seems to fail to provide useful results for non-linear errors-in-variables models and consistent estimators in the usual sense are not readily available, Amemiya (1985), Amemiya and Fuller (1985, 1988), Stefanski and Carroll (1985), Wolter and Fuller (1982a, b), etc. have developed alternative asymptotic theories in terms of the index n = anbn with {an}n=1 and {bn}ln= being sequences of positive real numbers representing the magnitudes of reciprocals of error variances and the number of data points, respectively, for n = 1, 2, .... Consistency and asymptotic normality of non-linear least squares and instrumental variable estimators are demonstrated when n - oo and a'1 = o(n'1/2) or a-' = 0(n-1/3) While this alternative approach is ingenious and yields useful approximations to the properties of estimators when error variances are small and when sample size is large, not all economic data possess the property of shrinking error variances when the number of observations increases. Unfortunately, without imposing more structural information, there appears no alternative to the assumption of shrinking error variances for deriving consistent estimators for general non-linear errors-in-variables models. However, in many samples individual observations may be viewed as random draws from a common population. In this paper we wish to explore the type of data which would allow us to identify a non-linear errors-in-variables model under this assumption and provide consistent estimators for the unknown structural parameters when measurement error variances stay constant. We shall focus our discussion on the binary choice models. We set up the model in Section 2. Issues of identification are explored in Section
Cramér–Rao Inequality

This inequality provides a lower bound for the variance of any unbiased estimator of a one-dimensional parameter or more generally of a function of the parameter. It involves the Fisher information (the expectation of the squared derivative of the log likelihood). If equality is attained, the statistic is a minimum variance unbiased estimator, and the density function belongs to a one-dimensional exponential family. The inequality can be generalized for a multidimensional parameter. Keywords: unbiasedness; Fisher information; information matrix; likelihood; MVUE ; exponential family
Quantization of Constrained Systems

The present article is primarily a review of the projection-operator approach to quantize systems with constraints. We study the quantization of systems with general first- and second-class constraints from the point of view of coherentstate, phase-space path integration, and show that all such cases may be treated, within the original classical phase space, by using suitable path-integral measures for the Lagrange multipliers which ensure that the quantum system satisfies the appropriate quantum constraint conditions. Unlike conventional methods, our procedures involve no λ-functionals of the classical constraints, no need for dynamical gauge fixing of first-class constraints nor any average thereover, no need to eliminate second-class constraints, no potentially ambiguous determinants, as well as no need to add auxiliary dynamical variables expanding the phase space beyond its original classical formulation, including no ghosts. Besides several pedagogical examples, we also study: (i) the quantization procedure for reparameterization invariant models, (ii) systems for which the original set of Lagrange multipliers are elevated to the status of dynamical variables and used to define an extended dynamical system which is completed with the addition of suitable conjugates and new sets of constraints and their associated Lagrange multipliers, (iii) special examples of alternative but equivalent formulations of given first-class constraints, as well as (iv) a comparison of both regular and irregular constraints.
Linear Transceiver Design for Interference Alignment: Complexity and Computation

Consider a multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) interference channel where each transmitter and receiver are equipped with multiple antennas. An effective approach to practically achieving high system throughput is to deploy linear transceivers (or beamformers) that can optimally exploit the spatial characteristics of the channel. The recent work of Cadambe and Jafar (IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, vol. 54, no. 8) suggests that optimal beamformers should maximize the total degrees of freedom and achieve interference alignment in the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. In this paper we first consider the interference alignment problem without channel extension and prove that the problem of maximizing the total achieved degrees of freedom for a given MIMO interference channel is NP-hard. Furthermore, we show that even checking the achievability of a given tuple of degrees of freedom for all receivers is NP-hard when each receiver is equipped with at least three antennas. Interestingly, the same problem becomes polynomial time solvable when each transmit/receive node is equipped with no more than two antennas. We also propose a distributed algorithm for transmit covariance matrix design that does not require the DoF tuple preassignment, under the assumption that each receiver uses a linear minimum mean square error (MMSE) beamformer. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing interference alignment algorithms in terms of system throughput.
Making Decisions with Families at the End of Life

