cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coordination of marketing and production for price and leadtime decisions

We study a firm which serves customers that are sensitive to quoted price and leadtime, with pricing and leadtime decisions being made by the marketing and production departments, respectively. We analyze the inefficiencies created by the decentralization of the price and leadtime decisions. In the decentralized setting, the total demand generated is larger, leadtimes are longer, quoted prices are lower, and the firm's profits are lower as compared to the centralized setting. We show that coordination can be achieved using a transfer price contract with bonus payments. We also provide insights on the sensitivity of the optimal decisions with respect to market characteristics, sequence of decisions and the firm's capacity level.
MEASUREMENTS OF ANISOTROPIC ION TEMPERATURES, NON-THERMAL VELOCITIES, AND DOPPLER SHIFTS IN A CORONAL HOLE

We present a new diagnostic allowing one to measure the anisotropy of ion temperatures and non-thermal velocities, as well as Doppler shifts with respect to the ambient magnetic field. This method provides new results, as well as an independent test for previous measurements obtained with other techniques. Our spectral data come from observations of a low-latitude, on-disk coronal hole. A potential field source surface model was used to calculate the angle between the magnetic field lines and the line of sight for each spatial bin of the observation. A fit was performed to determine the line widths and Doppler shifts parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. For each line width component we derived ion temperatures T i, ⊥ and T i, ∥ and non-thermal velocities v nt, ⊥ and v nt, ∥. T i, ⊥ was cooler than off-limb polar coronal hole measurements, suggesting increasing collisional cooling with decreasing height. T i, ∥ is consistent with a uniform temperature of (1.8 ± 0.2) × 106 K for each ion. Since parallel ion heating is expected to be weak, this ion temperature should reflect the proton temperature. A comparison between our results and others implies a large proton temperature gradient around 1.02 R ☉. The non-thermal velocities are thought to be proportional to the amplitudes of various waves. Our results for v nt, ⊥ agree with Alfven wave amplitudes inferred from off-limb polar coronal hole line width measurements. Our v nt, ∥ results are consistent with slow magnetosonic wave amplitudes inferred from Fourier analysis of time-varying intensity fluctuations. Doppler shift measurements yield outflows of 5 km s–1 for ions formed over a broad temperature range. This differs from other studies that found a strong Doppler shift dependence on formation temperature.
Finiteness properties for a subgroup of the pure symmetric automorphism group

Abstract Let F n be the free group on n generators, and let P Σ n be the group of automorphisms of F n that send each generator to a conjugate of itself. The kernel K n of the homomorphism P Σ n → P Σ n − 1 , induced by mapping one of the free group generators to the identity, is finitely generated. We show that K n has cohomological dimension n − 1 , and that H i ( K n ; Z ) is not finitely generated for 2 ⩽ i ⩽ n − 1 . It follows that K n is not finitely presentable for n ⩾ 3 .
An Investigation of Competitive Preference Structures and Posterior Performance Through a Bayesian Decision-Theoretic Approach

In this paper we analyze competitive decision-making situations in terms of their preference structures and posterior performance, through a Bayesian decision-theoretic framework. The setting is that of a two-by-two, two-person, non-zero-sum and noncooperative game which is repeated over time. The dynamic behavior of the competitors for different classes of games, as identified by their preference structures, is examined and a classification scheme is proposed for the purpose of unification. The competitors' dynamic behavior and posterior performance for some general classes of games is then derived, and the relationship to the results implied from game-theoretic considerations is discussed. Illustrative examples are given, too.
Optimal assembly for high throughput shotgun sequencing

We present a framework for the design of optimal assembly algorithms for shotgun sequencing under the criterion of complete reconstruction. We derive a lower bound on the read length and the coverage depth required for reconstruction in terms of the repeat statistics of the genome. Building on earlier works, we design a de Brujin graph based assembly algorithm which can achieve very close to the lower bound for repeat statistics of a wide range of sequenced genomes, including the GAGE datasets. The results are based on a set of necessary and sufficient conditions on the DNA sequence and the reads for reconstruction. The conditions can be viewed as the shotgun sequencing analogue of Ukkonen-Pevzner's necessary and sufficient conditions for Sequencing by Hybridization.
The living state

As biologists we can contribute to quantum chemistry only by clearing up the mechanism of some of the biological processes, thereby opening the way to their quantum chemical analysis. We have tried to do this by isolating and identifying the central catalysts of those processes. One of us (A.S.-G.) studied biological oxidations first in the plants that turn dark on exposure to air such as potatoes, apples and pears. He found the central catalyst of these oxidations to be a catechol derivative that oxidized to o-diquinol which forms dark complexes with protein. After this, he turned to the oxidation of plants that do not turn dark and identified two catalysts, one of which was ascorbic acid, the other succinic acid. His third problem was the generation of motion, the function of muscle. This study led to the discovery of a new protein, which he discovered with I. Banga at the University of Szeged, Hungary. They called it “actin” because it made the inactive myosin act to contract. This discovery has an unu...
Investment-specific technological change, skill accumulation, and wage inequality

