cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mirror Charge Radii and the Neutron Equation of State.

The differences in the charge radii of mirror nuclei are shown to be proportional to the derivative of the neutron equation of state and the symmetry energy at nuclear matter saturation density. This derivative is important for constraining the neutron equation of state for use in astrophysics. The charge radii of several neutron-rich nuclei are already measured to the accuracy of about 0.005 fm. Experiments at isotope-separator and radioactive-beam facilities are needed to measure the charge radii of the corresponding proton-rich mirror nuclei to a similar accuracy. It is also shown that neutron skins of nuclei with $N=Z$ depend upon the value of the symmetry energy at a density of $0.10\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nucleons}/{\mathrm{fm}}^{3}$.
Antitrust Evaluation of Horizontal Mergers: An Economic Alternative to Market Definition

We propose a simple, new test for making an initial determination of whether a proposed merger between rivals is likely to reduce competition and thus lead to higher prices. Under current antitrust policy, the government can establish a presumption that a proposed horizontal merger will harm competition by defining the relevant market and showing that the merger will lead to a substantial increase in concentration in that market. However, this approach can perform poorly in markets for differentiated products, where market boundaries are unclear and the proximity of the products sold by the merging firms is a key determinant of the merger's effect on competition. Our test looks for upward pricing pressure (UPP) resulting from the merger. We develop a simple diagnostic for UPP based on the price/cost margins of the products sold by the merging firms and the magnitude of direct substitution between the two firm's products. We argue that our approach is well grounded in economics, workable in practice, and superior to existing methods in a substantial class of mergers.
Dissecting Earnings Recognition Timeliness

We dissect the portion of stock price change of the fiscal year that is recognized in reported accounting earnings of the year. We call this portion earnings recognition timeliness (ERT). The emphasis in our dissection is on empirical identification of two fundamental precepts of financial accounting: (1) the matching principle, which is manifested in the recognition of expenses in the same period as the related benefits (i.e., sales revenue) accrue; and (2) recognition of expenses in the current period due to changes in expectations regarding earnings of future periods (we refer to these expenses as the expectations element of expenses). Although the expectations element has implicitly been at the core of much of the recent empirical literature on asymmetry in the earnings/return relation, it has not been explicitly identified. This recent literature is based on the premise that bad news about the future leads to more recognition of expenses in the current period (such as write-downs) whereas good news about the future tends to have a much lesser effect on expenses of the current period; asymmetry in the expenses/return relation is captured implicitly via the observation of asymmetry in the earnings/return relation (i.e., asymmetry in ERT). Since the ERT reflects the relation between sales revenue and returns, matched expenses and returns, as well as the relation between the expectations element of expenses and returns, a focus on the expectations element may lead to sharper inferences. Our straightforward empirical procedure permits a focus on this element.
Intracellular production of hydrogels and synthetic RNA granules by multivalent molecular interactions

An approach to form protein-based hydrogels in living cells that resemble physiological hydrogel-like size-dependent molecular sieves is presented. Synthetic RNA granules mimics are obtained by functionalizing these entities with RNA-binding motifs.
A Critique of Thatcherism and the Queering of Home in Sammy and Rosie Get Laid

(2011). A Critique of Thatcherism and the Queering of Home in Sammy and Rosie Get Laid. South Asian Review: Vol. 32, 'On South Asian Diasporas', Guest Edited by B. P. Giri and Priya Kumar, pp. 123-137.
An efficient and stable method for short maturity Asian options

In this paper, we develop a Markov chain‐based approximation method to price arithmetic Asian options for short maturities under the case of geometric Brownian motion. It has the advantage of being a closed‐form approximation involving only matrices. It is an accurate, efficient, and stable method for the pricing and hedging of short maturity arithmetic Asian options for which previous methods in the literature have shown either slower convergence or instabilities in hedging parameters. We demonstrate that this method is as good as and sometimes better than existing approximation methods in the literature.
The Incredible Years® Programs for ADHD in Young Children: A Critical Review of the Evidence:

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Incredible Years® (IY) programs for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children aged 3 to 8 years based on a systematic literature review. Effects of IY programs for children with or at risk for ADHD are examined in addition to the impact on ADHD behaviors in young children identified as having conduct problems or disruptive behavior. Search strategies identified 17 publications reflecting 11 unique intervention studies, including three with samples demonstrating elevated ADHD symptoms or meeting criteria for ADHD. Effects on ADHD outcomes, primarily parent report, were positive and comparable to those seen for conduct problems; benefits were also seen on social skills. Smaller and more variable effects were seen on observational measures and teacher reports. The overall methodological strength of this literature was relatively strong, although lack of fidelity measurement is a weakness. Using criteria established by the American Psychological Asso...
Impacts of DFIG reactive power/voltage control on power system oscillations through mode coupling

