cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liquidity in the Cross Section of OTC Assets

We construct a dynamic model of a multi-asset over-the-counter (OTC) market that operates via search and bargaining and empirically test its implications using data from the US corporate bond market. The key novelty in our model is that investors can hold and manage portfolios of OTC-traded assets. We characterize the stationary equilibrium in closed form which includes investors' valuations, terms of trade, and the characteristic function of the distribution of investors' asset positions. Tractability of the model allows us to derive natural proxies for important measures of market liquidity such as trade volume, price dispersion, and price impact. Among other within-market and cross-market comparative statics, we find that the alleviation of search frictions in one market may lead to opposite observations regarding liquidity in other markets depending on which liquidity measure is used. For example, a reduction of search frictions in one market decreases trade volume in other markets implying lower liquidity. At the same time, it decreases price dispersion and price impact implying higher liquidity. We test empirically these key liquidity equations, which uncover the determinants of endogenous liquidity differentials across OTC assets. Overall, our empirical results indicate significant support for the search-and-bargaining framework. Finally, we argue that, among the liquidity measures we analyze, price impact can serve as a good measure of welfare loss caused by OTC frictions, while other measures overstate or understate this deadweight loss.
The perils of working with Big Data and a SMALL framework you can use to avoid them

The use of “Big Data” to explain fluctuations in the broader economy or guide the business decisions of a firm is now so commonplace that in some instances it has even begun to rival more traditional government statistics and business analytics. Big data sources can very often provide advantages when compared to these more traditional data sources, but with these advantages also comes the potential for pitfalls. We lay out a framework called SMALL that we have developed in order to help interested parties as they navigate the big data minefield. Based on a set of five questions, the SMALL framework should help users of big data spot concerns in their own work and that of others who rely on such data to draw conclusions with actionable public policy or business implications. To demonstrate, we provide several case studies that show a healthy dose of skepticism can be warranted when working with and interpreting these new big data sources.
A Multilayer Correlated Topic Model.

We proposed a novel multilayer correlated topic model (MCTM) to analyze how the main ideas inherit and vary between a document and its different segments, which helps understand an article's structure. The variational expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm was derived to estimate the posterior and parameters in MCTM. We introduced two potential applications of MCTM, including the paragraph-level document analysis and market basket data analysis. The effectiveness of MCTM in understanding the document structure has been verified by the great predictive performance on held-out documents and intuitive visualization. We also showed that MCTM could successfully capture customers' popular shopping patterns in the market basket analysis.
WebMedic: Disentangling the Memory-Functionality Tension for the Next Billion Mobile Web Users

Users in developing regions still suffer from poor web performance, mainly due to their unique landscape of low-end devices. In this paper, we uncover a root cause of this suboptimal performance by cross-analyzing longitudinal resource (in particular, memory) profiles from a large social network, and the memory consumption of modern webpages in five regions. We discover that the primary culprit for hitting memory constraints is JavaScript execution which existing optimizations are ill-suited to alleviate. To handle this, we propose WebMedic, an approach that trades-off less critical functionality of a webpage to directly address memory and performance problems.
How the Legal System’s Failure to Appreciate Statistical Evidence Disadvantages Plaintiffs in Discrimination Cases

The win rate of plaintiffs in EEO cases is much lower than in other civil cases. This chapter argues that the undervaluing of statistical evidence by courts is a contributing factor. Even when plaintiffs win, the current method of estimating the shortfall in positions they deserve leads to an underestimate of monetary damages and an alternative is proposed.
A GPU-accelerated fast multipole method based on barycentric Lagrange interpolation and dual tree traversal

Abstract We present a GPU-accelerated fast multipole method (FMM) called BLDTT , which uses barycentric Lagrange interpolation for the near-field and far-field approximations, and dual tree traversal to construct the interaction lists. The scheme replaces well-separated particle-particle interactions by adaptively chosen particle-cluster, cluster-particle, and cluster-cluster approximations given by barycentric Lagrange interpolation on a Chebyshev grid of proxy particles in each cluster. The BLDTT employs FMM-type upward and downward passes, although here they are adapted to interlevel polynomial interpolation. The BLDTT is kernel-independent, and the approximations have a direct sum form that efficiently maps onto GPUs, where targets provide an outer level of parallelism and sources provide an inner level of parallelism. The code uses OpenACC directives for GPU acceleration and MPI remote memory access for distributed memory parallelization . Computations are presented for different particle distributions, domains, and interaction kernels, and for unequal targets and sources. The BLDTT consistently outperforms our earlier particle-cluster barycentric Lagrange treecode (BLTC). On a single GPU for problem size ranging from N=1E5 to 1E8, the BLTC scales like O ( N log ⁡ N ) and the BLDTT scales like O ( N ) . We also present MPI strong scaling results for the BLDTT and BLTC with N=64E6 particles running on 1 to 32 GPUs.
Cash and Capabilities

