cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spin waves as metric in a kinetic space–time

Abstract (1) A wave equation is derived from the kinetic equations governing media with rotational as well as translational degrees of freedom. In this wave the fluctuating quantity is a vector, the bulk spin. The transmission is similar to compressive waves but propagation is possible even in the limit of incompressibility, where such disturbances could become dominant. (2) In this context a kinetic theory of space–time is introduced, in which hypothetical constituents of the space–time manifold possess such a rotational degree of freedom (spin). Physical fields (i.e., electromagnetic or gravitational) in such a theory are represented as moments of a statistical distribution of these constituents, as in the techniques of fluid mechanics. The spin wave equation from (1) is treated as a candidate for governing light and metric. Such a theory duplicates to first order Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism, Schrodinger's equation for the electron, and the Lorentz transformations of special relativity. Slight deviations from the classical approach are predicted and should be experimentally verifiable.
Mediation analysis and categorical variables: The final frontier

Many scholars are interested in understanding the process by which an independent variable affects a dependent variable, perhaps in part directly and perhaps in part indirectly, occurring through the activation of a mediator. Researchers are facile at testing for mediation when all the variables are continuous, but a definitive answer had been lacking heretofore as to how to analyze the data when the mediator or dependent variable is categorical. This paper describes the problems that arise as well as the potential solutions. In the end, a solution is recommended that is both optimal in its statistical qualities as well as practical and easily implemented: compute zMediation.
Mark my words!: linguistic style accommodation in social media

The psycholinguistic theory of communication accommodation accounts for the general observation that participants in conversations tend to converge to one another's communicative behavior: they coordinate in a variety of dimensions including choice of words, syntax, utterance length, pitch and gestures. In its almost forty years of existence, this theory has been empirically supported exclusively through small-scale or controlled laboratory studies. Here we address this phenomenon in the context of Twitter conversations. Undoubtedly, this setting is unlike any other in which accommodation was observed and, thus, challenging to the theory. Its novelty comes not only from its size, but also from the non real-time nature of conversations, from the 140 character length restriction, from the wide variety of social relation types, and from a design that was initially not geared towards conversation at all. Given such constraints, it is not clear a priori whether accommodation is robust enough to occur given the constraints of this new environment. To investigate this, we develop a probabilistic framework that can model accommodation and measure its effects. We apply it to a large Twitter conversational dataset specifically developed for this task. This is the first time the hypothesis of linguistic style accommodation has been examined (and verified) in a large scale, real world setting.Furthermore, when investigating concepts such as stylistic influence and symmetry of accommodation, we discover a complexity of the phenomenon which was never observed before. We also explore the potential relation between stylistic influence and network features commonly associated with social status.
Optimal relay functionality for SNR maximization in memoryless relay networks

We explore the SNR-optimal relay functionality in a mernoryless relay network, i.e. a network where, during each channel use, the signal transmitted by a relay depends only on the last received symbol at that relay. We develop a generalized notion of SNR for the class of memoryless relay functions. The solution to the generalized SNR optimization problem leads to the novel concept of minimum mean squared uncorrelated error (MMSUE) estimation. For the elemental case of a single relay, we show that MMSUE estimate is a scaled version of the MMSE estimate. This scheme, that we call estimate and forward (EF), performs better than the best of amplify and forward (AF) and demodulate and forward (DF) in both parallel and serial relay networks. We determine that AF is near-optimal at low transmit power in a parallel network, while DF is near-optimal at high transmit power in a serial network. For hybrid networks that contain both serial and parallel elements, the advantage of EF over the best of AF and DF is found to be significant. Error probabilities are provided to substantiate the performance gain obtained through SNR optimality. We also show that, for Gaussian inputs, AF, DF and EF are identical
Temporal Range Registration for Unmanned Ground and Aerial Vehicles

An iterative temporal registration algorithm is presented in this article for registering 3D range images obtained from unmanned ground and aerial vehicles traversing unstructured environments. We are primarily motivated by the development of 3D registration algorithms to overcome both the unavailability and unreliability of Global Positioning System (GPS) within required accuracy bounds for Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) navigation. After suitable modifications to the well-known Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm, the modified algorithm is shown to be robust to outliers and false matches during the registration of successive range images obtained from a scanning LAser Detection And Ranging (LADAR) rangefinder on the UGV. Towards registering LADAR images from the UGV with those from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that flies over the terrain being traversed, we then propose a hybrid registration approach. In this approach to air to ground registration to estimate and update the position of the UGV, we register range data from two LADARs by combining a feature-based method with the aforementioned modified ICP algorithm. Registration of range data guarantees an estimate of the vehicle's position even when only one of the vehicles has GPS information. Temporal range registration enables position information to be continually maintained even when both vehicles can no longer maintain GPS contact. We present results of the registration algorithm in rugged terrain and urban environments using real field data acquired from two different LADARs on the UGV.
End-to-end available bandwidth: measurement methodology, dynamics, and relation with TCP throughput