Integration of converter-control based renewable generators (CCBGs) can affect power system small signal stability. The mechanism by which CCBG dynamics interact with synchronous generators needs careful study. This paper investigates the possibility that the reactive power control mode of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) interacts with an electromechanical mode through mode coupling and affects system oscillations. Unstable inter-area oscillation caused by the interaction is demonstrated in a test system. Moreover, damping torque analysis is applied to analytically study the influence of control parameters and system operating conditions on the DFIG reactive power control mode.
Tension-dependent regulation of mammalian Hippo signaling through LIMD1

Hippo signaling is regulated by biochemical and biomechanical cues that influence the cytoskeleton, but the mechanisms that mediate this have remained unclear. We show that all three mammalian Ajuba family proteins - AJUBA, LIMD1 and WTIP - exhibit tension-dependent localization to adherens junctions, and that both LATS family proteins, LATS1 and LATS2, exhibit an overlapping tension-dependent junctional localization. This localization of Ajuba and LATS family proteins is also influenced by cell density, and by Rho activation. We establish that junctional localization of LATS kinases requires LIMD1, and that LIMD1 is also specifically required for the regulation of LATS kinases and YAP1 by Rho. Our results identify a biomechanical pathway that contributes to regulation of mammalian Hippo signaling, establish that this occurs through tension-dependent LIMD1-mediated recruitment and inhibition of LATS kinases in junctional complexes, and identify roles for this pathway in both Rho-mediated and density-dependent regulation of Hippo signaling.
The Goose and the Gander: The Genital Wars

Should there be gender equity in genital cutting? In Germany (and much of Europe), the native inhabitants tend to argue there is moral equivalence between customary male circumcision and customary female circumcision and both should be proscribed. In Sierra Leone (and several other countries in Africa), the native inhabitants tend to argue there is moral equivalence between customary male circumcision and customary female circumcision and both should be permitted. In the United States, the native inhabitants tend to argue against moral equivalence, permitting customary circumci- sions for boys while proscribing them for girls. Who has the better of the argument? And what are the implications of the argument for Jews and other circumcising ethnic groups living in Europe, Africa, and North America? It is rumored that when God issued the command, Abraham looked up at the heavens and said 'Youwantustodowhat?'According to legend Sarah was not party to the conversation and was notincluded inthe deal. Suchstoriesdon't surprise me.I hesitated toowhen myson was born,at least until the absentee ballots came flooding infrom generations of ancestors; for the dead had a vote, including Abraham. And when my daughter was born the thought 'why aren' tJ ewish women circumcised?' never occurred to my wife. Not once did she look up at the heavens and say 'What kind of justice is this? Shouldn't there be gender equity in genital cutting?' That however is the question fully considered by Shaye Cohen in WhyAren't Jewish Women Circumcised? 1 His book is an exegesis of medieval rabbinic understandings of the genital cutting required of Jewish males in Genesis 17. It is also an eye-opening account of Jewish attempts to respond to early anti-Semitic Christian accusations that neonatal male circumcision is not only gender biased, patriarchal, and exclusionary (of the female half of the Jewish population) but also morally inferior to the ecumenical and gender inclusive practice of Christian baptism. The author, who is a Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy at Harvard University, then brings us up to date by observing that contemporary opponents of Jewish male circumcision 'assume (moral) parity between male circumcision, which is toler- ated, and female circumcision, which is proscribed,' with the aim of expanding existing legal prohibitions of female genital mutilation (FGM) to include the male circumcision of minors. 2 What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Or so argue today's opponents of childhood male circumcision.
Would Americans pay more in taxes for better transportation? Answers from seven years of national survey data

This paper explores U.S. public opinion about raising new federal transportation revenues, using the results from a national, random-digit-dial phone survey that was conducted for 7 years, from 2010 to 2016. The annual surveys tested support for seven versions of a higher federal gasoline tax and two versions of a hypothetical mileage fee. We used both univariate and multivariate analysis to look at how support levels vary according to the specific features of a transportation tax, respondent characteristics, and time. The analysis shows that support for the taxes is tightly linked to the specifics of a tax proposal. For example, far fewer people supported a flat-rate mileage fee for general transportation purposes than supported a gasoline tax rate increases with the revenues dedicated to improving maintenance or safety. The population subgroups most likely to consistently support transportation taxes include young people, Democrats, drivers of fuel-efficient vehicles, and respondents who wanted to see government improve safety, expand transit, and improve maintenance. However, the multivariate analysis shows little variation among subgroups with respect to support for the least and most popular taxes. Finally, support for raising transportation revenue has increased modestly since 2010.
Understanding image motion with group representations