Abstract Wage inequality between education groups in the United States has increased substantially since the early 1980s. The relative number of college-educated workers has also increased dramatically in the postwar period. This paper presents a unified framework where the dynamics of both skill accumulation and wage inequality arise as an equilibrium outcome driven by measured investment-specific technological change. Working through equipment–skill complementarity and endogenous skill accumulation, the model does well in capturing the steady growth in the relative quantity of skilled labor during the postwar period and the substantial rise in wage inequality after the early 1980s. Based on the calibrated model, we examine the quantitative effects of some hypothetical tax-policy reforms on skill accumulation, wage inequality, and welfare.
Molecular Thermodynamics for Chemical Process Design

Thermodynamic properties are essential for quantitative process design to produce chemical products. Caloric properties are required for heat balances, but these properties are usually available or estimated easily. More important—and often much more difficult to estimate—are the chemical potentials of components in mixtures; it is these potentials which determine phase equilibria, as required for separation operations, and chemical equilibria, as required for chemical reactors and for separation operations based on chemical reactions. Molecular thermodynamics is an engineering-oriented science for calculating the desired chemical potentials from a minimum of experimental data. This applied science, based on classical and statistical thermodynamics, yields chemical potentials through models that are based on molecular physics and physical chemistry. Selected examples are cited to illustrate the applicability of molecular thermodynamics: group-contribution methods for obtaining chemical potentials in highly nonideal mixtures as required for distillation-column and process-safety design; equation of state for precipitation of uniform-sized crystals from supercritical fluids; molecular-orbital calculations to guide process development for alternatives to environmentally dangerous chlorofluorohydrocarbons; molecular-simulation calculations for separation of gas mixtures with porous adsorbents; equilibria in two-phase aqueous systems for separation of protein mixtures; and, finally, extended polymer-solution thermodynamics to guide synthesis of hydrogels suitable for protein recovery from soybeans and for novel drug-delivery devices.
KNOWLEDGE, APPLICATION AND ADOPTION OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY CATTLE FARMERS UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM - A SEQUENTIAL ANALYSIS

This study examines Louisiana farmers’ awareness of EQIP and their subsequent adoption of best management practices (BMPs) using a sequential logit model. Results indicate that farmers likely to be aware of EQIP and eventually adopt BMPs under the program were mainly those who had been in contact with NRCS officials.
Faith-Based Charter Schools: An Idea Whose Time Is Unlikely to Come.

Simply stated, the efforts of their supporters notwithstanding,1 it is unlikely that faith-based charter schools,2 which are opening as the number of religiously affi liated nonpublic schools declines,3 can survive judicial scrutiny. Moreover, even if religious charter schools, whether Catholic,4 Christian,5 Jewish,6 or Muslim,7 can withstand challenges in federal courts,8 it is likely that they would be struck down in state courts due to signifi cant state constitutional restrictions9 forbidding aid to religious institutions. Further, overlapping statutory limits typically prevent religious entities from operating charter schools,10 require that they be nonsectarian in nature,11 and/or restrict them to operating in nonsectarian manners.12 As an initial matter, it is important to note that the charter school movement, which began in 1991 in Minnesota,13 has spread to 40 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.14 Charter schools, which are public schools of choice, are typically operated as not-for-profi t organizations, essentially functioning as independent districts consisting of single schools, by private groups including parents either independently or occasionally in conjunction with public institutions such as universities. In return for being exempted from many state regulations, charter schools are accountable for the academic achievement of their students. While charters vary in duration, they typically range from 3 to 5 years in length.15 When contracts expire, depending on state law, charters can be renewed or terminated. Charter schools, although free from many state rules with regard to staff and curricular issues, remain subject to federal and state antidiscrimination laws such as those dealing with students with disabilities and employment. In addition, charter schools typically cannot be operated by religious groups.16
A phenomenological theory of nonphotochemical laser induced nucleation

We present a theory of electric field driven phase transitions that occur via nucleation of needle-shaped, metallic particles. The predictions of this theory have much in common with the observations related to nonphotochemical laser induced nucleation (NPLIN). That connection is rather paradoxical because the final NPLIN products are dielectric crystals. By elaborating on the unique features of field induced transitions and the complexities of liquid systems, we discuss how our theory may provide some insight into the open question of the NPLIN mechanism. A qualitative description of the post nucleation stage and conjectures about the microscopic nature of the metallic particles in liquids are also provided.
Systematic Political Grass–Root Support for Tariffs