The available bandwidth (avail-bw) in a network path is of major importance in congestion control, streaming applications, quality-of-service verification, server selection, and overlay networks. We describe an end-to-end methodology, called self-loading periodic streams (SLoPS), for measuring avail-bw. The basic idea in SLoPS is that the one-way delays of a periodic packet stream show an increasing trend when the stream's rate is higher than the avail-bw. We have implemented SLoPS in a tool called pathload. The accuracy of the tool has been evaluated with both simulations and experiments over real-world Internet paths. Pathload is nonintrusive, meaning that it does not cause significant increases in the network utilization, delays, or losses. We used pathload to evaluate the variability ("dynamics") of the avail-bw in Internet paths. The avail-bw becomes significantly more variable in heavily utilized paths, as well as in paths with limited capacity (probably due to a lower degree of statistical multiplexing). We finally examine the relation between avail-bw and TCP throughput. A persistent TCP connection can be used to measure roughly the avail-bw in a path, but TCP saturates the path and increases significantly the path delays and jitter.
Process Integration and Information Sharing in Supply Chains

ABSTRACT This study examines whether the potential for hold-up in supply chains influences the extent of process integration and information sharing between partners. The analysis uses performance scorecards and financial performance data collected from a major manufacturer regarding its contractual arrangements with 156 distributors. I find that distributors engage in less extensive process integration and information sharing with the manufacturer as the potential for hold-up increases, measured by the asymmetry of interdependence between partners. I also find that distributors engage in more extensive process integration and information sharing as the potential for hold-up decreases, measured by the magnitude of interdependence between partners. Additional evidence shows that more extensive process integration and information sharing have favorable financial performance implications for supply chain partners and enhance the likelihood of distributor contract renewal. Overall, the results indicate that t...
Folding the square-diagonal lattice

Abstract We study the problem of “phantom” folding of the two-dimensional square lattice, in which the edges and diagonals of each face can be folded. The nonvanishing thermodynamic folding entropy per face s ≅ .2299(1) is estimated both analytically and numerically, by successively mapping the model onto a dense loop model, a spin model and a new 28 Vertex, 4-color model. Higher-dimensional generalizations are investigated, as well as other foldable lattices. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V
A dual-mode rechargeable lithium–bromine/oxygen fuel cell

In order to meet the versatile power requirements of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), we propose a rechargeable lithium–bromine/seawater fuel cell with a protected lithium metal anode to provide high specific energy at either low-power mode with seawater (oxygen) or high-power mode with bromine catholytes. The proof-of-concept fuel cell with a flat catalyst-free graphite electrode can discharge at 3 mW cm−2 with seawater, and 9 mW cm−2 with dilute bromine catholytes. The fuel cell can also be recharged with LiBr catholytes efficiently to recover the lithium metal anode. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal that both the organic electrolyte and the bromine electrolyte corrode the solid electrolyte plate quickly, leading to nanoporous pathways that can percolate through the plate, thus limiting the cell performance and lifetime. With improved solid electrolytes or membraneless flow designs, the dual-mode lithium–bromine/oxygen system could enable not only AUV but also land-based electric vehicles, by providing a critical high-power mode to high-energy-density (but otherwise low-power) lithium–air batteries.
Viewpoint invariant recovery of visual surfaces from sparse data

An algorithm for the reconstruction of visual surfaces from sparse data is proposed. An important aspect of this algorithm is that the surface estimated from the sparse data is approximately invariant with respect to rigid transformation of the surface in 3D space. The algorithm is based on casting the problem as an ill-posed inverse problem that must be stabilized using a priori information related to the image and constraint formation. To form a surface estimate that is approximately invariant with respect to viewpoint, the stabilizing information is based on invariant surface characteristics. With appropriate approximations, this results in a convex functional to minimize, which is then solved using finite element analysis. The relationship of this algorithm to several previously proposed reconstruction algorithms is discussed, and several examples that demonstrate its effectiveness in reconstructing viewpoint-invariant surface estimates are given. >
Characteristics and potential applications of orbiting ultrahigh vacuum facilities

Abstract The characteristics of an orbiting molecular shield ultrahigh vacuum facility are described and some examples of potential applications are discussed. Published results of a kinetic theory analysis are given. Densities within the shield of less than 103 molecules/cm3 can be obtained allowing high purity materials processing experiments to be performed in orbit under the simultaneous conditions of ultrahigh vacuum and microgravity. Two specific experiments are discussed: the production of ultrapure materials by the electrotransport technique developed at ERDA's Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University, and the vapor deposition and space preparation of silicon solar cells.
Teaching Toxicology With Simulation: A Model Curriculum for Emergency Medicine