Motion is an important signal for agents in dynamic environments, but learning to represent motion from unlabeled video is a difficult and underconstrained problem. We propose a model of motion based on elementary group properties of transformations and use it to train a representation of image motion. While most methods of estimating motion are based on pixel-level constraints, we use these group properties to constrain the abstract representation of motion itself. We demonstrate that a deep neural network trained using this method captures motion in both synthetic 2D sequences and real-world sequences of vehicle motion, without requiring any labels. Networks trained to respect these constraints implicitly identify the image characteristic of motion in different sequence types. In the context of vehicle motion, this method extracts information useful for localization, tracking, and odometry. Our results demonstrate that this representation is useful for learning motion in the general setting where explicit labels are difficult to obtain.
Where and when AI and CI meet: exploring the intersection of artificial and collective intelligence towards the goal of innovating how we govern

This paper seeks to explore the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Collective Intelligence (CI), within the context of innovating how we govern. It starts from the premise that advances in technology provide policy makers with two important new assets: data and connected people. The application of AI and CI allows them to leverage these assets toward solving public problems. Yet both AI and CI have serious challenges that may limit their value within a governance context, including biases embedded in datasets and algorithms, undermining trust in AI; and high transaction costs to manage people’s engagement limiting CI to scale. The main argument of this paper is that some of the challenges of AI and CI can in fact be addressed through greater interaction of CI and AI. In particular, the paper argues for: ⚫ Augmented Collective Intelligence where AI may enable CI to scale; ⚫ Human-Driven Artificial Intelligence where CI may humanize AI. Several real-world examples are provided throughout the paper to illustrate emerging trends toward both types of intelligence; and their applications to solve public problems or make policy decision differently.
KirBac1.1: It's An Inward Rectifying Potassium Channel

The structures of KirBac1.1 and KirBac3.1 have been used extensively to generate in silico homology models of eukaryotic Kir channels and to explore ion permeation, gating and drug-channel interactions by computational approaches. Functional studies of KirBac1.1 have been limited to 86Rb+ flux assays, but we have now succeeded in measuring voltage-clamp currents of KirBac1.1 reconstituted in giant liposomes. Using the patch-clamp technique, we recapitulate the results of 86Rb+ flux experiments, showing that KirBac1.1 currents are potassium-selective, blocked by barium, and inhibited by PIP2. These findings suggest that KirBac1.1 channels are functionally similar to eukaryotic Kir channels. Like the weak inward rectifiers Kir1.1 and Kir6.2, introduction of a negative charge at the “rectification controller” residue in the inner cavity of KirBac1.1 (I138D) confers strong inward rectification (i.e. steep voltage-dependent block by spermine). Steady state single channel currents of KirBac1.1 show multiple subconductance levels and gating modes in 150 mM symmetrical K+. However, similar to eukaryotic Kir channels, single channel amplitudes exhibit mild intrinsic inward rectification, with a maximum conductance at ∼56 pS (-100 mV), and open probability is higher at positive potentials. Multiple conductance states are still present in single channel currents of other permeant ions such as Rb+ and Tl+. However, similar to many K+ channels, including KcsA, Rb+ and Tl+ single channel currents show increased mean open time and decreased conductance. We find that KirBac1.1(T142C), equivalent to the Kir6.2 high P(o) mutant L164C, also has a high open probability and is effectively blocked by Cd+. These electrophysiological results confirm that KirBac1.1 is a bona fide inward rectifying K+ channel and a tractable model for study of the molecular basis of inward rectification, permeation and gating in eukaryotic Kir channels.
Cannabis decriminalization: A study of recent policy change in five U.S. states.

Abstract Background A number of public health professional organizations support the decriminalization of cannabis due to adverse effects of cannabis-related arrests and legal consequences, particularly on youth. We sought to examine the associations between cannabis decriminalization and both arrests and youth cannabis use in five states that passed decriminalization measures between the years 2008 and 2014: Massachusetts (decriminalized in 2008), Connecticut (2011), Rhode Island (2013), Vermont (2013), and Maryland (2014). Methods Data on cannabis possession arrests were obtained from federal crime statistics; data on cannabis use were obtained from state Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) surveys, years 2007–2015. Using a “difference in difference” regression framework, we contrasted trends in decriminalization states with those from states that did not adopt major policy changes during the observation period. Results Decriminalization was associated with a 75% reduction in the rate of drug-related arrests for youth (95% CI: 44%, 89%) with similar effects observed for adult arrests. Decriminalization was not associated with any increase in the past-30 day prevalence of cannabis use overall (relative change=−0.2%; 95% CI: −4.5%, 4.3%) or in any of the individual decriminalization states. Conclusions Decriminalization of cannabis in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maryland resulted in large decreases in cannabis possession arrests for both youth and adults, suggesting that the policy change had its intended consequence. Our analysis did not find any increase in the prevalence of youth cannabis use during the observation period.
Minimum-Fuel Low-Earth-Orbit Aeroglide and Aerothrust Aeroassisted Orbital Transfer Subject to Heating Constraints