The capabilities approach claims that the freedom to achieve alternative ends is of primary moral importance to policy evaluation. We use a new Bayesian framework for estimating capabilities to conduct a capabilities-based impact evaluation of a prominent poverty-alleviation policy: cash transfers. Specifically, we evaluate a cluster-randomized controlled trial of Kenya's flagship unconditional cash-transfer scheme, Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC). Our method entails a decomposition of more traditional estimates of impact into a capabilities effect and a choice effect. We find that CT-OVC expanded capabilities across a variety of dimensions (e.g., consumption of micronutrient-rich foods) and that the effects are often larger for women. We also find that choice plays an important contributing role, which we argue has implications for understanding the mechanisms of impact. This paper represents the first capabilities-based impact evaluation, which we claim is a more general approach to evaluation.
Introduction: An Overview of the ACA as a National Experiment

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is not only landmark legislation, but it also is the largest health policy experiment our nation has undertaken in our generation. Like all experiments, it has led to more testing, building on positive results, and trying to correct negative ones. However, unlike research done in the carefully controlled conditions in a lab or clinic, the ACA is an experiment being conducted in the midst of protean real-world challenges. That means its theories and logistics are not only tested, but also subject to initial and continuing challenges of many types. This point was emphasized in the first edition of this book, and is again here, because it highlights not only the importance of learning from innovation, but also the importance of healthcare research in improving—indeed, perhaps saving—our nation’s healthcare system. We must make the case for the full spectrum of translational research—from bench to bedside to practice to public benefit to policy. Widespread understanding of the need for this entire chain will lead to better public support, including a better understanding of policy innovation.
The Drug-Dosing Conundrum in Oncology - When Less Is More.

The Drug-Dosing Conundrum in Oncology Doses and schedules of oncology drugs are sometimes inadequately characterized before registration trials. The “more is better” paradigm is still used for dose...
The Structure of Complementation

The study of complementation has received considerable attention in generative studies. Following Rosenbaum's (1967) pioneering study of the English complement system, there are extensive studies by Lakoff (1965), Ross (1967), Perlmutter (1971) and a large number of publications. More recent detailed studies are Emonds (1970) and Bresnan (1972) . These studies have increased enormously the body of factual knowledge about the complement system of English, and about the phenomenon of complementation in general. As a consequence there are a number of empirical hypotheses about the structure of human languages which must now be tested against facts of different languages. Of these hypotheses, perhaps the most interesting is that the grammars of all languages make use of the principle of the transformational cycle. Testing this hypothesis constitutes one of the main concerns of the present book. Furthermore, these studies have also raised numerous interesting empirical issues of great importance for linguistic theory, most of which are still awaiting fresh evidence from different languages in order to be settled. This study is directed towards resolving some of these issues by adducing relevent data, primarily from Portuguese.
Modelling of Phase Behavior of Micellar Systems Used for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Designing an optimal process for chemically enhanced oil recovery requires long laboratory experiments, so numerical simulators have been used for some years, which take into account the various physical phenomena involved.
A New Method for Robust Stability Analysis of a Class of Recurrent Neural Networks with Time Delays

In this paper, based on the state equations of neural networks and existing theorems, we discuss a class of recurrent neural networks with time delays and investigate their robust stability of the equilibrium point for this system. A new method to analyze the robust stability under disturbance of structure of recurrent neural networks with time delays is presented, and a sufficient condition guaranteeing the robust stability is derived, which provides the theoretical basis for designing a system.
Impact of interventions on discrete outcomes: Maximum likelihood estimation of the binary choice models with binary endogenous regressors

In this article, we describe the switch_probit command, which implements the maximum likelihood method to fit the model of the binary choice with binary endogenous regressors.
Spinal Cord Injury

Until World War II, the prognosis in cases of severe spinal cord lesions was extremely poor, and the mortality rate was high. Statistics from the American Civil War, the Balkan Wars and World War I show a mortality rate of over 95%. World War II marked the turning point in the treatment of spinal cord injuries. The use of antibiotics greatly reduced the early mortality, and the introduction of multidisciplinary rehabilitation by Donald Munro, Sir Ludwig Guttmann, Howard Rusk and others in special cord injury centres reduced the mortality and morbidity due to complications of long-term recumbency and hospitalisation. The overall mortality for the American combat forces was 3.6% in the Korean and 2.3% in the Vietnamese conflict.
Chemistry of exciplexes 11