Abstract This simulation toxicology curriculum consists of 8-1 hour simulation sessions with effort to teach diagnosis and management of toxicological emergencies to Emergency Medicine Residents in...
A plate bending element based on a generalized laminate plate theory

.( SUMMARY A plate bending element based on the generalized laminate plate theory (GLPT) developed by the senior author is described and its accuracy is investigated by comparison with the exact solutions ofthe generalized plate theory and the 3D-elasticity theory. The element accounts for transverse shear deformation and layer­ wise description of the inplane displacements of the laminate. The element has improved description of the inplane as well as the transverse deformation response. A method for the computation of interlaminar (transverse) stresses is also presented. 1. BACKGROUND Laminated composite plates are often modelled using the classical laminate plate theory (CLPT) or the first-order shear deformation plate theory (FSDT). In both cases the laminate is treated as a single-layer plate with equivalent stiffnesses, and the displacements are assumed to vary through the thickness according to a single expression (see Reddy 1 ), not allowing for possible discontinuities in strains at an interface of dissimilar material layers. Recently, Reddy2 presented a general laminate plate theory that allows layer-wise representation of inplane displacements, and an improved response of inplane and transverse shear deformations is predicted. Similar but different theories have appeared in the literature. 3-6 In the generalized laminate plate theory (0LPT) the equations of three-dimensional elasticity are reduced to differential equations in terms of unknown functions in two dimensions by assuming layer-wise approximation of the displacements through the thickness. Consequently, the strains are different in different layers. Exact analytical solutions of the theory were developed by the authors 7 ,8 to evaluate the accuracy ofthe theory compared to the 3D-elasticity theory. The results indicated that the generalized laminate plate theory allows accurate determination ofinterlaminar stresses. The present study deals with the finite-element formulation of the theory and its application to laminated composite plates. In the interest of brevity only the main equations of the theory are reviewed and the major steps of the formulation are presented. The accuracy of the numerical
Is there a common theme behind the correlated-electron superconductivity in organic charge-transfer solids, cobaltates, spinels, and fullerides?

We posit that there exist deep and fundamental relationships between the above seemingly very different materials. The carrier concentration-dependences of the electronic behavior in the conducting organic charge-transfer solids and layered cobaltates are very similar. These dependences can be explained within a single theoretical model, the extended Hubbard Hamiltonian with significant nearest neighbor Coulomb repulsion. Interestingly, superconductivity in the cobaltates seems to be restricted to bandfilling exactly or close to one-quarter, as in the organics. We show that dynamic Jahn–Teller effects and the resultant orbital ordering can lead to 1/4-filled band descriptions for both superconducting spinels and fullerides, which show evidence for both strong electron–electron and electron–phonon interactions. The orbital orderings in antiferromagnetic lattice-expanded bcc M3C60 and the superconductor are different in our model. Strong correlations, quarter-filled band and lattice frustration are the common characteristics shared by these unusual superconductors.
Heterogeneity of bone mineral density and fatigue failure of human vertebrae

There is increasing interest in using the heterogeneity of tissue properties in a bone for predicting its fracture risk. Heterogeneity of volumetric bone mineral density (BMD) as measured from quantitative computed tomography (QCT) is of particular interest as these measurements are clinically feasible. Previous examinations of the relationship between the BMD heterogeneity and the mechanical behavior of human vertebrae only considered quasistatic strength and were with limited number of samples. McCubbrey et al. (1995) studied the value of regional BMDs for predicting vertebral fatigue life, determined from short-cycle tests at force levels scaled with the estimated strength of the vertebra, but the focus of that work was in best predictor subsets without a specific focus on the heterogeneity of BMD or the positive vs negative direction of the relationships. The previous analysis also did not take into account the censored nature of the fatigue life data. As such, whether BMD heterogeneity is positively or negatively associated with fatigue life and whether this is independent of the average or minimum BMD are not clear. In the present work, we revisited the McCubbrey data for a preliminary examination of the relationship between BMD heterogeneity and fatigue life using survival analysis. The analysis suggests that BMD heterogeneity measured as the intra-vertebral standard deviation of BMDs in a vertebra is negatively associated with short cycle (high-amplitude) fatigue life independent of the average BMD. The results motivate further studies on the role of BMD heterogeneity in fatigue failure and clinical fracture risk of human vertebrae.
Synthesis of cyclitols via ring-closing metathesis

A convenient synthesis of enantiomerically pure and differentially protected L-chiro -a ndmyo-inositols as well as conduritols B and F from 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-D-xylopyranose via ring-closing metathesis is reported. The facile synthesis of conduritol B constitutes a short formal synthesis of ()-cyclophellitol. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Formation, regulation and evolution of Caenorhabditis elegans 3′UTRs

