cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydroxyurea is associated with lower prevalence of albuminuria in adults with sickle cell disease

Background. Albuminuria is an early manifestation of sickle cell nephropathy. Prior small case series suggests benefit of hydroxyurea in reducing albuminuria, with a similar trend noted in pediatric studies. We aimed to comprehensively evaluate hydroxyurea use and prevalence of albuminuria in adult sickle cell patients. Methods. We performed a cross-sectional study of 149 adult patients followed between 2000 and 2011 in a comprehensive sickle cell clinic. All patients were assessed for albuminuria either by direct measurement or by urinary chemical strip (dipstick) testing. Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratios (UACRs) were available for 112 patients. Hydroxyurea exposure was defined as ≥3 months of therapy before the assessment of albuminuria. Albuminuria was defined as either UACR ≥30 mg/g or ≥1+ proteinuria on two separate dipsticks. We constructed a multivariate logistic regression model to assess the association between hydroxyurea and albuminuria. Results. The prevalence of albuminuria was lower among patients on hydroxyurea (34.7 versus 55.4%; P = 0.01) as was median albumin excretion (17.9 versus 40.5 mg/g; P = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, hydroxyurea was associated with a lower likelihood of albuminuria (odds ratio 0.28, 95% CI: 0.11–0.75, P = 0.01), adjusting for age, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker use, tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity, hypertension and acute chest syndrome. Conclusions. In our population of sickle cell patients, those using hydroxyurea were less than one-third as likely to exhibit albuminuria. Hydroxyurea use may prevent development of overt nephropathy or the progression of sickle cell disease nephropathy to end-stage renal disease, and its use for this indication merits further investigation.
Broadband Radiation from Primary Electrons in Very Energetic Supernovae

A class of very energetic supernovae (hypernovae) is associated with long gamma-ray bursts, in particular with a less energetic but more frequent population of gamma-ray bursts. Hypernovae also appear to be associated with mildly relativistic jets or outflows, even in the absence of gamma-ray bursts. Here we consider radiation from charged particles accelerated in such mildly relativistic outflows with kinetic energies of ~10^(50) ergs. The radiation processes of the primarily accelerated electrons considered are synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering of synchrotron photons (synchrotron self-Compton; SSC) and of supernova photons (external inverse Compton; EIC). In the soft X-ray regime, both the SSC and EIC flux can be the dominant component, but due to their very different spectral shapes, it should be easy to distinguish between them. When the fraction of the kinetic energy going into the electrons (ee) is large, the SSC is expected to be important; otherwise, the EIC will dominate. The EIC flux is quite high, almost independently of ee, providing a good target for X-ray telescopes such as XMM-Newton and Chandra. In the GeV gamma-ray regime, the EIC would be the dominant radiation process and the Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST, which has been renamed the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telesope) should be able to probe the value of ee, the spectrum of the electrons, and their maximum acceleration energy. Accelerated protons also lead to photon radiation through the secondary electrons produced by the photopion and photopair processes. We find that over a significant range of parameters the proton component is generally less prominent than the primary electron component. We discuss the prospects for the detection of the X-ray and GeV signatures of the mildly relativistic outflow of hypernovae.
Chemical Mutagenesis and Drugs of Abuse in Man—A Current View of the Problem

From 1958 through 1962 evidence accumulated that the drug thalidomide, when taken by pregnant women between the 34th and 50th day after the first day of the last menstrual period, resulted in ear and limb deformities to the fetus. The drug, given by prescription throughout Europe, acted in such specific fashion that the observed types of malformations could be correlated with the time of drug ingestion (Lenz, 1971). The teratogenic action of this presumably mild tranquilizer on the fetus not only alarmed the general population but most forcefully alerted the medical community to the possible harmful potential of other chemical agents on man. Concern was voiced in many quarters about the need to evaluate other drugs and chemicals with regard to their possible interference with fertility, production of malformations in the offspring, or carcinogenesis in the individual himself. Just a few years later, in 1967, the phenomenon of chemical mutagenesis as it extended to the chromosome level was dramatically bro...
Replacement versus Historical Cost Profit Rates: What is the difference? When does it matter?

