cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When Do First-Movers Have an Advantage? A Stackelberg Classroom Experiment.

ABSTRACTThe timing of moves can dramatically affect firm profits and market outcomes. When firms choose output quantities, there is a first-mover advantage, and when firms choose prices, there is a second-mover advantage. Students often find it difficult to understand the differences between these two situations. This classroom experiment simulates each scenario in a way that makes it easy for students to understand the theoretical reasons for the different possible outcomes. The authors have developed a two-firm classroom experiment where students first play a Stackelberg game in which firms sequentially choose production quantities and then a Stackelberg game in which firms sequentially choose prices. When choosing quantities, it is advantageous to move first, and when choosing prices, it is advantageous to wait.
U.S. Mortality Due to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, 1999–2014. Accidental and Intentional Deaths

Rationale: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning accounts for hundreds of deaths and thousands of emergency department visits in the United States annually. Development of initiatives to reduce CO mortality through poisoning prevention requires a comprehensive understanding of the condition.Objectives: To describe U.S. mortality from 1999 to 2014 due to CO poisoning from all sources except fires, to examine the epidemiology of accidental and intentional exposures, and to identify trends.Methods: The CDC WONDER database was used to extract and analyze data from the CDC’s Multiple Cause of Death 1999–2014 file. The file contains mortality data derived from all death certificates filed in the United States.Measurements and Main Results: Information on deaths, crude death rate, age-adjusted death rate, intent of exposure, and characteristics of exposures from CO poisoning was extracted. Total deaths by CO poisoning decreased from 1,967 in 1999 to 1,319 in 2014 (P < 0.001). Crude and adjusted death rates fell accordi...
Modeling Cyclic Deformation With the MATMOD-BSSOL Unified Constitutive Equations

The capability of the MATMOD family of unified constitutive equations to simulate cyclic deformation is demonstrated. The MATMOD approach to deformation modeling is reviewed and the most recent and complete model, MATMOD-BSSOL, is presented. This model is briefly described, emphasizing the blend of physics and phenomenology used to design terms in the equations that enable them to properly simulate cyclic deformation. Computer calculations using MATMOD-BSSOL are presented to demonstrate the ability of the MATMOD family of equations to model various cyclic deformation behaviors, including: directional strain softening, cyclic hardening, softening, and saturation. The physically realistic way in which the equations produce these behaviors is discussed. Finally, MATMOD is used to predict the stresses and strains ahead of a crack tip in a material subjected to variable temperature cyclic loading. This demonstrates the usefulness of MATMOD as a tool for solving complex structural problems.
It's Diverse If You're Liberal

Conservative and libertarian professors are becoming increasingly rare at colleges and universities, and this lack of intellectual diversity hampers the development of innovative solutions to the nation's problems.
Generic Initial Ideals

A very powerful technique in commutative algebra was introduced by Macaulay, who realized that studying the initial terms of elements of an ideal gives one great insight into the algebra and combinatorics of the ideal. The initial ideal depends on the choice of coordinates, but there is an object, the initial ideal in generic coordinates, which is coordinate-independent. Generic initial ideals appeared in the work of Grauert and Hironaka.
Restoring Pell Grants for Prisoners -- Growing Momentum for Reform

This chapter explores the growing momentum for reforming higher education in prison. Specifically, it focuses on advocacy efforts to restore Pell Grants for prisoners. The chapter begins with a brief history of the law that precluded prisoners from this source of funding and considers how the law affected higher education in prison. Next, it assesses whether the ban has brought any tangible benefit to the penal system or society. The uncertainties in this area are contrasted with the documented benefits of education in prison. Finally, the chapter examines recent advocacy efforts that have breathed new life into this issue. Taken wholly, the evidence suggests that the time is ripe for prisoners to have Pell eligibility restored. When the ban was enacted, there were voices decrying the move as a mistake, today, however, they are stronger, armed with better knowledge, and more determined than ever to create change.
Overeat today, skip the scale tomorrow: An examination of caloric intake predicting nonadherence to daily self-weighing.