Post-transcriptional gene regulation frequently occurs through elements in mRNA 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). Although crucial roles for 3'UTR-mediated gene regulation have been found in Caenorhabditis elegans, most C. elegans genes have lacked annotated 3'UTRs. Here we describe a high-throughput method for reliable identification of polyadenylated RNA termini, and we apply this method, called poly(A)-position profiling by sequencing (3P-Seq), to determine C. elegans 3'UTRs. Compared to standard methods also recently applied to C. elegans UTRs, 3P-Seq identified 8,580 additional UTRs while excluding thousands of shorter UTR isoforms that do not seem to be authentic. Analysis of this expanded and corrected data set suggested that the high A/U content of C. elegans 3'UTRs facilitated genome compaction, because the elements specifying cleavage and polyadenylation, which are A/U rich, can more readily emerge in A/U-rich regions. Indeed, 30% of the protein-coding genes have mRNAs with alternative, partially overlapping end regions that generate another 10,480 cleavage and polyadenylation sites that had gone largely unnoticed and represent potential evolutionary intermediates of progressive UTR shortening. Moreover, a third of the convergently transcribed genes use palindromic arrangements of bidirectional elements to specify UTRs with convergent overlap, which also contributes to genome compaction by eliminating regions between genes. Although nematode 3'UTRs have median length only one-sixth that of mammalian 3'UTRs, they have twice the density of conserved microRNA sites, in part because additional types of seed-complementary sites are preferentially conserved. These findings reveal the influence of cleavage and polyadenylation on the evolution of genome architecture and provide resources for studying post-transcriptional gene regulation.
Does iron overload really matter in stem cell transplantation

A growing body of evidence suggests that iron overload is associated with inferior outcomes after myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, all of those studies used surrogate markers of iron overload, especially serum ferritin, and most had a retrospective design. We conducted a prospective observational study in patients with MDS or acute leukemia undergoing myeloablative HSCT. Forty-five patients who were followed for over 1 year, with serial measurements of serum iron parameters, as well as liver and cardiac MRI. There was no significant increase in ferritin, liver or cardiac iron content in the 12 months following HSCT. While serum ferritin still appeared to have prognostic significance, as previously reported, pre-HSCT iron overload (as reflected in liver iron content) was not associated with increased mortality, relapse, or GVHD. These results raise the possibility that the adverse prognostic impact of pre-HSCT hyperferritinemia may be related to factors independent of iron overload.
Facile epoxidation of α,β-unsaturated ketones with cyclohexylidenebishydroperoxide

Abstract Cyclohexylidenebishydroperoxide was successfully used as the oxygen source for the oxidation of α,β-unsaturated ketones for the first time. The corresponding epoxides were obtained in excellent yields under the Weitz–Scheffer reaction conditions.
Biologically Inspired Intelligent Robots using Artificial Muscles

Humans throughout history have always sought to mimic the appearance, mobility, functionality, intelligent operation, and thinking process of biological creatures. This field of biologically inspired technology, having the moniker biomimetics, has evolved from making static copies of human and animals in the form of statues to the emergence of robots that operate with realistic appearance and behavior. Technology evolution led to such fields as artificial muscles, artificial intelligence, artificial vision and biomimetic capabilities in materials science, mechanics, electronics, computing science, information technology and many others. One of the newest fields is the artificial muscles, which is the moniker for electroactive polymers (EAP). Efforts are made worldwide to establish a strong infrastructure for this actuation materials ranging from analytical modeling and comprehensive understanding of their response mechanism to effective processing and characterization techniques. The field is still in its emerging state and robust materials are still not readily available however in recent years significant progress has been made. To promote faster advancement in the field, in 1999, the author posed a challenge to the research and engineering community to develop a robotic arm that would wrestle against human opponent and win. Currently, he is considering setting up the first competition in 2005. This paper covers the current state-of-the-art and challenges to making biomimetic robots using artificial muscles.
TGF-β1 mediates the radiation response of prostate cancer

Radiotherapy is the main treatment modality for prostate cancer. This study investigated the role of TGF-β1 in biological sequelae and tumor regrowth following irradiation, which are critical for the clinical radiation response of prostate cancer. Human and murine prostate cancer cell lines, and corresponding hormone-refractory (HR) cells, were used to examine the radiation response by clonogenic assays in vitro and tumor growth delay in vivo. Biological changes after irradiation, including cell death and tumor regrowth, were examined by experimental manipulation of TGF-β1 signaling. The correlations among tumor radiation responses, TGF-β1 levels, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) recruitment were also evaluated using animal experiments. HR prostate cancer cells appeared more radioresistant and had higher expression of TGF-β1 compared to hormone-sensitive (HS) cells. TGF-β1 expression was positively linked to irradiation and radioresistance, as demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Inhibition of TGF-β1 increased tumor inhibition and DNA damage after irradiation. When mice were irradiated with a sub-lethal dose, the regrowth of irradiated tumors was significantly correlated with TGF-β1 levels and Tregs accumulation in vivo. Furthermore, blocking TGF-β1 clearly attenuated Tregs accumulation and tumor regrowth following treatment. These data demonstrate that TGF-β1 is important in determining the radiation response of prostate cancer, including tumor cell killing and the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, concurrent treatment with a TGF-β1 inhibitor is a potential therapeutic strategy for increasing the radiation response of prostate cancer, particularly for more aggressive or HR cancer cells. • HR prostate cancer cells appeared more radioresistant and had higher expression of TGF-β1. • TGF-β1 was positively linked to the radiation resistance of prostate cancer. • Tumor regrowth following irradiation was significantly correlated with TGF-β1 and Tregs levels. • Blocking TGF-β1 significantly attenuated RT-induced DNA repair and Tregs. • TGF-β1 inhibitor increases the radiation response of HR cancer cells.
Stochastic Generator of Chemical Structure. 3. Reaction Network Generation