Abstract Extending our investigations on the photochemical reactions between benzenoid aromatic hydrocarbons and conjugated polyunsaturated olefins to the higher arenes, we describe the pericyclic reactivity evidenced in the photochemical cycloaddition reactions of anthracene, tetracene, benz(a)anthracene, dibenz(a,c)anthracene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene, dibenz(a,j)anthracene and pentaphene with 1,3-cyclohexadiene. The divergent reactivities of these arenes is not explicable in terms of Woodward-Hoffmann or derivative theories. We attribute the proclivities of these systems to engage in pericyclic cycloaddition reactions, and in particular the failure of dibenz(a,h)anthracene and pentaphene to from “allowed” 4π s + 4π s meso cycloadducts, to a requirement for the preservation of “essential symmetry” about the reactive positions, wherein the local nodal structure of the reactants must correlate with that of the products for a pericyclic process to be energetically competitive with other modes of deactivation of the arene excited state. Applicability of this theory in thermal processes is also considered.
Common Enterobacterial Antigen II. Effect of Immunization on Challenge with Heterologous Bacilli

Studies were carried out evaluating the protective activity of immunization with common enterobacterial antigen (CA) against challenge with heterologous gram-negative bacilli. Active immunization of mice with Escherichia coli 0:14 elicited titers of antibody to CA of 1:640 or greater but completely failed to enhance resistance to challenge by mouse virulent strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae or E. coli. Similarly, two lots, 324 and 422, of rabbit antisera to CA failed to afford passive protection to mice challenged with K. pneumoniae or E. coli. A third lot, 166, of rabbit antisera to CA did passively protect mice. The protective activity of antisera 166 was demonstrated to reflect its content of antibody to another cross-reactive antigen, Re determinant, of gram-negative bacilli which has previously been shown to protect against infections with heterologous bacilli rather than any protective effect of antibody to CA. These studies failed to demonstrate any protective activity of antibody to CA against challenge with heterologous CA containing gram-negative bacilli.
Anomalous light shift through quantum jumps in quasiresonant Rayleigh scattering

An anomalous light shift in the precession of a ground-state Zeeman coherence is observed: The Larmor frequency increases with the strength of a drive that is blue (red) detuned from a transition out of the lower (upper) energy level. Our measurements are made on ${}^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms traversing an optical cavity containing a few photons; shifts as large as 1$%$ per photon are recorded. The anomalous shift arises from an accumulation of phase driven by quantum jumps. It is stochastic and accompanied by broadening.
Abstract 4950: Correlation of methylation status with expression levels of the genes in prostate cancer

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC DNA methylation abnormalities, either gain or loss of methylation in promoters or other regulatory regions, contribute to tumorigenesis by altering the activity of tumor suppressor or oncogenes. To identify the molecular alterations in prostate cancer, we have profiled gene methylation using Infinium Human Methylation27 bead chips in benign prostate tissue, primary prostate tumor tissue from patients who developed metastasis within 5 years of prostatectomy, and serum from patients who developed metastasis. Tissue DNA isolation and bisulfite conversion was done using ZR Genomic DNA kit and EZ methylation kit. Serum DNA isolation and bisulfite conversion was done using ZR serum DNA kit and EZ methylation kit. Methylation data was processed using the Beadstudio average normalization algorithm and differentially methylated genes identified using a two-group T-test p-value 1, and a maximum average expression value > log2 7. Comparison of the methylation and gene expression data identified 321 differentially expressed Affymetrix probesets which mapped to genes differentially methylated genes; 272 with differential methylation in the prostate cancer tissue and 97 with differential methylation in the prostate cancer serum. In general, we expected a complementary effect between gene methylation and expression, with hyper-methylation driving decreased expression, and hypo-methylation driving increased expression. This was seen in the prostate cancer tissue methylation data, where 228/272 (84%) probesets possessed this methylation-expression complementarity; 212/238 hyper-methylated genes and 16/34 hypo-methylated genes. The effect was not as strong in the prostate cancer serum methylation data, where 30/97 (31%) probesets displayed the methylation-expression complementarity; 19/79 hyper-methylated genes and 11/18 hypo-methylated genes. Overall, our results revealed a significant correlation of the DNA methylation with the down regulation in the mRNA expression levels of the genes, which could play potential roles in prostate cancer progression. Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4950.
Duct acoustics and acoustic finite element method

A comprehensive solution method - Acoustic Finite Element Method - has been proposed. In order to generate confidence in the method proposed, the problem of influence of shear flow in a two-dimensional channel on sound propagation from an arbitrary source distribution has been theoretically formulated. From the preliminary investigation of application of acoustic finite element method, it seems that it can provide solutions to problems concerning the transmission of sound in variable area ducts, or in ducts in which the boundary layer depends on the streamwise variable, or in ducts with discontinuities in lining impedance and with end termination impedances, both the inlet and exhaust jet flows being taken into account.
Test Rack Development for Extended Operation of Advanced Stirling Convertors at NASA Glenn Research Center