Because advance directives are not yet the norm, end-of-life decisions for patients without medical decision-making capacity are made regularly within discussions between the patient’s physician and family. Communication and decision making in these situations require a complex integration of relevant conceptual knowledge of ethical implications, the principle of surrogate decision making, and legal considerations; and communication skills that address the highly charged emotional issues under discussion. The most common pitfalls in establishing plans of care for patients who lack decision-making capacity include failure to reach a shared appreciation of the patient’s condition and prognosis; failure to apply the principle of substituted judgment; offering the choice between care and no care, rather than offering the choice between prolonging life and quality of life; too literal an interpretation of an isolated, out-of-context, patient statement made earlier in life; and failure to address the full range of end-of-life decisions from do-not-resuscitate orders to exclusive palliative care. (Copyright© 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians.) SA Fam Pract 2006;48(6): 24-29 Permission from the AAFP was granted to publish this article in the hardcopy only. Kindly refer to www.aafp.org or subscribe to the hardcopy of South African Family Practice.
Formal Specifications for a Document Management Assistant

The concept of a dynamic reasoning system (DRS) provides a general framework for modeling the reasoning processes of a mechanical agent, to the extent that those processes follow the rules of some well-defined logic. It amounts to an adaptation of the classical notion of a formal logical system that explicitly portrays reasoning as an activity that takes place in time. Inference rule applications occur in discrete time steps, and, at any given point in time, the derivation path comprises the agent’s belief set as of that time. Such systems may harbor inconsistencies, but these do not become known to the agent until a contradictory assertion appears in the derivation path. When this occurs one invokes a Doyle-like reason maintenance process to remove the inconsistency, in effect, disbelieving some assertions that were formerly believed. The notion of a DRS also includes an extralogical control mechanism that guides the reasoning process. This reflects the agent’s goal or purpose and is context dependent. This paper lays out the formal definition of a DRS and illustrates it with the case of ordinary first-order predicate calculus, together with a control mechanism suitable for reasoning about taxonomic classifications for documents in a library. As such, this particular DRS comprises formal specifications for an agent that serves as a document management assistant.
On the simulatability condition in key generation over a non-authenticated public channel

Simulatability condition is a fundamental concept in studying key generation over a non-authenticated public channel, in which Eve is active and can intercept, modify and falsify messages exchanged over the non-authenticated public channel. Using this condition, Maurer and Wolf showed a remarkable “all or nothing” result: if the simulatability condition does not hold, the key capacity over the non-authenticated public channel will be the same as that of the case with a passive Eve, while the key capacity over the non-authenticated channel will be zero if the simulatability condition holds. However, two questions remain open so far: 1) For a given joint probability mass function (PMF), are there efficient algorithms (polynomial complexity algorithms) for checking whether the simulatability condition holds or not?; and 2) If the simulatability condition holds, are there efficient algorithms for finding the corresponding attack strategy? In this paper, we answer these two open questions affirmatively. In particular, for a given joint PMF, we construct a linear programming (LP) problem and show that the simulatability condition holds if and only if the optimal value obtained from the constructed LP is zero. Furthermore, we construct another LP and show that the minimizer of the newly constructed LP is a valid attack strategy. Both LPs can be solved with a polynomial complexity.
Random-Turn Hex and Other Selection Games

The game of Hex has two players who take turns placing stones of their respective colors on the hexagons of a rhombus-shaped hexagonal grid. Black wins by completing a crossing between two opposite edges, while White wins by completing a crossing between the other pair of opposite edges. Although ordinary Hex is famously difficult to analyze, Random-Turn Hex–in which players toss a coin before each turn to decide who gets to place the next stone–has a simple optimal strategy. It belongs to a general class of random-turn games–called selection games–in which the expected payoff when both players play the random-turn game optimally is the same as when both players play randomly. We also describe the optimal strategy and study the expected length of the game under optimal play for Random-Turn Hex and several other selection games.
Designing performance: the semi-autonomous revenue authority model in Africa and Latin America