A new method to generate chemical reaction network is proposed. The particularity of the method is that network generation and mechanism reduction are performed simultaneously using sampling techniques. Our method is tested for hydrocarbon thermal cracking. Results and theoretical arguments demonstrate that our method scales in polynomial time while other deterministic network generators scale in exponential time. This finding offers the possibility of investigating complex reacting systems such as those studied in petroleum refining and combustion.
Synthesis of phenanthrenes from formylbenzoquinone

Abstract Phenanthrenes are synthesized by condensation of formylbenzoquinone with a substituted toluene followed by O -methylation and cyclization using the phosphazine base P 4 - t Bu.
Estimating the location of the center of resistance of canines

ABSTRACT Objective: To develop a method to quickly estimate the location of center of resistance (CR) in mesial-distal (MD) and buccal-lingual (BL) directions from the tooth's image. Materials and Methods: The maxillary cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 18 patients were used. Finite element (FE) models of the canines and their surrounding tissues were built based on their CBCT scans to calculate the locations of CR. Root length, centroid of the contact surface (CCS), and centroid of projection of the contact surface (CPCS) were also obtained from the images. The CCS and CPCS locations were projected on the tooth's long axis, which were represented as percentages of the root length measured from the root's apex. Results: Using the FE results as the standards, the errors of using CCS or CPCS to estimate CR were calculated. The average location of CR calculated using the FE method was 60.2% measured from the root’s apex in the MD direction and 58.4% in the BL direction. The location of the CCS...
Durability evaluation of ceramic components using CARES/LIFE

The computer program CARES/LIFE calculates the time-dependent reliability of monolithic ceramic components subjected to thermomechanical and/or proof test loading. This program is an extension of the CARES ( Ceramics Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures) computer program. CARES/LIFE accounts for the phenomenon of subcritical crack growth (SCG) by utilizing the power law, Paris law, or Walker equation. The two-parameter Weibull cumulative distribution junction is used to characterize the variation in component strength. The effects of multiaxial stresses are modeled using either the principle of independent action (PIA), the Weibull normal stress averaging method (NSA), or the Batdorf theory. Inert strength and fatigue parameters are estimated from rupture strength data of naturally flawed specimens loaded in static, dynamic, or cyclic fatigue. Application of this design methodology is demonstrated using experimental data from alumina bar and disk flexure specimens, which exhibit SCG when exposed to water.
Stochastic Optimal Control for Online Seller under Reputational Mechanisms

In this work we propose and analyze a model which addresses the pulsing behavior of sellers in an online auction (store). This pulsing behavior is observed when sellers switch between advertising and processing states. We assert that a seller switches her state in order to maximize her profit, and further that this switch can be identified through the seller’s reputation. We show that for each seller there is an optimal reputation, i.e., the reputation at which the seller should switch her state in order to maximize her total profit. We design a stochastic behavioral model for an online seller, which incorporates the dynamics of resource allocation and reputation. The design of the model is optimized by using a stochastic advertising model from [1] and used effectively in the Stochastic Optimal Control of Advertising [2]. This model of reputation is combined with the effect of online reputation on sales price empirically verified in [3]. We derive the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) differential equation, whose solution relates optimal wealth level to a seller’s reputation. We formulate both a full model, as well as a reduced model with fewer parameters, both of which have the same qualitative description of the optimal seller behavior. Coincidentally, the reduced model has a closed form analytical solution that we construct.
Utility and NMR studies of α,β-unsaturated acylammonium salts: synthesis of polycyclic dihydropyranones and a dihydropyridone