The U.S. Department of Energy, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunpower Inc., and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) have been developing an Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) for use as a power system on space science missions. This generator will make use of free-piston Stirling convertors to achieve higher conversion efficiency than with currently available alternatives. One part of NASA GRC's support of ASRG development includes extended operation testing of Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASCs) developed by Sunpower Inc. and GRC. The ASC consists of a free-piston Stirling engine integrated with a linear alternator. NASA GRC has been building test facilities to support extended operation of the ASCs for several years. Operation of the convertors in the test facility provides convertor performance data over an extended period of time. One part of the test facility is the test rack, which provides a means for data collection, convertor control, and safe operation. Over the years, the test rack requirements have changed. The initial ASC test rack utilized an alternating-current (AC) bus for convertor control; the ASRG Engineering Unit (EU) test rack can operate with AC bus control or with an ASC Control Unit (ACU). A new test rack is being developed to support extended operation of the ASC-E2s with higher standards of documentation, component selection, and assembly practices. This paper discusses the differences among the ASC, ASRG EU, and ASC-E2 test racks.
Instruments of Precision at the Paris Exhibition

IN your issue of November 15 (p. 61) is an account of “Instruments of Precision at the Paris Exhibition,” in which it is stated that a catalogue of 250 pages has been prepared by the German Association of Mechanicians and Opticians. May I ask you to state in some future issue how that catalogue can be obtained, as I am anxious to get a copy of it?
Electron Speckle Photography - some recent advances

ABSTRACT When the speckle pattern is displaced, the displacement vector can be obtained by performing a correlation comparison between the two patterns, either optically or numerically. The so-called speckle photograp hy technique has become an important metrological, strain analysis and fluid mechanics tool. The resolution of speckle technique depends on the size of the speckles employed. For an optical recording system, it is essentially limited to the wavelength of the light used and is about 0.5µm within the visible spectrum. In 1982 Chiang introduced the electron speckle photography concept whereby sub-micron and nanometer speckles were created via a process of physical vapor deposition and recording was made by an electron microscope, either a SEM or a TEM. As a result the resolution of speckle photography was increased by several orders of magnitude. With the advancement of digital speckle techniques the method is now fully automated. This paper discusses the current state art of this technique, and its application to the determination of differential thermal strains in electronic packaging, shear band formation in the lamellar interfaces of TiAl and prediction of the crack growth, the size effect of MEMS material SU-8, the mi cro-mechanical properties of artificial tissues, and the mechanical properties of metal oxide nanofibers. Also discussed in the paper are potential applications of this technique to nanotechnology and bio mechanics. Keywords : Speckle, Photography, Crack tip, Size effect
The design of a dynamic allocation mechanism for the federal energy assistance program LIHEAP

Abstract A dynamic allocation mechanism for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed and analyzed using a theoretical decision-making framework. LIHEAP is a federal block grant program established in 1981 to help low-income households meet a portion of their home energy costs. The manner in which LIHEAP funds are allocated to states, however, has been a contentious issue since the inception of the program with many warm-weather states objecting to the distribution formula since it did not adequately address the cooling requirements of their states. In 1984, the Health and Human Services developed a more equitable formula by incorporating state cooling requirements in an equal weighting scheme with state heating requirements. In addition to the new distribution formula, various provisions were also legislated that specified when and how the 1984 formula could be employed. These provisions have turned out to be so constraining that they have effectively disabled the 1984 formula, and the consequence of the amendments is that an ad hoc and arbitrary formula for allocating funds among states continues to be applied. The purpose of this paper is to design a dynamic allocation mechanism that adjusts the provisions of the LIHEAP statute relative to the level of the regular appropriation. Specifically, the trigger level that enables the 1984 formula is considered a design parameter and the effect of a trigger level reduction on state allotments is described. The LIHEAP statute is quantified and the allocation percentages are represented in terms of a “universal tableaux.” System functionals that quantify the capital transfer between recipient states is defined and empirically constructed. The probability of realizing a fair allotment is computed as a function of various decision parameters.
Interaction of two-dimensional localized solutions near a weakly inverted bifurcation

We study the interaction of two-dimensional (2D) solutions as they arise for the envelope equations for a subcritical bifurcation to traveling waves. We show that these 2D localized solutions can collide and reemerge unchanged in size and shape after the collision in contrast to what is found in 2D soliton systems. Various other types of behavior arise as the impact parameter and the cross coupling between the waves are varied. We point out that these phenomena should be observable experimentally for hydrodynamic instabilities in anisotropic liquids such as nematic liquid crystals.
Values, objectivity and credibility of scientists in a contentious natural resource debate.