The leading political–economy–of–trade models are virtually silent on two fundamental questions raised by Rodrik in 1995. Why are trade policies systematically biased against trade? And why are tariffs rather than more efficient production subsidies adopted to redistribute income? This paper shows that systematic political grass–root support for trade–restricting and inefficient tariffs emerges when the government has a revenue goal and collecting taxes is costly. Even if no tax instrument enjoys an advantage with respect to collection costs and the factor ownership distribution is unbiased, more people support tariffs than import or production subsidies. More generally, the presence of tax–collection costs creates a grass–root support bias for taxes over subsidies as instruments to redistribute income.
Earth-abundant hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts

Splitting water to hydrogen and oxygen is a promising approach for storing energy from intermittent renewables, such as solar power. Efficient, scalable solar-driven electrolysis devices require active electrocatalysts made from earth-abundant elements. In this mini-review, we discuss recent investigations of homogeneous and heterogeneous hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts, with emphasis on our own work on cobalt and iron complexes and nickel-molybdenum alloys.
Can programming be liberated from the von Neumann style?: a functional style and its algebra of programs

Conventional programming languages are growing ever more enormous, but not stronger. Inherent defects at the most basic level cause them to be both fat and weak: their primitive word-at-a-time style of programming inherited from their common ancestor—the von Neumann computer, their close coupling of semantics to state transitions, their division of programming into a world of expressions and a world of statements, their inability to effectively use powerful combining forms for building new programs from existing ones, and their lack of useful mathematical properties for reasoning about programs.An alternative functional style of programming is founded on the use of combining forms for creating programs. Functional programs deal with structured data, are often nonrepetitive and nonrecursive, are hierarchically constructed, do not name their arguments, and do not require the complex machinery of procedure declarations to become generally applicable. Combining forms can use high level programs to build still higher level ones in a style not possible in conventional languages.Associated with the functional style of programming is an algebra of programs whose variables range over programs and whose operations are combining forms. This algebra can be used to transform programs and to solve equations whose “unknowns” are programs in much the same way one transforms equations in high school algebra. These transformations are given by algebraic laws and are carried out in the same language in which programs are written. Combining forms are chosen not only for their programming power but also for the power of their associated algebraic laws. General theorems of the algebra give the detailed behavior and termination conditions for large classes of programs.A new class of computing systems uses the functional programming style both in its programming language and in its state transition rules. Unlike von Neumann languages, these systems have semantics loosely coupled to states—only one state transition occurs per major computation.
Counterflow measurements in GaAs hole bilayers: Possible evidence for excitonic condensation

We study interacting GaAs bilayer hole systems, with very small interlayer tunneling, in a counterflow geometry where equal currents are passed in opposite directions in the two, independently contacted layers. In the quantum Hall state at total bilayer filling ν=1 both the longitudinal and Hall counterflow resistances tend to vanish in the limit of zero temperature. This observation demonstrates the pairing of oppositely charged carriers in opposite layers (excitons), and implies that the ground state of the system is an excitonic condensate.
The Practice of Pulse Processing

The analysis of data from X-ray microcalorimeters requires great care; their excellent intrinsic energy resolution cannot usually be achieved in practice without a statistically near-optimal pulse analysis and corrections for important systematic errors. We describe the essential parts of a pulse-analysis pipeline for data from X-ray microcalorimeters, including steps taken to reduce systematic gain variation and the unwelcome dependence of filtered pulse heights on the exact pulse-arrival time. We find these steps collectively to be essential tools for getting the best results from a microcalorimeter-based X-ray spectrometer.
Identification of cytotoxic, T-cell-selective 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones.

Abstract A family of 1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-diones (BZDs) has been synthesized and evaluated against transformed B- and T-cells for lymphotoxic members. A large aromatic group on the C3 position is critical for cytotoxicity. When the C3 moiety contains an electron-rich heterocycle, the resulting BZDs have sub-micromolar potency and are selective for T-cells. Cell death is consistent with apoptosis and does not result from inhibition of the mitochondrial F o F 1 -ATPase, which is the molecular target of recently reported cytotoxic 1,4-benzodiazepines. Collectively, these studies begin to characterize some of the structural elements required for the activity of a novel family of T-cell-selective lymphotoxic agents.
Narrative complexity based on summarization algorithms

Narrative structures can only be defined in terms of some internal memory representation, but narrative complexity is more properly characterized by information processing requirements. Story grammars, plan and goal hierarchies, and causal chain representations all provide a sense of structure which is largely removed from the processes that produce or access that memory representation. In this paper we introduce the notion of algorithmic equivalence as a means of generating more algorithmically-oriented taxonomies for memory representations. Using memory representations based on plot units, we define two narratives to be algorithmically equivalent if they can be effectively summarized by the same retrieval process. This perspective on representational strategies is an especially natural one from a processing point of view, since the computational complexity of a particular information processing task must be measured in terms of the algorithms involved.
Rate of growth of fatigue cracks calculated from the theory of infinitesimal dislocations distributed on a plane