A numerical optimization study of minimum-fuel low-Earth-orbit aeroglide and aerothrust aeroassisted orbital transfer of a small spacecraft subject to constraints on heating rate and heating load w...
The Impact of Consulting Services on Audit Quality: An Experimental Approach

We use experimental markets to examine whether providing consulting services to a nonaudit client impacts audit quality. Our paper directly addresses concerns raised by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board that the largest public accounting firms’ growth in their consulting practices threatens audit quality. We conduct an experiment proposed using a registration-based editorial process. We compare a baseline where the auditor does not provide consulting services to conditions where auditors provide consulting to audit clients or where auditors only provide consulting services to nonaudit clients. Our unique design provides evidence on whether providing consulting to nonaudit clients strengthens the salience of a client-cooperative social norm that reduces audit quality. We do not find differences in audit quality by condition in our planned analysis, however we find greater variation in audit quality in the conditions where auditors provide consulting services compared to the baseline. In unplanned analyses, our results suggest providing consulting services increases auditor cooperation with managers, increasing audit quality when managers prefer high audit quality and decreasing audit quality when managers prefer low audit quality. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Phase diagram features associated with multicritical points in alloy systems

Many features in the vicinity of critical points in phase diagrams can be illustrated using a Landau-type free energy expansion as a power series in one or more order parameters and composition. This simple approach can be used with any solution model. It also predicts limits to metastability and is useful for understanding mechanisms of phase change. The theory is applied to all the critical points that can occur in binary systems according to a Landau theory: critical consolute points, order-disorder transitions, tricritical points, critical end points, as well as systems in which two transitions such as chemical and magnetic ordering occur.
Loss of MECP2 leads to activation of p53 and neuronal senescence

To determine the role for mutations of MECP2 in Rett syndrome, we generated isogenic lines of human induced pluripotent stem cells, neural progenitor cells, and neurons from patient fibroblasts with and without MECP2 expression in an attempt to recapitulate disease phenotypes in vitro. Molecular profiling uncovered neuronal-specific gene expression changes, including induction of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) program. Patient-derived neurons made without MECP2 showed signs of stress, including induction of P53, and senescence. The induction of P53 appeared to affect dendritic branching in Rett neurons, as P53 inhibition restored dendritic complexity. The induction of P53 targets was also detectable in analyses of human Rett patient brain, suggesting that this disease-in-a-dish model can provide relevant insights into the human disorder.
Headspace sorptive extraction-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method to measure volatile emissions from human airway cell cultures

The human respiratory tract releases volatile metabolites into exhaled breath that can be utilized for noninvasive health diagnostics. To understand the origin of this metabolic process, our group has previously analyzed the headspace above human epithelial cell cultures using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). In the present work, we improve our model by employing sorbent-covered magnetic stir bars for headspace sorptive extraction (HSSE). Sorbent-coated stir bar analyte recovery increased by 52 times and captured 97 more compounds than SPME. Our data show that HSSE is preferred over liquid extraction via stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), which failed to distinguish volatiles unique to the cell samples compared against media controls. Two different cellular media were also compared, and we found that Opti-MEM® is preferred for volatile analysis. We optimized HSSE analytical parameters such as extraction time (24 h), desorption temperature (300 °C) and desorption time (7 min). Finally, we developed an internal standard for cell culture VOC studies by introducing 842 ng of deuterated decane per 5 mL of cell medium to account for error from extraction, desorption, chromatography and detection. This improved model will serve as a platform for future metabolic cell culture studies to examine changes in epithelial VOCs caused by perturbations such as viral or bacterial infections, opening opportunities for improved, noninvasive pulmonary diagnostics.
The Impact of Noncompliance and Internal Control Deficiencies on Going Concern Audit Opinions and Viability of Nonprofit Charitable Organizations

This study investigates whether material noncompliance (MNC) with laws and regulations and internal control deficiencies (ICDs) in a nonprofit charitable organization (NPO) affect the likelihood th...
A Global Analysis of Corporate Litigation Risk and Costs

Abstract We analyze a unique hand-collected international sample of 475corporate lawsuits involving 361 publicly-traded defendant firms headquartered in 16 developed countries to explore how country factors influence litigation risk, equity market value, lawsuit outcomes, and settlement costs. Unlike U.S.-focused studies, we do not find a significant relation between stock turnover, equity performance, and the probability of litigation. Defendant firms headquartered in civil law countries or countries with less efficient judiciary systems face lower litigation risk and costs as well as less share price decline at filing. Countries whose courts are less independent demonstrate a significant bias against foreign defendant firms.
Was the North American extreme climate in winter 2013/14 a SST forced response?