This paper explains the BEA methodology for computing historical cost and replacement (current) cost measures of the net stock of capital in the U.S. economy. Historical cost profit rates are counter-clockwise (clockwise) rotated versions of replacement cost profit rates during periods of inflation (disinflation) in the price of capital goods. Hence, during periods when the price index for capital goods is flat, the two profit rates move together; an example of such a period for the U.S economy is the whole postwar period 1946‐2010. Moreover, trends in both replacement cost and historical cost profit rates display very similar movements over long periods, making the choice of capital stock valuation irrelevant for empirical analysis of profitability trends.
Poverty in America: Trends and Explanations

Despite robust growth in real GDP per capita in the last three decades, U.S. poverty rates have changed very little. We summarize some basic facts about poverty in the United States, relying on a combination of previously published data from the Census Bureau and our own tabulations based on Current Population Survey data. We then discuss and evaluate four determinants of changes in the poverty rate that have been advanced in the literature: the impact of labor market opportunities; the role of changes in family structure; the role played by government antipoverty programs; and the role of immigration.
Predicting Individual Behavior with Social Networks

With the availability of social network data, it has become possible to relate the behavior of individuals to that of their acquaintances on a large scale. Although the similarity of connected individuals is well established, it is unclear whether behavioral predictions based on social data are more accurate than those arising from current marketing practices. We employ a communications network of over 100 million people to forecast highly diverse behaviors, from patronizing an off-line department store to responding to advertising to joining a recreational league. Across all domains, we find that social data are informative in identifying individuals who are most likely to undertake various actions, and moreover, such data improve on both demographic and behavioral models. There are, however, limits to the utility of social data.In particular, when rich transactional data were available, social data did little to improve prediction.
Transparent, near-infrared organic photovoltaic solar cells for window and energy-scavenging applications

We fabricate near-infrared absorbing organic photovoltaics that are highly transparent to visible light. By optimizing near-infrared optical-interference, we demonstrate power efficiencies of 1.3±0.1% with simultaneous average visible transmission of >65%. Subsequent incorporation of near-infrared distributed-Bragg-reflector mirrors leads to an increase in the efficiency to 1.7±0.1%, approaching the 2.4±0.2% efficiency of the opaque cell, while maintaining high visible-transparency of >55%. Finally, we demonstrate that a series-integrated array of these transparent cells is capable of powering electronic devices under near-ambient lighting. This architecture suggests strategies for high-efficiency power-generating windows and highlights an application uniquely benefiting from excitonic electronics.
Synthesis and catalytic activity of a poly(N,N-dialkylcarbodiimide)/palladium nanoparticle composite: a case in the Suzuki coupling reaction using microwave and conventional heating

Poly(N,N-dialkylcarbodiimide) was found to be an effective polymeric ligand system for preparing and stabilizing palladium nanoparticles (1-5 nm). The composite material prepared in situ was found to be a robust catalyst for the Suzuki coupling reaction under microwave or regular heating.
Fracture Analysis of the Cathode in Li-Ion Batteries: A Simulation Study

In order to achieve a high level of reliability in rechargeable Li-ion batteries, battery cell materials must maintain good mechanical stability over many cycles. Stresses due to intercalation, phase transition, and thermal loading can cause local fractures in the active materials of Li-ion batteries, as has been experimentally observed. The resulting fracture of the cathode materials is one putative degradation mechanism of Li batteries; it inevitably results in a loss of electrical contact and an increase in the surface area for active material dissolution and SEI layer formation. In this work, we investigate the conditions under which initial defects propagate and form larger fractures in the cathode material (LiMn2O4) during the charging and discharging cycles of electrochemical reactions. Fracture analysis based on the extended finite element method (XFEM) is used to evaluate the effects of current density, particle size and particle aspect ratio on the propagation of defects. Both current density and particle size are shown to be positively correlated with fracture propagation, though not monotonically so in the case of aspect ratio. With an aspect ratio of 1.5:1, a particle with a defect at the center will crack at a low C-rate; this case is one of the most severe among all aspect ratios.
Effect of Different Endodontic Regeneration Protocols on Wettability, Roughness, and Chemical Composition of Surface Dentin

Abstract Introduction We investigated the changes in physiochemical properties of dentin surfaces after performing different endodontic regeneration protocols. Methods Human dentin slices were randomized into 4 treatment groups and 1 untreated control group ( n = 10). One treatment group was irrigated with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 5 minutes followed by EDTA for 10 minutes. The other 3 treatment groups were irrigated with NaOCl; treated for 4 weeks with triple antibiotic paste (TAP), diluted triple antibiotic paste (DTAP), or calcium hydroxide (Ca[OH] 2 ); and then irrigated with EDTA. After treatment, contact angles between a blood analog and dentin surfaces were evaluated. Surface roughness and chemical composition were characterized using optical profilometry and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. One-way analysis of variance followed by Fisher least significant difference tests were used for statistical analyses. Results All treatment groups showed a significant reduction in wettability and a significant increase in surface roughness when compared with untreated dentin. Dentin treated with Ca(OH) 2 had significantly lower wettability compared with all other groups. No significant difference in wettability was found between dentin treated with DTAP and TAP protocols. Dentin treated with TAP had significantly higher surface roughness compared with all other groups. Untreated dentin and NaOCl + EDTA–treated dentin had significantly higher calcium and phosphorus as well as significantly lower carbon compared with dentin treated with Ca(OH) 2 , DTAP, and TAP. Conclusions Endodontic regeneration protocols had a significant effect on wettability, surface roughness, and chemical composition of surface dentin. The Ca(OH) 2 protocol caused a significant reduction in dentin wettability compared with TAP or DTAP protocols.
R-covered foliations of hyperbolic 3-manifolds