The Bilby, Cottrell and Swinden crack theory is applied to the problem of the growth of fatigue cracks. It is found that if a total critical displacement is adopted as the fracture criterion. the theory leads to observed growth laws.
A Compact Human-Powered Energy Harvesting System

This paper presents a fully functional, self-sufficient body-worn energy harvesting system for passively capturing energy from human motion, with the long-term vision of supplying power to portable, wearable, or even implanted electronic devices. The system requires no external power supplies and can bootstrap from zero-state-of-charge to generate electrical energy from walking, jogging and cycling; convert the induced ac voltage to a dc voltage; and then boost and regulate the dc voltage to charge a Li-ion-polymer battery. Tested under normal human activities (walking, jogging, cycling) when worn on different parts of the body, the 70 cm3 system is shown to charge a 3.7 V rechargeable battery at charge rates ranging from 33 μW to 234 μW.
A cost-benefit framework for online management of a metacomputing system

Abstract Managing a large collection of networked machines, with a series of incoming jobs, requires that the jobs be assigned to machines wisely. A new approach to this problem is presented, inspired by economic principles: the Cost–Benefit framework. This framework simplifies complex assignment and admission control decisions, and performs well in practice. We demonstrate this framework in the context of an Internet-wide market for computational services and verify its utility for a classic network of workstations.
A combinatorial approach to cartograms

Abstract A homeomorphism from R 2 to itself distorts metric quantities, such as distance and area. We describe an algorithm that constructs homeomorphisms with prescribed area distortion. Such homeomorphisms can be used to generate cartograms, which are geographic maps purposely distorted so their area distributions reflects a variable different from area, as for example population density. The algorithm generates the homeomorphism through a sequence of local piecewise linear homeomorphic changes. Sample results produced by the preliminary implementation of the method are included.
RECENT ADVANCES IN ELECTRON-TRANSFER REACTIONS

Publisher Summary The field of electron-transfer chemistry is presently in a stage of rapid growth and diversification. This chapter aims to sketch aspects of present areas of research activity, using the presentations at the three conferences (2002 Dalton Discussion meeting in Kloster Banz and the 2001 and 1999 Gordon Research Conferences on Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms in Ventura) as a guide to significant recent advances. The chapter discusses experimental studies of single-electron transfer at dinuclear transition-metal complexes, across electrode interfaces, between and within metalloproteins, to main-group radicals, and between organic and inorganic molecules. In parallel with these experimental studies, theoretical studies are preceding apace, with notable advances in the understanding of outer sphere electron-transfer and two-electron transfer. Another notable trend has been the increasing technical sophistication in the field of molecules and mechanisms. Techniques with increasingly improved time resolution, reaction conditions that are increasingly demanding of control, and calculations that require greater computational power are hallmarks of these studies.
A singular integral approach to a two phase free boundary problem

We present an alternative proof of a result of Kenig and Toro, which states that if $\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ is a two sided NTA domain, with Ahlfors-David regular boundary, and the $\log$ of the Poisson kernel associated to $\Omega$ as well as the $\log$ of the Poisson kernel associated to ${\Omega_{\rm ext}}$ are in VMO, then the outer unit normal $\nu$ is in VMO . Our proof exploits the usual jump relation formula for the non-tangential limit of the gradient of the single layer potential. We are also able to relax the assumptions of Kenig and Toro in the case that the pole for the Poisson kernel is finite: in this case, we assume only that $\partial\Omega$ is uniformly rectifiable, and that $\partial\Omega$ coincides with the measure theoretic boundary of $\Omega$ a.e. with respect to Hausdorff $H^n$ measure.
Does constitutionalizing economic and social rights promote their fulfillment

ABSTRACTThis article explores whether constitutional provisions promote fulfillment of economic and social rights. This is accomplished by combining unique data on both enforceable law and directive principles with the Social and Economic Rights Fulfillment Index (SERF Index), which measures government fulfillment of such rights. The results indicate that there is a positive and significant correlation between enforceable law provisions and the right to health and education components of the SERF Index. The strongest relationship appears to be for the right to health component where the inclusion of an enforceable law provision on economic and social rights in the constitution is correlated with an increase in the health component by 9.55, or 13.0%, on average. These results support the idea that constitutional provisions may be one way to improve economic and social rights outcomes.
Behavior of neutral particles under charge conjugation