Objective Daily self-weighing is an effective weight loss strategy. Little is known about “micro” factors influencing nonadherence to self-weighing (e.g., daily overeating). It was hypothesized that increased caloric intake on a given day would increase odds of not self-weighing the following day. Methods Daily self-reports of weight and caloric intake were collected from 74 adults with overweight and obesity (mean BMI = 31.2 ± 4.5 kg/m2, age = 50.6 ± 10 years, 69% female, 87% Caucasian) throughout a 12-week Internet-based weight management intervention. Multilevel logistic regression investigated odds of nonadherence to self-weighing on a given day based on the previous day's caloric intake. Results Self-monitoring adherence was high (weights: 87%; calories: 85%); adherence was associated with greater 12-week weight loss (weighing: r = −0.24, P = 0.04; calories: r = −0.26, P = 0.04). Increased caloric intake on a given day, relative to the individual's average intake, was associated with increased odds of nonadherence to self-weighing the next day (F(1,5106) = 12.66, P = 0.0004, β = 0.001). For example, following a day of eating 300 calories more than usual, odds of not self-weighing increased by 1.33. Conclusions Odds of nonadherence to self-weighing increased following a day with higher-than-usual caloric intake. Weight management interventions collecting daily self-monitoring data could provide support to participants who report increased caloric intake to prevent self-weighing nonadherence.
A Multialgorithm Reanalysis-Based Freezing-Precipitation Dataset for Climate Studies in the South-Central United States

AbstractFreezing precipitation, including freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and ice pellets, presents substantial hazards to transportation, energy, and infrastructure. Most quantitative climate-length (>30 years) datasets for freezing precipitation are obtained from in situ instrumentation, such as National Weather Service (NWS) automated observing systems or the NWS Cooperative Observer Program, that can be spatially and temporally inhomogeneous. This work investigates whether the 32-km North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) is a viable dataset for developing a comprehensive and high-resolution spatially gridded dataset for freezing precipitation and its associated meteorological environment, with a focus on the south-central United States. NARR includes categorical precipitation type as a variable; to permit a translatable method across other gridded multidimensional reanalyses, however, a multialgorithm approach is also used to extract environmental conditions, event counts, and liquid water equival...
A pilot trial of In vivo NRT sampling to increase medication adherence in community corrections smokers.

Abstract Background Individuals in the criminal justice system demonstrate high rates of cigarette use (70–80%) and low adherence to smoking cessation medication. Educational approaches have not been shown to promote adherence or cessation, though medication sampling has boosted both use and cessation. The objective of the present study was to determine whether In vivo nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) sampling approach increases NRT adherence among criminal justice smokers during a subsequent quit attempt. Methods We conducted a pilot study with 43 community corrections smokers randomized to a 4-session (one 30-min session per week) precessation intervention of either In vivo NRT sampling (Session 1: patch; Session 2: gum; Session 3: combination NRT (cNRT); Session 4: review) vs. 4 time-matched sessions of standard smoking cessation with cNRT started after Session 1. Both groups received an additional 8 weeks of cNRT following the four intervention sessions. Results During the in vivo administration of NRT, total withdrawal and craving severity significantly decreased from pre- to post-session compared to Control participants. In vivo participants evinced greater patch use at Session 4 and greater gum use through Week 8 relative to Controls. Discussion In vivo NRT sampling may increase NRT adherence relative to standard counseling sessions among criminal justice smokers. A larger trial of this novel intervention appears to be warranted.
MOBILE ROBOT LOCALIZATION BY CABLE-EXTENSION TRANSDUCERS

This paper discusses a novel technique for reference localization of a wheeled mobile robot (WMR) through the use of cable-extension transducers. The robot’s planar position is determined through triangulation of two transducers. However, restrictions on the orientation of the transducers require the use of pulleys in the overall system design, and these introduce nonlinearity into the equations governing the reference localization. The theoretical process by which Cartesian coordinates for the WMR are obtained is presented as are the computational aspects of the approach. Additionally, the uncertainty inherent to the linear transducer measurements is discussed.
Estimating the Elasticity of Intertemporal Substitution with Household-Specific Portfolios

This paper estimates the Elasticity of Intertemporal Substitution (EIS) using household actual return. The approach is motivated by numerous data sources indicate that the median US stockholder has a portfolio contains three to four individual stocks, rather than a diverse bundle. Thus, representing individual household portfolio by a proxy financial index (which is the common approach taken in the literature) may be too rough an approximation and lead to biased results about risk aversion and intertemporal substitution. Eschewing the financial index methodology, our results show support for the standard representative agent assumption that there is a high degree of homogeneity in the EIS across households with different wealth levels. Our findings have implications for models that assess the comovement between consumption and return on stocks.
Data Augmentation by Feature Space Profiling and Mining for Building Powerful Models with Very Little Data

Data are most crucial and essential building component for any data mining and AI applications exist. More significantly, deep learning approaches require massive datasets. We know that the theory and algorithms have been around for quite a while however the ability to process the right amounts of data brought us to the recent breakthroughs in the field. A challenge comes up in a case of a small dataset, comparing to the required training data required. However, mostly, getting this data are neither an easy nor a cheap task, many annotating services take advantage of the problem and charge for tagging data-sets campaigns, those could cost hundreds of dollars easily and yet with an uncertain quality. As the task of generalization at hand, we wondered how to exploit the minimal data we have and still have an AI system to learn well. In this paper, we overview methods for solving the problem and suggest solutions in order to overcome the challenge.
Respiratory rate measurements via Doppler radar for health monitoring applications