We produce examples of taut foliations of hyperbolic 3-manifolds which are R-covered but not uniform --- ie the leaf space of the universal cover is R, but pairs of leaves are not contained in bounded neighborhoods of each other. This answers in the negative a conjecture of Thurston `Three-manifolds, foliations and circles I' (math.GT/9712268). We further show that these foliations can be chosen to be C^0 close to foliations by closed surfaces. Our construction underscores the importance of the existence of transverse regulating vector fields and cone fields for R-covered foliations. Finally, we discuss the effect of perturbing arbitrary R-covered foliations.
Model Fusion under Probabilistic and Interval Uncertainty, with Application to Earth Sciences

One of the most important studies of the earth sciences is that of the Earth's interior structure. There are many sources of data for Earth tomography models: flrst-arrival passive seismic data (from the actual earthquakes), flrst-arrival active seismic data (from the seismic experiments), gravity data, and surface waves. Currently, each of these datasets is processed separately, resulting in several difierent Earth models that have speciflc coverage areas, difierent spatial resolutions and varying degrees of accuracy. These models often provide complimentary geophysical information on earth structure (P and S wave velocity structure). Combining the information derived from each requires a joint inversion approach. Designing such joint inversion techniques presents an important theoretical and practical challenge. While such joint inversion methods are being developed, as a flrst step, we propose a practical solution: to fuse the Earth models coming from difierent datasets. Since these Earth models have difierent areas of coverage, model fusion is especially important because some of the resulting models provide better accuracy and/or spatial resolution in some spatial areas and in some depths while other models provide a better accuracy and/or spatial resolution in other areas or depths. The models used in this paper contain measurements that have not only difierent accuracy and coverage, but also difierent spatial resolution. We describe how to fuse such models under interval and probabilistic uncertainty. The resulting techniques can be used in other situations when we need to merge models of difierent accuracy and spatial resolution.
Synthesis of carbamoylphosphonate silanes for the selective sequestration of actinides

The synthesis of carbamoylphosphonate silanes (CMPO analogs) designed for sequestering actinide cations in self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous supports (SAMMS) is described.
Universal, finite-temperature, crossover functions of the quantum transition in the Ising chain in a transverse field

Abstract We consider finite-temperature properties of the Ising chain in a transverse field in the vicinity of its zero-temperature, second-order quantum phase transition. New universal crossover functions for static and dynamic correlators of the “spin” operator are obtained. The static results follow from an early lattice computation of McCoy, and a method of analytic continuation in the space of coupling constants. The dynamic results are in the “renormalized classical” region and follow from a proposed mapping of the quantum dynamics to the Glauber dynamics of a classical Ising chain.
Astrometric and photometric measurements of binary stars with adaptive optics: observations from 2002

The adaptive optics system at the 3.6-m AEOS telescope was used to measure the astrometry and differential magnitude in I band of 56 binary stars in 2002. The astrometric measurements will be of use for future orbital determination, and the photometric measurements will be of use in estimating the spectral types of the component stars. Two candidate companions were detected, but neither is likely to be gravitationally bound. Nine systems had not been observed in over 40 yr. Eight of these are shown to share common proper motion, while HD 182352 is shown to be a background star. One of the two components of the HD 114378 (α Com) is shown to be a variable star of unknown type. In addition, 86 stars were unresolved and the full width at half-maximum of the images are presented.
On a quantitative theory of robust adaptive control: an interval plant approach

This paper considers a robust direct-model reference adaptive control scheme, where the components of the estimated controller parameter vector are constrained to vary in certain prespecified intervals. This interval constraint facilitates the quantitative analysis of the robustness of the closed-loop adaptive control system. Extending existing results from the area of robust parametric stability, a tractable procedure is developed for verifying a condition which guarantees the boundedness of all the closed-loop signals. The robustness verification using this procedure involves the calculation of worst-case "shifted" H/sub /spl infin// norms over certain extremal one-parameter families. This makes the condition easily verifiable, whereas otherwise one is faced with the formidable task of determining the worst-case norms over higher-dimensional compact convex sets in the plant and controller parameter spaces. A simple example is used in the paper to illustrate the theoretical development.
Recursive time-varying filter banks for subband image coding

Filter banks, subband/wavelets, and multiresolution decompositions that employ recursive filters have been considered previously and are recognized for their efficiency in partitioning the frequency spectrum. This paper presents an analysis of a new infinite impulse response (IIR) filter bank in which these computationally efficient filters may be changed adaptively in response to the input. The new filter bank framework is presented and discussed in the context of subband image coding. In the absence of quantization errors, exact reconstruction can be achieved. By the proper choice of an adaptation scheme, it is shown that recursive linear time-varying (LTV) filter banks can yield improvement over conventional ones. >
A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth

This paper examines whether the Solow growth model is consistent with the international variation in the standard of living. It shows that an augmented Solow model that includes accumulation of human as well as physical capital provides an excellent description of the cross-country data. The paper also examines the implications of the Solow model for convergence in standards of living, that is, for whether poor countries tend to grow faster than rich countries. The evidence indicates that, holding population growth and capital accumulation constant, countries converge at about the rate the augmented Solow model predicts. This paper takes Robert Solow seriously. In his classic 1956 article Solow proposed that we begin the study of economic growth by assuming a standard neoclassical production function with decreasing returns to capital. Taking the rates of saving and population growth as exogenous, he showed that these two vari- ables determine the steady-state level of income per capita. Be- cause saving and population growth rates vary across countries, different countries reach different steady states. Solow's model gives simple testable predictions about how these variables influ- ence the steady-state level of income. The higher the rate of saving, the richer the country. The higher the rate of population growth, the poorer the country. This paper argues that the predictions of the Solow model are, to a first approximation, consistent with the evidence. Examining recently available data for a large set of countries, we find that saving and population growth affect income in the directions that Solow predicted. Moreover, more than half of the cross-country variation in income per capita can be explained by these two variables alone. Yet all is not right for the Solow model. Although the model correctly predicts the directions of the effects of saving and
Spatial frequency multiplier with active linearly tapered slot antenna array

A frequency multiplier with active linearly tapered slot antennas (LTSAs) has been demonstrated at the second harmonic frequency. In each antenna element, a GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) distributed amplifier is integrated with two LTSAs. The multiplier has a very wide bandwidth and large dynamic range. The fundamental-to-second harmonic conversion efficiency is 8.1 percent. The spatially combined second harmonic signal is 50 dB above the noise level. The design is suitable for constructing a large array using monolithic integration techniques. >
Microforging technique for rapid, low-cost fabrication of lens array molds

Interest in micro-optical components for applications ranging from telecommunications to life sciences has driven the need for accessible, low-cost fabrication techniques. Many microlens fabrication processes are unsuitable for applications requiring 100% fill factor, apertures approximately 1000 microm with high numerical aperture, and scalability to large areas (e.g., tens of centimeters to meters) with millions of lenses. We report on a flexible, low-cost mold fabrication technique that utilizes a combination of milling and microforging. The technique involves first performing a rough cut with a ball-end mill. Final shape and sag height are then achieved by pressing a sphere of equal diameter into the milled divot. Using this process, we have fabricated molds for rectangular arrays of 1-10,000 lenses with apertures of 25-1600 microm, sag heights of 3-130 microm, interlens spacings of 250-2000 microm, and fill factors up to 100%. Mold profiles have a roughness and figure error of 68 nm and 354 nm, respectively, for 100% fill factor, 1000 microm aperture lenses. The required forging force was modeled as a modified open-die forging process and experimentally verified to increase nearly linearly with surface area. The optical performance of lens arrays injection molded from microforged molds was characterized by imaging the point spread function and was found to be in the range of theoretical values. The process can be easily adapted to lenticular arrays as well. Limitations include milling machine range and accuracy.
Catalytic materials that improve selectivity of biomass conversions

Lignocellulosic biomass is composed of cellulosic and hemicellulosic components. Degradation of these components leads to short-chain aqueous soluble glucan with β-1,4-glycosidic linkages and its further degradation produces hexose and pentose sugars. Dehydration of these sugar units result in building blocks (platform chemicals) which upon further chemical transformation produces fine chemicals and liquid fuels. Materials with considerable surface acidity and suitable microstructure play crucial roles as catalysts at different steps of the biomass transformation to chemicals and fuels. This review focuses on explaining the roles of the catalytic materials that are employed for improving selectivity of biomass conversions. The article also advances issues such as the morphology and preparation method of materials as a function of their performance. In attempt to keep the focus on materials aspects, mechanistic aspects of biomass conversion has also been discussed in relevant cases. Apart from conventional acidic materials, applications of recently introduced new materials with functionalized surfaces are highlighted with suitable examples. Factors which govern solid materials to perform as catalysts for biomass conversion have been expanded to inform readers with a possible correlation of the reactivity patterns of the materials for different substrates and their macro- and micro-structures.
Lepto-mesons, leptoquarkonium and the QCD potential