Some properties are discussed of the ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{0}$, a heavy boson that is known to decay by the process ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}+{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. According to certain schemes proposed for the interpretation of hyperons and $K$ particles, the ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{0}$ possesses an antiparticle ${\overline{\ensuremath{\theta}}}^{0}$ distinct from itself. Some theoretical implications of this situation are discussed with special reference to charge conjugation invariance. The application of such invariance in familiar instances is surveyed in Sec. I. It is then shown in Sec. II that, within the framework of the tentative schemes under consideration, the ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{0}$ must be considered as a "particle mixture" exhibiting two distinct lifetimes, that each lifetime is associated with a different set of decay modes, and that no more than half of all ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{0}'\mathrm{s}$ undergo the familiar decay into two pions. Some experimental consequences of this picture are mentioned.
Identifying Student Difficulties with Entropy, Heat Engines, and the Carnot Cycle

Written tasks and videorecorded classroom observations reveal difficulties with entropy in the context of heat engines.
Relative Entropy Relaxations for Signomial Optimization

Signomial programs (SPs) are optimization problems specified in terms of signomials, which are weighted sums of exponentials composed with linear functionals of a decision variable. SPs are nonconvex optimization problems in general, and families of NP-hard problems can be reduced to SPs. In this paper we describe a hierarchy of convex relaxations to obtain successively tighter lower bounds of the optimal value of SPs. This sequence of lower bounds is computed by solving increasingly larger-sized relative entropy optimization problems, which are convex programs specified in terms of linear and relative entropy functions. Our approach relies crucially on the observation that the relative entropy function, by virtue of its joint convexity with respect to both arguments, provides a convex parametrization of certain sets of globally nonnegative signomials with efficiently computable nonnegativity certificates via the arithmetic-geometric-mean inequality. By appealing to representation theorems from real algeb...
Are international R&D spillovers trade-related?: Analyzing spillovers among randomly matched trade partners

Abstract In this paper, I analyze recent findings by Coe and Helpman (1995) on trade-related international R&D spillovers. A Monte-Carlo-based robustness test is proposed which compares the elasticity of domestic productivity with respect to foreign R&D estimated by Coe and Helpman with an elasticity which is based on counterfactual international trade patterns. It is shown that also these, randomly created trade patterns give rise to positive international R&D spillover estimates, which are often larger, and explain more of the variation in productivity across countries than if `true' bilateral trade patterns are employed. The finding casts doubt on the claim that patterns of international trade are important in driving R&D spillovers.
Filtrated Spectral Algebraic Subspace Clustering

Algebraic Subspace Clustering (ASC) is a simple and elegant method based on polynomial fitting and differentiation for clustering noiseless data drawn from an arbitrary union of subspaces. In practice, however, ASC is limited to equi-dimensional subspaces because the estimation of the subspace dimension via algebraic methods is sensitive to noise. This paper proposes a new ASC algorithm that can handle noisy data drawn from subspaces of arbitrary dimensions. The key ideas are (1) to construct, at each point, a decreasing sequence of subspaces containing the subspace passing through that point, (2) to use the distances from any other point to each subspace in the sequence to construct a subspace clustering affinity, which is superior to alternative affinities both in theory and in practice. Experiments on the Hopkins 155 dataset demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method with respect to sparse and low rank subspace clustering methods.
Progressive Screening: Long-Term Contracting with a Privately Known Stochastic Process

We examine a model of long-term contracting in which the buyer is privately informed about the stochastic process by which her value for a good evolves. In addition, the realized values are also private information. We characterize a class of environments in which the profit-maximizing long-term contract offered by a monopolist takes an especially simple structure: we derive sufficient conditions on primitives under which the optimal contract consists of a menu of deterministic sequences of static contracts. Within each sequence, higher realized values lead to greater quantity provision; however, an increasing proportion of buyer types are excluded over time, eventually leading to inefficiently early termination of the relationship. Moreover, the menu choices differ by future generosity, with more costly (up front) plans guaranteeing greater quantity provision in the future. Thus, the seller screens process information in the initial period and then progressively screens across realized values so as to reduce the information rents paid in future periods. Copyright , Oxford University Press.
Is Anyone Listening? Does US Foreign Assistance Target People's Top Priorities?