Abstract Organocatalyzed, tandem Michael-lactonizations and a lactamization employing cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl and an enamino ketone, respectively, were achieved through the intermediacy of α,β-unsaturated acylammonium salts derived from commodity acid chlorides or in situ generated enol esters. 4-Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) promotes this process providing the corresponding polycyclic dihydropyranones and a dihydropyridone in good yields. The utility of this methodology was demonstrated in the formal synthesis of the alkaloid dielsine and the anticoagulant warfarin. Comparative 13 C NMR studies of acylammonium salt intermediates provide insights into the impact of their formation on the reactivity of the β-carbon.
Geographic smoothing of solar PV: results from Gujarat

We examine the potential for geographic smoothing of solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation using 13 months of observed power production from utility-scale plants in Gujarat, India. To our knowledge, this is the first published analysis of geographic smoothing of solar PV using actual generation data at high time resolution from utility-scale solar PV plants. We use geographic correlation and Fourier transform estimates of the power spectral density (PSD) to characterize the observed variability of operating solar PV plants as a function of time scale. Most plants show a spectrum that is linear in the log–log domain at high frequencies f, ranging from to (slopes of −1.23 and −1.56), thus exhibiting more relative variability at high frequencies than exhibited by wind plants. PSDs for large PV plants have a steeper slope than those for small plants, hence more smoothing at short time scales. Interconnecting 20 Gujarat plants yields a spectrum, reducing fluctuations at frequencies corresponding to 6 h and 1 h by 23% and 45%, respectively. Half of this smoothing can be obtained through connecting 4–5 plants; reaching marginal improvement of 1% per added plant occurs at 12–14 plants. The largest plant (322 MW) showed an spectrum. This suggests that in Gujarat the potential for smoothing is limited to that obtained by one large plant.
How open is open enough? Melding proprietary and open source platform strategies

Computer platforms provide an integrated architecture of hardware and software standards as a basis for developing complementary assets. The most successful platforms were owned by proprietary sponsors that controlled platform evolution and appropriated associated rewards. Responding to the Internet and open source systems, three traditional vendors of proprietary platforms experimented with hybrid strategies which attempted to combine the advantages of open source software while retaining control and differentiation. Such hybrid standards strategies reflect the competing imperatives for adoption and appropriability, and suggest the conditions under which such strategies may be preferable to either the purely open or purely proprietary alternatives.
Module Decompositions Using Pairwise Comaximal Ideals

In this article, we show that for a given set of pairwise comaximal ideals {Xi}i∈I in a ring R with unity and any right R-module M with generating set Y and , M = ⊕i∈IC(Xi) if and only if for every y ∈ Y there exists a nonempty finite subset J ⊆ I and positive integers kj such that . We investigate this decomposition for a general class of modules. Our main theorem can be applied to a large class of rings including semilocal rings R with the Jacobson radical of R equal to the prime radical of R, left (or right) perfect rings, piecewise prime rings, and rings with ascending chain condition (ACC) on ideals and satisfying the right AR property on ideals. This decomposition generalizes the decomposition of a torsion abelian group into a direct sum of its p-components. We also develop a torsion theory associated with sets of pairwise comaximal ideals.
Photoferroelectric and Photopiezoelectric Properties of Organometal Halide Perovskites

Piezoelectrics play a critical role in various applications. The permanent dipole associated with the molecular cations in organometal halide perovskites (OMHPs) may lead to spontaneous polarization and thus piezoelectricity. Here we explore the piezoelectric properties of OMHPs with density functional theory. We find that the piezoelectric coefficient depends sensitively on the molecular ordering and that the experimentally observed light-enhanced piezoelectricity is likely due to a nonpolar to polar structural transition. By comparing OMHPs with different atomic substitutions in the ABX3 architecture, we find that the displacement of the B-site cation contributes to nearly all of the piezoelectric response and that the competition between A–X hydrogen bond and B–X metal–halide bond in OMHPs controls the piezoelectric properties. These results highlight the potential of the OMHP architecture for designing new functional photoferroelectrics and photopiezoelectrics.
An Economics-Based Second Law Efficiency

Second Law efficiency is a useful parameter for characterizing the energy requirements of a system in relation to the limits of performance prescribed by the Laws of Thermodynamics. However, since energy costs typically represent less than 50% of the overall cost of product for many large-scale plants (and, in particular, for desalination plants), it is useful to have a parameter that can characterize both energetic and economic effects. In this paper, an economics-based Second Law efficiency is defined by analogy to the exergetic Second Law efficiency and is applied to several desalination systems. It is defined as the ratio of the minimum cost of producing a product divided by the actual cost of production. The minimum cost of producing the product is equal to the cost of the primary source of energy times the minimum amount of energy required, as governed by the Second Law. The analogy is used to show that thermodynamic irreversibilities can be assigned costs and compared directly to non-energetic costs, such as capital expenses, labor and other operating costs. The economics-based Second Law efficiency identifies costly sources of irreversibility and places these irreversibilities in context with the overall system costs. These principles are illustrated through three case studies. First, a simple analysis of multistage flash and multiple effect distillation systems is performed using available data. Second, a complete energetic and economic model of a reverse osmosis plant is developed to show how economic costs are influenced by energetics. Third, a complete energetic and economic model of a solar powered direct contact membrane distillation system is developed to illustrate the true costs associated with so-called free energy sources.
eCoaching across Routines to Enhance Teachers' Use of Modeling.