Abstract We consider bound states of heavy leptoquark-antiquark pairs (lepto-mesons) as well as leptoquark-antileptoquark pairs (leptoquarkonium). Unlike the situation for top quarks, leptoquarks (if they exist) may live long enough for these hadrons to form. We study the spectra and decay widths of these states in the context of a nonrelativistic potential model which matches the recently calculated two-loop QCD potential at short distances to a successful phenomenological quarkonium potential at intermediate distances. We also compute the expected number of events for these states at future colliders.
Ownership and Investment in Electronic Networks

We employ the theory of incomplete contracts to examine the relationship between ownership and investment in electronic networks such as the Internet and interorganizational information systems. Electronic networks represent an institutional structure that has resulted from the introduction of information technology in industrial and consumer markets. Ownership of electronic networks is important because it affects the level of network-specific investments, which in turn determine the profitability, and in some cases the viability, of these networks. In our analysis we define an electronic network as a set of participants and a portfolio of assets. The salient concept in this perspective is the degree to which network participants are indispensable in making network assets productive. We derive three main results. First, if one or more assets are essential to all network participants, then all the assets should be owned together. Second, participants that are indispensable to an asset essential to all participants should own all network assets. Third and most important, in the absence of an indispensable participant, and as long as the cooperation of at least two participants is necessary to create value, sole ownership is never the best form of ownership for an electronic network. This latter result implies that as the leading network participants become more dispensable, we should see an evolution toward forms of joint ownership.
Keck spectroscopy of gravitationally lensed z ≃ 4 galaxies: Improved constraints on the escape fraction of ionizing photons

The fraction of ionizing photons that escape from young star-forming galaxies is one of the largest uncertainties in determining the role of galaxies in cosmic reionization. Yet traditional techniques for measuring this fraction are inapplicable at the redshifts of interest due to foreground screening by the Lyα forest. In an earlier study, we demonstrated a reduction in the equivalent width of low-ionization absorption lines in composite spectra of Lyman break galaxies at z ≃ 4 compared to similar measures at z ≃ 3. This might imply a lower covering fraction of neutral gas and hence an increase with redshift in the escape fraction of ionizing photons. However, our spectral resolution was inadequate to differentiate between several alternative explanations, including changes with redshift in the outflow kinematics. Here we present higher quality spectra of three gravitationally lensed Lyman break galaxies at z ≃ 4 with a spectral resolution sufficient to break this degeneracy of interpretation. We present a method for deriving the covering fraction of low-ionization gas as a function of outflow velocity and compare the results with similar quality data taken for galaxies at lower redshift. We find an interesting but tentative trend of lower covering fractions of low-ionization gas for galaxies with strong Lyα emission. In combination with the demographic trends of Lyα emission with redshift from our earlier work, our results provide new evidence for a reduction in the average H I covering fraction, and hence an increase in the escape fraction of ionizing radiation from Lyman break galaxies, with redshift.
Why Do Salespeople Spend So Much Time Lobbying for Low Prices

In business-to-business settings a company's sales force often spends considerable time lobbying internally for authorization to charge lower prices. These internal lobbying activities are time consuming, and divert attention from other tasks, such as interacting with customers. We explain why internal lobbying activities serve an important role. They help the firm elicit truthful reporting of demand information from the sales force. As a result, it may be profitable for the firm to require lobbying and make the requirement onerous, even though lobbying is a nonproductive activity that creates an additional administrative burden and imposes a deadweight loss.
How Movements Move? Evaluating the Role of Ideology and Leadership in Environmental Movement Dynamics in India with Special Reference to the Narmada Bachao Andolan

Lawrence Cox (1999) has argued that the established perspectives on social movements operate with an inadequately narrow conception of the 'object' that is being studied and thus tends to 'reify' "movements" as usual activity against essentially static backgrounds, and in its place, he advocates a concept of social movement as the more or less developed articulation of situated rationalities. Following Cox, therefore, the present study perceives social movements as articulations of situated rationalities by perceiving them as a tactical, dialectical response to the harsh realities of the political system. This would help us capture the essential dynamic and transformative aspects of the movement. Any social movement, and for that matter, environmental movements are characterized by the presence of agencies and structural components, which, however, are not a priori and static. They are rather dynamic and get changed and transformed in the course of the movement. Precisely for this reason, the environmental movements can at best be comprehended by way of locating and analyzing the dynamism and transformations of the movements produced by the dialectical interaction of the various components and parameters of the movement over a span of time. Hence, the present paper aims to evaluate the dynamics and transformations of the environmental movements in India, taking the case of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and, adopting a strategic relational approach within the agent-structure framework as its framework of analysis. For the present purpose, however, we have taken only two variables, namely, Ideology and Leadership and attempted the analysis of their contributions in producing movement dynamics.
Redundancy or Mismeasurement? A Reappraisal of Money