This study analyzed the possible causes of the atmospheric circulation anomalies responsible for the severe North American (NA) climate in the winter 2013/14. The seasonal (December-January-February) mean circulation anomalies, characterized by an extremely strong ridge off the west coast of NA and an intense trough over the continental US, appeared as a part of wave train across the North Pacific, NA and North Atlantic. The lack of heating-circulation response relationship in the tropics, however, suggested that the wave train might not be a direct response to tropical heating. Meanwhile, dramatic month-to-month variations of the atmospheric circulation over the northeastern Pacific excluded the possibility that the underlying sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies played a dominant role. A further examination of monthly mean circulation patterns suggests that the wave train was initiated by a heating–cooling dipole at the equatorial Pacific in December 2013, and subsequently, was maintained and modified by the extratropical atmospheric internal dynamics in following months. The evolution of tropical heating from December 2013 to February 2014 was associated with the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), instead of a quasi-steady response to underlying SST anomalies. Some features of the circulation anomalies in the extratropics for the season can be captured by an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) forced with observed SST, but a lack of persistent heating-circulation response relationship in the tropics implied a crucial role of internal variability to extreme NA climate anomalies in the winter 2013/14.
Creating Images With the Stroke of a Hand: Depiction of Size and Shape in Sign Language.

In everyday communication, speakers not only describe, but they also depict. When depicting, speakers can take on the role of other people and quote their speech or imitate their actions. In previous work, we developed a paradigm to elicit depictions in speakers. Here we apply this paradigm to signers to explore depiction in the manual modality, with a focus on depiction of the size and shape of objects. We asked signers to describe two objects that could easily be characterized using lexical signs (descriptive elicitation), and objects that were more difficult to distinguish using lexical signs, thus encouraging the signers to depict (depictive elicitation). We found that signers used two types of depicting constructions (DCs), conventional DCs and embellished DCs. Both conventional and embellished DCs make use of categorical handshapes to identify objects. But embellished DCs also capture imagistic aspects of the objects, either by adding a tracing movement to gradiently depict the contours of the object, or by adding a second handshape to depict the configuration of the object. Embellished DCs were more frequent in the depictive elicitation context than in the descriptive conventional context; lexical signs showed the reverse pattern; and conventional DCs were equally like in the two contexts. In addition, signers produced iconic mouth movements, which are temporally and semantically integrated with the signs they accompany and depict the size and shape of objects, more often with embellished DCs than with either lexical signs or conventional DCs. Embellished DCs share a number of properties with embedded depictions, constructed action, and constructed dialogue in signed and spoken languages. We discuss linguistic constraints on these gradient depictions, focusing on how handshape constrains the type of depictions that can be formed, and the function of depiction in everyday discourse.
Knockdown of Butyrylcholinesterase but Not Inhibition by Chlorpyrifos Alters Early Differentiation Mechanisms in Human Neural Stem Cells

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is the evolutionary counterpart to acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Both are expressed early in nervous system development prior to cholinergic synapse formation. The organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) primarily exerts toxicity through the inhibition of AChE, which results in excess cholinergic stimulation at the synapse. We hypothesized that the inhibition of AChE and BChE by CPF may impair early neurogenesis in neural stem cells (NSCs). To model neurodevelopment in vitro, we used human NSCs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with a focus on the initial differentiation mechanisms. Over the six days of NSC differentiation, the BChE activity and mRNA expression significantly increased, while the AChE activity and expression remained unchanged. The CPF treatment (10 μM) caused 82% and 92% inhibition of AChE and BChE, respectively. The CPF exposure had no effect on the cell viability or the expression of the differentiation markers HES5, DCX, or MAP2. However, the shRNA-knockdown of the BChE expression resulted in the decreased or delayed expression of the transcription factors HES5 and HES3. BChE may have a role in the differentiation of NSCs independent of, or in addition to, its enzymatic activity.
Inequality and the inflation tax

Abstract Numerous studies document a positive correlation between inflation and income inequality. I show that this correlation has reversed, most notably in the European economies. More generally, the sign of the correlation depends on the time period and sample of countries. In the literature on the political economy of inflation, monetary financing and income taxes are substitutes. Correspondingly, as the correlation between inequality and inflation has become more negative, the correlation between inequality and income tax revenue has become more positive. Cross-country and panel regression analysis suggests that in democracies, independent central banks can resist political pressures for inflation that rise with inequality. (D31, E31, E50, P16)
Acoustic-to-Word Recognition with Sequence-to-Sequence Models

Acoustic-to-Word recognition provides a straightforward solution to end-to-end speech recognition without needing external decoding, language model re-scoring or lexicon. While character-based models offer a natural solution to the-of-vocabulary problem, word models can be simpler to decode and may also be able to directly recognize semantically meaningful units. We present effective methods to train Sequence-to-Sequence models for direct word-level recognition (and character-level recognition) and show an absolute improvement of 4.4–5.0% in Word Error Rate on the Switchboard corpus compared to prior work. In addition to these promising results, word-based models are more interpretable than character models, which have to be composed into words using a separate decoding step. We analyze the encoder hidden states and the attention behavior, and show that location-aware attention naturally represents words as a single speech-word-vector, despite spanning multiple frames in the input. We finally show that the Acoustic-to-Word model also learns to segment speech into words with a mean standard deviation of 3 frames as compared with human annotated forced-alignments for the Switchboard corpus.
The Konno invariant of some algebraic varieties