This paper presents experimental results for measuring respiratory rate using non-contact and low power system for health-monitoring applications. The system is based on a Doppler effect. A mechanical setup with controllable movement frequency and displacement was built to mimic the human chest movements while breathing. A Doppler radar system was used to measure the frequency of the proposed system. Three different antennas were used to study the effect of antenna radiation pattern, gain, and cross-polarization on the accuracy of the measurements. An error analysis was conducted for different frequencies and displacements. Results demonstrated that the antenna of a moderate directivity and gain values, and of the least cross-polarization components has higher accuracy compared to other proposed antennas. It can be concluded that with a good selection of antenna it is possible to measure respiratory rate with a small error using the proposed radar system.
Adding HRV biofeedback to psychotherapy increases heart rate variability and improves the treatment of major depressive disorder.

Abstract Heart rate variability (HRV) is a significant marker of health outcomes with decreased HRV predicting increased disease risk. HRV is decreased in major depressive disorder (MDD) but existing treatments for depression do not return heart rate variability to normal levels even with successful treatment of depression. Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) increases heart rate variability but no studies to date have examined whether combining HRVB with psychotherapy improves outcome in MDD treatment. The present study used a randomized controlled design to compare the effects of HRVB combined with psychotherapy on MDD relative to a psychotherapy treatment as usual group and to a non-depressed control group. The HRVB + psychotherapy group showed a larger increase in HRV and a larger decrease in depressive symptoms relative to the other groups over a six-week period, whereas the psychotherapy group only did not improve HRV. Results support the supplementation of psychotherapy with HRVB in the treatment of MDD.
Short-Term Repeatability of Insulin Resistance Indexes in Older Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Context The homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (TG/HDL-C) are insulin resistance indexes routinely used in clinical and population-based studies; however, their short-term repeatability is not well characterized. Objective To quantify the short-term repeatability of insulin resistance indexes and their analytes, consisting of fasting glucose and insulin for HOMA-IR and TG and HDL-C for TG/HDL-C. Design Prospective cohort study. Participants A total of 102 adults 68 to 88 years old without diabetes attended an initial examination and repeated examination (mean, 46 days; range, 28 to 102 days). Blood samples were collected, processed, shipped, and assayed following a standardized protocol. Main outcome measures Repeatability was quantified using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and within-person coefficient of variation (CV). Minimum detectable change (MDC95) and minimum detectable difference with 95% confidence (MDD95) were quantified. Results For HOMA-IR, insulin, and fasting glucose, the ICCs were 0.70, 0.68, and 0.70, respectively; their respective within-person CVs were 30.4%, 28.8%, and 5.6%. For TG/HDL-C, TG, and HDL-C, the ICCs were 0.80, 0.68, and 0.91, respectively; their respective within-person CVs were 23.0%, 20.6%, and 8.2%. The MDC95 was 2.3 for HOMA-IR and 1.4 for TG/HDL-C. The MDD95 for a sample of n = 100 was 0.8 for HOMA-IR and 0.6 for TG/HDL-C. Conclusions Short-term repeatability was fair to good for HOMA-IR and excellent for TG/HDL-C according to suggested benchmarks, reflecting the short-term variability of their analytes. These measurement properties can inform the use of these indexes in clinical and population-based studies.
Syntax, preference, and right attachment

The paper claims that the right attachment rules for phrases originally suggested by Frazier and Fodor are wrong, and that none of the subsequent patchings of the rules by syntactic methods have improved the situation. For each rule there are perfectly straightforward and indefinitely large classes of simple counterexamples. We then examine suggestions by Ford et al., Schubert and Hirst which are quasi-semantic in nature and which we consider ingenious but unsatisfactory. We offer a straightforward solution within the framework of preference semantics, and argue that the principal issue is not the type and nature of information required to get appropriate phrase attachments, but the issue of where to store the information and with what processes to apply it. We present a prolog implementation of a best first algorithm covering the data and contrast it with closely related ones, all of which are based on the preferences of nouns and prepositions, as well as verbs.
Radioautographic Studies of Protein Synthesis in Cells of the Seminiferous Epithelium

Because of the complex histological pattern of the spermatogenic cycle, it has been exceedingly difficult to ascertain the specific metabolic functions of the various cell types involved in mammalian spermatogenesis. In addition, very little is known about the metabolism of cells undergoing meiotic division and of the biochemical events associated with the transition from somatic mitosis to meiosis. However, the continuous nature of the spermatogenic cycle which begins with a stem cell spermatogonium and ends with the mature spermatid seems to be uniquely suited for a comparative study of the three main phases of growth, namely mitotic division, meiotic division and morphogenic differentiation. It would appear that this aspect of testicular biochemistry is of extreme importance since not only is meiosis the mechanism by which the diploid number of chromosomes is reduced to the haploid number of chromosomes found in the gametes, but the recombination of chromosomal segments during the crossing-over phase of meiosis provides for constant changing of the cell’s genotype.
Component integration for web based applications