The United States government has made repeated declarations over the last decade to align its assistance programs behind developing countries’ priorities. By utilizing public attitude surveys for 42 African and Latin American countries, this paper examines how well the US has implemented this guiding principle. Building upon the Quality of Official Development Assistance Assessment (QuODA) approach, I identify what people cite most frequently as the ‘most pressing problems’ facing their nations and then measure the percentage of US assistance commitments that are directed towards addressing them. By focusing on public surveys over time, this analysis attempts to provide a more nuanced and targeted examination of whether US portfolios are addressing what people care the most about. As reference points, I compare US alignment trends with the two regional multilateral development banks (MDBs) – the African Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Overall, this analysis suggests that US assistance may be only modestly aligned with what people in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America cite as their nation’s most pressing problems. By comparison, the African Development Bank – which is majority-led by regional member nations – performs significantly better than the United States. Like the United States, however, the Inter-American Development Bank demonstrates a low relative level of support for people’s top concerns. The paper concludes with a number of policy questions, which should be considered if the US government plans to concertedly pursue closer alignment with local concerns and priorities. These include whether the US government should: (1) require regular citizen surveys to help formulate foreign assistance strategies and programmatic priorities; (2) recalibrate health assistance programs in Sub-Saharan Africa; (3) increase support for the African Development Bank; (4) expand under-utilized private sector-based development tools, such as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation; (5) increase its engagement in select Latin American countries to help combat crime and insecurity; (6) better leverage the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which is the only U.S. development institution with an explicit mandate to support country-based priorities; and (7) expand support for USAID’s under-resourced economic growth programs, such as the Development Credit Authority.
The impact of idiosyncratic uncertainty when investment opportunities are endogenous

This paper develops a general equilibrium model to study the impact of aggregate fluctuations in idiosyncratic volatility that incorporates the endogenous determination of investment opportunities. By making investment options more valuable, an increase in volatility encourages the creation of new investment options. I find the response of the economy to a volatility shock depends on how investment opportunities are obtained. If potential entrants are allowed to invest in new idiosyncratic technologies, thereby acquiring options for further investment, the volatility shock increases overall investment and results in an economic boom. On the other hand, if such an investment in option creation is precluded and investment opportunities are exogenously given, the volatility shock decreases aggregate investment.
The effect of birth order on schooling in India

ABSTRACTUsing large nationally representative data, I estimate the effect of birth order on educational outcomes of children in India. To establish causality, endogeneity of family size is addressed by approaching an instrumental variable method. Employing a district fixed effects model and proportion of boys in the family as the instrument for number of children, I show that later-born children attain higher education compared to earlier-born children. Results are robust to inclusion of child, parents and household characteristics.
A Topologically Interpenetrating Elastomeric Network

Abstract While chemically different monomers can be mixed, the mixing of the corresponding polymers in the solid state usually results in (multiphase) polyblends. Even the mixing of two different polymer solutions generally produces two liquid phases. This difficulty can be overcome, without resorting to grafting, by producing interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN). By crosslinking an initially linear polymer in the presence of a crosslinked network we can produce a polymeric catenane or an IPN held together predominantly by “permanent” entanglements, assuming chain transfer reactions can be suppressed. Several workers have made IPN's from either chemically identical or chemically similar polymers and have studied their properties. In this work, two different elastomers, a crosslinked polyether-based poly(urethane-urea) and a linear poly(butadiene-acrylonitrile), as aqueous emulsions, are mixed, together with crosslinking agents and stabilizers, films cast, and subsequently cured to form the IPN. A parti...
Famine Talk: Communication Styles and Socio-political Awareness in 1990s North Korea

This paper examines the articulation of individual and collective social suffering through oral accounts of famine survivors from North Korea. The 1990s famine, resulting from both economic and pol...
Preparing the Blind for Hospital Jobs

M ORE THAN 50 MEDICAL institutions in Los Angeles County have employed persons with limited visual perception. Workers with no vision at all or perception less than 20/200 work in such varied departments as physical therapy, x-ray, and central supply. As a graduate nurse handicapped by blindness, I have had the opportunity to train and place more than 60 sanitarium and hospital aides during the past 10 years. In the Branson Foundation, Inc., we provide training for physically handicapped persons who could work at particular jobs in sanitariums, rest homes, and, in certain instances, hospitals. While we train persons with various kinds of handicaps, only the visually limited will be discussed in this article.
Paper trails, trailing behind: improving informed consent to IVF through multimedia applications

Though intended to educate patients on the risks, benefits, side effects and alternatives within medical treatment, informed consent documents may have unanticipated consequences for patients. Patients may regard these forms as little more than a ritual to access treatment. Or patients may perceive that these forms exist to protect doctors rather than to contribute to a meaningful, patient-protective educational interaction. To rehabilitate the informed consent project, this essay considers the baggage that informed consent documents have acquired through practical use, explores patients' and providers' lived experience of informed consent, and considers whether a multimedia consent application would be a viable solution to the various difficulties that currently erode perceptions of and confidence in the informed consent process.
Trade policy in developing countries

Trade Policy in Developing Countries is aimed at academics, graduate students and professional, policy-oriented economists. It is the first work in the field to analyze trade policy in an integrated theoretical framework based on optimizing dynamic models that pay careful attention to the structural features of developing country economies. Following a thorough critique of the debate on inward- vs. outward-oriented trade regimes, Buffie examines the main issues of concern to less developed countries in the areas of optimal commercial policy, trade liberalization and direct foreign investment. In addition to many new and important results, the book contains systematic reviews of the empirical evidence and three expositional chapters that show the reader how to use the technical machinery of economic theory to construct and manipulate multi-sector dynamic general equilibrium models.
Limited Lung Function: Impact Of Reduced Peak Expiratory Flow On Health Status, Health Care Utilization, And Expected Survival In Older Adults