In contentious natural resource debates, the credibility of scientists is at risk. In this case study, citizens in contending communities and scientists in a forest management controversy construct...
An inexpensive servo-control system for regulating microvascular perfusion pressures in small animals

Abstract A simple and inexpensive system for controlling the pressure perfusing the rat cremaster muscle is described. The system utilizes an inflatable cuff-type vascular occluder that is placed around the sacral aorta and is inflated using a syringe pump. The syringe pump is turned on and off by a feedback comparator which senses the pressure downstream of the occluder, and varies the degree of occlusion until the downstream pressure equals a desired setpoint value. Although very simple, this system provides a useful and effective means of altering pressure within the cremaster muscle, and could easily be adapted to other microvascular preparations.
Comment on "A reservoir of nitrate beneath desert soils".

Walvoord et al . ([ 1 ][1]) reported a large nitrate pool located deep (>1 m) beneath desert soils. Two aspects of this work were particularly surprising: the large pool size, estimated to be up to ∼104 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare, as nitrate (kg N ha-1); and the shape of the nitrate
REPRINT OF: A quasiseparable approach to five-diagonal CMV and Fiedler matrices

Abstract Recent work in the characterization of structured matrices in terms of characteristic polynomials of principal submatrices is furthered in this paper. Some classical classes of matrices with quasiseparable structure include tridiagonal (related to real orthogonal polynomials) and banded matrices, unitary Hessenberg matrices (related to Szego polynomials), and semiseparable matrices, as well as others. Hence working with the class of quasiseparable matrices provides new results which generalize and unify classical results. Previous work has focused on characterizing ( H , 1 ) -quasiseparable matrices, matrices with order-one quasiseparable structure that are also upper Hessenberg. In this paper, the authors introduce the concept of a twist transformation, and use such transformations to explain the relationship between ( H , 1 ) -quasiseparable matrices and the subclass of ( 1 , 1 ) -quasiseparable matrices (without the upper Hessenberg restriction) which are related to the same systems of polynomials. These results generalize the discoveries of Cantero, Fiedler, Kimura, Moral and Velazquez of five-diagonal matrices related to Horner and Szego polynomials in the context of quasiseparable matrices.
A fast Ising-type model for binary polymer blends containing their block copolymer

Monte Carlo simulations were done to predict the rate of domain growth in an amphiphilic system. An Ising-type model was used for a system comprised of two homopolymers A and B and the corresponding copolymer A-B. The power-law exponent for phase growth decreased from its normal value of 0.33 as block copolymer was added. The pure block copolymer exhibited lamellae and had a growth exponent of zero. There is a fair agreement between the simulated scaling exponents and experimental values. The model is fast from a computational viewpoint. It is a good representation of a system comprised of two homopolymers with equal chainlengths and the corresponding block copolymer with a chainlength twice as long. Extensions of the model may be useful in representing other systems, but this has not been tested yet.
Musical boundaries: intersections of form and content

Abstract Musical boundaries mark distinctions between what is valued and what is shunned among cultural objects. One prominent line of research on musical boundaries investigates variations of inclusiveness and exclusiveness – identifying cultural omnivores and univores – but has not fully considered the role of ambivalence toward genres that are neither liked nor disliked categorically. Another line of research deepens our understanding of the rhetorics, discourses, and cultural schemas organizing boundary work, but it has yet to map the combinatorial logic through which specific taste evaluations are made. In this study, I bridge research on boundary forms and organizing principles through a comparative and relational approach, combining Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Correspondence Analysis (CA) to analyze musical tastes in the U.S. Results confirm the general associations of highbrows and omnivores, lowbrows and univores, but they also show a diversity of musical boundary configurations: the largest group of omnivores do not exclude lowbrow musics; a significant subset of univores are highbrows; and those with indecisive or ambivalent boundaries favor popular music. I conclude by noting that the musical taste structure is shaped more like a parabola than a pyramid and by proposing future directions for integrating qualitative and quantitative cultural sociology.
Evaluating rotational kinematics of the knee in ACL-ruptured and healthy patients using 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose Rotational knee laxity is an important measure in restoring knee stability following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, but is difficult to quantify with current clinical tools. The hypothesis of the study is that there is greater tibial rotation (TR) in women than men, and also in ACL-deficient than healthy knees.
Neuropeptide Y in neural crest-derived tumors: Effect on growth and vascularization

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a sympathetic neurotransmitter recently found to be a potent growth and angiogenic factor. The peptide and its receptors are abundant in neural crest-derived tumors, such as sympathetic neuroblastomas and pheochromocytomas, as well as parasympathetic Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors. NPY regulates their growth directly, by an autocrine activation of tumor cell proliferation or apoptosis, and indirectly, by its angiogenic activity. The overall effect of the peptide on tumor growth depends on a balance between these processes and the type of receptors expressed in the tumor cells. Thus, NPY and its receptors may become targets for the treatment of neural tumors, directed against both tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis.
Rationality and Judgment