The Konno invariant of a projective variety X is the minimum geometric genus of the fiber of a rational pencil on X. It was computed by Konno for surfaces in $${\mathbf {P}}^3$$, and in general can be viewed as a measure of the complexity of X. We estimate $$\mathrm{Konno}(X)$$ for some natural classes of varieties, including sharp asymptotics for polarized K3 surfaces. In an appendix, we give a quick proof of a classical formula due to Deligne and Hoskin for the colength of an integrally closed ideal on a surface.
Outside the Box: Unconventional Monetary Policy in the Great Recession and Beyond

This paper provides an overview of unconventional monetary policy as implemented by the U.S. Federal Reserve after the global financial crisis. First, it reviews the key features of the Fedâs Quantitative Easing and Forward Guidance policies. Second, it discusses the mechanisms through which the two policies may have affected financial markets, institutions, and the overall economy. Third, it surveys the evidence on the policiesâ financial and economic impacts. Fourth, it considers some of the policiesâ unintended side effects. The paper concludes with some thoughts on how unconventional monetary policy might be used in the future.
Semi‐Nonlinear Nanophotonic Waveguides for Highly Efficient Second‐Harmonic Generation

Quadratic optical parametric processes form the foundation for a variety of applications related to classical and quantum frequency conversion, which have attracted significant interest recently in on-chip implementation. These processes rely on phase matching among the interacting guided modes, and refractive index engineering has been a primary approach for this purpose. Unfortunately, the modal phase matching approaches developed so far only produce parametric generation with fairly low efficiencies, due to the intrinsic modal mismatch of spatial symmetries. Here we propose a universal design and operation principle for highly efficient optical parametric generation on integrated photonic platforms. By introducing spatial symmetry breaking into the optical nonlinearity of the device, we are able to dramatically enhance the nonlinear parametric interaction to realize an extremely high efficiency. We employ this approach to design and fabricate a heterogeneous titanium oxide/lithium niobate nanophotonic waveguide that is able to offer second-harmonic generation with a theoretical conversion efficiency as high as 2900% W$^{-1}$cm$^{-2}$, which enables us to experimentally achieve a conversion efficiency of 36.0% W$^{-1}$ in a waveguide only 2.35 mm long, corresponding to a recorded normalized efficiency of 650% W$^{-1}$cm$^{-2}$ that is significantly beyond the reach of conventional modal phase matching approaches. Unlike nonlinearity domain engineering that is material selective, the proposed operation principle can be flexibly applied to any other on-chip quadratic nonlinear platform to support ultra-highly efficient optical parametric interactions, thus opening up a great avenue towards extreme nonlinear and quantum optics with great potentials for broad applications in energy efficient nonlinear and quantum photonic signal processing.
Small nonlinearities in activation functions create bad local minima in neural networks

We investigate the loss surface of neural networks. We prove that even for one-hidden-layer networks with "slightest" nonlinearity, the empirical risks have spurious local minima in most cases. Our results thus indicate that in general "no spurious local minima" is a property limited to deep linear networks, and insights obtained from linear networks may not be robust. Specifically, for ReLU(-like) networks we constructively prove that for almost all practical datasets there exist infinitely many local minima. We also present a counterexample for more general activations (sigmoid, tanh, arctan, ReLU, etc.), for which there exists a bad local minimum. Our results make the least restrictive assumptions relative to existing results on spurious local optima in neural networks. We complete our discussion by presenting a comprehensive characterization of global optimality for deep linear networks, which unifies other results on this topic.
Inverse design of compact multimode cavity couplers.

Efficient coupling between on-chip sources and cavities plays a key role in silicon photonics. However, despite the importance of this basic functionality, there are few systematic design tools to simultaneously control coupling between multiple modes in a compact resonator and a single waveguide. Here, we propose a large-scale adjoint optimization approach to produce wavelength-scale waveguide–cavity couplers operating over tunable and broad frequency bands. We numerically demonstrate couplers discovered by this method that can achieve critical, or nearly critical, coupling between multi-ring cavities and a single waveguide at up to six widely separated wavelengths spanning the 560–1500 nm range of interest for on-chip nonlinear optical devices.
Initial collection of an inadequate 24-hour urine sample in children does not predict subsequent inadequate collections