The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of eCoaching on two special education teachers’ use of modeling strategies across child-led, teacher-led, and mealtime routines. A multiple-...
How Public Pension affects Elderly Labor Supply and Well-being: Evidence from India

Summary I study the effect of a recent expansion in India’s National Old Age Pension Scheme on elderly well-being. Estimates suggest that public pension has a modestly negative effect on the employment of elderly/near elderly men with a primary or lower education but no effect on the employment of similar women. Pension raised family expenditures, lowering poverty, and the effect was smaller on families headed by illiterate persons suggesting lower pension coverage of this most disadvantaged group. Further, I find that households spent most of the pension income on medical care and education, suggesting possible intra-family transfers across generations.
Subexponential Algorithms for Unique Games and Related Problems

Subexponential time approximation algorithms are presented for the Unique Games and Small-Set Expansion problems. Specifically, for some absolute constant c, the following two algorithms are presented.(1) An exp(kne)-time algorithm that, given as input a k-alphabet unique game on n variables that has an assignment satisfying 1-ec fraction of its constraints, outputs an assignment satisfying 1-e fraction of the constraints.(2) An exp(ne/δ)-time algorithm that, given as input an n-vertex regular graph that has a set S of δn vertices with edge expansion at most ec, outputs a set S' of at most δ n vertices with edge expansion at most e.subexponential algorithm is also presented with improved approximation to Max Cut, Sparsest Cut, and Vertex Cover on some interesting subclasses of instances. These instances are graphs with low threshold rank, an interesting new graph parameter highlighted by this work.Khot's Unique Games Conjecture (UGC) states that it is NP-hard to achieve approximation guarantees such as ours for Unique Games. While the results here stop short of refuting the UGC, they do suggest that Unique Games are significantly easier than NP-hard problems such as Max 3-Sat, Max 3-Lin, Label Cover, and more, which are believed not to have a subexponential algorithm achieving a nontrivial approximation ratio.Of special interest in these algorithms is a new notion of graph decomposition that may have other applications. Namely, it is shown for every e >0 and every regular n-vertex graph G, by changing at most δ fraction of G's edges, one can break G into disjoint parts so that the stochastic adjacency matrix of the induced graph on each part has at most ne eigenvalues larger than 1-η, where η depends polynomially on e. The subexponential algorithm combines this decomposition with previous algorithms for Unique Games on graphs with few large eigenvalues [Kolla and Tulsiani 2007; Kolla 2010].
Impact of national generic dairy advertising on dairy markets, 1984-95

The impacts of generic dairy advertising on retail, wholesale, and farm dairy markets are estimated in this study at the national level. The results indicate that generic dairy advertising had a major impact on retail, wholesale, and farm markets for the dairy industry. The main conclusion of the study is that farmers are receiving a high return on their investment in generic dairy advertising, i.e., an average rate of return of $3,40 for every dollar invested over the period 1984–95. Moreover, the return on investment in advertising was higher in the most recent year, almost double the average for the previous 11 years.
Rapid Nucleic Acid Analysis for Contaminant Impact Evaluation

The objective of this program is to develop innovative DNA detection technologies to achieve fast mutation screening and to reveal the linkage between gene mutation and contaminants. The specific approach are (1) to develop innovative multiplexing hybridization detection for DNA mutation detection, (2) to develop sequence-proof microarray hybridization technology (3) to develop hybridization on disk and (4) to validate the pollution-mediated mutation can be used for sound risk analysis for setting up the priorities for waste cleanup.
The Realized Laplace Transform of Volatility

We introduce and derive the asymptotic behavior of a new measure constructed from high-frequency data which we call the realized Laplace transform of volatility. The statistic provides a nonparametric estimate for the empirical Laplace transform function of the latent stochastic volatility process over a given interval of time and is robust to the presence of jumps in the price process. With a long span of data, that is, under joint long-span and infill asymptotics, the statistic can be used to construct a nonparametric estimate of the volatility Laplace transform as well as of the integrated joint Laplace transform of volatility over different points of time. We derive feasible functional limit theorems for our statistic both under fixed-span and infill asymptotics as well as under joint long-span and infill asymptotics which allow us to quantify the precision in estimation under both sampling schemes.
Synthetic Approaches to Intermetallic Clathrates