The authors examined whether peak expiratory flow (PEF) is a valid measure of health status in older adults. Survey and test data from the 2006 and 2008 cycles of the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal study of US adults over age 50 years (with biennial surveys initiated in 1992), were used to develop predicted PEF regression models and to examine relations between low PEF values and other clinical factors. Low PEF (<80% of predicted value) was prevalent among persons with chronic conditions, including frequent pain, obstructive lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, and psychological distress. Persons with higher physical disability scores had substantially higher adjusted odds of having low PEF, on par with those for conditions known to be associated with poor health (cancer, heart disease, and stroke). In a multivariate regression model for difficulty with mobility, PEF remained an independent factor (odds ratio (OR) = 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.53, 1.86). Persons with low PEF in 2006 were more likely to be hospitalized (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.43) within the subsequent 2 years and to estimate their chances of surviving for 10 or more years at less than 50% (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.24, 2.30). PEF is a valid measure of health status in older persons, and low PEF is an independent predictor of hospitalization and poor subjective mortality assessment.
Fever and neutropenia hospital discharges in children with cancer: A 2012 update.

ABSTRACTFever and neutropenia (FN) is a common precipitant for hospitalization among children with cancer, but hospital utilization trends are not well described. This study describes national trends for hospital discharges for FN among children with cancer for the year 2012, compared with the authors’ previous analysis from 2009. Data were analyzed from the Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID), an all-payer US hospital database, for 2012. Pediatric patients with cancer who had a discharge for FN were identified using age ≤19 years, urgent or emergent admit type, nontransferred, and a combination of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for fever and neutropenia. The authors evaluated factors associated with a “short length of stay” (SLOS). Sampling weights were used to permit national inferences. In 2012, children with cancer accounted for 1.8% of pediatric hospital discharges (n = 120,675), with 12.2% (n = 13,456) of cancer-related discharges meeting ...
Spin-Dependent Ultrafast Optical Nonlinearities in Bragg-Spaced Quantum Wells

We observe spin-dependent ultrafast blue shifts, transient gain, and the opening of spectral transmission windows in the forbidden gap of the photonic band structure of Bragg-spaced InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells.
SALVAGE OPTIONS FOR THE MULTIPLY OPERATED PATIENT

There are special circumstances in which revision total knee arthroplasty is not an option. The relative indications for the alternatives to revision TKA are: - Recurrent deep infection - Immunocompromised patient - Extensor mechanism loss - Extensive, non-reconstructable soft tissue loss - High functional demand, young age Remember the three A9s as alternatives to revision TKA: arthrodesis, arthroplasty (resection), and amputation. Successful arthrodesis requires elimination of infection, coaptation of bone surfaces and rigid immobilisation. The proper position for arthrodesis is 15 degrees of knee flexion to allow foot clearance. If bone loss is greater than 3 cm fuse the knee in full extension. Avoid hyperextension. Achieve 5 degrees of valgus in correct rotation and use intramedullary instruments from TKA sets for best cuts. External fixation techniques as well as intramedullary internal fixation techniques will be described. Resection arthroplasty is indicated for salvage of an infected total knee when the patient is not a candidate for reimplantation. These patients usually have extensive soft and hard tissue loss. Procedure may be well tolerated and functional. Ancillary support with a long leg drop- lock KAFO increases stability and provides motion. Patients finding resection unacceptable are more likely to accept fusion or amputation; therefore resection may be a staging procedure. Amputation is indicated for failed multiple revisions, intractable or life threatening infection. Also should be indicated when there is a low chance of a successful arthrodesis. Ablate at the lowest level for infection eradication but good maintenance of function. Pedicle muscle flaps can be useful to fill dead spaces. Remember, elderly patients have limited ambulation potential because of high energy requirements of above knee amputation.
Predictors of blogging activity in six Arab countries

This study examines predictors of blogging in six Arab countries in a secondary analysis of population surveys of, in total, 7,525 respondents in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Bahrain, Jordan, and ...
Sostdc1 deficiency accelerates fracture healing by promoting the expansion of periosteal mesenchymal stem cells