Summary Introduction Approximately half of adult stone formers submit specimens that are either under or over collections as determined by 24-h creatinine/kg. Previously identified predictors of inadequate collection in adults include female sex, older age, higher body mass index (BMI), vitamin D supplementation, and weekday collection. Objective The objective of this study is to determine risk factors for inadequate 24-h urinary specimen collection in the pediatric population. Study design A retrospective analysis of all children ( Results Of 367 patients, 80 had an adequate collection (21.9%): median age, 13 years (interquartile range, 8–16); 61.1% female; 93.5% white; 19.5% obese; and 13.0% overweight. No parental or child factors were associated with inadequate collection (Summary Table). Of inadequate collections, more than 80% were over collections. In the 175 patients with more than one 24-h urinary specimen collection, the effect of an initial inadequate collection on subsequent inadequate collections was not significant after controlling for the correlation of samples from the same patient (p = 0.8). Discussion Any parental or child factors associated with the collection of inadequate 24-h urine specimens in children were not found. An initial inadequate collection does not predict subsequent inadequate collections. It was surprising that >80% of the inadequate collections were over collections rather than under collections. Possible explanations are that children collected urine samples for longer than the 24-h period or that stone-forming children produce more creatinine per 24-h period than healthy children due to hyperfiltration. Conclusion Inadequate collections are very common, and the risk factors for them are unclear. A repeat collection would be suggested if the first is inadequate. Further studies must be planned to explore barriers to accurate specimen collection using qualitative research methodology.
Anterior Communicating Artery Complex Aneurysms: Anatomic Characteristics as Predictors of Surgical Outcome in 300 Cases.

Objective Anterior communicating artery (ACoA) complex aneurysms are challenging to treat microsurgically. The authors report their experience with microsurgical treatment of ACoA aneurysms and examine the anatomic characteristics of these aneurysms as predictors of outcome. Methods The authors queried their institution’s aneurysm database for records of consecutive patients treated for ACoA aneurysms via microsurgical clip ligation. Data included patient demographics and clinical/radiographic presentation characteristics as well as operative techniques. Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) scores at hospital discharge and 6-month as well as 1-year follow-up were analyzed. Results Of 319 ACoA aneurysms that underwent treatment, 259 were ruptured and 60 were unruptured. Average GOS at 1-year follow-up for all patients was 4.6. Average GOS for patients with ruptured aneurysms correlated with Hunt and Hess grade at presentation, presence of frontal hemorrhages, and need for multiple clips during surgery. Notably, 142 (44.5%) of aneurysms originated mainly from the ACoA artery; 12 (3.8%) primarily from the A1 branch; 3 (0.9%) from the A2 branch; and 162 (50.8%) from the A1/A2 junction. Aneurysm projection was superior in 118 (37%), inferior in 106 (33.2%), anterior in 88 (27.6%), and posterior in 7 (2.2%). Patients with aneurysms originating from the A1 segment had worse outcomes. Posteriorly projecting aneurysms were more likely to be unruptured and larger than other aneurysm configurations. Conclusions The aneurysm’s exact location in relation to the adjacent neurovascular structures is potentially predictive of outcomes in the microsurgical treatment of ACoA aneurysms.
On the separate treatment of mixing and spreading by the reactive-particle-tracking algorithm: An example of accurate upscaling of reactive Poiseuille flow

Abstract The Eulerian advection-dispersion-reaction equation (ADRE) suffers the well-known scale-effect of reduced apparent reaction rates between chemically dissimilar fluids at larger scales (or dimensional averaging). The dispersion tensor in the ADRE must equally and simultaneously account for both solute mixing and spreading. Recent reactive-particle-tracking (RPT) algorithms can, by separate mechanisms, simulate 1) smaller-scale mixing by inter-particle mass transfer, and 2) mass spreading by traditional random walks. To test the supposition that the RPT can accurately track these separate mechanisms, we upscale reactive transport in Hagen-Poiseuille flow between two plates. The simple upscaled 1-D RPT model with one velocity value, an upscaled Taylor macro-dispersivity, and the local molecular diffusion coefficient matches the results obtained from a detailed 2-D model with fully described velocity and diffusion. Both models use the same thermodynamic reaction rate, because the rate is not forced to absorb the loss of information upon upscaling. Analytic and semi-analytic upscaling is also performed using volume averaging and ensemble streamtube techniques. Volume averaging does not perform as well as the RPT, while the streamtube approach (using an effective dispersion coefficient along with macro-dispersion) performs almost exactly the same as RPT.
A Natural Experiment on Discrimination in Elections

Abstract We exploit a natural experiment to study discrimination in elections. In Illinois Republican presidential primaries, voters vote for delegates bound to presidential candidates, but delegates' names convey information about their race and gender. We identify discrimination from variation in vote totals among delegates bound to the same presidential candidate and who face the same voters. Examining delegate vote totals from 2000 to 2016, we estimate nonwhite delegates receive 9% fewer votes. We find essentially no gender discrimination. Negligible incentives for statistical discrimination, costs to preferred presidential candidates, and heterogeneity are consistent with an interpretation of this behavior as taste-based.
Enhancement of osteoblast activity on nanostructured NiTi/hydroxyapatite coatings on additive manufactured NiTi metal implants by nanosecond pulsed laser sintering.