We describe a component-based infrastructure for Web-based applications that reduces the need for custom integration. We assume that to construct an application, users will give a specification of three kinds of components: data source, business analysis, and visualization unit. From this specification, our infrastructure will generate the desired application. To support this vision, the infrastructure contains an intelligent component integration system that automates component retrieval, adaptation, and integration.
Remarks on Nonlinear Problems

Chern’s work has covered all branches of the tree of differential geometry, including problems of hard analysis. Differential equations arising in geometric problems are often nonlinear, and this talk will be an informal presentation of some of the techniques that are used in proving existence of solutions of global nonlinear problems: $$ F(u) = y $$ .
Tactical Considerations Leading to Surgical Treatment of Limbic Epilepsy

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses tactical considerations leading to surgical treatment of limbic epilepsy. The clinician or clinical neurophysiologist involved in the evaluation of patients with limbic epilepsy for appropriate surgical treatment is confronted with a variety of decisions that relate to a successful outcome. These decisions can be looked upon as a tactical problem leading to the solution of the individual patient's seizure disorder. The chapter describes the decisions involved in the evaluation of patients for possible surgical treatment. Olfactory or gustatory phenomena in the seizure history are particularly associated with structural lesions other than hippocampal sclerosis. Change in seizure patterns, the development of neurological signs, and the appearance of the traditional sign of increased intracranial pressure force the decision in the direction of surgical consideration. The most reliable and useful information is derived from the ictal recordings that can be technically facilitated using telemetry techniques. Information is obtained based on the interictal recordings, during clinical seizures, and in response to electrical stimulation of the depth sites.
Contact force between the tibial spine and medial femoral condyle: A biomechanical study.

Abstract Background Contact between the tibial spine and medial femoral condyle with internal tibial rotation (ITR) has been proposed as a factor for the development of osteochondritis dissecans lesions. We hypothesized that tibial spine contact force (CF) would increase significantly with applied internal tibial torque (IT). Methods A 20 mm diameter cylinder of bone encompassing the tibial spine was cored and attached to a load cell. The isolated bone cylinder included the tibial attachments of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and anterior horn of the lateral meniscus (AHLM). Eleven human cadaveric knees were flexed from 0°–50° under 200 N of tibiofemoral compression (TFC), without and with 2 N-m IT. Tests were repeated with the AHLM cut, and again with both AHLM and ACL cut, where the load cell recorded CF alone without contributions from any ligamentous attachments. Findings There were no significant differences in CF, ITR, or valgus tibial rotation (VTR) after sectioning the AHLM, without or with applied IT. With no tibial torque, mean CFs were less than 20 N throughout the flexion range. Addition of IT significantly increased 1) mean CF by 44.4 N(SD 15.8 N) at 0°(+240%) and 27.2 N(SD 5.0 N) at 20°(+675%), 2), mean ITR by 10.2°(SD 0.8°) at 0° flexion and 18.6°(SD 2.0°) at 20° flexion, and 3) mean VTR by 1.3°(SD 0.4°) at 0° flexion and 4.4°(SD 0.8°) at 20° flexion. Interpretation Our hypothesis was confirmed only between 0° and 20° of knee flexion, where the intercondylar separation distance is relatively small and the possibility of tibial spine contact with ITR is greater.
Evidence-Based Medicine: Common Misconceptions, Barriers, and Practical Solutions.

EBM is the integration of the best available evidence with clinical expertise and the individual patient's values, preferences, and unique circumstances. Despite the success of this approach, misconceptions and barriers remain.
Differences between the modified rankin scale and barthel index in measuring intracerebral hemorrhage recovery at 12 months. (P5.051)