The emerging consensus in monetary policy and business cycle analysis is that money aggregates are not useful as an intermediate target for monetary policy or as an information variable. The uselessness of money as an intermediate target is driven by empirical research that suggests that money demand is unstable. In addition, the informational quality of money has been called into question by empirical research that fails to identify a relationship between money growth and inflation, nominal income growth, and the output gap. Nevertheless, this research is potentially flawed by the use of simple sum money aggregates, which are not consistent with economic, aggregation, or index number theory. This paper therefore re-examines previous empirical evidence on money demand and the role of money as an information variable using monetary services indexes as monetary aggregates. These aggregates have the advantage of being derived from microtheoretic foundations as well as being consistent with aggregation and index number theory. The results of the re-evaluation suggest that previous empirical work might be driven by mismeasurement.
Reducing the transaction costs of development assistance Ghana's multi-donor budget support (MDBS) experience from 2003 to 2007

This paper examines whether the structure of the Multi-Donor Budget Support (MDBS) in Ghana evolved over time to minimize transaction costs commonly found in accessing and delivering development assistance in multi-donor settings. While the MDBS was expected to reduce the transaction costs involved in dealing with multiple development agencies, it created three additional sources of transaction costs: coordination failures, the costs of collective action, and measurement costs. The answer that emerges from this paper is that the structure of the MDBS evolved to mitigate these transaction costs. The problems associated with coordination was addressed by delegating the policy dialogue to sector-specific groups aimed at reaching agreements over a narrower set of issues and amongst a smaller group of participants. Also, the MDBS reduced the cost of collective action by devising rules that allowed all the participating agencies to have a role in the decision-making process, and, in doing so, encouraged these agencies to increase the share of their contribution coming through the MDBS, rather than through large projects and off-budget disbursements. There was less success in reaching a settled view on how to reduce so-called measurement costs, however. While the group of development agencies made several attempts to overcome the difficulties in measuring progress in the program supported by the MDBS, it was not able to reach consensus on the extent to which the monitoring of the program should rely on outcome indicators. The Government did not favor the use of outcome indicators, and some development agencies placed greater emphasis on maintaining a dialogue around policy actions aimed at reaching the desired outcomes.
The Spectacular BHR 71 Outflow

BHR 71 is a well isolated Bok globule located at ~200 pc, which harbours a highly collimated bipolar outflow. The outflow is driven by a very young Class 0 protostar with a luminosity of ~9 L ⊙. It is one of a very small number that show enhanced abundances of a number of molecular species, notably SiO and CH3OH, due to shock processing of the ambient medium. In this paper the properties of the globule and outflow are discussed. “In the darkness, there’ll be hidden worlds that shine” — Bruce Springsteen, Candy’s Room 1977
A closed-loop photon beam control study for the Advanced Light Source

The third generation Advanced Light Source (ALS) will produce extremely bright photon beams using undulators and wigglers. In order to position the photon beams accurate to the micron level, a closed-loop feedback system is being developed. Using photon position monitors and dipole corrector magnets, a closed-loop system can automatically compensate for modeling uncertainties and exogenous disturbances. The following paper will present a dynamics model for the perturbations of the closed orbit of the electron beam in the ALS storage ring including the vacuum chamber magnetic field penetration effects. Using this reference model, two closed-loop feedback algorithms will be compared-a classical PI controller and a two degree-of-freedom approach. The two degree-of-freedom method provides superior disturbance rejection while maintaining the desired performance goals. Both methods will address the need to gain schedule the controller due to the time varying dynamics introduced by changing field strengths when scanning the insertion devices. >
A tandem enol silane formation-Mukaiyama aldol reaction mediated by TMSOTf

Abstract A slight excess of silyl trifluoromethanesulfonate mediates a tandem enol silane formation-Mukaiyama aldol reaction in the presence of Hunig’s base. Preformation of the enol silane is unnecessary for efficient reactions, which proceed in 75–97% yield for the addition of aryl methyl ketones and acetate esters to non-enolizable aldehydes. Mechanistic data suggests that free amine is crucial for full conversion.
Synthesis of α‐2‐Deoxyglycosides by Acid‐Mediated Conjugate Addition

A new method for the synthesis of α‐2‐deoxyglycosides from hex‐1‐en‐3‐uloses is reported. Several acids were surveyed for their ability to mediate the conjugate addition of cyclohexanol to a glucal derived α,β‐unsaturated ketone. Although several acids successfully afforded the α‐2‐deoxy‐3‐uloside as a single anomer, Ph3P · HBr in benzene afforded the highest yield of product. These conditions were then applied to other alcohol nucleophiles, and it was found that nonsterically hindered alcohols readily undergo conjugate addition. Finally, the stereoselectivity of reduction of the resulting α‐2‐deoxy‐3‐uloside was determined for several hydride‐reducing agents.
Comparison of Magnetic Field Distribution Models for a Magnetic Proximity Detection System