Background The osteoinductive behaviors of nitinol (NiTi)-based metal implants for bone regeneration are largely dependent on their surface composition and topology. Continuous-mode laser sintering often results in complete melting of the materials and aggregation of particles, which lack control of heat transfer, as well as microstructural changes during sintering of the nanocomposite materials. Methods In the current study, in situ direct laser deposition was used to additively manufacture three-dimensional NiTi structures from Ni and Ti powders. The mechanical property of NiTi has been shown to be similar to bone. Nanosecond pulsed laser sintering process was then utilized to generate a nanoporous composite surface with NiTi alloy and hydroxyapatite (HA) by ultrafast laser heating and cooling of Ni, Ti, and HA nanoparticles mixtures precoated on the 3D NiTi substrates; HA was added in order to improve the biocompatibility of the alloy. We then studied the underlying mechanism in the formation of NiTi/HA nanocomposite, and the synergistic effect of the sintered HA component and the nanoporous topology of the composite coating. In addition, we examined the activity of bone-forming osteoblasts on the NiTi/HA surfaces. For this, osteoblast cell morphology and various biomarkers were examined to evaluate cellular activity and function. Results We found that the nanoscale porosity delivered by nanosecond pulsed laser sintering and the HA component positively contributed to osteoblast differentiation, as indicated by an increase in the expression of collagen and alkaline phosphatase, both of which are necessary for osteoblast mineralization. In addition, we observed topological complexities which appeared to boost the activity of osteoblasts, including an increase in actin cytoskeletal structures and adhesion structures. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that the pulsed laser sintering method is an effective tool to generate biocompatible coatings in complex alloy-composite material systems with desired composition and topology. Our findings also provide a better understanding of the osteoinductive behavior of the sintered nanocomposite coatings for use in orthopedic and bone regeneration applications.
Scaling-up in-memory datalog processing: observations and techniques

Recursive query processing has experienced a recent resurgence, as a result of its use in many modern application domains, including data integration, graph analytics, security, program analysis, networking and decision making. Due to the large volumes of data being processed, several research efforts across multiple communities have explored how to scale up recursive queries, typically expressed in Datalog. Our experience with these tools indicate that their performance does not translate across domains---e.g., a tool designed for large-scale graph analytics does not exhibit the same performance on program-analysis tasks, and vice versa.Starting from the above observation, we make the following two contributions. First, we perform a detailed experimental evaluation comparing a number of state-of-the-art Datalog systems on a wide spectrum of graph analytics and program-analysis tasks, and summarize the pros and cons of existing techniques. Second, we design and implement our own general-purpose Datalog engine, called RecStep, on top of a parallel single-node relational system. We outline the techniques we applied on RecStep, as well as the contribution of each technique to the overall performance. Using RecStep as a baseline, we demonstrate that it generally out-performs state-of-the-art parallel Datalog engines on complex and large-scale Datalog evaluation, by a 4-6X margin. An additional insight from our work is that it is possible to build a high-performance Datalog system on top of a relational engine, an idea that has been dismissed in past work.
Serverless Computing: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back.

Serverless computing offers the potential to program the cloud in an autoscaling, pay-as-you go manner. In this paper we address critical gaps in first-generation serverless computing, which place its autoscaling potential at odds with dominant trends in modern computing: notably data-centric and distributed computing, but also open source and custom hardware. Put together, these gaps make current serverless offerings a bad fit for cloud innovation and particularly bad for data systems innovation. In addition to pinpointing some of the main shortfalls of current serverless architectures, we raise a set of challenges we believe must be met to unlock the radical potential that the cloud---with its exabytes of storage and millions of cores---should offer to innovative developers.
Experimental Measurements of the Thermal Conductivity of Ash Deposits: Part 2. Effects of Sintering and Deposit Microstructure

This paper describes an experimental study that examines the influence of sintering and microstructure on ash deposit thermal conductivity. The measurements are made using a technique developed to make in situ, time-resolved measurements of the effective thermal conductivity of ash deposits formed under conditions that closely replicate those found in the convective pass of a commercial boiler. The technique is designed to minimize the disturbance of the natural deposit microstructure. The initial stages of sintering and densification are accompanied by an increase in deposit thermal conductivity. Subsequent sintering continues to densify the deposit, but has little effect on deposit thermal conductivity. SEM analyses indicate that sintering creates a layered deposit structure with a relatively unsintered innermost layer. We hypothesize that this unsintered layer largely determines the overall deposit thermal conductivity. A theoretical model that treats a deposit as a two-layered material predicts the observed trends in thermal conductivity.