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine differences in improvement of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients across commonly employed neurological assessments including the modified rankin scale (mRS) and the barthel index (BI) up to 12 months post-ICH. Background: The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and the Barthel Index (BI) are both commonly employed measures of recovery used in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients. While these measures have been utilized routinely between 3 to 6 months post-hemorrhage, few studies have examined the utility of these measures as long-term outcome assessments. Design/Methods: 139 patients diagnosed with ICH at Yale-New Haven Hospital were prospectively enrolled between July 1, 2014 and July 1, 2016. Patients were evaluated using the mRS and BI at discharge, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. Repeated measures parametric and non-parametric testing were conducted to examine improvement in measures over time. Results: Using the BI, there was significant improvement across time points (p = 0.005), with follow-up testing showing improvement between discharge and 3 months (p 0.05). Between individual time points, there was a significant improvement in mRS scores between discharge and 3 months (p = 0.004) as well as 6 months (p = 0.010). Conclusions: These results suggest functional improvement of ICH patients in activities of daily living through 1 year post-hemorrhage. While the mRS has a plateau effect in measuring recovery for this patient population between 3 and 6 months, the BI may be a more sensitive measure for assessing recovery up to 12 months. Disclosure: Dr. Sreekrishnan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Leasure has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhou has nothing to disclose. Dr. Greer has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Seminars in Neurology. Dr. Sheth has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity Current Treatment Options in Neurology. Dr. Sheth has received research support from Remedy Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
THE EFFICACY OF ONLINE HOMEWORK SYSTEMS IN INTRODUCTORY FINANCIAL AND MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING COURSES

We examine the efficacy of online homework systems (OHS) for 421 accounting students in the introductory financial and managerial accounting courses. The purpose of the paper is to extend prior research by examining OHS efficacy differences between the two introductory accounting courses and the impact that OHS have on knowledge retention. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was performed to test the research questions. The findings indicate that there is a positive performance difference on quizzes and the final exam for students using the paper/pencil method of completing homework versus an OHS. Performance differences are also greater in the managerial accounting course than in the financial accounting course. Further, our results suggest that knowledge retention is greater for students that use a paper/pencil method of completing homework than for students that use an OHS.
Spectral data completion for dual-source x-ray CT

In the context of x-ray CT, data completion is the process of augmenting truncated projection data to avoid artifacts during reconstruction. Data completion is commonly employed in dual-source CT where physical or hardware constraints limit the field of view covered by one of the two imaging chains. Practically, data completion is accomplished by extrapolating missing data based on the imaging chain with the full field of view, including some reweighting to approximate any spectral differences. While this approach works well in clinical applications, there are applications which would benefit from improved spectral estimation over the full field of view, including model-based iterative reconstruction, contrastenhanced abdominal imaging of large patients, and combined temporal and spectral imaging. Additionally, robust spectral data completion methods could provide an alternative to interior tomography for dose management in cardiac and spectral CT applications. To illustrate challenges with and potential machine-learning (ML) solutions for the spectral data completion problem, we present two realistic simulation experiments. A circular, cone-beam experiment disambiguates three contrast materials with dual-energy data and uses a generative network to inject 3D geometric information into a 2D, image-domain completion problem. A second clinical MDCT experiment uses a sophisticated variational network based on the split Bregman method and is structured to integrate directly into existing analytical reconstruction pipelines. While further work is required to establish performance limits and expectations, the results of both experiments strongly recommend the use of ML in spectral data completion problems.
Exploring anal self-examination as a screening tool for women at risk for anal cancer: awareness, interest, and barriers to behavioral uptake.

Anal cancer is the second most common human-papillomavirus-related cancer in women, with women also at an elevated risk of incidence relative to men. Anal self-examination (ASE) is an efficient way for women to screen between provider visits for potential anal masses. While studied in male populations, no research has explored women’s awareness of the self-test. In response, 345 women recruited from online advertisements and listservs were surveyed to assess their experiences using health care, history of Pap smears, knowledge of anal cancer, awareness and attitudes surrounding ASEs, and potential educational modalities to promote ASE enactment. Results indicated the sample failed two key anal cancer knowledge tests (receiving a 68%/100% for risk factors and 61%/100% for signs/symptoms), and only 2.3% of participants had ever heard of ASEs before the survey. Most thought ASEs would be somewhat helpful as a screening tool, but little interest was shown towards future performance. Analyses revealed this disinterest was due to lack of knowledge, perceived discomfort with performing ASEs, and perceived irrelevance of ASEs. Future interventions should push for a stronger role of providers (e.g., gynecologists) in anal health, education, and screening. Additionally, campaigns should be crafted to promote the ASE as an easy, at-home screening tool that could trigger an early warning for anal disease.
Research Impact Core: A Research Impact Initiative at the University of Michigan

AbstractInformationists at the Taubman Health Sciences Library, University of Michigan, formed a research impact consultation and education initiative in early 2017 to increase engagement with the ...
Trends in postrelapse survival in classic Hodgkin lymphoma patients after experiencing therapy failure following auto-HCT