Loss of Sostdc1, a growth factor paralogous to Sost, causes the formation of ectopic incisors, fused molars, abnormal hair follicles, and resistance to kidney disease. Sostdc1 is expressed in the periosteum, a source of osteoblasts, fibroblasts and mesenchymal progenitor cells, which are critically important for fracture repair. Here, we investigated the role of Sostdc1 in bone metabolism and fracture repair. Mice lacking Sostdc1 (Sostdc1(-/-)) had a low bone mass phenotype associated with loss of trabecular bone in both lumbar vertebrae and in the appendicular skeleton. In contrast, Sostdc1(-/-) cortical bone measurements revealed larger bones with higher BMD, suggesting that Sostdc1 exerts differential effects on cortical and trabecular bone. Mid-diaphyseal femoral fractures induced in Sostdc1(-/-) mice showed that the periosteal population normally positive for Sostdc1 rapidly expands during periosteal thickening and these cells migrate into the fracture callus at 3days post fracture. Quantitative analysis of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and osteoblast populations determined that MSCs express Sostdc1, and that Sostdc1(-/-) 5day calluses harbor >2-fold more MSCs than fractured wildtype controls. Histologically a fraction of Sostdc1-positive cells also expressed nestin and α-smooth muscle actin, suggesting that Sostdc1 marks a population of osteochondral progenitor cells that actively participate in callus formation and bone repair. Elevated numbers of MSCs in D5 calluses resulted in a larger, more vascularized cartilage callus at day 7, and a more rapid turnover of cartilage with significantly more remodeled bone and a thicker cortical shell at 21days post fracture. These data support accelerated or enhanced bone formation/remodeling of the callus in Sostdc1(-/-) mice, suggesting that Sostdc1 may promote and maintain mesenchymal stem cell quiescence in the periosteum.
A Low‐Voltage Microfluidic Valve Based upon a Reversible Hydrophobicity Effect

A microfluidic valve is reported based on a reversible hydrophobicity effect via the growth and retraction of nanotextured metal filaments on the surface of a solid electrolyte. The valve is integrated onto the bottom of the channel and actuated by a DC voltage. The dendritic silver filaments are tens to hundreds of nanometers in height and can be isolated from the channel fluid by a thin Parylene layer. An applied bias of 6 V or less grows or dissolves the filaments, depending on the polarity, and the roughness so created alters the fluid-surface interface, manipulating hydrophobicity of the interface, transitioning from the lotus effect to the petal effect. To demonstrate this valve, the fluid flow in a poly(dimethylsiloxane)-enclosed microfluidic channel of up to 30 μm in depth and up to 250 μm in width is stopped and restarted within ≈25 s of actuation. The effect is nonvolatile, thus no static power is required to retain the on/off states of the valve.
State and federal fuel taxes: The road ahead for U.S. infrastructure funding

Abstract Taxes on gasoline and diesel are the primary sources of transportation funding at the state and federal level. Due to inflation and improved fuel efficiency, these taxes are increasingly inadequate to maintain the transportation system. In most states and at the federal level, the real fuel tax rates decrease because they are fixed at a cents-per-gallon amount rather than indexed to inflation. In this paper, we provide a forecast on state and federal tax revenue based on different fuel taxation policies such as indexing to inflation, imposing a sales tax on gasoline and diesel, or using a mileage fee on vehicles. We compare how those taxation policies perform compared to the policies states use currently under different macroeconomic conditions relating to the price of oil, economic growth, and vehicle miles traveled. The baselines projections indicate that between 2015 and 2040, fuel tax revenue will decrease 42.9–50.5% in states that do neither index taxes to inflation nor impose a sales tax. Revenue will decrease 10.3–33.4% that currently impose a sales tax but do not index to inflation. The decrease for states that index to inflation is 3.4–16%. For all states, the median increase in revenue in 2040 compared to 2015 is 62% from switching to a mileage fee. Indexing fuel taxes to inflation in addition to imposing a states' sales tax increases revenue significantly but suffers from a continuous decline in the long-run due to increased fuel efficiency. Our results indicate that although a mileage fee is politically and technologically difficult to achieve, it avoids a declining tax revenue in the long-run.
The minimum scale of grooving on faults

At the field scale, nearly all fault surfaces contain grooves generated as one side of the fault slips past the other. Grooves are so common that they are one of the key indicators of principal slip surfaces. Here, we show that at sufficiently small scales, grooves do not exist on fault surfaces. A transition to isotropic roughness occurs at 4-500 mm. Although the scale of the transition can vary even between locales on a single fault, the aspect ratio of the roughness at the transition is well defined for a given fault. We interpret the transition between grooved and ungrooved scales as a transition in deformation mode of asperities on the slip surface. Grooves can form when a hard indenter slides past a softer surface. At small scales, the asperities appear to yield plastically and therefore do not generate grooves as hard indenters. The plastic yielding can be a consequence of the high shear strains required to deform the surfaces at small scales where the aspect ratio (roughness) is high. The transition to plastic yielding is predicted to occur at a specific aspect ratio for each fault, as observed. The new observation both shows a limit to one of the most commonly observed features of faults and suggests a change in the mode of failure of faults as a function of scale. © 2016 The Authors.