Philosophical/epistemic theories of rationality differ over the role of judgment in rational argumentation. According to what (1988) calls the ‘classical model’ of rationality, rational justification is a matter of conformity with explicit rules or principles. On this view, a given belief, action or decision is rational only in so far as it is rendered so by a relevant rule or principle. These rules or principles must themselves be justified by appeal to other rules or principles. According to the classical model, judgment plays no role in the determination of rationality; whether a belief or action is rational is a matter, not of judgment, but of its relation to the appropriate rules.1 Critics of the classical model, e.g. (1999), argue that the model is subject to insuperable difficulties. They propose, instead, that rationality be understood in terms of judgment rather than (or in addition to) rules. Govier criticizes some of my previous work on the subject for being overly committed to the classical model, and for equivocating on ‘judgment.’
Urban challenges in India: A review of recent policy measures

Abstract Long-term institutional under-investment has resulted in severe infrastructure and service deficits in urban India, with disproportionately higher impacts in small towns and on the urban poor. This paper researches existing policy literature to examine urban governance and civic challenges, and the implementation of urban reforms against the backdrop of two policy initiatives: the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act 1992 that recommends urban governance devolution; and the programmatic Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) that attempts to effect governance reforms, and improve urban infrastructure and basic services, including affordable housing for the poor. However, there has been inadequate governance devolution from states to urban governments, and the pace of decentralisation is uneven across states. Also infrastructure projects sanctioned for completion by March 2012 under JNNURM remain incomplete and have been granted a two-year extension until March 2014. Policy assessments point to political economy factors and inadequate management capacity as key institutional challenges impacting effective urban reforms in India.
What's Wrong with Henry Kissinger's Foreign Policy:

A Hero of Our Time, gentlemen, is indeed a portrait, but not of a single individual; it is a portrait composed of all the vices of our generation in the fullness of their development.Mihail Lermontov, ‘The Author's Introduction’, A Hero of Our Time (1958).This article analyzes the reasons why Henry Kissinger has exercised such an extraordinary influence upon all sectors of world politics. It argues that Mr. Kissinger's role has not been beneficial because it has reflected his indifference to issues of morality and justice and his insensitivity to the obsolescence of the state system. To overcome Kissingerism is absolutely necessary for the achievement of political independence in the Third World and the sort of global reform which will be needed for the construction of a just and peaceful world order capable of meeting present challenges.
Trends in diesel exhaust gas control and engineers' expectations from tribology

Abstract In December 1989 the target of exhaust gas control for the next 10 years was proposed by The Central Pollution Control Deliberative Council, Japan, and this was made public in March 1991. The main features are (1) introduction of particulate (PM) control, (2) reduction of black smoke and NO x , (3) review of test methods and (4) expression in concentration rate changed to expression in weight. The enforcement period comprised two stages, short and long term, and currently efforts are directed towards a so-called ‘clean diesel engine’. This paper deals with Japan's engineers' expectations from tribology in making ‘cleanliness’ compatible with ‘durability’, centring on the DI diesel engine, which powers mainly heavy-duty commercial vehicles.
Ready to Adopt: Characteristics and Expectations of Preadoptive Families Pursuing International Adoptions

ABSTRACT The present work is a descriptive study of preadoptive characteristics of families pursuing international adoptions. Families were recruited through six adoption agencies and two Internet-based support groups for internationally adopting parents. The sample included 256 prospective parents who responded to a survey assessing various aspects of preadoptive psychological functioning, family demographics and social support, preparation for the adoption, satisfaction with the agency, and expectations for the prospective adopted child. Results revealed that parents reported high levels of social support and low levels of psychological distress. Systematic birth country differences emerged in the amount of information parents had regarding their prospective adopted children, with parents adopting from Korea having significantly more information than others. Expectations for children were related more consistently to child characteristics than to family variables, and most parents reported very positive...
Donor specific transfusions or cyclosporine for related-donor kidney transplantation?