Patients with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) who relapse after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) historically have had poor outcomes. We hypothesized that, post-auto-HCT relapse, overall survival (PR-OS) has improved in recent years as a result of more widespread use of novel therapies and allogeneic HCT (allo-HCT). We conducted a retrospective study in 4 US academic centers, evaluating 215 patients who underwent auto-HCT from 2005 to 2016 and relapsed thereafter. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts based on timing of auto-HCT, 2005 through 2010 (cohort 1; n = 118) and 2011 to 2016 (cohort 2; n = 97), to compare differences in clinical outcomes. The median age and disease status at auto-HCT were similar in cohorts 1 and 2. The proportions of patients who received brentuximab vedotin (Bv; 55% vs 69%; P = .07), checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs; 3% vs 36%; P ≤ .001), and allogeneic-HCT (22% vs 35%, P = .03) were significantly different between cohorts 1 and 2, respectively. At the 5-year follow-up after auto relapse, 32% and 50% of patients were alive in cohorts 1 and 2, respectively (P = .01). In multivariate analysis for PR-OS, cohort 1 vs 2 (hazard ratio [HR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-4.60; P = .01), age at auto-HCT (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.18-1.87; P ≤ .001), and time to relapse from auto-HCT (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.47-74; P ≤ .0001), retained independent prognostic significance for PR-OS. Our study supports the hypothesis that survival of cHL patients after auto-HCT failure has significantly improved in recent years, most likely because of incorporation of novel therapies and more widespread use of allo-HCT.
Scaling properties of fluctuations in the human electroencephalogram

The fluctuation properties of the human electroencephalogram time series are studied using detrended fluctuation analysis. For nearly all 128 channels in each of the 28 subjects studied, it is found that the standard deviation of the fluctuations exhibits scaling behaviors in two regions. Topographical plots of the scaling exponents reveal the spatial structure of the nonlinear electrical activities recorded on the scalp. Moment analyses are performed to summarize the global variability across channels. The correlation between the two scaling exponents in each channel is also examined. Two global measures are found that succinctly characterize the overall properties of the fluctuation behaviors of the brain dynamics for each subject. Together they distinguish the stroke subjects from the normal ones with 90% accuracy, suggesting the possibility that this analysis could lead to an effective diagnostic tool.
Transoral Stapling Technique for Zenker's Diverticulum

Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) is a rare disorder that has a reported annual incidence of about 2 cases per 100,000. It is a pulsion (false) diverticulum that develops in an area of natural anatomic weakness called Killian's triangle. This is located between the inferior pharyngeal constrictor and the cricopharyngeus muscles. The exact etiology and pathophysiology of ZD is not known. Cricopharyngeal discoordination, spasm, or hypertension have all been implicated as underlying mechanisms leading to herniation of the hypopharyngeal mucosa and submucosa and consequently the formation of a ZD. Gastroesophageal reflux has also been implicated as a potential underlying mechanism in the development of ZD. Patients typically will present with symptoms of oropharyngeal dysphagia, food regurgitation, and in severe cases aspiration pneumonia. Cricopharyngeal myotomy is the mainstay of surgical treatment of symptomatic ZD. The traditional surgical approach to ZD includes an open cervical cricopharyngeal myotomy. However, starting with Collard's initial report of endoscopic stapling in 1993, the endoscopic approach to ZD treatment has been popularized. Since then, increasing reports have described utilizing a variety of endoscopic techniques for management of ZD. Herein we present our current preferred endoscopic approach to treatment of ZD.
Partisanship as a Social Identity: Implications for Polarization

The claim that partisanship has developed into a social identity is one of the dominant explanations for the current rising levels of affective polarization among the U.S. electorate. We provide evidence that partisanship functions as a social identity, but that the salience of partisan identity—in and of itself—does not account for increased affective polarization. Using a two-wave panel survey capturing natural variation in the salience of politics, we find that partisanship contributes more to individuals’ self-concept in times of heightened political salience. We also show that partisans can be detached from their Democratic or Republican identity by having them focus on individuating characteristics (by way of a self-affirmation treatment). However, we find only limited evidence that when partisan social identity is made less salient, either by way of natural variation in political context or through a self-affirmation treatment, partisans are any less inclined to express in-party favoritism and out-party hostility. Taken together, our evidence shows that partisanship does operate as an important social identity, but that affective polarization is likely attributable to more than the classic in-group versus out-group distinction.
Quality-based registration refinement of airborne LiDAR and photogrammetric point clouds

Abstract A big challenge in geodata processing is the seamless and accurate integration of airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and photogrammetric point clouds performed by properly considering their high variations in resolution and precision. In this paper we propose a new approach to co-register airborne point clouds acquired by LiDAR sensors and photogrammetric algorithms, assuming that only dense point clouds from both mapping methods are available, without LiDAR raw data nor flight trajectories. First, semantically segmented point clouds are quality-wise evaluated by assigning sensor-specific quality features to each 3D point. Then, these quality features are aggregated in order to assign a score to each 3D point based on its quality. Finally, using a voxel-based structure, a filtering step is performed to select only the best points used for the registration refinement. We assess the performance of the proposed method on two different case studies to demonstrate its advantages compared to a traditional ICP-based approach. The code of the implemented method is available at https://github.com/3DOM-FBK/HyRe .
The establishment of real time simulation platform of AC / DC system based on power electronic transformer