During the past decade, diverse developing countries have introduced radical reforms in their collection of taxes. In more than 15 countries, traditional tax departments have been granted the status of semiautonomous revenue authorities (ARAs), which are designed with a number of autonomy-enhancing features, including self-financing mechanisms, boards of directors with high-ranking public and private sector representatives, and sui generis personnel systems. The author addresses gaps in the public management and tax administration literatures by closely examining ARA reforms in Kenya, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Uganda, and Venezuela from their inception to the early 2000s. Using the comparative case study method, he tackles three questions. First, what has motivated the wave of ARA reforms over the past decade? The author argues that from a public management perspective, reformers intended to use autonomy to enhance bureaucratic performance in low-capacity public sectors. Second, is there a connection between autonomy and performance? Focusing on revenue collection, compliance management, taxpayer services, human resource management, and administrative costs, the author suggests that autonomy is associated with higher levels of performance. He also makes the case that higher levels of autonomy are associated with higher levels of performance. Third, if there is a connection between autonomy and performance, which specific design features matter most and why? In spite of the popularity of the ARA reform, there is no consensus on best practice in organizational design. The author offers hypotheses based on the cases about why certain designs work better than others, and makes specific recommendations for the next generation of ARA reforms.
High speed transfer switch with 50 kA and 50 kV ratings

The mechanical design and electrical parameters of a pneumatically operated transfer switch are given. This design is used to switch 3-s and 50-kA current pulses, and is easily capable of 75-kA operation (2*10/sup 10/ I/sup 2/t), with water-cooled versions capable of 20 kA continuously. Although the switch is not specifically designed to make or break 50 kA, it is provided with auxiliary Elkonite arcing contacts (which make first and break last). The arcing contacts have proven their value in protecting the main electrodes even under repetitive (50 kA) fault conditions. The results of extensive life testing and associated criteria are included. >
Anonymity-Proof Voting Rules

A (randomized, anonymous) voting rule maps any multiset of totalorders (aka. votes) over a fixed set of alternatives to aprobability distribution over these alternatives. A voting rule fis false-name-proof if no voter ever benefits from casting morethan one vote. It is anonymity-proof if it satisfies voluntaryparticipation and it is false-name-proof. We show that the class ofanonymity-proof neutral voting rules consists exactly of the rulesof the following form. With some probability k f ∈ [0,1], the rule chooses an alternativeuniformly at random. With probability 1 − k f ,the rule first draws a pair of alternatives uniformly at random. Ifevery vote prefers the same alternative between the two (and thereis at least one vote), then the rule chooses that alternative.Otherwise, the rule flips a fair coin to decide between the twoalternatives. We also show how the characterization changes ifgroup strategy-proofness is added as a requirement.
Noise and Interference Modeling

Noise and interference are inevitable realities of collecting data or taking measurements in the real world. In some cases, the noise level may be so insignificant as to allow the engineer to ignore its effects. However, this situation generally occurs only in very controlled circumstances, such as those in the laboratory or when signal powers are exceptionally large relative to the noise. Modeling these effects can range from being relatively straightforward to being rather difficult if not impossible. To assist in this endeavor, it is the purpose of this article to describe various methods of characterizing noise and interference signals and to elaborate on some of the most popular models in practice today. Keywords: noise; interference; Gaussian; nonGaussian; white noise; Middleton
Connections between lattice gauge theory and chiral perturbation theory

In this talk, I address the comparison between results from lattice QCD computations and Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT). I briefly discuss how ChPT can be adapted to the much-used quenched approximation and what it tells us about the special role of the η′ in the quenched theory. I then review lattice results for some quantities (the pion mass, pion scattering lengths and the K + → π+π0 matrix element) and what quenched ChPT has to say about them.
Study of coupled-bunch collective effects in the ALS

We present an overview of the calculated longitudinal and transverse coupled-bunch (CB) growth rates using the measured RF cavity higher order mode (HOM) impedance for the Advanced Light Source (ALS), a 1.5 GeV electron storage ring for producing synchrotron radiation. We also describe a visual method of representing the effective beam impedance and corresponding growth rates which is especially useful for understanding the dependence of growth rate on HOM frequency and Q, for determining the requirements of the CB feedback system, and for interpreting measured beam spectra. >