Donor specific transfusions or cyclosporine for related-donor kidney transplantation? DST and cyclosporine are two immunosuppressive strategies to improve first year graft survival in high MLC, one-haplotype matched, living-related donor kidney transplantation. However, each has disadvantages: The conventional strategy of DST may sensitize the recipient to donor antigens, precluding transplantation from that donor, and cyclosporine may increase graft failure due to nephrotoxicity. We used decision analysis to compare these two strategies. We assumed that the risk of sensitization by DST is 12%, that graft failure in the first year is equal in both strategies, but that the annual probability of graft failure in later years is 2.6% with DST and from 2.7% to 3.6% with cyclosporine. Patients sensitized by DST and patients with graft failure undergo dialysis while awaiting cadaveric donor transplantation using cyclosporine. Outcomes were assessed as quality-adjusted years of survival. The analysis was deliberately biased to favor DST, the conventional strategy. Quality-adjusted life expectancy for a 40-year-old patient in both strategies is from 17.7 to 19.1 years. The difference between the DST and cyclosporine strategies ranges from -0.7 to +0.6 years. Given current data on sensitization by DST, long-term cyclosporine nephrotoxicity, and deliberate biases favoring the DST strategy, we conclude that there is no substantive advantage of the DST strategy. Cyclosporine is equally efficacious for recipients of high MLC, one-haplotype matched kidney transplants, and may be preferred for transplants from more distant relatives and unrelated living donors.
Neural Lateralization of Species-Specific Vocalizations by Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata)

Five Japanese macaques and five other Old World monkeys were trained to discriminate among field-recorded Japanese macaque vocalizations. One task required discrimination of a communicatively relevant acoustic feature ("peak"), and a second required discrimination of an orthogonal feature of the same vocalizations ("pitch"). The Japanese animals more proficiently discriminated the peak feature when stimuli were presented to the right ear (primarily left cerebral hemisphere), as opposed to the left ear (primarily right hemisphere). In discriminating the pitch feature, the Japanese animals either showed (i) a left-ear processing advantage or (ii) no ear advantage. The comparison animals, with one exception, showed no ear advantage in processing either feature of the vocalizations. The results suggest that Japanese macaques engage left-hemisphere processors for the analysis of communicatively significant sounds that are analogous to the lateralized mechanisms used by humans listening to speech.
Systolic Pulmonary and Hepatic Vein Flow Reversal Due to Pacemaker‐Induced Retrograde Ventriculoatrial Conduction

Systolic pulmonary and hepatic vein flow reversals can typically be seen with severe atrioventricular (AV) valve regurgitation and during atrial fibrillation (AF). We report the case of a 67-year-old woman who presented with recent-onset exertional dyspnea. Her pacemaker was near end-of-life and reverted to a VVI mode from the preset DDDR mode. Electrocardiography demonstrated retrograde 1:1 ventriculoatrial (VA) conduction and spectral Doppler analysis revealed prominent systolic pulmonary and hepatic vein flow reversals. Symptoms, electrocardiogram (ECG) findings, and the spectral Doppler abnormalities resolved completely following a generator replacement and resumption of DDDR pacing.
Parathyroid hormone as a marker for metabolic bone disease of prematurity

To compare parathyroid hormone to alkaline phosphatase as a serologic marker for metabolic bone disease (MBD) in preterm infants. An 18-month prospective observational study in neonates with birth weight 180 mg dl−1 or a P level <4.6 mg dl−1 yielded a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 94% for severe MBD.
Effects of neurotoxins and hindpaw inflammation on opioid receptor immunoreactivities in dorsal root ganglia

Abstract Three types of opioid receptors mediate peripheral opioid antinociception in inflammation. Recently, antisera that recognize unique epitopes of the cloned mu-, delta-, and kappa-opioid receptors have been developed. Using these antisera we examined the regulation of opioid receptors in rat dorsal root ganglia after hindpaw inflammation and the influence of neurotoxins for primary afferent neurons and sympathetic neurons thereon. Peripheral tissue inflammation was produced by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant into the right hindpaw. Capsaicin was injected subcutaneously once a day for three days using a total dose of 150 mg/kg. 6-hydroxydopamine was injected intraperitoneally 75 mg/kg/day for three days. Freund's adjuvant induced a marked increase in the percentage of mu-, but a decrease in delta- and kappa-opioid receptor-positive neurons. Capsaicin significantly decreased mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptor immunoreactivity in both Freund's adjuvant treated and non-treated rats. No significant changes on the mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptor immunoreactivities were observed after 6-hydroxydopamine treatment in either Freund's adjuvant-treated or non-treated rats. Our studies indicate: (1) Peripheral inflammation can differentially regulate the expression of the three opioid receptors in dorsal root ganglia neurons with an up-regulation of mu- and down-regulation of delta- and kappa-opioid receptors. 2) A significant portion of mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptors are located on capsaicin-sensitive neurons in dorsal root ganglia of both non-inflamed and inflamed hindlimbs. 3) The expression of opioid receptors in dorsal root ganglia of either inflamed or non-inflamed hindlimbs is not influenced by sympathetic postganglionic neurons.
Characterization of organically pillared zirconium phosphates