This paper presents a real-time simulation platform of a AC/DC hybrid system using embedded simulators as kernel components, where the power electronic transformer (PET) is established by VHDL to break through the limitation of maximum emulatable switches in MATLAB/Simulink. Other components in the hybrid system including DC/DC converter, DC/AC converter and renewable generation units are simulated on CPU computing units. High-speed communication interface is used to ensure microsecond-level simulation step. Hardware-In-The-Loop (HIL) tests are taken to validate the proposed simulation platform.
Reconfiguring Chain-Type Modular Robots Based on the Carpenter’s Rule Theorem

Reconfiguring chain-type modular robots has been considered a difficult problem scaling poorly with increasing numbers of modules. We address the reconfiguration problem for robots in 2D by presenting centralized and decentralized algorithms based on the Carpenter’s Rule Theorem [4]. The theorem guarantees the existence of instantaneous collision-free unfolding motions which monotonically increase the distance between all joint pairs until an open chain is straightened or a closed chain is convexified. The motions can be found by solving a convex program. Compared to the centralized version, the decentralized algorithm utilizes local proximity sensing and limited communications between subsets of nearby modules. Because the decentralized version reduces the number of joint pairs considered in each convex optimization, it is a practical solution for large number of modules.
The Intelligent City Operations Centre: An Integrated Platform for Crisis Management

Emergency and disaster management – collectively referred to here as crisis management – have traditionally been practised as distinct and separate disciplines. In recent years, however, it has been recognised that crisis management is a complex, multi-disciplinary problem that requires continuous collaboration among all stakeholders in order to be effective. At the same time, technologies have emerged that can support cross-disciplinary approaches to crisis management. This paper describes the essential components of the ‘city crisis management problem’, and then maps the people, process and technology requirements that emerge from this problem description. The intent is to identify the critical success factors by establishing clear linkages between the problem requirements, the solution space and crisis management best practices. The paper also describes an embodiment of the Intelligent City Operations Centre concept, an ICT platform that can be specifically configured to address these requirements in developing countries.
Spreadsheet-Based Simulation Models for Decision Support: Case of Strategic Pairings in Sport Tournaments with Match Play for Team Competition

In sport tournaments where teams compete in match play format, the pairing of players in matches is critical to the final outcomes. This paper presents simulation models using only commonplace spreadsheet software to analyze and compare strategies in such pairings based on actual or estimated performance of individual players. The approach can be a useful decision support tool for captains and coaches of competing teams in collegiate conferences, club leagues, or international sport tournaments.
A bootstrapping architecture for integration of relational databases to the semantic web

The vision of the Semantic Web is to create a web of data with well-defined meaning. Most data in the current web is managed by relational databases. Thus, it is imperative for the Semantic Web community to offer easily implemented solutions to bridging relational database content and RDF. Direct mappings means to use the SQL schema to create an OWL ontology and use it to represent the data in RDF. Direct mapping methods have an advantage that they are, intrinsically, automated. If a SQL-schema was created using contemporary model-driven software engineering tools, the resulting OWL ontology can be semantically rich. However, few SQL databases are so developed and therefore semantically weak. We suggest that direct-mapping methods can be integrated by a refinement process. We propose a two step bootstrapping architecture of integrating relational databases with the Semantic Web by first generating a "database-derived putative ontology" and second, refining the putative ontology with a domain ontology and database individuals.
New results for random walk learning

In a very strong positive result for passive learning algorithms, Bshouty et al. showed that DNF expressions are efficiently learnable in the uniform random walk model. It is natural to ask whether the more expressive class of thresholds of parities (TOP) can also be learned efficiently in this model, since both DNF and TOP are efficiently uniform-learnable from queries. However, the time bounds of the algorithms of Bshouty et al. are exponential for TOP. We present a new approach to weak parity learning that leads to quasi-efficient uniform random walk learnability of TOP. We also introduce a more general random walk model and give two positive results in this new model: DNF is efficiently learnable and juntas are efficiently agnostically learnable.
Statistical Algorithms and a Lower Bound for Planted Clique.