Magnetic proximity detection technology is rapidly advancing as a promising method of protecting underground mine workers from striking and pinning hazards associated with mobile mining machines. A magnetic proximity detection system requires a magnetic distribution model to estimate the proximity of the sensor to the generators. This paper presents a comparative analysis of magnetic flux density distribution models in three different field distribution design patterns. The accuracy of these models is determined with a laboratory magnetic proximity detection system. These field distribution design patterns are spherical, ellipsoidal, and sphere-cosine, respectively. The analyses show that the sphere-cosine model is the most accurate model for the proximity system followed by the ellipsoidal and spherical models.
Parallel and Dynamic Searchable Symmetric Encryption

Searchable symmetric encryption (SSE) enables a client to outsource a collection of encrypted documents in the cloud and retain the ability to perform keyword searches without revealing information about the contents of the documents and queries. Although efficient SSE constructions are known, previous solutions are highly sequential. This is mainly due to the fact that, currently, the only method for achieving sub-linear time search is the inverted index approach (Curtmola, Garay, Kamara and Ostrovsky, CCS ’06) which requires the search algorithm to access a sequence of memory locations, each of which is unpredictable and stored at the previous location in the sequence. Motivated by advances in multi-core architectures, we present a new method for constructing sub-linear SSE schemes. Our approach is highly parallelizable and dynamic. With roughly a logarithmic number of cores in place, searches for a keyword w in our scheme execute in o(r) parallel time, where r is the number of documents containing keyword w (with more cores, this bound can go down to O(logn), i.e., independent of the result size r). Such time complexity outperforms the optimal Θ(r) sequential search time—a similar bound holds for the updates. Our scheme also achieves the following important properties: (a) it enjoys a strong notion of security, namely security against adaptive chosen-keyword attacks; (b) compared to existing sub-linear dynamic SSE schemes (e.g., Kamara, Papamanthou, Roeder, CCS ’12), updates in our scheme do not leak any information, apart from information that can be inferred from previous search tokens; (c) it can be implemented efficiently in external memory (with logarithmic I/O overhead). Our technique is simple and uses a red-black tree data structure; its security is proven in the random oracle model.
The Most Stable Class of Benzenoid Hydrocarbons−New Topological Correlations of Strain-Free Total Resonant Sextet Benzenoids

While briefly reviewing how the concepts of strictly pericondensed, strain-free, Clar's aromatic sextet, and symmetry are interconnected in the topological correspondence between strictly pericondensed and total resonant sextet (TRS) benzenoid hydrocarbons, new structural correlations in isomer numbers, symmetry distributions, and empty rings between various strain-free TRS benzenoids made up of only fused hexagonal rings are presented. These correlations are made evident by the Formula Periodic Table for Total Resonant Sextet Benzenoid Hydrocarbons [Table PAH6(sextet)] and application of the leapfrog operation. A new perimeter topology relationship for fused strain-free TRS benzenoids is derived. This work represents a contribution toward understanding formula/structure relationships of benzenoid hydrocarbons.
Left, Right, and Center: Strategic Information Acquisition and Diversity in Judicial Panels

Left, Right, and Center: Strategic Information Acquisition and Diversity in Judicial Panels Matthew Spitzer y & Eric Talley z March 24, 2011 Abstract In the last …fteen years, numerous studies of multi-member courts have documented a phenomenon popularly known as “panel e¤ects.”Two provocative …ndings from this literature are: (1) the inclusion of (non- pivotal) members from outside the dominant ideology on the panel pre- dicts higher reversal rates of administrative agencies that are “like minded” with the panel’ median voter; and (2) when mixed panels do not reverse, s they frequently issue unanimous decisions. The apparently moderating ef- fects of mixed panels both pose a challenge to conventional median voter theories and call into question the predictability and legitimacy of judicial review. Accordingly, many scholars have o¤ered their own explanation for panel e¤ects (including collegiality, dissent aversion, deliberation e¤ects, whistle-blowing, and others). In this paper, we propose a general model that (among other things) predicts panel e¤ects as a byproduct of strategic information acquisition. The kernel of our argument is that ideologically extreme, non-pivotal members of deliberative panels have incentives to engage in costly information production in cases where pivotal members would rationally choose not to do so. As a result, diverse panel compo- sitions can catalyze distinct forms of information production producing equilibrium panel e¤ects. Our informational account – if correct – has normative implications for the composition of judicial panels in particular and for deliberative groups more generally. (First Version: May 6, 2009; Submitted for Publication: Aug. 23, 2010). Thanks to Bernard Black, Charles Cameron, Steve Choi, Robert Cooter, John de Figueiredo, Rui de Figueiredo, Dan Farber, Joshua Gans, Jake Gersen, Prasad Krishnamurthy, Tracy Lewis, Justin McCrary, John Morgan, Anne Joseph O’ Connell, Kevin Quinn, Mark Ramseyer, Suzanne Scotchmer, Pablo Spiller, Matthew Stephenson, Cass Sunstein, Emerson Tiller, Abe Wickelgren, Jonathan Wiener, and seminar participants at the Americal Law and Economics Association meetings, Berkeley, Chicago, Northwestern, Melbourne Business School, Texas, Vanderbilt, and the Duke-North Carolina Triangle Law and Economics Conference for com- ments and discussions. We also thank two anonymous referees for constructive suggestions. Sam Houshower, Teddy Maghee, and Daniel Mitchell provided excellent research assistance on this project. All errors are ours. y University of Texas. Email: mspitzer@law.utexas.edu z University of California, Berkeley. Email: etalley@law.berkeley.edu.
Entrainment in up and down states of neural populations: non-smooth and stochastic models