Abstract Samples of α-zirconium phosphates and of zirconium phosphates pillared by phenyl, dimethylphenyl, and diphenyl have been characterized by BET surface area, surface acidity, adsorption capacity and pore sizes, TGA, X-ray powder diffraction, and activity for isopropanol decomposition. The BET surface areas of pillared zirconium phosphates have been found to increase with the increase in size and number of organic groups in the interlayers. The total number of surface acidic sites of α-zirconium phosphates has been found to be greater than any one of the pillared catalysts. It is concluded from this study that α-zirconium phosphate pillared by diphenyl has interlayer openings large enough to sorb isopropanol, and its decomposition takes place mainly in the interlayers of this catalyst. In contrast, the phenyl and dimethylphenyl pillared zirconium phosphates have less free space between the interlayers so that the reactions of isopropanol take place on the outer surface of the catalysts. The dehydration of isopropanol to propylene has been found to be the primary reaction for all the catalysts.
Channel formation in Pb-Sn, Pb-Sb, and Pb-Sn-Sb alloy ingots and comparison with the system NH 4 CI-H 2 O

The formation of segregation channels during the unidirectional solidification of base chilled ingots has been studied as a function of composition in binary Pb-Sn and Pb-Sb and ternary Pb-Sn-Sb alloys. The patterns of channel distribution were characterized in the binary and ternary systems and are described as functions of temperature gradients, growth rates, dendrite spacings, and interdendritic permeabilities. Channels appear to nucleate at random across a dendritic front and subsequently to interact as they propagate, decreasing in density across the front. Assuming that the interdendritic spacing is the characteristic distance for a liquid perturbation, yields critical effective Rayleigh numbers which lie within a factor of x40 for both metallic and aqueous systems. This correlation is close, considering the sensitivity to any assumed dimension and the range of material properties involved, and is taken to support a model for channel nucleation occurring close to the dendritic growth front.
Patient-Specific Modeling of Atherosclerotic Carotid Arteries From Multi-Modality Image Data

Estimation of the wall shear stress distribution in stenotic carotid arteries is important for assessing risk of stroke. Since there are no reliable experimental methods to determine wall shear stress distributions, realistic patient-specific computational fluid dynamics models are constructed from medical images. Anatomical and physiologic data are obtained from multiple image modalities including 3D rotational angiography, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography, carotid duplex ultrasound and phase-contrast magnetic resonance. These images are used to construct patient-specific finite element grids and to solve the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations under physiological pulsatile flow conditions. The detailed knowledge of the carotid hemodynamics derived from these models can be used to enhance our understanding of the relationship between flow patterns and symptoms, and ultimately risk of stroke. This methodology can also be used to correllate flow patterns with the outcome of endovascular procedures such as angioplasty and stenting.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Progesterone in traumatic brain injury: time to move on to phase III trials

There are several candidate neuroprotective agents that have been shown in preclinical testing to improve outcomes following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Xiao and colleagues have performed an in hospital, double blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial utilizing progesterone in the treatment of patients sustaining TBI evaluating safety and long term clinical outcomes. These data, combined with the results of the previously published ProTECT trial, show progesterone to be safe and potentially efficacious in the treatment of TBI. Larger phase III trials will be necessary to verify results prior to clinical implementation. Clinical trials networks devoted to the study of TBI are vital to the timely clinical testing of these candidate agents and need to be supported.
Patient- and Practice-Related Determinants of Emergency Department Length of Stay for Patients With Psychiatric Illness

Study objective To identify patient and clinical management factors related to emergency department (ED) length of stay for psychiatric patients. Methods This was a prospective study of 1,092 adults treated at one of 5 EDs between June 2008 and May 2009. Regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with ED length of stay and its 4 subcomponents. Secondary analyses considered patients discharged to home and those who were admitted or transferred separately. Results The overall mean ED length of stay was 11.5 hours (median 8.2 hours). ED length of stay varied by discharge disposition, with patients discharged to home staying 8.6 hours (95% confidence interval 7.7 to 9.5 hours) and patients transferred to a hospital outside the system of care staying 15 hours (95% confidence interval 12.7 to 17.6 hours) on average. Older age and being uninsured were associated with increased ED length of stay, whereas race, sex, and homelessness had no association. Patients with a positive toxicology screen result for alcohol stayed an average of 6.2 hours longer than patients without toxicology screens, an effect observed primarily in the periods before disposition decision. Diagnostic imaging was associated with an average 3.2-hour greater length of stay, prolonging both early and late components of the ED stay. Restraint use had a similar effect, leading to a length of stay 4.2 hours longer than that of patients not requiring restraints. Conclusion Psychiatric patients spent more than 11 hours in the ED on average when seeking care. The need for hospitalization, restraint use, and the completion of diagnostic imaging had the greatest effect on postassessment boarding time, whereas the presence of alcohol on toxicology screening led to delays earlier in the ED stay. Identification and sharing of best practices associated with each of these factors would provide an opportunity for improvement in ED care for this population.