We develop a framework for proving lower bounds on computational problems over distributions, including optimization and unsupervised learning. Our framework is based on defining a restricted class of algorithms, called statistical algorithms, that instead of accessing samples from the input distribution can only obtain an estimate of the expectation of any given function on a sample drawn randomly from the input distribution. Our definition captures many natural algorithms used in theory and practice, e.g. moments-based methods, local search, MCMC and simulated annealing. Our techniques are inspired by (and generalize) the statistical query model in learning theory, which captures the complexity of PAC learning using essentially all known learning methods [Kearns, 1998]. For specific well-known problems over distributions, we give lower bounds on the complexity of any statistical algorithm. These include an exponential lower bounds for moment maximization in R, and a nearly optimal lower bound for detecting planted clique distributions when the planted clique has size O(n1/2−δ) for any constant δ > 0. Variants of the latter problem have been assumed to be hard to prove hardness for other problems and for cryptographic applications. Our lower bounds provide concrete evidence supporting these assumptions. ∗This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #1019343 to the Computing Research Association for the CIFellows Project. †Research supported in part by NSF awards AF-0915903 and AF-0910584. ‡Research supported by a Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship. ISSN 1433-8092 Electronic Colloquium on Computational Complexity, Report No. 64 (2012)
Computing large and small stable models

In this paper, we focus on the problem of existence and computing of small and large stable models. We show that for every fixed integer k, there is a linear-time algorithm to decide the problem LSM (large stable models problem): does a logic program P have a stable model of size at least ∣P∣−k? In contrast, we show that the problem SSM (small stable models problem) to decide whether a logic program P has a stable model of size at most k is much harder. We present two algorithms for this problem but their running time is given by polynomials of order depending on k. We show that the problem SSM is fixed-parameter intractable by demonstrating that it is W[2]-hard. This result implies that it is unlikely an algorithm exists to compute stable models of size at most k that would run in time O(mc), where m is the size of the program and c is a constant independent of k. We also provide an upper bound on the fixed-parameter complexity of the problem SSM by showing that it belongs to the class W[3].
Core-Periphery Models for Graphs Based on their δ-Hyperbolicity: An Example Using Biological Networks

Hyperbolicity is a global property of graphs that measures how close their structures are to trees in terms of their distances. It embeds multiple properties that facilitate solving several problems that found to be hard in the general graph form. In this paper, we investigate the hyperbolicity of graphs not only by considering Gromov’s notion of δ-hyperbolicity but also by analyzing its relationship to other graph’s parameters. This new perspective allows us to classify graphs with respect to their hyperbolicity, and to show that many biological networks are hyperbolic. Then we introduce the eccentricity-based bending property which we exploit to identify the core vertices of a graph by proposing two models: the Maximum-Peak model and the Minimum Cover Set model.
The inexact and separate science of economics

List of figures Introduction Part I. Introduction, Structure and Strategy: 1. Rationality and utility theory 2. Demand and consumer choice 3. The theory of the firm and general equilibrium 4. Equilibrium theory and economic welfare 5. Models and theories in economics 6. The structure and strategy of economics 7. Overlapping generations: a case study Part II. Theory Assessment: 8. Inexactness in economic theory 9. Methodological revolution 10. Karl Popper and falsificationism in economics 11. Imre Lakatos and economic methodology 12. Economics as an inexact and separate science 13. On dogmatism in economics: the case of preference reversals Part III. Conclusion: 14. Economic methodology 15 Conclusions Appendix: an introduction to philosophy of science Bibliography Index.
Fiscal decentralization and macroeconomic governance

The purpose of this paper is to address a central question in fiscal federalism whether or not fiscal decentralization implies serious risks for fiscal discipline and macroeconomic management for the nation as a whole. This paper addresses this important issue by drawing upon the existing evidence regarding macro management and fiscal institutions in federal and unitary countries. This is supplemented by cross country regression analysis plus the analysis of two case studies: the Brazilian federation and the unitary regime in China. The main conclusion of the paper is that decentralized fiscal systems offer a greater potential for improved macroeconomic governance than centralized fiscal regimes. This is because the challenges posed by fiscal decentralization are recognized and they shape the design of counter-veiling institutions in federal countries to overcome adverse incentives associated with incomplete contracts or the “common property” resource management problems or with rent seeking behaviors.
Banks' Acquisition of Private Information about Financial Misreporting

ABSTRACT: This study investigates whether banks respond to financial misreporting as the borrowing firms release misstated financial reports, i.e., in the misreporting period. Drawing upon finance theory that recognizes banks' superior information access and processing abilities, this study predicts and finds that banks adjust loan contract terms in response to the ongoing misreporting. Compared with loans issued in the prior period, loans issued in the misreporting period have higher interest spread, are more likely to be secured by collateral, and have more restrictive covenants. Further analyses show that banks acquire indirect, rather than direct, information about the misreporting and that they do not fully adjust loan pricing until after the restatement announcement. Together, these findings suggest that banks make timely, but insufficient, adjustments during the misreporting period. Nevertheless, banks' early reactions appear to be unique, as equity investors do not respond to the ongoing misreport...