Slow oscillations in firing rate of neural populations are commonly observed during slow wave sleep. These oscillations are partitioned into up and down states, where the population switches between high and low firing rates (Sanchez-Vives and McCormick in Nat Neurosci 3:1027-1034, 2000). Transitions between up and down states can be synchronized at considerably long ranges (Volgushev et al. in J Neurosci 26:5665-5672, 2006). To explore how external perturbations shape the phase of slow oscillations, we analyze a reduced model of up and down state transitions involving a population neural activity variable and a global adaptation variable. The adaptation variable represents the average of all the slow hyperpolarizing currents received by neurons in a large population. Recurrent connectivity leads to a bistable neural population, where a low firing rate state coexists with a high firing rate state, where persistent activity is maintained via excitatory connections. Adaptation eventually inactivates the high activity state, and the low activity state then persists until adaptation has significantly decayed. We analyze the phase response of the rate model by taking advantage of the separation of timescales between the fast activity and slow adaptation variables. This analysis reveals that perturbations to the neural activity variable have a considerably weaker effect on the oscillation phase than adaptation perturbations. When noise is not incorporated into the rate model, the period of the slow oscillation is determined by the timescale of the slow adaptation variable. In the presence of noise, times at which the population transitions between the low and high activity states become variable. This is because the rise and decay of the adaptation variable is now stochastically-driven, leading to a distribution of transition times. Interestingly, common noise in the adaptation variable can lead to a correlation of two distinct slow oscillating populations. This effect is still significant in the event that each population contains its own local sources of noise. We also show this phenomenon can occur a spiking network. Our results demonstrate the relative contributions of excitatory input and hyperpolarizing current fluctuations on the phase of slow oscillations.
Viscoelastic Plate on a Viscoelastic Foundation

Axisymmetric bending of viscoelastic plate of finite thickness supported by viscoelastic foundation of infinite extent is examined; assuming frictionless interface conditions, formal solution is obtained by use of iterated integral transforms; computed example.
Willingness to Pay for Soccer Player Development in the United States

American households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for soccer player development is measured using the contingent valuation method. Data are drawn from two national surveys administered before and after the 2014 World Cup event. Individuals are asked whether they perceive that additional funding for player development will improve the chances of the national team’s performance at the 2018 World Cup and whether they are willing to pay an annual household tax to fund the program. A bivariate probit model accounts for correlation between the two decisions. WTP estimates indicate that the intangible benefits of player development are roughly twice the cost.
Social Choice and Popular Control

In democracies citizens are supposed to have some control over the general direction of policy. According to a pretheoretical interpretation of this idea, the people have control if elections and other democratic institutions compel officials to do what the people want, or what the majority want. This interpretation of popular control fits uncomfortably with insights from social choice theory; some commentators—Riker, most famously—have argued that these insights should make us abandon the idea of popular rule as traditionally understood. This article presents a formal theory of popular control that responds to the challenge from social choice theory. It makes precise a sense in which majorities may be said to have control even if the majority preference relation has an empty core. And it presents a simple game-theoretic model to illustrate how majorities can exercise control in this specified sense, even when incumbents are engaged in purely re-distributive policymaking and the majority rule core is empty.
Computational Extensive-Form Games

We define solution concepts appropriate for computationally bounded players playing a fixed finite game. To do so, we need to define what it means for a computational game, which is a sequence of games that get larger in some appropriate sense, to represent a single finite underlying extensive-form game. Roughly speaking, we require all the games in the sequence to have essentially the same structure as the underlying game, except that two histories that are indistinguishable (i.e., in the same information set) in the underlying game may correspond to histories that are only computationally indistinguishable in the computational game. We define a computational version of both Nash equilibrium and sequential equilibrium for computational games, and show that every Nash (resp., sequential) equilibrium in the underlying game corresponds to a computational Nash (resp., sequential) equilibrium in the computational game. One advantage of our approach is that if a cryptographic protocol represents an abstract game, then we can analyze its strategic behavior in the abstract game, and thus separate the cryptographic analysis of the protocol from the strategic analysis.