Intermetallic clathrates comprise a class of unique crystalline solids displaying remarkable flexibility in chemical composition, resulting in a wide range of physical properties. Developing the scientific understanding of the unusual and potentially useful properties of these materials and their development in device applications requires a diverse synthetic toolkit. A variety of techniques have been used to prepare intermetallic clathrates, including direct solid-state reaction of the elements, flux and Czochralski crystal growth methods, and thermal decomposition of Zintl phase precursors. Recently, new approaches have been developed and applied to synthesize high quality crystals, as well as the preparation of compositions that are not easily accessible by conventional techniques. In this chapter, we provide a concise overview of both conventional and novel methods for synthesis of intermetallic clathrates, highlighting the types of compositions and characteristic products that have been prepared by each approach.
Real-time Bidding based Vehicle Sharing

We consider one-way vehicle sharing systems where customers can pick a car at one station and drop it off at another (e.g., Zipcar, Car2Go). We aim to optimize the distribution of cars, and quality of service, by pricing rentals appropriately. However, with highly uncertain demands and other uncertain parameters (e.g., pick-up and drop-off location, time, duration), pricing each individual rental becomes prohibitively difficult. To overcome this difficulty, we propose a new approach for vehicle sharing based on a bidding mechanism reminiscent of Priceline or Hotwire.
Medical synonym extraction with concept space models

In this paper, we present a novel approach for medical synonym extraction. We aim to integrate the term embedding with the medical domain knowledge for healthcare applications. One advantage of our method is that it is very scalable. Experiments on a dataset with more than 1M term pairs show that the proposed approach outperforms the baseline approaches by a large margin.
Will Consumers Pay a Premium for “Raised Carbon Friendly” Beef? Evidence from a Contingent Valuation Experiment

Cattle production contributes about 2.2% of US greenhouse gas emissions. The adoption of prescribed grazing (PG) could reduce these emissions. Grass-fed beef products command price premiums; whether beef produced with PG programs would do likewise is not known. This research estimates consumer willingness-to-pay for beef grown using the PG technology.
Re-Thinking Debt Burden: Going with the Flow?

This paper provides an empirical framework for computing a flow measure of public debt called the debt-to-duration ratio. A ratio of this measure to GDP (DD-to-GDP) is a unit-free measure of debt burden interpreted as the percentage of income for debt service or repayment. Using monthly US Treasury data (1997–2018), we compare this measure to the debt-to-GDP ratio. The DD-to-GDP ratio is an alternative for use in discussions about sustainability of current levels of debt. An empirical test of the relationship between rising debt ratios and growth shows that duration has an important counteracting relationship with higher debt lowering growth but longer duration being associated with higher growth in the medium term.
Lattice QCD with 12 Degenerate Quark Flavors

We report on new data from additional zero temperature simulations of QCD with 12 flavors. This is a continuation of previous studies using the DBW2 gauge action and naive staggered fermions. With the use of the force gradient integrator and a multiple-quark-mass preconditioned HMC, we have done simulations with input quark masses from mq = 0:003 to mq = 0:008. We have observed a metastable, first order, bulk transition that occurs at small input quark masses. As the quark mass increases, this first order bulk transition ends at a second order critical point, and, for still heavier quark masses, becomes the cross-over we have previously reported. We present measurements of hadron masses, decay constants and other low energy observables in the small quark mass region on the weak coupling side of the bulk transition. Our results show that the behavior of the system is still consistent with spontaneously broken chiral symmetry. We also discuss a preliminary investigation into the behavior of the bulk transition itself. We have found that, as the system approaches the second order critical end point, the scalar singlet meson becomes lighter. Thus it appears that the critical endpoint corresponds to a continuum limit theory only involving scalars and, following known triviality arguments, this is likely a free field theory. The presence of this critical endpoint could influence scaling of lattice observables in the conventional continuum limit.
Divorcing Strain Classification from Species Names

Confusion about strain classification and nomenclature permeates modern microbiology. Although taxonomists have traditionally acted as gatekeepers of order, the numbers of, and speed at which, new strains are identified has outpaced the opportunity for professional classification for many lineages. Furthermore, the growth of bioinformatics and database-fueled investigations have placed metadata curation in the hands of researchers with little taxonomic experience. Here I describe practical challenges facing modern microbial taxonomy, provide an overview of complexities of classification for environmentally ubiquitous taxa like Pseudomonas syringae, and emphasize that classification can be independent of nomenclature. A move toward implementation of relational classification schemes based on inherent properties of whole genomes could provide sorely needed continuity in how strains are referenced across manuscripts and data sets.
Primitively generated Hall algebras

Author(s): Berenstein, A; Greenstein, J | Abstract: In the present paper we show that Hall algebras of finitary exact categories behave like quantum groups in the sense that they are generated by indecomposable objects. Moreover, for a large class of such categories, Hall algebras are generated by their primitive elements, with respect to the natural comultiplication, even for nonhereditary categories. Finally, we introduce certain primitively generated subalgebras of Hall algebras and conjecture an analogue of "Lie correspondence" for those finitary categories.